Why was I Cancelled and Repented for by Premier Christianity?
I am going to tell you a story which is somewhat unbelievable – one which I am kind of reeling from. One which for me personally has significant implications, and I think (without I hope being too grandiose) has implications for the wider evangelical church in the UK.
On Monday evening, Sam Hailes, the editor of Premier Christianity magazine, wrote and asked the following: “Hi David do you fancy writing a blog on ‘The Christian case for NOT watching the Meghan and Harry interview’?”. My initial reaction was no, because I was going to bed and he obviously needed it before the interview; besides which I was writing an article on the actual interview for Christian Today. However, because I like Sam, because I have written for Premier before and because the subject was on my mind – I got up early and dashed off a piece at 6 in the morning.
You can read my original article below. Sam thanked me and published it with, as I recall only one minor edit (the remark about the gender of their baby was too much!). Then of course the Twitter and social media abuse began. To question Meghan Markle means that you are a racist on a par with Hitler and an uncompassionate scumbag who does not care about mental health. So far, so Twitter. I was a bit surprised last night when Sam informed me that he had withdrawn the phrase ‘played the race card’ and issued an apology on the article. When I asked him why he just simply stated that it was ‘against their standards’. Again, echoing Big Tech when they censor people they disagree with. I wanted to know what standard was being broken. Is it verboten to question? Does not one ever play the race card?
It got worse. This morning I was horrified to wake up to a curt note from Sam saying that the whole post had been taken down. And then this apology appeared in its place on the Premier website.
Yesterday evening, shortly before the Harry and Meghan interview aired, we published a blog on this page, entitled ‘5 reasons you shouldn’t watch the Meghan and Harry interview’.
We have now removed this article and would like to unreservedly apologise for it, for the offence and hurt it has caused, and the damage it has done to the witness of Christians. We were wrong to publish it.
Although we initially only apologised for one phrase within the piece, we now understand the problems with the blog were far wider than one phrase. It was not a helpful piece of commentary, but instead has resulted in understandable anger and pain, especially for those who have experienced racism.
My own personal view on the Harry and Meghan interview can be read here: “7 lessons Christians can learn from Meghan and Harry’s interview“. While I know this cannot repair the damage already done, my hope is this new article will prove to be a much more helpful contribution to these issues than what was published before.
Last year I wrote an editorial entitled ‘Why we’re saying black lives matter‘, which included the words, “I’ve made some decisions. No more defensiveness. No more excuses. No more deflecting.” I regret that I have not lived up to these words in the past 24 hours and ask forgiveness for all those who have been hurt by our actions as a magazine.
Sam Hailes
Editor
Premier Christianity magazine
I was shocked by this. It’s spineless pandering to the mob and cultural zeitgeist displays both a lack of insight and a lack of courage. To add insult to injury Sam then tweeted with my name linked his apology and repentance for my article. The message was clear. I am cancelled.
In today’s world I can hardly imagine a more damaging slur and accusation.
What Sam did not say in his apology was that he was the one who asked me to write the piece (I did not offer it) and he was the one who 24 hours before was quite happy to publish it and saw nothing wrong with it. Now he writes an apology which absolutely trashes me as a racist and someone who does damage to the witness of Christians. (I note in passing the people who will immediately say ‘no he didn’t do that, he just removed a post that was racist, etc’…. but that’s pedantic – it is in effect the same thing – I wrote the post!). In today’s world I can hardly imagine a more damaging slur and accusation. Here is the thing. It will stick. The level of personal abuse that I have received in public and private since then, including from so called Christian leaders, has been horrendous. The gloating and self-congratulation ‘great we got it taken down’ from the mob is perverse in its schadenfreude,
I could write a great deal about the level of personal hurt, abuse, mental anguish and racism that I have experienced over many years – but who would be interested? My mental health is irrelevant – at least to those who claim to be upset about the Duchess. Besides which I think it is wrong and indeed wicked to play the identarian politics victim game, in order to attack others. All I will say is that even as I sit and write this, I feel physically sick at the level of abuse I am receiving – even more so when I see Sam staying silent about how this came about and in effect encouraging it.
I am still trying to understand why this happened? I would expect a decent editor to say, ‘I don’t agree necessarily with everything David says, but it is an opinion piece which I asked him to write, he is not a racist and he is not attacking those who face mental health issues. But why turn around within 24 hours and state that a piece you were happy to publish is now one that calls people to repentance? Sam went on to publish his own puff piece to show how it should be done – a safe, sweet piece which shows how compassionate he is, how anti-racist and how kind – in contrast with the heartless scumbag who wrote the original article. Meanwhile yours truly has been thrown to the wolves.
