Hollywood Mayhem Sends Muddled Message to Muslims
By Michael Bresciani (12/31/06)
Unknown to millions of Americans is that Muslims around the world don’t
judge America by its practice of democracy. But they do see America
through the lens that Hollywood provides. What are they seeing?
I sat in a Missionary Alliance Church one Sunday morning and watched a
video message about the work of missionaries in Iraq. With the mournful
and distant sound of eastern chanting in the background the commentator
described the work of what was up to recently the largest missionary
effort in all of Iraq.
It is hard to say how long such missionary endeavor will be able to
survive in that region because as of early in 2006 there has been a mass
exodus of Christians. Both death squads and the militia have brazenly
targeted and viciously attacked Christian groups with greater frequency
than at any time since the Iraq war began. Even many of the Eastern
Orthodox which is indigenous to the region are seeking refuge in other
countries in the middle east. News agencies are now reporting that up to
forty percent of the refugees leaving Iraq are Christians.
On the positive side, the missionaries said that because the Muslim
religion centers so much on death that Muslims do respond favorably when
they see that the Christians are genuinely loving, and that there is
something noticeably different about them.
One Muslim man when interviewed said “When we hear the music of your life
and it sounds good, then we might ask about the words to the song.”
On the negative side one unknown Iraqi man said something that would cut
anyone to the heart. He said that it wasn’t the news broadcasts that
Muslims see that give them their opinions about America. He said it was
the regular programming from the west that had the biggest influence on
how they see us.
Muslims he said, see America as a “Christian nation” and when they see the
sex, violence, and immorality that are presented in the media like a giant
circus of slop they turn away in disgust and reaffirm to themselves that
if this is what Christianity is they don’t want it.
It is nearly impossible to explain to Muslims who are all guided by the
same principles as derived from their Koran that America is a culturally
diverse nation and not everyone holds Christian values. They are content
to believe that when it comes to America and the west in general that,
“what you see is what you get.”
We have all heard the rants of Iran’s Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and we have
watched the Hezbollah indiscriminately lob rockets at our allies in the
Middle East, but this unknown, un-named Muslim man laid the most serious
indictment upon America that we may ever hear.
He specifically named Hollywood in his statement. While Americans are
still debating and calling for studies about the ramifications of sex,
violence and materialism on our children from the media, Muslims have
already made up their minds. Without lending any credence to the sayings
of Christ they are nevertheless using the truth found in them,
specifically when Jesus said “Ye shall know them by their fruits.” (Mt
7:16)
As good broadcasting codes are sent off to antiquity, movie ratings become
meaningless and American parents become mere nannies’ who pick up after
the X-Box and Nintendo generation, who can make Hollywood listen? Who can
make Hollywood see?
Sadly the answer to the question is understood. Even sadder is the fact
that people around the world, enemy and friend see all to well. Hollywood
may be having its day as it leads our collective consciousness into the
night but they will have as the famous preacher Dr. R. G. Lee said, “a
payday someday.”
Rev Bresciani is the author of two Christian books. His articles on the
second coming of Christ, faith, politics and the American way of life are
read in every country throughout the world. Come visit
http://www.americanprophet.org/
(Printer friendly version) Email: Michael Bresciani
