A Case for Criticism
Live from the Mecca of Mormonism, Salt Lake City, Utah, this is Heart of the Matter, where Biblical Christianity meets American Evangelicalism Face to Face . . . And I’m your host, Shawn McCraney. We PRAISE the true and living God for allowing us to be a part of this ministry and pray He will be with you and me tonight.
Introduction
History of where we’ve been, where we are now, and where we are headed. Responses to our new direction: I think we will be best served by beginning with a prayer. PRAYER – Thanks “Show our viewers that they can trust in you for all things, that while we are failing you are not, while we are faithless you are faithful . . . you avenge, you give and you take away. Seekers of truth.
Soooooo . . . two months ago we were summarily kicked off the television station where we began over seven years ago. I think you our viewers deserve to hear from me exactly what happened and why . . . and what did not. I want to begin with a passage of scripture that we take very seriously: Ephesians 6:12 “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.”
Conflict and Resolution
Having cited this I want you to know that we refuse to make war with individuals – this is God’s job. We try very hard not to retaliate or seek revenge trusting our King is fully aware of all things and this is in His hands. That being said, we DO and WILL war and wrestle against principalities of darkness and we will go to battle with them using the Word of God for context.
Prior to getting into our biblical justifications for doing this very thing, I do think we can explain what happened without including an attack on those who were involved. I am aware of the half-truths and obfuscated stories floating around out there and being published by those who hate me, and as a means to address the facts I want you to imagine a wagon wheel in your head.
At the center of that wagon wheel is what they call the hub. On that hub put my face or name or a jackass – they are all one in the same. Then radiating out from that hub are wooden spokes that lead to the wheel rim, which represents the whole matter we’re discussing. As a means to make things believable and easy to swallow certain people, when asked: “Why was Heart of the Matter taken off television in Salt Lake City?” Will point to the jackass in the hub and say, “Because Shawn McCraney did this,” or “because Shawn did that.”
Early Challenges
I wish it was that simple. Granted, I contribute to everything that happens to me and the ministry, but the contributions are not always wrong – sometimes they are even good, but usually they are not easy to hear or accept. Let me explain.
Seven years ago I was offered my own program on the Christian station in Salt Lake City where Heart of the Matter used to air. I was in the Calvary Chapel School of Ministry at the time, was broke, and had essentially lost any support of family or friends due to leaving the LDS church. As a result, the television station management in Salt Lake agreed that if I would fly up to Utah every week to do the live show, they would allow me to sleep in the station at night and would not charge me to record and air the show.
Now listen closely – no program was paying to record or air their show then so it wasn’t like we received a special dispensation from the management. They did us a favor in letting me stay in the station and we returned the favor by getting up to Utah every week (on credit cards) and by throwing all we had into producing the best show we thought possible. Even before the first program aired tension existed between me and management, me and pastors in the state, and me and ministries that reached out to the LDS. Relative to the television station the tensions related to how I, the jackass, refused to be controlled by what I believed were inane approaches to television broadcasting and station management wanting me to quell my
Contributing Factors to the Cancellation
Outlandish methods of communication. These differences were always present and a source of friction – since day one. So there is one SPOKE leading from the hub to the rim. Another spoke was station ownership. On one program years ago I lambasted Binny Hinn (and those like him) through a video montage and the next day nearly got my walking papers as the owners are very charismatic in their religious appellations and were strong supporters of Hinn and the like.
Another SPOKE in the wheel was the style and stance I have personally toward Christianity and those maintained by a pastor who not only hosts his own program at the same station I was fired from but he is also perhaps the single most supportive Christian leader in Utah toward the LDS. With my person being seen as the most antagonistic toward the Mormon religion there was bound to be tension between us. Add in the fact that this religious leader openly and completely supported Mormon presidential candidate Mitt Romney’s (and the fact that I was more than publicly against a Mormon taking such an office) this pastor's animus for my person was, shall we say, palpable. I cannot help but feel he had been searching for years for a way to get me off the air.
Then there’s the station employee who I literally made cry when I called him on his mean-spiritedness, the woman associated with the station who (years ago) felt personally scorned when I admitted to her that I had developed inappropriate feelings for another woman (which was admitted openly and handled openly) behind me), a gaggle of pastors who have long held a great disdain for my style and understanding of scripture, and my own “damn the torpedos” temperament that makes some people just hate the very skin in which I reside, and it is totally surprising I wasn’t booted off the air well before January 1 of this year.
The Final Catalyst
So those are the contributing players and factors to the cancellation of Heart of the Matter from the station in Salt Lake. On the final January first program that served as a catalyst to bring all of these forces together to shut the show down I announced that we were going to focus our attention on American Evangelicalism instead of Mormonism like we had been doing for the seven years prior.