Did Sam have a Damascene moment? A revelation from the Lord, revealing my sin? I doubt it. Nor was it the case that he published the article without reading it. He sent me a message at 8pm saying he was happy with it and was publishing it. So what caused the change of mind? I suspect it was just simply the mob. The article may not be that well written and could have been expressed better but there was no racism or lack of sympathy for the mentally ill within it. Unless you read it through the Woke glasses that say if you dare to question anyone who claims to have been a victim of racism then you are a racist. I touched two of the shibboleths of today’s Millennials – racism (or white liberal guilt about racism) and feelings (or the right kind of feelings).
Where is the UK Church?
Apart from the personal impact on me – (I feel about as welcome in the UK church as Hilary at a Trump rally!) there is a wider issue. Premier Christianity is one of the UK’s leading evangelical magazines. Premier is quite happy to promote the likes of Steve Chalke and Brian McLaren – despite their attacks on Scripture and on Christ. But I get cancelled. The message is clear. You can blaspheme Christ on Premier, but dare blaspheme Meghan Markle and you are toast!
The UK church is threatened with liberalism and legalism – but one greater danger (because it seems nicer and more biblical) is the kind of soft evangelicalism that Premier has now come to represent. It’s a building without foundations.
Ironically, I recently received an e-mail from Premier encouraging me to fund their ‘essential Gospel work’. It will be a cold day in Sydney before I do that! Why should I fund something which promotes heresy and cancels someone who is seeking to be a faithful biblical Christian (however imperfectly)? I speak only for myself- what others do is up to them. Nor will I write for them again. I have no desire to be associated with an organisation which treats its writers in such a brutal manner, or gives unto the Woke mob so easily.
What did I think I was doing?
You can now read the article below and judge for yourselves. From my perspective I was writing in defence of the poor, against media manipulation, against people treating one another like dirt and the charade of using family squabbles to make entertainment and money. I was critiquing celebrity pornography and suggesting that it is not good for us to buy into the celebrity circus. None of that was heard from those who are tone deaf to those issues which don’t fit on their agenda, but hyper-sensitive to what the current woke zeitgeist says is all important. I said nothing that was remotely racist or against mental health – both of which I care passionately about. Of course you can see that if you want to – but then you have to ask yourself the question – why do you want to? The editor didn’t see it – until others ‘opened’ his eyes and he came on bended knee to beg forgiveness.
When I wrote the paragraphs on predictions, I was not claiming to be a prophet – I was just putting together the various trails that Oprah had been releasing as teasers. I made no comment about these issues. I just simply predicted (accurately) what Meghan would say. (I did comment on the gender and on forgiveness – re Harry’s Nazi uniform). But it doesn’t matter what I said. It’s what I didn’t say that sends me to the Woke stake. I did not say that Meghan has been a victim of racism (I don’t know – and neither does Sam or any of the critics) – personally I am sure that she has in terms of social media, but there is no evidence of it from the Royal Family. But that is not the issue. In todays’ world you have to show due deference, commitment to the cause, and unquestioning acceptance of the world’s ideology. Or you are cancelled. By a Christian magazine…let that sink in….
The Banned Article
Will you/did you Watch THE Interview?
(Sam re-entitled this five reasons for not watching)
Will you be watching THE interview tonight? (Or if you are in the US or reading this later – did you watch it?). Me? I haven’t seen it and I won’t be sitting down in a few hours to do so. I’d rather watch paint dry or go to the dentist than wallow in the shallow celebrity obsessed, narcissistic gossip that passes for entertainment in today’s celebrity culture. I can think of one good reason for watching and several not to. Let’s begin with the latter.
Media Manipulation – We have all been played. If you feel that your life will be missing something if you don’t watch it then you have been caught in the web that the mistress of spin – Oprah – has spun. Through a series of neatly dripped press releases the media hype has been worked up into hysteria. This is particularly true in the US – but also applies in some of the rest of the world – it was for example the first headline on the news here in Australia – even before it was aired. If you buy into the hype – or even want to see what all the fuss is about, then you are aiding and abetting the manipulation and the farcical charade that masquerades as some kind of important ‘documentary’ or news.
