Just last week my cousin from Texas, whom I have not heard from for many years, forwarded me one of those emails. You know the ones that so many of us have gotten with the smears and lies about Senator Barack Obama:
“Barack
Obama supports infanticide.” “Barack Obama was sworn in on the
Koran.” “Barack Obama is the anti-Christ” …really, the anti-Christ?
You might have heard these rumors them from friends, family, neighbors,
others at your church. You
might have heard them on your local Christian radio station, or seen them in
your hometown paper. But most likely you have gotten in the in your email inbox.
That is why the Matthew 25 Network has launched a new website to respond to these smears: PutAwayFalsehood.com. On the site you can see the Falsehoods and the Facts, and even use our online tool to respond directly to the emails you’ve found in your Inbox.
Scripture tells us, even when we disagree, to “clothe
[our]selves with humility toward one another” (1 Pet. 5:5) and to “put away
falsehood” (Eph. 4:25). This website is our best attempt to respond to the
distortions and misleading information being circulated within our community about
Senator Obama.
So often the world sees these kinds of misleading attacks coming from the Christian community. It is in part of what has given a Christian witness in politics a bad name.
Can we lift up a better kind of Christian witness in politics? What do you think?
Leave me your comments here.
posted July 31, 2008 at 11:05 pm
Absolutely we can lift the conversation higher.
Let’s begin by turning off the TV. Take ratings away from those “news” organizations that use hyperbole and controversy to get your attention.
Write to those networks in the public forum, call them out, challenge their assertions, innuendo, or ill-founded rhetoric.
Challenge also others in person who repeat the falsehoods, show them why they are false, and tell them they are too smart to buy into the lies.
posted August 1, 2008 at 12:05 am
Who funds the “Matthew 25 Network”?
The website indicates that your mailing address is 25 E Street, NW – Suite 215 – Washington, DC 20001. It also states: “The Matthew 25 Network is a Federal Political Action Committee (PAC). Not authorized or paid for by any candidate or candidate’s committee.”
Funny, though, that your website — right there on the front page — proudly announces your support for Barack Obama.
Who are you really fronting for?
posted August 1, 2008 at 7:19 am
“Who are you really fronting for?”
Are you saying that you are comfortable with the lies that are being spread about Obama? Or that any group which seeks to counter those lies should be viewed with suspicion?
Psalm 101
1 A psalm of David. I will sing of your love and justice. I will praise you, LORD, with songs.
2 I will be careful to live a blameless life– when will you come to my aid? I will lead a life of integrity in my own home.
3 I will refuse to look at anything vile and vulgar. I hate all crooked dealings; I will have nothing to do with them.
4 I will reject perverse ideas and stay away from every evil.
5 I will not tolerate people who slander their neighbors. I will not endure conceit and pride.
6 I will keep a protective eye on the godly, so they may dwell with me in safety. Only those who are above reproach will be allowed to serve me.
7 I will not allow deceivers to serve me, and liars will not be allowed to enter my presence.
8 My daily task will be to ferret out criminals and free the city of the LORD from their grip.
Had David written this in 2008, would you accuse him of fronting for Obama?
posted August 1, 2008 at 8:19 am
DonF: “Are you saying that you are comfortable with the lies that are being spread about Obama? Or that any group which seeks to counter those lies should be viewed with suspicion?”
Neither. That’s obvious from what I wrote. I’m just asking who these guys are fronting for.
You can’t combat dishonesty with dishonesty. It’s admirable to fight smears in politics, but it has to be non-partisan and comprehensive for it to be effective and earn the trust of all. The founder and director of this group is an established Democratic party operative who ran “religious outreach” for the Democratic party ticket in 2004. This group also makes a legal claim to be unconnected with any candidate but then it says it is unabashedly pro-Obama.
This is disengenous if not simply dishonest. That, too, is obvious.
posted August 1, 2008 at 11:34 am
Really Reaganite? Who are you fronting for? I find what is obvious is that you ‘obviously’ have your own agenda that you want to pursue here. You managed to find the PAC disclaimer but somehow were not able to navigate to the BIG yellow button “Learn About Us” smack dab in the middle of the home page. Let me help
http://www.matthew25.org/about.htm
Please do a little more simple browsing before you try to provoke.
posted August 1, 2008 at 1:12 pm
“This is disengenous if not simply dishonest. That, too, is obvious.”
OK…then how should they approach the lies being spread by Christians?
posted August 1, 2008 at 2:06 pm
Matthew 25 Network is funded by a bunch of folks, I’m a donor, who are largely clergy, theologians, and students – as well as law folks – they are not a front for anybody.
Matt 25 has had a several events with a mix of religious and political leaders – that, and online donations, is where the bulk of their funding comes from.
If they truly wanted to be a “front” they would have been a 527 – but a PAC has to make their donors public.
posted August 1, 2008 at 2:09 pm
should have been lay not law
posted August 2, 2008 at 10:40 am
I just wanted to reply to the questions around who is Matthew 25. We are a group of grassroots Christians from around the country, and a diverse array of religious spokespeople, who you can see on the About Us page at our site: http://www.matthew25.org
We are legally organized as a Federal Political Action Committee that allows us to directly support and endorse candidates. The legal language at the bottom of our page is required to show that we are not directly connect to the Obama for America campaign. We are an independent group.
If you go through our Falsehood page- you can find the citations at the bottom for every issue we raise. We tried very hard to just stick to the facts on that page. Many of us do not agree with Senator Obama on every issue- but we wanted people to have correct information.
posted August 13, 2010 at 3:47 am
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posted March 12, 2011 at 1:27 am
Respect the copyrights of the authors by publishing the entire article as it is with no changes.
Visvim