"White LIES Matter"

This month it's been ten years since a certain company has been printing my Tracts.  In that decade, there have been NO problems with the five they've done for me, and their work has been excellent. I have recommended this company many, many times. A few days ago, however, I submitted a NEW potential tract (the text of which will be reprinted below) and they rejected it, WHICH IS THEIR RIGHT.  But what they should NOT do is tell a "White Lie'"about WHY they would not print it.

You see, I received two e-mails explaining the rejection. The first one I read said that my "order was cancelled because we did not have enough stock to fulfill your order." I knew right away I was being lied to, because if you don't have enough stock and really want to do the tract, you'll simply inform me that there'll be a DELAY in printing. And besides, we weren't EVEN at the "printing" stage, we were still at the "review" stage!! After having 5 tracts done by them in the past, I knew I'd have to see a PROOF before a TRACT would see PRINT.

So, I then responded angrily with a brief e-mail, knowing that I was being lied to. And as I went down the list of my e-mails, which displays the newest ones first, the SECOND e-mail from them that I read revealed the REAL reason...."Unfortunately, the content is a bit outside our target mission, which is to present the Gospel of Jesus Christ. While we don't have doctrinal or ideological objections to your message, it's just not a good fit for our ministry." Fine, but I was still mad that the FIRST e-mail I got was a blatant lie and I angrily asked for an apology. (I got TWO.) The first "apology" was that they were "sorry I received the e-mails out of order."  The second "apology"was that they "weren't able to change the details of the standard message" in the LIE e-mail.

But they never apologized for the "White Lie"!!  This was a lesson to ME that "Apologies" aren't REAL "Apologies" at times, but back to the part about LYING.

Christians are told to NOT LIE to each other and there's no exception given for so-called "WHITE Lies."  That's something WE SINNERS have invented to get ourselves out of embarrassing situations while still appearing virtuous.  If HUMAN LIFE is at stake, and you're hiding people who will be killed if you DON'T hide them, yes...I believe Scripture gives allowance for THAT kind of lie.  But this "White Lie" the tract company tells is NOT to save LIFE but to save FACE......and it's hurtful.  Now that I know the tract company lied in the FIRST e-mail I read, how do I know the SECOND one I read...the "real" reason...is REALLY real??

White LIES Matter, people. I will probably continue to deal with this company in the future, assuming they don't mess up my two current orders of my OLD tracts...but TRUSTING them fully now is something they'll have to EARN back. Below is the potential tract that was rejected and again, THE COMPANY HAS EVERY RIGHT TO REJECT THE TRACT BUT THEY DO NOT HAVE THE RIGHT TO LIE ABOUT WHY THEY DID SO.  The man who wrote the "real reason" e-mail should have left it at that.  And BTW, after re-reading what's below I agree...what I wrote IS beyond their "target mission" but JUST SAY SO..........TRUST US WITH THE TRUTH.

Some people are afraid that truth offends people, but LIES offend MORE....at least as far as *I* am concerned.

Should John Lennon’s “Imagine” Be Our New National Anthem?

Recently there has been a movement to replace America’s National Anthem, “The Star-Spangled Banner.” The rationale of many is that Francis Scott Key, its author, was a slaveholder.  However, many of these same ones are in favor of subbing former Beatle John Lennon’s song “Imagine” in its place, conveniently overlooking the fact that in 1972, the year after he wrote “Imagine,” Lennon authored, sang and released a song with the despicable “N-word” in the title (google the album cover for Lennon’s Some Time in New York City)!  Apart from the problems with its author, however, there are many other reasons “Imagine” should never be the new National Anthem of a nation with such a lengthy Christian heritage as ours. These have to do with the words of the song, itself.

You may “imagine” the song means whatever you want it to mean, yet Lennon himself said it is “virtually the Communist manifesto, but because it is sugarcoated, it is accepted.” (Check Rolling Stone’s Special Collector’s Edition on Lennon, 2018, page 63).

Stanza one starts off telling us to “imagine” there’s no Heaven or Hell. A famous, respected Bible teacher tried to rationalize away John’s obvious intent when he sang those words, but John’s self-penned 1970 album made it clear that he didn’t believe in God or Jesus, so it’s no surprise he urged us to “Imagine,” a universe without Heaven and Hell, in 1971.

And the second stanza of “Imagine” instructs us to “imagine there’s no countries” while extolling a Communistic way of life (“no possessions, no religion”).  Again, this is no surprise because, on the album AFTER “Imagine,” John indicated a fondness for Chairman Mao. I could go on and on, but you get the point.  “Imagine” is against everything America was founded on, and to make it our National Anthem would be a disgrace.

More than that, though, it blatantly contradicts foundational Biblical teachings. Shockingly, a popular Christian artist indicated she was going to participate in a re-recording of “Imagine” back in the late 1990s, and I’m glad she never did. But this song must NEVER become our new National Anthem lest millions will be singing it publicly and thus renouncing basic teachings of our Lord Jesus in the process. Here are 19 references from the Gospels where Jesus referred to God the Father dwelling in Heaven: Matthew 5:16,  5:45,  5:48,  6:1,  6:9,  7:11,  7:21,  10:32,  10:33,  12:50,  16:17,  18:10,  18:14,  18:19,  23:9,  Mark 11:25, 11:26, 13:32,  Luke 11:2.  Jesus also demonstrated that Heaven is where God dwells, Matthew 11:25, Luke 10:21, John 17:1, and that it’s a place of rewards, Matthew 5:12, 6:19-20, Luke 6:23, and 15:7.  As for Hell, here are references from the Gospels, from the mouth of Jesus, Himself, regarding it: Matthew 5:22, 5:29 -30, 10:28, 11:23, 16:18,  18:9,  23:15,  23:33,  Mark 9:43, 9:45, 9:47, Luke 10:15, 12:5, 16:23.  (There are many other places where Jesus spoke of Hell using other terms such as “fire/flame,” “destruction” or “condemnation/perishing,” but you get the point.)

In conclusion, the “Imagine” begs its hearers to renounce FAITH in God, Jesus, Scripture, Heaven and Hell and this can never be acceptable.  Lennon once stated that The Beatles were more popular than Jesus, and if “Imagine” became our new National Anthem it would prove that idolatry to be true. In 2020 it is 80 years since Lennon’s birth and 40 since he was slain, so many will want to honor Lennon on these anniversaries.  Out of love for our fellow man, Christians should pray and speak out against this song. Whatever the “Star-Spangled Banner” lacks, it’s not ANTI-CHRISTIAN like “Imagine”!  -Chet Jelinski  

(For more info on Lennon, check out my book “John Lennon: An Analysis for Christians,” on Amazon.)