Money – The main reasons for the interview, alongside fame, revenge and online therapy, is of course money. Oprah the multi-millionaire interviews another couple of millionaires about how poor and victimised they are – and how some other millionaires have treated them badly. I don’t object to people having money – but I do object to the privileged and elite using the media, and their own image, to make more money out of the rest of us. When people are dying of poverty watching a mega wealthy couple complain about their victimhood, is more than my stomach can bear.
Manners – The anti-slavery campaigner, William Wilberforce, had another great and lesser-known campaign – ‘the reformation of manners. By that he meant how we treat other people. It is no exaggeration to say that Wilberforce changed British society for the better. Now our woke generation is changing all of that. We are regressing to a society where people treat one another like dirt. They gossip, blame, abuse and dish the dirt. Whether this is done for money, revenge or just online therapy is irrelevant. Why would I want to watch a privileged elite couple gossip about their family? It’s just in bad taste.
Morality – By morality I mean the basic moral truths – love, justice, truth. None of that will be served by a self-serving, carefully stage-managed publicity stunt. So why should I be part of the crowd and join in? Did Christians go to the Colosseum just to see what the fuss was all about and what really happened to the gladiators? When two people started fighting at school it always drew a crowd. I suspect if that were not the case there would have been a lot less fighting. This is a form of celebrity pornography. Why should I join in the voyeurism?
Meaning –Even if you are naïve enough to believe that this has nothing to do with money and exploiting fame and privilege, what is the point of this interview? TV therapy? Why proclaim that you just want to be left alone and kept out of the press eye –and then hold a ‘tell all’ very public media circus?
There is one reason for watching it – and it’s the reason I will probably do so later. It’s the same reason I read the Ravi Zacharias report or Mein Kampf. Not for personal pleasure but rather because as a social commentator, it is a moral obligation to read and try to understand the people and cultures I am talking about. Harry and Meghan are important – not because they have anything to do with Royalty (apart from the Queen I have little interest in that), but because they are rapidly becoming the ultimate celebrity woke couple in the US – and much of the rest of the world.
I suspect that I don’t actually need to watch the whole celebrity circus – after all a combination of press release ‘teasers from Oprah and a knowledge of the culture means any intelligent observer of the scene could write the script. Meghan will play the race card, tell us how hard done by she is and how she contemplates suicide. She will offer some salacious piece of gossip that some member of the royal family is supposed to have said. They will tell us their baby is a girl (they are not yet sufficiently or consistently woke enough to realise that gender is assigned at birth!). Harry will come in as the dutiful husband and let us all know that his Nazi uniform wearing days are all over and that he has more than made atonement for his privileged past. I find it fascinating that by today’s standards any celebrity caught dressing up as a Nazi at a party (even years ago) would be cancelled immediately. They would not dare even mention racism, never mind claim to be the victim of it! It appears that there is atonement and forgiveness in our society after all – at least for those who bow the knee to the current ideologies of our elites. Or maybe we are just inconsistent?
Of course, I could be wrong. It could be that Meghan and Harry will confess their privilege, admit their wrong, seek reconciliation, announce their retirement from public life so that they can focus on bringing up their family away from the glare of publicity; and donate some of their not inconsiderable money to the poor. When people tell me the Bible is rubbish I usually ask, ‘have you read it?’ For the same reason as I will write about the interview – so I am obliged to watch it. It’s the only reason. But for those of you who don’t have to, I would suggest that, in the title of the old children’s TV programme – ‘why don’t you switch off your TV and go and do something less boring instead’?! Or in the old word, more edifying.
David Robertson
Sydney
8th March
When a ship loses both rudder and anchor on the high seas, you hardly notice.
When a storm arrives, it gets hairy. When the coast is in sight, it begins to dawn that disaster is inevitable.
We are in the latter case.
I thought it was a great article and was absolutely spot on , deeply disappointed in Premier Christianity for doing this , it’s a sign of the times . David is a brilliant commentator on topical issues and while I don’t always agree I never have the slightest doubt in his honesty , integrity and love for Jesus.
I’m with him 100%.
It surprises me that you are so shocked by the response David. Isn’t this consistent with concern you have shared at other times about where Christianity is at? What is it that has triggered you? Is it because of an attachment with the “evangelical church” with this coming home to roost for you rather than it being linked to the national church?
Can I encourage you to consider this from Romans chapter 8 for your comfort and encouragement in the midst of how you are feeling?
“We.. groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption to sonship… if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently… the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans… we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”
Sometimes it’s about being still and giving the work over to God just as it was for the Israelites when being pursued by an Egyptian army.
