Every year on Christmas Day, the Discovery Channel and the History Channel air programs about Jesus and the Bible. Programs that I always find offensive. The programs airing tomorrow deal with some subjects such as "who was the real Jesus?" "who REALLY wrote the bible?" "with the help of forensics, how can we prove that jesus never really rose from the grave?" and "was the star of bethlehem nothing more than an event with a constellation?" These two networks will air programs all day that attempt to attack the validity of the biblical tradition...and, they choose to do it on the day we celebrate the birth of Christ. If this isn't offensive, I don't know what is.
How these networks have the gall to air programs trying to knock down the virgin birth, the life of jesus, the writing of the bible, and the resurrection, on Christmas Day is beyond me. They do it for one reason...it's popular to attack Christians as morons and buffoons who believe in mythical nonsense voodoo that never happened, and hey- we at the Discovery Channel will do all we can to try to prove it. Of course, there's no way to prove it one way or another, and the evidence leads toward the traditional history being true if you ask me...but these people come up with everything theory on earth EXCEPT the theories that deal with the existence of God and such.
I just find it ridiculous that the Discovery Channel tries to paint the picture that they're all about science and reason...yet, they completely deny the theories that maybe there REALLY was a virgin birth, and that there were miracles performed, and that Jesus ACTUALLY rose from the dead.
Tomorrow, as we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, these networks will be doing their best to attack what we believe, and try to show us that we're complete morons, and that THEY actually have the truth.
It's nonsense...and it's quite offensive to air these programs all day on this particular day.
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Just some of the programs they'll air tomorrow to try to destroy Christianity:
History's Mysteries
The Shroud of Turin
more below (read more)
NOTE: I haven't seen all of these programs. I saw the one about the 'real' Moses and the one about who "really" wrote the bible...so, I'm basing my opinion on these shows alone...plus, I have seen a number of programs on Discovery that seem to refuse to accept the traditional theories of the Bible. Plus, if you read the listings from tvguide.com, they don't sound very supportive, but rather more attacking.
I did look up the very long series (3 parts) of the film THE REAL JESUS, and from what I see, it's actually friendly to the Biblical history of things and to Christianity in general...so, I could always be wrong about other of the programs as well.
Who Was Moses?
60 mins.
This ambitious 1998 documentary attempts to uncover the identity of the historical lawgiver and the origins of the Ten Commandments.
Specifically, the program concentrates on “archaeological proof behind the story of Moses,” says executive producer Gaynelle Evans, and determines that there is “some archaeological [evidence] that supports the story in the Bible.” Such findings include a volcano on the Greek island of Santorini, which would have been visible to the Israelites on their flight, and accounted for the “pillar of fire” recorded in Exodus. It also may have triggered unusual phenomena, including plagues, storms---and a tidal wave that could have resulted in the parting of the Red Sea.
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See? Great example right here...instead of accepting the biblical answer as the cause- they come up with theories such as a volcano that caused these MANY strange events...plagues, storms, the parting of the Red Sea- the bible is pure nonsense, and it was all caused by a volcano. We at Discovery can prove it!
Well I just saw the one on the book of Revelations. What a piece of work that is. The most biased presentation of "facts" I have ever seen, it offers no presentation from today's Christian perspective, only from quote "Bible Historians" The next one airs Jan 11 @ 7:00. Watch it and see. Speculation at best, even from their own standards. I know my Bible and I must say there were a few times where I felt they were making an argumentative statement rather than a presentation of facts. Misinterpretation big time and I felt attacked as a Christian in an intolerant, insensitive way. These programs show on Easter, Christmas, and Sundays. I wonder if they did a program on the "real" Muhammed (sp?) during Ramadan? I doubt it. I also doubt they will not believe Jesus was crucified until they see the holes in his hands and feet. It hurts my heart to have a media channel air a program that looks at my faith without at least having some Christian theologians offer an interpretation of how our faith reads Revelation (in some cases they didn't even present the material in context) and chosing to air the programs on days we hold as holy, especially during a tumultuous time, without regard to political correctness, tolerance, and sensitivity.
Posted by: John Batchelor at January 9, 2004 06:18 PMwell, thats how the media works a lot of the time. there is no reason for them to air these attack programs on holy days- especially christmas, when they played the shows all christmas eve, and all day and night christmas day. ive noticed that networks like discovery and TLC rarely show both sides of an issue- they have a number of attack pieces on christianity. its disgusting.
Posted by: Josh Bozeman at January 9, 2004 07:12 PMHi.
I've been studying the prophecy of Jesus' return since a very long time now, and, like many believers, I thought that the "rapture of the church" has to happen before the Kingdom of God could be established on this earth (or in the "new creation" that God has promised us). However, this is only a partial truth. The truth is that, before the Lord returns to this earth as he has left it about two thousand years ago, the "man of sin" must first appear and show himself has been "God" on the earth, even sitting in the Temple of God that will be built in Jerusalem in the last days!
