Cotton Candy or Salt?

By Rob Pue @ Wisconsin Christian News

It’s really too bad that I need to take time out of my very busy schedule to address today’s topic.  I’ve been publishing Wisconsin Christian News for 25 years now, so I know that what I’m about to share with you is par for the course and to be expected, but it still bothers me a lot.  Even though I know this is just another attempt of Satan to get under my skin and weigh me down with discouragement, I can’t seem to just let it go.  So, let me tell you what happened yesterday.
 
I was busy working in my office, trying to cross as many things off my “to do” list as possible when the phone rang.  It was a man who had found Wisconsin Christian News for the first time at one of our public news racks.  He told me he was impressed by the cover and glad to find a Christian newspaper out in public, but then, how he was immediately disgusted by, as he put it, “all the political crap” we published.  “What’s with all the political crap in here?” he asked.  

But he didn’t really want to listen to anything I had to say.  In fact, I couldn’t get a word in edgewise.  “I thought we weren’t supposed to mix politics and religion,” he said.  And then, as critics like this always love to do, he attempted to “scare” me by saying, “I was going to subscribe to this paper but there’s no way I’ll do that now!”  These guys always say this as if losing the $2 “profit margin” we receive per year on an annual subscription is going to strike tremendous fear into my heart. 
 
It would have been nice if I were able to have a discussion with him, but then again, over the years, I’ve come across so many others just like him, that I know it’s futile.  Just as well that he hung up on me after yelling at me for publishing what he considered to be “political” material.
 
But this situation gnawed at me all day, and it’s still gnawing at me today.  So much so that I went back in my files to see what articles could have set him off enough to bother making the call.  People will rarely contact me with positive, encouraging messages, but seem to be very eager to call and tell me how I’m doing everything wrong.
 
There were a couple articles on how God was mocked during the opening ceremonies for the Olympics in Paris.  An article on Repentance, God’s Law and the Republican National Convention; one on the new LGBTQP+ curriculum elementary school kids will be subjected to in public schools this fall.  We ran a commentary on how the mainstream media is stumping for Kamala Harris; one about how our government is supposed to have a system of checks and balances with three separate branches; an investigation into the Trump assassination attempt; and one on the sanctity of life for preborn babies.
 
But the rest of the paper was all Bible teaching, letters to the editor, health-related articles, parenting articles, and several on building strong marriages and families.  If I’d had the chance, I would have explained that we are a NEWSpaper, and therefore, we include news in each issue.  Our articles are all from a Christian perspective and worldview, but yes, we do and will continue to cover things like the upcoming elections, tyrannical government, the New World Order, plans of the Globalists, the LGBTQP+ grooming and exploitation of our children and more.
 
We’ll continue to publish real information on the invasion of our nation by foreign enemies.  We’ll speak up when Christ-followers are unjustly hunted and persecuted by our Justice Department, jailed for standing in the gap for the preborn or for praying in public.  We’ll let you know when injustice claims yet more victims.
 
I don’t see these things as being political.  In fact, everything this man would have claimed is “political” are actually moral and spiritual issues, but he’ll never come to understand that.  Something he said made it all clear to me. He said, “I thought we weren’t supposed to mix politics and religion.”  Clearly, he’s been well trained by a cowardly, weakling “pastor” somewhere, in a “stained glass fortress” steeped in “churchianity.”
 
Again, moral and spiritual matters should not be confused with political ones.  But even in the realm of politics, I believe Christians should not only be present, but front and center and in charge.  I won’t apologize for that.  How different would our society and our modern American culture be right now if our government leaders were true Christ-followers?  
 
Do you think we’d have this unbridled lawlessness in our streets?  Would we have abortion up to — and beyond — the moment of birth?  Would we have feminine hygiene products stocked in our male restrooms in public schools and other public places?  Would our public schools have litter boxes in the restrooms for those students who identify as cats?  Would we have pornography being read to our tiny children by so-called “teachers?”  Would 25% of our children be confused about their gender?  Would 47% of our children “identify” as some type of LGBTQP+?
 
If Christians were involved in politics — and pastors properly spoke the truth from their pulpits — would God be mocked and ridiculed at every public event — the Olympics being just one example of many?  Would the media be allowed to lie to us constantly with impunity?  Would school boards be able to push through whatever horrific agenda they wanted — causing serious mental and physical abuse of our children, regardless of what parents wanted?  For that matter, would our children, right now, be being groomed by sodomites in public schools, masquerading as “teachers,” without parents even knowing about it?
 
And if Christians were properly taught — by courageous pastors — to push back and stand as a restraining force against evil in our nation, do you think we’d have all the homelessness, drug abuse, poverty, hunger, prostitution, and insanity in our streets?  I doubt it.
 
I’m sick of it.  The reason our nation and world is in chaos today, teetering on the edge of total destruction is because so-called “Christians” have failed in their primary duty.  Matthew 5:13, “You are the salt of the earth, but if the salt has lost his savor, how shall its savor be restored?  It’s no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under the feet of men.”  
 