I hope you can find comfort for yourself in that.
Good morning David from an Ulster that seems as dreary as your ponderings this morning. Unfortunately this is the world we live in today. ‘Christians’ who seem to be blown and pulled with every trend instead of holding to biblical beliefs. I was once many years ago a supporter of Premier but when I looked at some of the guests they had on to interview and then never challenged them I withdrew my support. The world hates us. I’ve said before, you only have to look at the replies to AIG on their thread to see just how much it hates us. I hope the vitriol you are experiencing ends soon. I’ll leave you with Jesus. “if the world hates you, remember they hated Me first”. (paraphrase, I quoted from memory 😅).
“Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?”
The Lord has blessed you with pearls of wisdom, understanding and Truth – do not cast them before swine.
I always enjoy reading your articles and think you are bang on the money on this one. Disgraceful action by your publishing editor at Premier Christianity – cowardice in its worst form. I don’t often comment on your articles but always enjoy reading them. Please keep up your strong and brave witness
David
I am horrified to read what has been done and the way it has been done. This also comes after your doubts about your sermon that you also wrote about, so you are under the cosh at the moment.
Be encouraged that many value you as a faithful servant of the gospel, and are praying for you as you are under attack.
These words from my reading today seem relevant
“Me friend acts violently against those at peace with him;
he violates his covenant.
His buttery words are smooth
but war is in his heart.
His words are softer than oil
but they are drawn swords.
Cast your burden on the Lord,
and he will sustain you;
he will never allow them to be shaken.”
Psalm 55:20-22
Peace and comfort to you in our faithful unchanging Saviour
Hi David,
Yours was the most sensible and well-thought-out review I’ve seen so far (not that I read them all, it has to be said) and Piers Morgan would probably also agree if he happens to read it.
Keep telling the truth please; we need honest truth tellers because I don’t know what’s got into people nowadays!
Unbelievable!
Sadly though, this just goes to show how spineless, not just the editor of Premier Magazine but too much of Church leadership has become in standing up to the Woke mob. Be encouraged David and keep yer chin up. You speak and write for millions who love Christ and the truth.
In the light of the abuse you have been receiving online and the betrayal of you by so-called Premier Christianity David, I would encourage you to read Ps 40. It seems to me to encapsulate much of your anguish in the words penned by your biblical namesake when faced with what seems to me to have been a similar experience to yours.
David,
As always an honest appraisal and well written article. So sad that you are being hung out to dry by this group and your ‘friend.”
In Scotland I can only see things getting worse for Christians. I post a text on Facebook each morning and if I choose the wrong one and the Scotland Hate Crime Bill gets passed today then I could end up in court, fined or jailed. Even the law of Blasphemy is to be abolished! My God is not abolished and He is Sovereign still.
I wonder how many of them thought Bishop Curry’s sermon was a fabulous presentation of the Gospel? 11,000,000 apparently did tune in. Premier seem to like this ‘for and against’ format, judging by a quick glance this morning (not my usual stomping ground) but on a journalistic website it simply encourages people to side one way or the other? The cult of Diana is still pretty strong and this is the fallout. Yet Harry seems to think the main reason they left was the British Press? The same press that Diana cultivated an uneasy ‘can’t live with you, can’t live without you’ relationship? One would have to be over 30 comfortably to remember THAT interview or the scenes of her in a heart transplant theatre with those huge earrings. Then as now, we never get to hear the other side of the story because the Queen would sooner die than spill the beans. They have the distinct disadvantage that ‘the what are they even for’ argument has a lot of traction amongst those who still believe that an elected head of state would make all things right, and fail to see what a big illusion democracy can be. But then the offspring of a liberal head of state could no doubt make Andrew look like a monk and still escape censure. But a poor reflection on christians who seem to be slowly caving into the culture without asking enough questions. If only twitter accounts were prohibited to the under 35s 😉 On my prayer list for the forseeable…
> I said nothing that was remotely racist or against mental health – both of which I care passionately about.
You didn’t by any reasonable standard, but who said the standard was reasonable? By merely mentioning the phrase ‘race card’ you’re seen to have invalidated and called into question Meghan’s experience — just another ‘white Christian’ (in Sam’s words) with a laissez-faire attitude towards racism: subtle, overt, and institutional. ‘Privileged’ is implied in the ‘white’.