Seven freaking years of relentlessly going after Mormonism with everything we could find and one week of focusing our attention on our own house and those SPOKES detached from the hub, formed a club, and smashed me over the head with as much collective force as they could muster. Five days after the show I was gone. I do not judge or condemn them. God will choose to do this or not. I can only give them the benefit of the doubt that they did what they thought they had to do.
Reasons for Cancellation
But for the record, I was not booted because I used words like hell, damn, bastard, pastard, or bull-shitake mushrooms in my presentation. I have used these terms over and over again on the program and was never threatened with a cancellation of the show over my use of them. Ever. Neither were we cancelled because of some undisclosed sin in my life or due to unpaid bills. Finally, we were NOT cancelled because I took the show a direction I had to try to take it before and was refused. This is not true.
We were cancelled for all the reasons already given AND because: 1st, I angered one of the station owners. The day after we aired the January 1st show I received a call from one of the owners asking what in the world is wrong in the church that needs discussion. As we talked I asked a question: “What are you afraid of?” There was a moment of silence and then came the reply: “I’m not afraid of anything.” She was angry and I knew it when I heard it. 2nd, I had gotten under the skin of some of the pastors of the local churches. Some of them knew I had visited their churches over the Christmas break and were worried I was going to point them out specifically in our examination of American Evangelicalism. In a letter to the station management I reassured them that I was not going to name names. But this assurance came too late. The decision was made.
In the face of all of this, the station person I made cry got together with the evangelical friend to Mormonism.
The Cancellation and Its Aftermath
They mounted a campaign sending emails out with clips of the last show attached, and got the pastors of the community to send letters or emails to the station. The owners were able to use these letters to convince themselves they were making the right decisions, and that they truly were not afraid of anything, and five days later I was hand delivered our walking papers from a stranger which said the show was cancelled. The action was in part punitive, made to teach me a personal lesson of who was in charge and that I was now getting my comeuppance for years of belligerently doing what was certainly controversial but certainly effective. I can prove the decision was punitive on the grounds of three facts.
- We were told there was no negotiations available to us. This meant we were not allowed to even run any of the seven years of re-runs about Mormonism that would and could continue to reach people throughout Utah and Idaho and would have nothing to do with our new direction. That was punitive.
- All of our programming was kicked off the station – including The Ex Files with Bishop Earl, which was more than benign but highly effective in reaching others. Just because I produced the show it was cancelled. That’s personally punitive.
- It was personally punitive because people just weeks before told me how much influence the programming had on Utah refused to speak with me after the cancellation. These are the reactions created out of fear and guilt not friendship and love.
So while we were set back and shocked at the cancellation, the Lord has taken what was possibly meant for evil, and kicked us in a far better direction. I am going to tell you about them in a minute but I think now would be a good time to address something that has been bouncing around as a result of our being cancelled.
Questioning Church Practices
And that is this idea that Christians are not supposed to attack, question, or criticize what is going on in the church. Is this true? Should believers ever say they are not happy about this circumstance or that that is going on in the church at large? Instead of my just saying, “It’s biblical! It’s biblical!” against the cries of fearful people who say, “It’s not good! It’s not good!” let’s consider the following and you ask yourselves if there is ever a time to question what is going on in the church.
First of all, there is a HUGE difference between individual believers and those in ministry. Second, there is a HUGE difference between the Church and the Body of Christ. They are not one in the same. Then ask yourselves, how is what we are doing one whit different than:
- Every Old Testament prophet who cried against the leaders, prophets, and shepherds of Israel.
Biblical Examples of Critique
This is the text of our title song that plays at the intro of the show:
Ezekiel 34:2-3 “Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel, prophesy, and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD unto the shepherds; Woe be to the shepherds of Israel that do feed themselves! should not the shepherds feed the flocks? Ye eat the fat, and ye clothe you with the wool, ye kill them that are fed: but ye feed not the flock.”
Listen to Isaiah! Isaiah 56:11 “Yea, they are greedy dogs which can never have enough, and they are shepherds that cannot understand: they all look to their own way, every one for his gain, from his quarter.”
Listen to Micah! Micah 3:11 “The heads thereof judge for reward, and the priests thereof teach for hire, and the prophets thereof divine for money: yet will they lean upon the LORD, and say, Is not the LORD among us? none evil can come upon us.”
Listen to Jeremiah! Jeremiah 23:1 “Woe be unto the pastors that destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture! saith the LORD.”
