Attention Christiane Amanpour

Recently CNN ran a 3 day special called "God's Warriors". The "documentary" by Christiane Amanpour was divided into three segments on three consecutive nights. Jewish Warriors, Muslim Warriors and Christian Warriors. Blogger Joe Carter was one of a few bloggers able to preview selected clips and ask questions prior to the CNN airing. Here are the titles of the clips (and based on my watching of the 'documentary', these sum up the gist of each program).

* God’s Jewish Warriors: theocratic Israeli settlers, including the man who assassinated Yitzhak Rabin

* God’s Muslim Warriors: theocratic British students, including the London subway bombers

* God’s Christian Warriors: Jerry Falwell and Liberty University

In addition to Dr. Falwell the Christian night had people such as John Hagee, Ron Luce Founder & President of Teen Mania ministries and a few people who were mainly concerned about the environment and poverty.

Effectively CNN did a great job at linking Christians who are actively living out their faith in a peaceful and educated means with those who choose to strap bombs on children for the name of their god. From the Jewish side we heard from the man who assassinated Yitzhak Rabin, from the Muslim side we get the London subway bombers and from the Christian side we get Megan Chapman, a Liberty University student who had the ACLU ban her from praying during her High School graduation.

Instead, during the graduation ceremony, several hundred students from her class interrupted the principals remarks by reciting the Lord's Prayer in unison and then received a standing ovation from nearly 2,000 people packed into the gymnasium for the ceremony. To conclude her own remarks Megan bravely told "So, when you get out in the world and things get hard and you don't feel like you're going to pass that final next week in college, or you're not going to be able to pay that next bill, God's going to help you through that with your faith in him,"

So there we have it folks. Jewish Warriors assassinate, Muslim Warriors blow up trains and the awful 17 year old Christian Warriors earn the right to speak at their graduation through 4 years of hard work and sacrifice only to have the ACLU try to squash their right to free speech.

You may have heard of that story but if you watched the CNN report I'm talking about you also saw Amanpour interview Megan and her twin sister in their LU dorm where they were asked why they felt like they were being attacked when they are allowed to freely practice their religion in America and in other places they couldn't. The girls spoke of an ongoing attack from the ACLU and others trying to get God out of all public discourse. Amanpour didn't seem to be buying it and ultimately moved to clips of idiot bombers blowing up abortion clinics (even though no person on the show did or ever would approve of those few loons).

So Christiane Amanpour, I wanted to point you to a story being covered by a competing organization. Check out what happened to this Colorado student. She had her diploma held hostage until she denounced remarks about Jesus.

"A student who said she was told she wouldn't get her diploma unless she apologized for a commencement speech in which she mentioned Jesus has filed a lawsuit alleging her free speech rights were violated.

The school district contends its actions were "constitutionally appropriate."

Erica Corder was one of 15 valedictorians at Lewis-Palmer High School in 2006. All were invited to speak for 30 seconds at the graduation ceremony. When it was Corder's turn, she encouraged the audience to get to know Jesus Christ."

So this school gave 15 valedictorians (how they had that many is beyond me) each 30 seconds of stage time (7 1/2 minutes total) of a several hour program. Okay... as an aside... I think of that news being given to the students who worked so hard for 4 years. Hey, thanks for applying yourself, missing school events, running school events, volunteering, doing all of your work with excellence, etc.... So as our reward we want to give you 30 seconds to speak at graduation!"

Anyway... this girl had 30 short seconds to say something worthwhile to her peers and their families. A girl who EARNED THE RIGHT to speak. She chose to point to the One who made it possible for her and encouraged others to get to know Him. Then the gloves came off! How dare her! This girl who was a respectable student for 4 years ruins graduation and her reputation (as far as school administrators are concerned) by mentioning Jesus Christ. She should be so ashamed! The school is so angry that they want to force her to sign something that denounces her own actions. What a way for the government to welcome this girl into adult life. "Keep your Jesus to yourself or we'll take away something you earned the right to have over the last 4 years."

So Christiane... THIS is what is happening in America. THIS is why Dr. Falwell wanted to train educated, passionate and strong leaders at Liberty University. THIS is why he helped start the Liberty University Law school AND why it has at its disposal more than most of its competitors including a true to life replica of the U.S. Supreme Court.

So Mrs. Amanpour, thanks for comparing Christians to the Taliban (as she did with Ron Luce) and for comparing young women like Megan Chapman to assassins and train bombers. Thanks for doing your part to rid the world of any reasonable discussion or debate about faith in the public square.

Thanks also for showing how humanity is helped by the sacrificial gifts of Christians around the country. Thanks for showing Dr. Falwell's home for alcoholics and drug addicts or the home for unwed mothers that sits on the same mountain as Liberty University. Maybe the CNN truck couldn't get to downtown Lynchburg to show Dr. Falwell's program called "The Center" where inner city kids are given mentors and a safe place to come away from the drugs and violence in their neighborhoods. Thanks for your very unbiased piece. (That's called sarcasm... just in case you missed it.)

Two smaller complaints I had about this "documentary" was that 1. It's not a documentary if the host talks for 90% of the show unless they are documenting themselves and 2. Every time a Christian leader spoke something deemed 'conservative' the music went from pop to poop in 2 seconds. We'd go from hearing strings and violins to bass drums and organs. It felt like I was watching a car with a "Just Married" sign being followed by a hearse. It so happened that the hearse music came on every time the speaker said something Jesus may have said.

As you can tell I wasn't a huge fan. While the Christians came off less violent than the other two I can't say it was due to any help by CNN. Between the funeral music, comparisons to the Taliban and her obsessive use of the term "pit bull" with Dr. Falwell (which coincidently I heard more in this interview than my 4 years on LU's campus combined!)... I was left with the feeling that the only reason the Christian one came up somewhat sane was because she interviewed people who actually know how to respond to a loaded question.

Thanks CNN for even tipping your hat to the fact the religion is here but no thanks for attempting to make every Christian look like a paranoid idiot or an overzealous moron.

I also might as well and thank the Colorado School Board for doing something so stupid. In this information age schools such as those in Colorado and Kentucky continue to harass Christians, Liberty University and it's new Law program are going to look more and more appealing to students around the country who have had enough of the secularists shoving secularism down their throats. They're going to want a first-class University to train them how to stand up for themselves and after a few mouse-clicks they'll end up on the campus of Liberty University!

One blogger's take.

Another detailed rundown here from another blog.