‘Racism is ugly’, after all. You as a ‘white Christian’ must come to terms with the reality that you’re racist too, and prejudiced. It’s not your place to use phrases like ‘race card’. What could you possibly know, as an oppressor class who hasn’t themselves experienced racism (when these terms are cast in terms of power struggles, ‘white people’ are said to be immune from racism)? Instead, you should listen and sympathise; don’t hold back your condemnation, or else you’re complicit. Can it really be said of Meghan that she’s using the ‘race card’ if it’s in response to that (allegedly) ugly institutionalised racism of the royal family? The poor women.
But that’s one of the problems when morality is intertwined into everything: the view claimed as correct is moral, and anything less-than is degrees of immoral, or perhaps outright evil. You were repented of, for daring to speak to the truth of that outrageous, insignificant interview. But you can’t say that either, as Wendell Pierce has found out.
It’s insanity, now drink up.
Having said that, the palace response was a masterpiece
I’m really saddened to read this David. It’s the kind of typical Woke reaction you might have anticipated from the BBC or the Guardian, but Premier Christianity? I am saddened but not surprised.
Last year I unsubscribed from Premier’s emailing as I had become increasingly concerned by their constant pleading for cash as well as what I perceived as a platform they provided for both columnists and views which were not, in my opinion, Christian. The clue should be in the name – Premier Christianity.
Don’t be discouraged David. You are a beacon of truth in an increasingly dark sea of postmodern doubt. And that Truth, unlike Oprah Winfrey’s obviously prearranged question to Mehgan, is not “your truth”, it is HIS TRUTH.
Standing with you David.
This will not be good for Premier. I think that Premier will dwindle into nothing soon enough as they cease to be relevant to anyone.
I’ve heard non-Christians furiously speaking about the concept of ‘their truth’ over the last day or so. People want to be led and people respect and follow you as a follower of Christ. I certainly do.
The more you get abused the more I stand with you and dig my heals in.
I had a problem with Premier a long time ago and stopped reading or accessing their material. It’s not for me. One of their articles, published just after George Michael’s death, asked why the public were so taken with his many good deeds when he in fact he was basically a gross sinner! Whatever the ‘Christian’ opinion on his behaviour, who are we to judge? We are all sinners including the person who wrote the article! Where is God’s compassion in all of this? Where was the compassion for George’s grieving family, being published so close to his death. I know what the Bible says and I stand by its truths but Jesus didn’t berate sinners he ate with them! I deplore the way you have been treated, David. This from an organisation that has displayed its hypocrisy time and again. The problem for me is the unsaved watch all of this and instead of turning people towards God we turn them away. Surely in evangelising we have to be more aware of the impact of Christian behaviour on non Christians. I have started to use that phrase again what would Jesus do? We all need to strive to be more like Him in our treatment of one another. I’m not a fan of the Royals, I respect the Queen but really are the Royals people to look up to?! Absolutely not and they never have been. The only person people need to look up to is God, especially since we find ourselves with a severe lack of decent leadership and role models from both royals and political leaders. I have never been more grateful for the comfort of my faith.
Incredible, David! What do they hope to gain? Why has PC become “PC”? We are on your side. We share your disappointment.
‘I could write a great deal about the level of personal hurt, abuse, mental anguish and racism that I have experienced over many years – but who would be interested?’
I’m interested. I care. You’re a human being. I’m sorrowed that the abuse you’re receiving is making you feel sick. As Christians, we have a duty to speak truth IN LOVE. We so often fail at that. But we can all learn from the times when we ourselves experience abuse. This is the soil in which empathy grows. This is where God gardens. From the pain and frustration we feel there, comes the ability to extend grace to others.
Be blessed.
Hi David,
For what little it may be worth, you have my full support on this. I was disappointed to see Premier remove that one line from your article but I didn’t realise they’d later gone on to pull the entire thing. That seems like cowardice of the highest order. What do they think they’re going to achieve by knee-jerk pandering to the hysterical crowd?
If the church isn’t prepared to challenge modern culture then what is it other than a glorified social club? Somehow I can’t imagine Peter, Paul and co sitting around favourably commenting on the latest public statements made by the Roman elites in the forum.
My wife and I have been reading through 1 Corinthians recently and discussing Paul’s refusal to accept any kind of material support from the church in Corinth. As I understand it one reason for this was that “he who pays the piper calls the tune”, in other words Paul didn’t want the wealthy elites of the Corinthian church to have the power to cancel him by removing the funding for his mission/pastoral work when he said things they considered out of line. I wonder if there are modern day Christian institutions which might benefit from pondering the same.
