Paul Crouch vs. Hal Lindsey: TBN's titans clash

[AmericanErrorist]

:popcorn:

From a "Personal Message" from Lindsey, Nov. 30, 2005:

The International Intelligence Briefing has been removed from the air on TBN for the entire month of December (and perhaps never to be broadcast again?). Some at the network apparently feel that my message is too pro-Israel and too anti-Muslim. This is confusing to me because my message is the same as it has been for the entire twelve years of presenting the IIB program. It has not changed one iota.

The program this week addressed the tremendous political upheaval in Israel – including the toppling of the government – in the wake of the Gaza withdrawals. It warned about the peril the US faces if we pull out of Iraq and leave the perception that radical Islamic terrorists defeated the worlds only superpower.. A unique and dynamic exclusive interview that I was fortunate enough to conduct with Binyamin Netanyahu while in Jerusalem was also rejected from being aired on this week’s show.

The feeling must be that honestly reporting news on current issues concerning radical Islam is thwarting evangelism to Muslims at large, particularly Palestinians. I personally believe that both Christian Palestinians and moderate Muslims – who are being intimidated and persecuted by the radicals – actually welcome honest reporting on the situation...

Islam stands in direct defiance of God’s predicted purpose. (His formatting.) The Koran declares that the Jews added prophetic passages like the one above and they are therefore false. But if they are false, why are they so accurately being fulfilled? Even many Arab Christians do not want to accept these clear Biblical statements. The fact that they have been in the Holy Land for a few centuries as usurpers does not annul the irrevocable title deed God gave to the descendants of Abraham Isaac and Jacob.

It is for this reason I have so adamantly continued to explain prophecy and expose current Muslim schemes to destroy the nation of Israel. With Martin Luther, I feel compelled to say that it is here I stand. God help me, I cannot do otherwise than to fulfill His Divine calling. The Muslims who reject God’s sovereign purposes with Israel wouldn’t believe the Gospel anyway.

http://www.hallindseyoracle.com/articles.asp?ArticleID=12286

From Crouch's undated reply:

...As you are very well aware, TBN regularly pre-empts its TBN produced programming during various holiday seasons in order to focus on the holiday. TBN gives these TBN produced programmers the opportunity to provide TBN with holiday focused programming to air during the holiday season. Clearly, TBN is looking for programming focused on the birth of Christ Jesus during the month of December. You failed to provide TBN with such programming and thus, your program has been pre-empted for the holiday season. You were not singled out as the only TBN produced program to be pre-empted this month. Twenty other programmers will also have their program pre-empted during the month of December.

Be that as it may, given your wealth of knowledge on Biblical prophecy, it would have been very special for you to provide some special programming on Biblical prophecy as it concerns the birth of Jesus; focusing the world toward the most important event in the history of mankind and how this singular event changed the world while continuing to remain absolutely relevant for today. This type of programming would have been just as enlightening and topical as your present non-Christmas programming. Hal, if you will produce a Christmas themed program, we will be happy to air it this month....

Your letter states in the same paragraph about TBN:

“Some on the network apparently feel that my message is too pro-Israel and too anti-Muslim.”

Surely you can agree that there is a wide and varied opinion among Christians over the positions and issues of the Middle East. It is unfortunate that you have chosen to voice your political views as a weapon against TBN rather than offering a more rational and truthful viewpoint. As you are aware, TBN and you have had an ongoing dialog and at times disagreement regarding the amount of purely political content of your program.

TBN has never been and is not now against Israel or the Jewish people. Nothing could be farther from the truth. In fact, TBN most recently aired in your time slot the program entitled Against all Odds: Miracles in the Desert, which is a program entirely shot in Israel, produced in Israel and whose subject matter deals with the miracles experienced by the Israeli military and others during the various wars with the Arab world. Likewise, I was invited to meet and have met most, if not all, of Israel’s leaders over the last few decades. Recently, I met with Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, which was broadcast on TBN. TBN has actually been offered the opportunity to build a television station in Israel. Clearly the facts do not support your statement and your reckless words could possibly jeopardize this opportunity...

Nowhere in the Scriptures does Christ speak negatively of those who persecuted him or his people. Surely we can agree that the Romans in Christ’s day were just as violent, savage, evil and in need of the truth of the Gospel as many terrorists are in the world today. TBN is making a great effort to reach the Muslim world with the truth of the Gospel by demonstrating God’s love to all people. I am not aware of a single instance where making inflammatory, derogatory anti-Muslim statements has led a single follower of Islam to Christ. On the other hand, TBN receives daily emails and correspondence from Muslims, Christians and others living in Muslim countries around the world thanking TBN for reaching out to them and showing them the Truth through God’s love.

It is becoming clear to us that your program has moved more and more away from Biblical prophecy as it applies to world events and has become more and more a bully-pulpit for an expression of your personal political views. Your belligerent and rather personal response further confirms this. TBN is not the proper forum for this type of activity. If you believe expressing your opinions in this way is now your God-given mandate, then you have many other avenues from which to present these types of opinions such as your website, your books as well as secular TV and radio. I am sure that with all of these other available forums that you can find a proper place to express these views. In fact, TBN strongly encourages you to do so and will support your efforts as we always have.

http://www.tbn.org/index.php/7.html?nid=87

In a letter dated January 1, Hal Lindsey resigned] from the Trinity Broadcasting Network. On January 12, 2005, Paul Crouch http://www.tbn.org/index.php/7.html?nid=91">admitted to having concerns about a script of a particular edition of International Intelligence Report, and threw in this to add insult to injury:

Now, Hal, I do have a serious question to ask: On Monday afternoon, January 9, we talked for about one hour. My main question to you was, “Do you wish to return to TBN?” You said an emphatic, “Yes!” I indicated to you that this was also my desire. Then to my dismay, on Hannity & Colmes that same night you indicated that you had “quit” the TBN network and posted the same on your website!? Hal, please enlighten me on this 360 degree turn in only a few hours with no notice to me.

Lindsey got another show on a smaller Christian cable network with a smaller audience. However it does have a presence on Direct-to-home satellite service.

On Hal Lindsey's website, there is a poll that asks for judgement on the whole affair. One of the responses is "TBN is more concerned with profits than prophets." How true that is.

Many cable viewers, including myself have been saved from Lindsey's bizarre rapture theories. However, the rest of TBN still stands.

At least he got one prophecy right, when he said IIR wouldn't be back. Thankfully for us, he self-fulfilled it.