Tag Archives: #BBC

‘Biassed Broadcasting Corporation’ a.k.a. ‘British Brainwashing Cult’

Exposure of media lies goes viral

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In view of my long-standing complaints about the BBC’s abysmal reporting standards you may want to watch Simon Plosker of media-watchdog Honest Reporting. In this video he speaks about European and American media’s deliberate false reporting of news on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict

He’s asked, “Are there any consequences to reporting like that? Do you just put it on (your site) and hope they pick it up and that their readership sees it…or…Does someone get fired over something like that?”

He responds,

“One thing we can do is, we have a very, very large reach. We have 140,000 subscribers around the world. We’re active on Facebook, Twitter…all sorts of social media and one thing we noticed yesterday – as soon as we expose these things – they were going viral.

“There was no way the media outlets could ignore what was going on ‘cos they were being told in no uncertain terms they’d got it wrong!

“The BBC are notorious for their choice of headlines…”

In this video Simon analyses media reports from Canada, Ireland, Britain and USA to expose the unprecedented media bias against Israel.

KINDLY CIRCULATE FAR AND WIDE

[Read also BBC Watch on BBC smoke-screening the true story the synagogue outrage and His Grace Cranmer on Slaughter in the synagogue is just politics as usual.]

Catholic and Orthodox churches choose fealty to 7th Century Muslim edict

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Jesus asked, “When the Son of Man returns will He find faith on the earth?”  Today’s answer could well be, ‘Not where You’d expect to find it – in parts of Your Church!”

templemountmain

The Temple Mount with al-Aqsa and Dome of the Rock mosques

The International Christian Embassy Jerusalem reported last week that some Christians in Jerusalem pledged solidarity with Muslim authorities of the Temple Mount – and this in accordance with a 1,400 years-old decree of subjugation!  The ICEJ report opens as follows (inserted numbers refer to my comments),

 “Leaders of Jerusalem’s Catholic and Orthodox churches met with Moslem officials this week, declaring their solidarity against what they described as Israeli “oppression” and “violations” of the Temple Mount complex in Jerusalem’s Old City [1]. Examples they cited of such “violations” included rumors about plans to change the status quo on the Temple Mount which have been dismissed as “fabrications” by Israeli officials but which have persisted nonetheless [2].

“The statement also reaffirmed the leaders’ commitment to the so-called “Pact of Omar” which was established following the Moslem conquest of Jerusalem in 637 AD which codified understanding that Moslems have a superior legal, political and social status to all others in the Levant, while also protecting the rights of non-Moslems to practice their religion [3, 4].” (Read full report here.)

In response I submit the basic facts, along with a few thoughts:

1.  A timeline of recent related events is given in Joel Rosenberg’s blog and indicates the violence was instigated by Muslim extremists and deliberate incitement from the Palestinian leader to start a third intifada. But Joel doesn’t go back far enough!

Six months ago, after disturbances in April, an imam from al-Aqsa mosque called for the destruction of Israel and urged Middle Eastern countries that signed peace agreements with Israel (Egypt and Jordan) to take up arms against it. [Israel Today citing al-Jezeera as herein.]

The latest outbreak was started not by Jews, but by Moslems throwing rocks, Molotov cocktails and fireworks at police at the entrance to the Temple Mount – NOT because Jews tried getting onto it or into the mosque, BUT BEFORE the Israeli police tried stopping this disturbance.

See Honest Reporting’s detailed analysis of Wall Street Journal and New York Times’ reports, the details of which give a better account than Daily Telegraph’s incomplete video which, in the fuller context, actually gives credence to the Israeli version of events.

BBC Watch also provides a proper picture by correcting badly biased broadcasters, as well as exposing the quisling BBC’s platform to Palestinian Authority’s falsehoods and incitement of violence on Judaism’s holiest site. [Today: Anachronism and inaccuracy in BBC News Jerusalem reporting.]

The massive rock platform which the first and second Jewish temples were built upon is supposedly sacred to Moslems too, but their fanatics don’t treat it with reverence or with respect. And it’s no wonder because the city of Jerusalem and its sacred centre do not feature in their holy book. There are no historical references in it, only an inference that Jerusalem was the destination of their founder’s ‘night journey’ on an imaginary horse!

2. PM Netanyahu Israeli addressed the recent wave of violence in Israel last Tuesday by telling journalists that PA’s Abbas is “fanning the flames” of incitement by lying about Israel’s non-existent plans to change the status quo on the Temple Mount.