Anyway please don’t be discouraged. Keep up the good work. Yours is one of the few Christian voices I have been able to find which consistently tells people what the Bible says instead of pursuing one political agenda or another.
When asked about Harry & Megan in exclusive Christian circles, I usually start with “yes, that son of an adulterer, who became an adulterer when he married Megan” – that really sorts out the wheat from the chaff.
The usual reply is – that’s a bit harsh – but to get married in Church and in the full glare of the world – God is not mocked.
Gloves off time.
In the office it’s usually more nuanced – “I can’t be bothered”
Great set of articles
David – I don’t always agree with what you say, and as for your taste in music, well, the less said the better. But I do agree that what you have experienced here is truly shameful. As Paul writes, when one member of the body suffers, all suffer, and, to use a cliché, I feel your pain. Interestingly, I know a brother who heads a Christian charity and, as a result of his godly and bible-based (ie non-PC) teaching, has suffered a lot of persecution. Most of it has come from those who call themselves Christians. Also, the most effective persecution, in terms of the suffering and hurt caused, has come from those within the church. Perhaps it was ever thus.
It is a sad day indeed when honest exchange of views and robust discussion can be curtailed so easily, and when centuries of freedoms developed on the bedrock of a Christian culture can so quickly be lost. I am sure I speak for many in saying that our prayers are for the Lord to strengthen and encourage you to continue to preach THE Truth.
Well, it works both ways. Cancellation of my subscription to Premier’s ‘Christianity’ magazine will be in the post today. This is proving to be a divisive issue but at least Radio 4’s Today programme gave airtime to both points of view. Sam Hailes’ grovelling apology is quite pathetic.
Morning (well, here anyway!) David,
Just a wee note of encouragement. I thought your piece was reasoned and well-put, and I certainly could not see anything to support racism or denigrate mental health in there! So sad to hear of the backlash when we need reasoned responses to what’s going on. Praying you have a deep awareness of God’s goodness and grace today.
One other thought has occurred on the whole interview – I fear that two rich entitled people using race and mental health to further their cause in a family issue (and I am not suggesting they haven’t experienced these) will actually damage the cause of those who cannot speak up on their own experiences around racism and mental health. When issues like this are weaponised, it is the ‘poor’ who suffer most
Whatever happened to ” My Kingdom is not of this World ? ”
It may be difficult to attract new blood to Christianity nowadays unless the enticement of Leftist social change is held out as a temporal prospect.
Hi David – I really appreciate your contribution and insight into current affairs. I read your articles most days, and have put my husband into your podcast, which he is enjoying very much. I’m very upset to hear all this. Praying for you to weather this storm.
Thank you, David. Your honesty is refreshing.
As a QC says today in The Times,
“Meghan may feel entitled to ‘tell my truth’ but while her version of it may represent her
honest perception, unless or until established by evidence the reality is it amounts to no
more than unproved assertion, made worse by having been provided pre-emptively
and without explanatory context.” Bernard Weatherill QC.
A neat and accurate summary.
Cracking article David and spot on.
I didn’t watch the interview, life is too short to pander to narcissists. I have more important things to do.
The reason people don’t like Meghan is nothing to do with race.
Staggering cowardice by Premier. As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord!
David, Quite disgraceful but don’t despair, Your Lord had many similar experiences. Sadly, PC (Apt initials) having sold out to the Culture will find the Culture has an insatiable appetite that will eventually consume any remaining vestiges of Gospel truth.
I and many others appreciate you, pray for you and are encouraged by your work. Thank you.
Stay Strong Wee Flea, you’re spot on, we’re just passing through.
How you have been treated David is utterly disgraceful but unsurprising in the age we are living in. I feel the West is in crisis and I wonder whether, unless God has mercy on us, we are actually seeing its demise along with so many cultures, kingdoms and empires of the past.
So sick of self righteous people on both side of this argument. Yes I did watch the interview and yes I do believe Racism & Elitism is at play in the way Meghan and Archie have been treat by the Royal Family. No matter how wealthy someone is they still have the right to be treat as an equal.
I do not believe for one moment that every white person I meet is racist. Nor do I believe anybody who correctly identifies the racism & elitism prevalent within many of our systems and specifically the church is some woke extremist.
Sometimes you get called out because you’ve written a self righteous pile of pooh that adds little to the discourse of the day. At least Harry & Megan tried to highlight the real issues at play which is more than you’re piece did.
