Like all of the major television networks, not to mention most of the American media in general, NBC refused to show the Danish cartoons of the Prophet Mohammed that incited Muslim riots all over the world a few months ago. Yet, NBC is planning to air a Madonna concert in November in which the “Material Girl” mocks the crucifixion of Christ by performing a song while suspended upon a cross with a crown of thorns on her head. Madonna, as everyone knows, has a long history of going out of her way to insult Christians and blaspheme our Lord. For instance, she once said that “Crucifixes are sexy because there’s a naked man on them.”

The disingenuousness of our modern-day media’s oft-repeated comparison of radical Islam with “radical” Christianity is plainly exposed by the double standard today’s media applies to the world’s two largest faiths. In regards to Islam, today’s media walks around on eggshells in order to avoid offending Muslim sensibilities. In regards to Christianity, no ridicule of our beliefs is out of bounds; anything goes. All of this is attributable to one thing only, namely, the media’s understanding of the marked differences between a benign Christianity, which has brought into our world immeasurable good, and malignant Islam, which now threatens our world with immense evil.

Although our world’s television networks and newspapers are right in assuming that they have nothing to fear from Christians, they are fatally mistaken in their failure to fear our God. The Bible teaches that the fear of our God is the beginning of knowledge (Proverbs 1:7). Unlike Muslims, who must avenge a non-existent god incapable of avenging himself, Christians have no need of avenging the one and only true God. Indeed, we are forbidden from doing so, because of our God’s insistence upon avenging Himself. As He Himself has promised: “Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord” (Romans 12:19).

Both NBC and the New York Times, not to mention profane performers like Madonna, would do well to heed the Almighty’s avowed determination to avenge Himself. While outraged Muslims may cause much trepidation in our world today, they undoubtedly pale in comparison to the fearful prospect of someday falling into the hands of an angry God (Hebrews 10:27-31).

Don Walton