Deception and dissimulation are sanctioned in the Qur’an and known as the doctrine of taqiyya. According to a former Islamic studies professor at the American University of Beirut, Sami Mukaram, “Taqiyya is very prevalent in Islamic politics, especially in the modern era”. (Raymond Ibrahim’s eye-opening analysis, How Taqiyya Alters Islams’ Rules of War)

I’d add, ‘and throughout Western media too’!  The global scale of misinformation and lies makes Herr Goebel’s Nazi propaganda machine look archaic by comparison. No wonder the need for the highly commendable services of various media watchers, for as Raymond explains in summing up the implications of taqiyya:

…zealous belief in Islam’s tenets, which legitimize deception in order to make God’s word supreme, will certainly go a long way in creating “incredible self-confidence” when lying.

Yet most Westerners continue to think that Muslim mores, laws, and ethical constraints are near identical to those of the Judeo-Christian tradition. Naively or arrogantly, today’s multiculturalist leaders project their own worldview onto Islamists, thinking a handshake and smiles across a cup of coffee, as well as numerous concessions, are enough to dismantle the power of God’s word and centuries of unchanging tradition. The fact remains: Right and wrong in Islam have little to do with universal standards but only with what Islam itself teaches—much of which is antithetical to Western norms.

[Churchill was well aware of the dangers, as quoted in my blog All Hail the Lamb!. AND whilst writing, an excellent example of media proclivity to blame Israel arrived from CNN of today’s outrage on a synagogue as ‘Deadly attack on Jerusalem mosque’!! So much auto-brainwashing its overwhelmed what few ‘grey cells’ they possess…]

Had it not been for that faith’s founder using dishonesty to defeat his first opponents in reneging upon the treaty of Hudaybiya (628AD) – thereby showing the perpetual nature of jihad – his totalitarian religion would not have swept by the sword across Africa, Asia and the Middle East.

Compare this with the Ten Commandments the Almighty gave Moses for how Israelites are to live; eg., to be truthful and trustworthy, as required by not bearing false witness against one’s neighbour! (Exod 20:16)

Compare also with Jesus’ description of the devil as “a murderer from the beginning” and “a liar and the father of lies”! (John 8:44)  Noteworthy for this discussion is the fact Jesus was chastising the Pharisees and scribes, which can be applied to mullahs and imams too because His rebuke concerned their non-acceptance of His identity and His relationship to God. (Read about it in this link to BibleGateway.)

But the Qur’an describes Allah as the best makar, ie the best deceiver or schemer!!(Suras 3:54, 8:30,10:21 per Ibrahim; also see in-depth discussion in Answering Islam)

Thus, anyone claiming the Holy God of the Jews and Christians is one and the same as Islam’s Meccan moon-god has been deceived and is utterly deluded!

3. As liberals whine about Israel ‘occupying’ Palestinian territory and the PA still does not recognise the right of Israel to exist but is to be removed, then the same ‘logic’ must be applied to Muslim claims. Second caliph Umar, companion to their founder, and his army invaded and occupied Jerusalem in 637AD. Therefore, Muslims don’t have any  legitimate right to be there or to have built mosques on the platform. What’s good for the goose is good for the gander!

Dr Mike Evans writes only last week, “Palestinian leaders have issued a new demand to their allies in the liberal media—stop calling the Temple Mount the Temple Mount. The Palestinians are annoyed because of the unmistakable link to Israel’s heritage in the Holy City that remains in the name of the places…so they want to wish it away.”

This capacity for lying to themselves has also produced the stupid claims that Jesus was a Palestinian and thus not a Jew!  Anyone with any intellect knows Palestine didn’t exist until the Romans trashed Jerusalem and dispersed nearly the entire population of Judea. The region was then named ‘Philistia’ after Israel’s old enemy, the Philistines.

Update (22/11) Read Ruthie Blum on ‘Temple Denial’, a term coined in 2007 by Dore Gold author of The Fight for Jerusalem: Radical Islam, the West, the Future of the Holy City.

4. In the non-sectarian book that opened biblical prophecy to me in the mid-1980s,The Invisible Hand (see blog’s Welcome), Victor Dunstan makes the following remark:

“It is interesting to note that when Caliph Omar entered the city, Gibbon in his ‘Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire’  records:

“After signing the capitulation, he entered the city without fear or precaution; and courteously discoursed with the patriarch concerning its religious antiquities. Sophronius bowed before his new master and secretly muttered, in the words of Daniel, “The abomination of desolation is in the holy place”.