Listen to Zechariah! Zechariah 11:17 “Woe to the idol shepherd that leaveth the flock! the sword shall be upon his arm, and upon his right eye: his arm shall be clean dried up, and his right…
New Testament Teachings on Repentance and Hypocrisy
Oh, I get it, you want New Testament?
Then hear John the Baptist and his words and ministry to the religious leaders of his religion and day. Matthew 3:2 “. . . saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” Matthew 3:7 “But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees come to his baptism, he said unto them, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance: and think not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham.
Critique of Religious Leaders
OH, you want the words to come from Jesus? I see. Matthew 23:1 “Then spake Jesus to the multitude, and to his disciples, saying, The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses' seat: all therefore whatsoever they bid you observe, that observe and do; but do not ye after their works: for they say, and do not. For they bind heavy burdens and grievous to be borne, and lay them on men's shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers. But all their works they do for to be seen of men: they make broad their phylacteries, and enlarge the borders of their garments, and love the uppermost rooms at feasts, and the chief seats in the synagogues, and greetings in the markets, and to be called of men, Rabbi, Rabbi. But be not ye called Rabbi: for one is your Master, even Christ; and all ye are brethren. And call no man your father upon the earth: for one is your Father, which is in heaven. Neither be ye called masters: for one is your Master, even Christ. But he that is greatest among you shall be your servant. And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted.
Warnings Against Hypocrisy
But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye neither go in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in. Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye devour widows' houses, and for a pretence make long prayer: therefore ye shall receive the greater damnation. Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he is made, ye make him twofold more the child of hell than yourselves. Woe unto you, ye blind guides, which say, Whosoever shall swear by the temple, it is nothing; but whosoever shall swear by the gold of the temple, he is a debtor! Ye fools and blind: for whether is greater, the gold, or the temple that sanctifieth the gold? And, Whosoever shall swear by the altar, it is nothing; but whosoever sweareth by the gift that is upon it, he is guilty. Ye fools and blind: for whether is greater, the gift, or the altar that sanctifieth the gift? Whoso therefore shall swear by the altar, sweareth by it, and by all things thereon. And whoso shall swear by the temple, sweareth by it, and by him that dwelleth therein. And he that shall swear by heaven, sweareth by the throne of God, and by him that sitteth thereon.
Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone. Ye blind guides, which strain at a gnat, and swallow a camel. Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess. Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first that which is within the cup and platter, that the outside of them may be clean also. Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness. Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity. Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites
Critique and Correction in Christian History
been in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets. Wherefore ye be witnesses unto yourselves, that ye are the children of them which killed the prophets. Fill ye up then the measure of your fathers. Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell?”
Oh! You want Paul – the apostle to the Gentiles? Most of his epistles were letters of instruction and correction to the established churches of his day
2nd Corinthians 13:1-3 “This is the third time I am coming to you. In the mouth of two or three witnesses shall every word be established. I told you before, and foretell you, as if I were present, the second time; and being absent now I write to them which heretofore have sinned, and to all other, that, if I come again, I will not spare: since ye seek a proof of Christ speaking in me, which to you-ward is not weak, but is mighty in you.”
2Co 13:10 “Therefore I write these things being absent, lest being present I should use sharpness, according to the power which the Lord hath given me to edification, and not to destruction.”
And remember, Paul was not reticent, even in scripture, to call out brethren BY name who had failed Him and turned to their own ways. In fact He even used pejorative terms to describe them!
Historical Figures Standing Against Heresy
How about the fact that when the Lord appeared to John on the Isle of Patmos he had praise and critique of the seven churches. Just read Revelation Chapter 1, 2, and 3. Have we forgotten the fact that every single advance to PROTECT the Body of Christ in the early church (and beyond) came from men who stood up AGAINST heresy and evil practice from within the Church. Consider the words and wisdom and fight of:
Jacobus Arminius Theodore Beza Heinrich Bullinger Thomas Cranmer Thomas Cromwell George Fox John Huss John Knox Hugh Latimer Martin Luther Melanchthon Nicolas Ridley William Tyndale John Wesley Wyclif Zwingli Even Soren Kierkegaard
How about every single pastor, priest, and reverend (before and since) who has silently done the work and will of God, suffering for the cause, while refusing to play the game of religion for the sake of bringing and teaching others about a relationship with our King?
Modern Challenges Within Christianity
These are those humble souls who suffer and go without, who have not had money, and power, and prestige part of their ministry. They have not weighted their congregates down so they can take paid vacations, so they can live above the level of their sheep, or burdened them with guilt so they will serve THEIR vision and dreams instead of Christs? Think about all the “Christian dangers” that have popped up from WITHIN the body in the past and even today?