This is what we’ve allowed to happen... and America is now a post-Christian nation.  “Christianity” has become irrelevant.  Good for nothing.  The very Word of God has been thrown out and trampled under the feet of men, and we have allowed this to happen.  Yes, Pastor, I’m talking to you — and all those lost souls you’ve spent your entire career serving up lies of omission to.  You’ve taught them well.  It’s because of you that they don’t think God Almighty has any place in the affairs of men and civil government.  And so we no longer have civility and our government is treacherous tyranny.
 
It’s doubtful that the man who called me to complain will ever read this message or hear it on the radio.  From what I could gather, he only listens to the modern “praise choruses” on the “Christian Rock” stations.  It’s very sad.  So many are so deluded because of our silent pulpits.  But if you don’t want to get near anything that could possibly be considered “political,” you certainly have your choice of 99.9% of places that call themselves “churches” to attend and get a heaping helping of feel-good motivational speeches on any given Sunday.
 
Because we publish articles of real substance, covering the most vital matters facing our families, our nation and our world, Wisconsin Christian News is quite regularly condemned as being “too radical.”  I guess most people are expecting the typical milquetoast, wimpy, poetry and recipes, “feel good” motivational materials served up by the vast majority of our pastors and churches today.  I can tell you that fewer than one in a hundred pastors will even allow Wisconsin Christian News in their buildings, because they fear someone may be offended when we say sodomy and baby-murder is wrong.
 
When people open up our newspaper, they’re often shocked to see in-depth articles on what’s really going on in this world.  Serious matters.  Don’t get me wrong; we’re not all doom and gloom — we offer the real hope of salvation in Christ — but we’re not “cotton candy” vendors either.  No sugar-coating here.  We provide the truth.  We offer substance and relevant information I believe all Christ-followers need to be aware of as they carry forward the Great Commission in this world.  “Religious” people can’t handle it.  Pastors hate it.  Even most businesses and ministries are too afraid to advertise in our newspaper, for fear of offending someone.
 
I’d like to contrast what we offer in Wisconsin Christian News with another so-called “Christian” newspaper from another state.  While we struggle to meet the budget every month, this one is literally packed with expensive paid advertising.  In their current issue, just in the first 15 pages there are nine full pages of nothing but ads.  They offer plenty of positive, motivational teachings, some questionable new age psychology-based articles, and this month, a Christian College Guide, which appears to be another great opportunity for them to sell even more ads, which they did.
 
And in what I can only describe as a way for them to “stroke” the egos of the area pastors, they print full color pictures of pastors each month and publish their response to one absurd question a month.  Examples of questions they’ve asked are: “What’s the best concert you’ve ever been to?” “What is your favorite meal of all time?”  “How old were you when you got your first car and what kind was it?”  This month, they’re asking, “Are you an early bird or a night owl, and why?”
 
I’m sorry to sound critical, but this is just such a waste, and clearly, I see no other reason for this particular feature except to, as I said, “stroke” the egos of the pastors who respond to the questions and get their pictures published.  This is probably a great “door opener” too, to hopefully sell more ads to churches.  Then they publish calendar listings for concerts and special events, along with classified ads.
 
They sell a lot of ads.  Their paper is in full color throughout — something we’ve never been able to afford to do with Wisconsin Christian News.  But for the life of me, I can’t imagine why anyone would bother to read even a single page of it.  It contains nothing of significance or substance.
 
Now, if I simply wanted to make money, I guess this would be a way to do that — but honestly, this is not “Christian news.”  This is nonsense.  It offers nothing of substance at all.  If I were only about making money, I’d much rather publish a Shopper’s Guide or “Auto Seller.”  At least it would have some value and wouldn’t be, in my opinion, mocking God.
 
I used to joke about how pastors and church-goers really only seem to want “poetry and recipes.”  Some time ago, I came across a small paper that was exactly that.  It was put out for a while by a secular newspaper in one Wisconsin city, and I believe it was quarterly.  And it truly was just poetry and recipes...and just about every single church in that city had an ad in it.  It was definitely a money-maker, but I doubt anyone ever picked up more than one copy and it lasted less than a year.  
 
I tell you all this to let you know that what we do here at Wisconsin Christian News is not easy.  We get a lot of criticism and a lot of cruel and hateful phone calls, emails and letters.  You might be shocked to know that most of the nasty comments come from those who consider themselves to be good, church-going Christians.  On the other hand, we get amazing testimonies from people who find the Lord for the first time, or return to Him after many years away, after finding Wisconsin Christian News in a newspaper rack in a public place somewhere.  Because we’re relevant.  We take on the tough issues.  We don’t mince words. We work hard to publish truth and have some of the best writers in the nation.  Many have told us it’s the only newspaper they read and the only media they feel they can trust.  If you haven’t seen it and would like a complimentary copy, just call and request one.  I’ll be happy to send it you.