Recall Jesus’ warning about this,

“Therefore when you see the ‘abomination of desolation,’ spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place” (whoever reads, let him understand), “then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains…” (Matthew 24:15 NKJV)

Read for yourself the requirements of this Dark Ages despotic document in Analysis of the Pact of Umah, courtesy of Wiki-Islam.

Conclusion

In preferring to kowtow to Muslim demands instead of those of their Lord and Saviour, and opportunities afforded by the liberation of Jerusalem, those church leaders have given affront to the men, women and babes martyred by maniacs in recent months.

Sowing and reaping comes to mind. The traditional super-cessionist stance of the Church replacing Israel in God’s favour together with centuries of anti-Semitism has brought about these leaders’ own subservience and spiritual captivity to a falsehood that claims superiority. How abject!

We also have to ask, where’s these Catholic/Orthodox leaders’ real faith?  Apostle Paul’s prime point about Jesus Christ’s identity, the clear denial of which by these clerics in bowing the knee to 1,400 years of antichrist rule, implies they may have little faith,

Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (Philippians 2:9-11 NKJV)

An unclear theology and lack of understanding the Word of God has probably led them to their unsound slavery. But in my humble opinion they’re in danger of committing, if not having committed, apostasy because what they speak from their authority could hinder others’ growth into fullness of faith. As the Lord warns disciples (Luke 17:1),

“It is impossible that no stumbling blocks should come, but woe to him through whom they come!”

Enough said?

Further Reading:

Links for readers wanting specific information on Islam:

  1. Australian Anglican pastor Mark Durie blogs on issues related to Islam here – also see his post Three Choices and the Bitter Harvest of Denial: How dissimulation is fueling genocide in the Middle-East.
  2. Gates of Vienna: Taqiyya and Kitman in Washington DC translation of Fridays’ Muslim prayer service in the USA’s National Cathedral, and about its significance.
  3. Bill Warner’s Political Islam; see 14th Nov (HA!) on Sacred Deception – Taqiyya
  4. Comprehensive coverage/translation by the Middle-East Media Research Institute
  5. A solid source/repository of well-informed authors at The Middle-East Forum.

On Scottish First Minister’s possible Islamist stance

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In re-blogging Gillan’s Scott’s thoughts on the Scottish referendum (here) I referred to the Almighty’s personal promise to Abram, “I will bless those who bless you and curse those who curse you”.

This plumb-line standard of Genesis 12:3 means Scotland’s future could well be bleak  because, and I emphasised, the Scottish National Party’s (SNP) leader, ‘Alex Salmond is not only in favour of boycotting Israel but his party also funded a Scottish affiliate to Hamas and Muslim Brotherhood‘, and linked to its source, Labour Party blogger Rob Marchant’s SNP and Gaza: why Salmond is Not a Statesman.

I’d discovered this by ‘googling’ salmond israel and also found that Salmond supports sanctions against Israel, as reported by the BDS (Boycott, Divestment &.Sanctions) movement. Salmond’s support for bellicose Turkey over the Mavi Marmara incident is as plain as a pikestaff.

Then there’s detailed journals on Alex Salmond and the SNP’s Support for Terrorists by anti-BBC researcher, ‘Highland Rebel’, and on noticeable Anti-Israel sentiment and fears of a ‘Yes’ vote by Daphne Anson, as well as her blog SNP-led Scottish council bans Israeli books!

Furthermore, last month Salmond wanted an arms embargo on Israel because of the Gaza war, as reported by The Independent and Huffington Post.

And I missed the denials over whether or not he equated Israel to ISIS on a TV show over the weekend, see Commentary Magazine.

On top of that lot are reports of threats, intimidation and abuse, as well as a possible NHS budgetary deception.

With such notoriety, Alex Salmond appears too undesirable to be in charge of our sister nation beyond the ruins of Hadrian’s Wall. [Was this a prophetic decree?]

UPDATE 19/9: As a result of his failed ‘Yes’ for independence campaign, Alex Salmond has resigned as First Minister of Scotland and as leader of the SNP (BBC news).

Personal background

The above remarks may generate questions over my knowledge of Islam. An outline to this may be gained from my comments appended to God has used Britain to do great things…, which are as follows:

“United we stand – divided we fall”!

