300,000 silent pulpits

Whether debating before a live television audience, answering a reporter’s question, hosting a radio show, composing a letter to supporters, or writing a column for AFA Journal, Don Wildmon used words to great effect.

Although his strongest verbal weapon was often simply stating a commonsense truth in a fearless way that stunned his foes and rallied his supporters, he also employed any number of rhetorical devices, including irony, repetition, metaphor, hyperbole, and illustration.

Here and on page 22 are two examples of memorable columns that first appeared in AFA publications and were reprinted many times in periodicals across the country.

Today, 4,000 innocent, precious lives of unborn babies were snuffed out. Their arms and legs were torn from their bodies, their skulls crushed. One- and-a-half million times each year our “civilized” society will take an innocent life.

And 300,000 pulpits are silent.

Six hundred thousand children, between the ages of 3 and 18, are involved in child pornography. Twenty thousand of them will disappear each year, never to be seen again.

And 300,000 pulpits are silent.

The networks make a mockery of Christians, the Christian faith, and Christian values, with nearly every show they air. Greed, materialism, violence, and sexual immorality are standard fare. Program after program, movie after movie contains anti-Christian episodes and plots. News articles condescendingly refer to the “fundamental right-wing Christians.” Those who speak out for the sacredness of life are branded as extremists.

And 300,000 pulpits are silent.

Teenage suicide is the highest it has ever been. The number of teenage alcoholics and drug addicts is the highest ever. Christian morality cannot be taught in schools, but atheistic immorality can. Divorce is taking approximately one of every two marriages. The number of children living in broken homes is fast becoming a majority.

And 300,000 pulpits are silent.

Rape has increased 700% in the last 50 years, and that takes into consideration the population growth. The FBI says one in four 12-year-old girls will be sexually assaulted in her lifetime. Pornography has become an $8 billion business, with some of the largest companies in America involved – CBS, RCA, Coca-Cola, 7-Eleven, Time Inc.

And 300,000 pulpits are silent.

Rock music fills the airwaves and our children’s minds with music that legitimizes rape, murder, forced sex, sadomasochism, adultery, satanic worship, etc.

And 300,000 pulpits are silent.

A majority of states now have lotteries. We have eliminated that crime by making it legal and putting it under the control of the state.

And 300,000 pulpits are silent.

What important matters are being dealt with in our churches?

The church bulletin says there will be a meeting to plan the churchwide supper. We are raising money to put a new floor cover in the kitchen. (The old one doesn’t match the new stove and refrigerator.) The sermon subject last Sunday was “How To Have a Positive Attitude.” We are organizing a softball team.

At a meeting of church officials, a program was announced to recruit new members. We need the new program because we are losing membership. The new program was worked out by some of the very top professionals, people who have had success in gaining new members for the Lions Club, the Civitan Club, and other organizations. We really need professionals to do the job.

Sometimes blasphemy comes unnoticed. 

Sometimes blasphemy comes unnoticed.