Rasputin Joseph Smith Christian Scientists Jim Jones – I mean, this guy started out as a basic Christian believer! Should people have just shut their mouths about the directions he was taking with the peoples temple? David Koresh
Where do apologetics come into play? Where does testing all things? What are we supposed to do when we hear that people coming out of Mormonism are walking into churches that demand tithes? Who burden them with service assignments, who over-program their entire lives as a means to make the pastors vision work.
It seems like pastors have erected and supported this notion of not attacking the church as a means to insulate their own failures from scrutiny? Well, I’ve bitten on that line before and never again. We are GOING to take everything that is passed before us as acceptable, normative, and Christian, and compare it to the Word of God. And then we’re going to call things for what they are –
Of God, of Man, or Evil.
And if pastors, and popes, and prophets, and power mongers wanting to control and manipulate the masses complain, fa-getta-bout it.
Aditionally, we’ve had people tell me that what WE ARE DOING IS WRONG because “I haven’t been Christian long enough?” Really? There’s a timeframe required for a person to discern truth from lies?
Listen, I may have been LDS for forty years but I studied the Bible during that time. And I might have only been Christian since 1997 – 16 years – I know what the Word says and when I see something so off-putting a blind deaf mute can discern a problem. Finally, we have people say over and over again that WHAT WE ARE DOING
The Challenges of Modern Christianity
“My expertise and influence relative to Mormonism is being lost! Its Time! It has been covered! Is it still being seen! Finally there are those who will say, “But you have such a good thing goin!? Why stop?” I hate this one more than any other. Listen, we – me – those behind the scenes are NOT in this to make an empire
Deuotological verse teleological drivers. NOT in this to build an empire of success.
Everyone quotes whatever passage that is convenient to them and their cause. There is no consistent model as everything is subjective, relative, and circumstantially applied. The Old Testament is quoted when convenient as is the New. Grace is not truly grace – it comes with an attached price. Proud failures in the body are told they will be held accountable to God. Humble failures are told God forgave them long ago. Moral issues are the only concrete demands – if these are broken they guilty is gone. Friends are only friends as long as both are towing the Christian line. Fall, and your gone. Church is established on principles of love but work off a conform or be cast out model.
The Role of Pastors and Church Vision
Most pastors have a dream – they call it their vision. They gear their services to meet this overall vision becoming a reality. Often Bible passages are employed to move people to action. The cycle looks like this: Pastor’s heart, Pastor’s “vision”, Pastor’s focus, Pastors Services. Dumbing down of truth Increase of entertainment brings more people. More people means more money. Must maintain model week end and week out. Churches embrace and support all sorts of “causes” and collect funds for them. But in some cases skim off the top of the total (administration fees, you know) and thereby control all the funds and their direction while giving the people opportunity to appear to contribute to good world causes. Same with guest speakers. Everything becomes an opportunity to increase the revenue stream. Mormonism a favorite of pastors in the state when visiting other churches. Because they are in Utah they become the qualified expert on the faith. (Trinity) Healings The church is a body of believers, not a place for people to be courted by God. (Seeker friendly models).
Conditional Acceptance and Financial Focus
God loves and accepts unconditionally . . . until someone does what we don’t like. Then He will take an accounting of them. Is it hell they are headed toward or just lost rewards? Who knows. Money. Money. Money. Things of the world. The NAME of the church. The Name of the Church. The Name of the church. The NAME. Either we are saved by grace through faith or its over. There can be nothing more. Sin was either paid for or it was not. We either are covered in His blood or we are not. “Held accountable by God means what? I don’t know. We either should fear God or we should love Him. Cannot be both. With soooooo many Christians under sooooooo many false impressions we are either sooooooo fucked or we are soooooo loved and saved. And it is
Christianity and Culture
either by grace through faith alone or it is by the law. If the former, shut the fuck up about holiness. • Christian culture is a lie. • Things of this world are all through Christianity. • Christian concerts – ha! Music is aimed at emotionally reaching the hearers. • The greatest Christian miracles are lives changing. • The lowliest are treated as the lowliest in Christianity. • The best are treated as the best.
NRB Broadcast Information
Hi Shawn! Hope all is well. I wanted to follow up and let you know we will have a bonus airing for you. It's Tuesday's 1:00am CT. Your Friday 11pm CT will be the main airing with the following Tuesday as the bonus. All of this starting on April 5th. Hope that makes sense. If not, let me know. I have also copied Vicki so that you know who to send tapes and/or FTP's.
NRB Network Reach
Finally, if you go to our webpage, www.nrbnetwork.tv, you can see a list of outlets and affiliates currently carrying the NRB Network. As I mentioned to you, we are in 30 million plus households and continually growing. Praise God!