Our UK issue reminds a South African pastor of SA’s difficulties changing government. Chinese and Russian triads took advantage of the situation and infiltrated her nation.

Nick wants to know about spiritual elements at work in this. I agree. We need to be alert to the spiritual dimensions and opposition that’s demonstrated its evil prowess globally. And we need to understand the principles involved (eg territorial footholds), none of which is hardly ever taught in ‘Churchianity’.

Whilst our focus has been on ISIS overseas we have a blind spot to home defences and an Islamic flag has been flown officially over Glasgow council offices. Surely that’s an open invitation and ‘welcome’ to undesirable elements? None of us are ignorant of the advances made in the UK since the demand for a muslim parliament in Britain was announced on 6th Jan 1992. [NB: am not anti-muslim, but am also not blind.] This link refers.

So, maybe Scotland should be separate after all?

> Fellow contributor ‘Sarky’, with whom I’ve developed a dialogue through several posts on God and Politics UK, responded as follows.:

Richard, you may not be anti muslim, but there is definately a bit of muslim paranoia creeping in on your post. Hinting that scotland should seperate because of a perceived muslim influence?? Really??
listen,the percentage of muslims in the uk is roughly equivalent to the percentage of practicing christians, at around 4%. I think any real influence by christisns/muslims is greatly exaggerated and is really just a product of the media. It makes me laugh that you fear the goals of muslims, yet they are your goals, a country/population living under the rules/influence of your god.

Thankfully the majority of votes tomorrow will be cast with god/religion left firmly on the back seat.

> In replying I referred to my decades-long background on the subject.:

Sarky, I was being sarcastic about it being a reason for national separation. But thanks for proving my point about general ignorance of spiritual principles.

Your ardent atheism doesn’t equip you with a grid for that dimension. Not surprising you’re uninformed too. So too are many clueless politicians who fool themselves that ISIS/L isn’t Islamic. It simply copies the founder’s life-style and strategies after he was thrown out of Mecca – so it IS the real deal. [Added for blog: ISIS-ISIL difference and ISIS not Islamic?, see also this Investigative Report on Terrorism. Also see the Home Secretary’s incompetent claim about the Quran]

Invisible HandNo, I don’t fear Muslims at all but love them. My quoted date hints how long I’ve been watching/studying this phenomenon. First as a ‘new ager’ 40 years ago, then in ‘84 a perspicacious writer on the Middle-East pointed out,

“We’re about to witness a mighty and almost unbelievable upsurge in Islam. Although we see the first signs of that revival (it) has a long way to go, but it’s going to go that ‘long way‘ very quickly”!  [‘The Invisible Hand’ page198, Victor Dunstan, 1984]

So the outrages of 9/11 and 7/7 were not really surprising. [Link on latter here. Also, I could add the barbaric murders of Drummer Lee Rigby in Woolwich on 22 May 2013 and humanitarian worker David Haines last weekend – plus other internationals]

Also, you and I are far too young to recall Churchill’s prophetic warning of 1899 in his honestly critical ‘The River War’ (vol 2 pp 248-50, per Wikipedia).

Therefore, we do need to be well-informed on what’s going on.

> The discussion continued…

ISIS is islamic in name only, like the uk is a christian country in name only. you cannot judge people on the actions of a few idoits!! Or are we to judge christians on those who gun down doctors at abortion clinics?? Or those far right christians who want to bring about the end of the world so jesus returns?? You have to be so careful with labels, or you run the risk of alienating moderate voices within communities, and you dont have to have supernatural ‘superpowers’ to see that.

> Therefore, I provided more information:

Well I’m glad we can agree about labels! And I accept your point Sarky, and assure you I know only too well about judging. But you’re wrong about the IS as they do have solid  grounds for using the term ‘Islamic’. A ‘few idiots’?  Maybe you’re unaware of what’s gone on outside Syria/Iraq/Nigeria etc etc – that is, in Australia? [Almost 24,000 globally since 9/11, thousands so far in 2014, and click here and here re Australia.]

At long, long last many leading Muslims are voicing their objections about ultra-extremists.  But the fact remains that Islam started off peaceful but became savage during the lifetime of its founder because of his example and purported private instructions from his ‘god’. So they savagely plundered their neighbours, killed those who refused to convert, and after he died they divided, argued and started fighting one another! (Compare with early Christianity – not churchianity, please.) [Oct 5th, a brave Catholic professor writes, ‘Islamic State is not heresy; “model is Muhammad himself”.]