You wrote the piece and sent it so stop passing the book back to your old mate Sam. He’s apologised honestly and openly for his part now be humble enough to do the same.
As a poor woman of dual heritage I am about sick to the back teeth of people down playing racism & accusing anyone who has the courage to speak up of ‘playing the race card’. I’m also pretty sick of hearing general sweeping statements about white people too.
My mum was a beautiful, kind white woman who saw much racism first hand, a woman who never once used or taught us to the race card. Still she was one of the greatest advocates I saw for anti-racism because she refused to be silenced by elitist discourses and rhetoric.
Your article just serves to further silence those who of us who have been silenced & invisible for far too long.
Around a month ago, I canceled Premier because of something they wrote that stunned me. They showed their true colors, as with you, and I was done with them. It wasn’t anything having to do with race, but I found it jolting and wondered how a ‘Christian’ publication could be so utterly lost. I hope more people do likewise after reading this today.
Shaking my head … the dogmas and doctrines of wokeness have been broken … I see no issue with your article David but as you say it’s impossible even to reasonably logically biblically go against this current mood of the times and not be immediately castigated.
I heard Voddie Bauchum say that the 11th commandment for these days is ‘thou shalt be nice’ which seems applicable here. Sad stuff from Premier and needs to be challenged.
Dave, although I fully appreciate how you are feeling right now (been there, done that), I’m surprised, with all you know, that you were actually shocked by the treatment you received. Brother, when the church fathers got together their witness (marturia) in fellowship was to show their wounds on their bodies!
Perhaps the spiritual and emotional wounds are greater in pain (Jesus had all), but you better steel yourself, the real stuff is still on its way. Be under no illusion, they have smelt blood and have been empowered by popular Christian cowardice.
May the Lord give us thick skins (never mind coloured ones) to laugh off the worst they throw at us – if we allow ourselves to be wounded we will not have the strength to fight.
One of the things that seems to have grown during the last, almost twelve months, of lockdown is that people no longer commune with their community in the same way. Thus people, even when they do leave their own homes, sit on buses, shop, work in single occupancy offices, muted by their masks. There is no general hub-bub of conversation.
It is in these conversations with friends and colleagues, and other social circles – hobby clubs, sporting societies, churches… that opinion is shared and in doing so, the rough edges are sanded down a little, as the viewpoint of each of those in the conversation is shared…
Interestingly, in a Christian Mindfulness video that a connect group that I am involved with used the visual aid of a beachball with coloured panels … one person could see Orange, Yellow and Red – whereas the other could see Green, White and Blue… it is only when they tried to see each other’s point of view that they could gain a fuller representation of the whole… later they rotated the ball so that they looked at it from a polar viewpoint, and thus see all the panels and gain a fuller appreciation of the whole.
As people have stopped interacting, muted by their masks, muted by isolation, et-cetera… they have become further and further from the whole of the community – Media, television and social media have taken up the slack of this void but therein, people exist in silos – we see our Facebook friends, we follow certain people on Twitter, we watch certain television programmes – and we do not entertain those outside our silo. And yes, we are all guilty of this to some degree.
I have noticed, even in Church Zoom meetings, there is growing “othering” of those who take a different view, whether it be on politics, vaccine acceptance or rejection, and of course on the interview that is the focus of your article. I chose not to watch, although, my wife did, and television and radio has been filled with everything I could have hoped to have gleaned from the interview and a certain degree of follow-up and critique.
Thus, a major loss to lockdown has been correction by friends and associates with whom we might disagree on the little things and thus, each, convinced of their own ‘rightness’ grows stronger in their convictions.
I have never previously heard of Premier Christianity and now never want to. Mind you reading the latter part of 2 Timothy 4 vv3-4 probably describes it.
Sorry to hear that David. It’s probably about money too. Eating my porridge at my kitchen table. I’ll say a little prayer for you and your family.
Take heart.
The battle’s neither lost nor won, yet.
We are deeply grieved that this has happened to you Dave. What a sad, sad, day it is when Christians capitulate to pressure, especially in this cowardly way! We appreciative your bold, consistent stand on the Bible in your social commentary. You are a great encouragement to us, and to many we know personally, who read your blogs. We pray that the Lord will give you the strength and courage to keep up the excellent gospel work you do.
I’m appalled at the number of “Christians” who feel the need to quickly apologize for any and every word that is take as an offense. The Word of God has not changed and we simply must defend it. We are on the verge of history repeating itself. Will we never learn?