Just read carefully the follwing text. Paul wrote : "Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him (on the clouds of heaven, in the air, we must understand!), that ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand. Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God." (2 Thes. 2:1-4)
By reading this text, it becomes very clear that the day that Christ must come shall be preceeded by the coming of a mysterious "man of sin", the "son of perdition", who will oppose and exalt himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as "God" sits in the temple of God, even showing himself that he is "God"! In other words, we are clearly told here that BEFORE the coming of the Lord and the gathering of the saints in the clouds of heaven occurs, that the "man of sin" must appear first on the world scene in a manner to make the whole world think that he is the appointed "Messiah" the church was just waiting for!
The letter of Paul pursues by clearly saying that it is AFTER the manifestation of that "impostor" that the Lord will come and destroy that "impostor" with the very "breath of his mouth", that "impostor" who was sitting in God's very Temple, in Jerusalem! So, it appears clearly that it is only AFTER the manifestation of this specific event that the Lord will then think to gather his church into the clouds of heaven, in the air, as we are told in the first letter of Paul to the Thessalonians. May we agree or not, the resurrection of the saints will not happen before!
Paul wrote : "For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way. And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming: even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders..." (2 Thes. 2:7-9)
Now, the other thing we must understand here is that, according to some other texts of the Bible, the "saints" will still be on this earth when the "beast of the sea" will appear and make war to these "saints" for a period of time of about 42 months.
The book of Revelation says that : "And there was given unto him (the beast) a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months... And it was given unto him (the beast) to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations." (Rev. 13:5-7) These "saints" are the ones who must complete the total amount of the Church of God who must be killed by ungodly men just before the glorious return of the Lord Jesus-Christ on the clouds of heaven. (Rev. 6:9-11) They are the ones whom will have to go through the "great tribulation", as clearly told in Rev. 7:9-14, which says : "After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands;... These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb."
The vision that John is having here is just an anticipation of some future key events that must take place in the end times, when the "beast" will come into power and also this other "beast" that will come from the earth and will "cause all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads: and that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name... 666!" (Rev. 13:16-18) This is the "great tribulation" period that will endure for 42 months. Many of the appointed "saints" of that final period of time will even be beheaded for refusing the unfamous "mark of the beast" in connection with the unfamous number 666, as we are clearly told in Rev. 20:4! They are the ones who should comme back to life, at the resurrection, and reign with Christ for a thousand years on this earth (or in heaven!.. Who really knows?)! At least, that's what the book of Revelation is clearly revealing us by saying : "And... I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years." (Rev. 20:4)
No doubt about it, these are the last saints of the Church of Christ that must die before the Lord returns and destroy the "impostor" that was sitting in God's very Temple, in Jerusalem in the last days, and managed to impose its unfamous "666 mark" to all the inhabitants of the earth... this "666 mark" without which no one could buy nor sell anything in a manner to survive in the New World Order initiated by no one else but the prophesied "false Messiah"! It's only after these prophetic events that the resurrection will occur and that the gathering of the saints with the Lord on the clouds of heaven, in the air, will take place! This "great tribulation" will endure for 42 months, the same period of time that will be allowed to the "two witnesses of God" who will, in some way, oppose the kingdoms of the two prophesied beasts by performing some very specific actions to demonstrate to the whole world that God still is in control of the situation! (Rev. 11) Simularily to Aaron and Moses who were appointed by God to deliver God's people from Pharaoh's grip, so will it be with these two "witnesses of God"!
We are told in the book of Revelation that "These are the two olive trees, and the two candlesticks standing before the God of the earth.
And if any man will hurt them, fire proceedeth out of their mouth, and devoureth their enemies: and if any man will hurt them, he must in this manner be killed. These have power to shut heaven, that it rain not in the days of their prophecy: and have power over waters to turn them to blood, and to smite the earth with all plagues, as often as they will.
And when they shall have finished their testimony, the beast that ascendeth out of the bottomless pit shall make war against them, and shall overcome them, and kill them." (Rev. 11:4-7) Obvioulsy, these two special guys will not pass unseen by the medias and by the world in general! They will perform signs and wonders that only true "God's servants" could perform.
But according to the book of Revelation, the resurrection of the saints should occur some three and a half days after the death of these two "witnesses of God". For it is then that the "last trumpet", the seventh one, will sound and allow the gathering of the elect in the clouds of heaven, in the air, to meet Christ whom is finally coming in his reign to pour his wrath over a sinful and unrepented civilization! (Rev. 10:7, 11:11-15 and 1 Cor. 15:51-52) Isn't that what Paul clearly stated by saying : "Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the LAST TRUMP: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed."? (1 Cor. 15:51-52) It surely is!
Well, I guess that's all what I had to say on that matter.
Take care.
Posted by: Serge Bessette at April 25, 2004 08:41 AM