Also, I do know different kinds of Islam are practised, and some like the Ahmadiya and Grand Mufti of Syria preach and practise peace, who was targeted for assassination but his son got killed instead. Read this ex-Muslim [Dr Patrick Sookhdeo] on it and his remarks on ISIS at [link provided: Barnabas Fund editorial ‘The Two Faces of Islam’].  

Also, this non-judgemental expert who warned about 9/11 answers ‘ISIS not Islamic?’  [link provided: Daniel Pipes ‘ISIS Is Not Islamic?’] 

I study eschatology but only crackpots would do what you suppose. (If meaning GW Bush, his ‘theology’ was unsound.) What you describe is actually part of ‘Twelver’ Shiite doctrine. They’re keen to usher in the end of the world by military means so that ‘Hidden 12th Imam’ can appear and bring Jesus with him! Those are more dangerous than the barbarians.

PS. Missed Dr Sookhdeo’s apocalyptic bit about Sunni ISIS’ ultimate goal. Perhaps this is where Sunni and Shiite may agree with one another, as they do over capturing Jerusalem.

A call for clarity on Israel and Gaza

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[Publ 29 June 2014] Let’s take a trip in my time machine. Hop in and hold tight, it’s just a short hop to go back 47 years.

All done! We open the door and step into a college library. Being a sunny evening in early June, its tables are packed as everyone’s preparing for end-of-year exams or finals. Continue reading →

Cultural religion may be declining but atheism is not filling its shoes

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Gillan’s analysis of reports and encouraging commentary is highly recommended to my readers. It certainly seems related to this month’s prophetic clarion call against the complacency which could cause our nation to miss the time of its Visitation.

WordPress problems

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This is to advise readers a number of intransigent issues persist in hampering and even preventing bloggers in UK using WordPress because of UK ISP connection difficulties.   Over a week ago I was unable to reblog or comment on another’s WP blog. Also, it kept logging me out as I switched between editing and viewing screens.  WP users may be able to read details on this Support Forum thread of over 260 posts from 60 users Unable to load web page because server sent no data.

It certainly seems this is related to live software development in meeting PM Cameron’s objectives of countering internet porn, to the detriment of regular bloggers and users. In addition there may be an issue over TalkTalk’s use of Chinese filtering system, as reported by the BBC yesterday: Chinese firm Huawei controls net filter praised by PM.

WordPress access has previously been blocked by China and afflicted by hackers, as reported by BBC here.

Hope we may be up and running properly next week, maybe Monday hopefully 🙂

The BBC admits failings in its treatment of Christians

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WELCOME news! Thank you Gillan for your hard work producing a commendable summary and for quoting EA’s Dr David Landrum. I won’t hold my breath, however, for BBC to review their Middle-East reporting!

The BBC’s ‘shaking’ continues

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“…So it was probably more a ‘God-incidence’, perhaps to show He’s doing more shaking, as prophesied in January…So watch out for more, lots more…” In so saying I closed my Update on ‘Media manipulation’ within the BBC news teams.

This post serves to ‘update the update’ as the BBC continues to be shaken by getting a tiny bit of its just desserts for biased coverage of the ‘apple of God’s eye’ – Jerusalem. Today’s leading Telegraph headline reads.:

BBC management ‘completely incapable of dealing with (the Jimmy) Savile row, which comes with a news video clip, Leadership at the BBC in short supply!

Keep watching…

Update on ‘Media manipulation’

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Sadly, there seems to be evidence that the ‘manipulation mentality’ about which I wrote (here, here and here) may be affecting the BBC’s staff themselves.  Could entrenched mindsets be hindering their ability to comprehend and effectively communicate?

The strange story of a complaint to the BBC tells of their peculiar reply to a listener’s complaint. This report demonstrates the BBC complaints people either failed to read the submission, or else were incapable of comprehending its content. Their reply bizarrely twisted its meaning, gave a rambling self-justification and did not address the concerns. BBC Watch draws this conclusion.:

One cannot but wonder how many other complaints are being registered by the BBC as the exact opposite of what they actually are and how that influences the reliability of the BBC’s complaints statistics and the resulting appraisals of its own performance.