FIRST THEY CAME
By Martin Niemöller
First they came for the Communists
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a Communist
Then they came for the Socialists
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a Socialist
Then they came for the trade unionists
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a trade unionist
Then they came for the Jews
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a Jew
Then they came for me
And there was no one left
To speak out for me.
I am not greatly surprised. Some time ago I was receiving a weekly email from Premier. I was concerned about some of the articles I was reading and wrote to them asking if they could clarify their position on Biblical authority and also on marriage/sexuality. I received no response other than the abrupt cancellation of my weekly email.
This is the price you pay for being a follower of Jesus , Pastor. The punches from within are always harder to stomach. Let’s hope that there is a realisation in Premier Christianity that they blundered …BIG TIME and an apology is offered.
Listening to the radio this morning was painful. All the woke/ show business/ celebrity handwringing over the alleged racism in the Royal Family .( I learnt a new word today – Colourism ) . At the same time I’m not hearing anybody get upset about the drastic cut in aid to desperately poor African countries. I guess black lives only matter if they aren’t black lives in Africa
A leaked document dated last month suggests the Conservative Government are considering cutting aid to Syria by 67% and Lebanon by 88%. Aid to Nigeria could drop 58%, Somalia 60%, South Sudan 59% and the Democratic Republic of Congo by 60%, it says. (Open Democracy article). Apparently the proposal is a vote winner with the British public.
Where is the outrage over this in the media and amongst the general public ? I guess ‘taking the knee’ virtue signalling has replaced genuine concern for Black lives.
David, keep writing, challenging and commenting! I would be impressed if I could get up at 6am and write a ‘Hello’ text message, let alone the piece you wrote, at Premier’s request. I know we need to be careful not to get into a tit for tat spatting match BUT I think it behoves Premier to publicly make clear that while they might not agree with everything you say they asked you to write an article on reasons for a Christian not to watch the interview. So what were they expecting you to say? I didn’t watch the interview because it had no appeal to me – there are far more important things to comment on at present in the world. I am really sorry to hear that you have been receiving such venomous backlash to your article. I for one found it thoughtful. Happy to stand with you. Blessings in Christ. Sam
The irony of this is you are speaking out about an injustice against you… to give your side of the story… and it would seem you do have a legitimate grievance,even though I’ve read your article and disagree with the tone and presumptions.
You are sharing with us your hurt and fear of being misrepresented and misunderstood, and what repercussions it might have for you.
This is what I believe Harry and Megan have done, when all other attempts at compromise and reconciliation have failed.
They weren’t payed.
I watched it and I believe them.
I didn’t watch for entertainment or circus, but to hear their side of the story.
I believe they too have a legitimate grievance, and throughout it all, they showed their love and respect for, and gratitude to, the Queen and made it clear she and Prince Philip were not the problem.
I’m fed up with our woke, progressive society attacking God’s word and Christian values, but truth should never go out of fashion, and we should never be afraid to tell it.
Thanks Sandra….where did you hear the other side of the story?
In the “press”, on the news, interviews with her family, a “book” written, The Diary of Princess Pushy’s Sister, Meghan making Kate cry, when it was actually the other way round, the Queen allegedly blindsided by their decision to go.
They had to bypass the biased press to get their voices heard, just as you are using your blog to quite rightly, get your voic heard.
That for me is the irony.
You all deserve to have your voices heard, and not through the filter of a biased press.
David, Render unto Caesar the things that are Caesars and onto God the things that are Gods.
Let the dead bury their dead.
They accused Jesus of many things, but he opened not his mouth.
Did anyone hear/see the interview with Megan’s half-sister in Australia?
A very different story but one I suspect will not get the air time that Megan’s interview got, but for those that have seen or heard it, surely they now must reflect on what is the truth.
My take on it as I said yesterday, was that if Megan bent the truth for one fact, how many other facts can be believed?
Does it matter? The world will do what it does.
Believers, march on!
Very sorry to hear this, David, and disappointed in Premier. We’ll keep you in our prayers.
Hi David. While I’m more surprised than gobsmacked at the response you received to your ‘asked for’ contribution, nothing really surprises me today from comments from so called Christian publications about attacks on scripture
Today the church, sorry, many in the church, are afraid of man rather than God and want to please everyone.
Galatians 1:10 .. or do I seek to please men? If so I should not be the servant of Christ.
John 12:43. For they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God.