I commute roughly 3 hours round-trip each day, and I listen to a number of different radio stations while on the road. I like ESPN Radio for sports, NPR for news and business, the occasional classic rock station, and several Christian radio stations, sometimes for music and sometimes for teaching and preaching. I don’t expect to hear stock market reports on ESPN or Beatles songs on NPR, so I am becoming somewhat alarmed by what I’m hearing on some of the Christian radio stations lately.

I say some stations, because I live in the Dallas/Fort Worth area, and we have at least four such stations, and perhaps more. The thing that is troubling me is that at least one of these stations is drifting more and more into the political arena, and with a message that would make Rush Limbaugh look almost liberal.

I consider myself fairly conservative, both theologically and socially. This should come as no surprise to anyone who reads my blog with any regularity. What can only be assumed, however, is that I am also politically and economically conservative, because those are areas I do not venture into on my blog, mainly because that’s not its purpose. I feel the same should hold true for radio stations identifying their programming as Christian.

Make no mistake; I believe in calling sin what it is, and in standing against governmental policies that run counter to Biblical teaching. But there is no place for personal attacks or petty comments about any of our elected officials, particularly by those professing to follow Christ. One station in particular seems to have lost sight of this fact.

The key afternoon drive-time slot (3 pm to 6 pm) on 100.7 The Word FM is now hosted by a woman named Janet Mefferd. The first few times I listened to the program I found her a little abrasive, but she was talking about theological issues only and I agreed with much of her doctrinal positions. Then somewhere along the way she took a very hard right turn. The program last Friday was dominated by personal attacks on any number of Democratic officials, and highlighted by a tirade about Barack Obama that concluded with a comment about him knowing nothing because all he’s ever been is a community organizer.

I personally disagree with many of President Obama’s policies (that’s the strongest political statement you’ll get on this site), but Ms. Mefferd needs to learn one thing: during the campaign last year she could call him a community organizer (unkind though the intent might have been). As of this past January, she better call him Mr. President, and here’s why:

“First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior.”  (1 Timothy 2:1-3 ESV)

We are called on to pray for our leaders, not sit back and make insulting comments about them. To use the old phrase, we can disagree without being disagreeable. Most evangelicals bristled at the personal attacks made on President Bush for most of his 8 years; we should not fall into the same behavior.

The serious risk with programs like Ms. Mefford’s being broadcast on a Christian station is that people, both Christians and non-Christians, may begin to equate the views of others featured on this station with those that she espouses. I am sure that pastors like Charles Stanley, Jack Graham, Alistair Begg, and Richard Ellis (their sermons make up the station’s morning drive-time slots) would not want the preaching of the Gospel lumped in with comments that are the very antithesis of the Gospel they preach.

The preachers mentioned above, as well as the quality Dallas Christian radio stations, understand that God is neither Republican nor Democrat, and that He doesn’t see us that way either. He sees us as both His children and as sinners who need a savior, which is why He sent Jesus to die for us. If the lunacy of Limbaugh and Glenn Beck serve no purpose in drawing people to the Conservative banner, why in the world would Janet Mefferd’s political vitriol on a supposedly Christian radio program draw non-believers closer to Jesus? It obviously won’t, and it needs to stop.

So if you happen to live or be traveling in North Texas and find yourself surfing your radio dial for a good Christian station try KLTY or KCBI but pass on The Word FM, at least until they learn what Christian radio is supposed to be about.  

See Also: Praying For Our Leaders

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