Courtesy of BBC Watch

Incidentally, I’m loathe to think and write in a judgemental manner and so I was reticent about my posting on yellow journalism. But then by ‘sheer coincidence’, after typing it, I checked BBC Watch only to read the lasted news of a ‘yellow card’ for the journalist in question!  So it was probably more a ‘God-incidence’, perhaps to show He’s doing more shaking, as prophesied in January (here and here).  So watch out for more, lots more…

26 Then [at Mount Sinai] His voice shook the earth, but now He has given a promise: Yet once more I will shake and make tremble not only the earth but also the [starry] heavens. 27 Now this expression, Yet once more, indicates the final removal and transformation of all [that can be] shaken—that is, of that which has been created—in order that what cannot be shaken may remain and continue. 28 Let us therefore, receiving a kingdom that is firm and stable and cannot be shaken, offer to God pleasing service and acceptable worship, with modesty and pious care and godly fear and awe; 29 For our God [is indeed] a consuming fire. –  Amplified Bible: Hebrews chapter 12]

Media manipulation of thought and emotions

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Frankly I don’t like fault-finding and criticising, as in recent posts. Nevertheless, there is  Godly authority for Christians to do so whenever necessary. This ‘standing instruction’ is found in Apostle Paul’s directions for walking in Love, Wisdom and Light, as in his letter to the early church in Ephesus. So, before putting this matter (hopefully) to rest with examples of media manipulation, it behoves us to consider Paul’s words.:

6 Let no one delude and deceive you with empty excuses and groundless arguments [for these sins], for through these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of rebellion and disobedience. 7 So do not associate or be sharers with them.

8 For once you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord; walk as children of Light [lead the lives of those native-born to the Light]…

11 Take no part in and have no fellowship with the fruitless deeds and enterprises of darkness, but instead  expose and reprove and convict them…13 But when anything is exposed and reproved by the light, it is made visible and clear; and where everything is visible and clear there is light. [Amplified Bible; see Ephesians 5 in full]

Regrettably, deception and lies abound throughout all forms of public life and media; as in the activities of press and police in phone and email hacking scandal. Much has been written, many got hot under the collar, and top leaders deeply divided over the issue of  freedom of the press and the controversial recommendations of Lord Leveson’s Inquiry. [For a brief summary see Gillan Scott’s: Leveson – where do we go from here?]

Censorship laws were abolished in 1695, so the introduction of the first press statute in over 310 years would be yet another step towards increasing state control.  [My family forebears required a licence, or ‘patent’, to print even the Authorised King James Bible! In view of threats of sedition and rebellion that faced Tudor and Jacobean monarchs,  eg. the Gunpowder Plot, printers could operate only with the sovereign’s permission – see my personal notes.]

Free speech in America is protected under the First Amendment to the US Constitution, but in Britain liberties once protected by convention are now seriously undermined by Section 5 of the Public Order Act. Anyone who feels offended or insulted – for any silly reason! – may bring a criminal prosecution!!  [More: Christian Institute and Cranmer.]

Human nature being what it is, the combination of freedom to speak and write enabled unsavoury elements of the press to make dramatic, sensational and inaccurate stories for the sake of attracting more readers.  This happened over 110 years ago in the USA, as outlined in The ‘Yellow Fever’ of Journalism.

Eventually, this kind of publishing spread to the UK, as evident in the tabloid press wars and started to afflict the once highly reputable British Broadcasting Corporation as well as The Guardian, successor to the renowned  Manchester Guardian. [This famous local paper was essential reading for me as a 6th form student at school only 15 miles from the city – read brief history and of its interest in Zionism and Palestine.]

Consequently, it’s with unease that I see sensational and deliberate inaccuracy within once-august organisations’ coverage of factual material. I can only infer their purpose must be to mislead and manipulate readers, thereby inculcating mental and emotional antagonism against a people and a nation, Israel. (Although having studied the history for years in some depth, I am open to correction.)

Example 1

westBank-E1

Yesterday, a friend asked if I’d heard the latest news about a large building programme by Israel in an area designated as E-1 lying east of Jerusalem, specifically to bisect the West Bank – ie. divide it in two. The friend got this notion from media reports.

Better still, why not read what someone on the ground says? Paula Stern writes ,

It’s all about a mountain that sits between Maale Adumim and Jerusalem between the city where I work and the home that I have made with my husband and children. YNET incorrectly claims that Israel building on E1 threatens to “bisect” the West Bank. I can’t help but wonder why they never took the 3 minute drive out of Jerusalem to realize that was just nonsense!

…what we have is a mountain – not a very tall one, smaller even than the ones next to it on three sides. That’s all E1 is – a mountain. It is barren, but for a road that snakes its way up to a midpoint where a large police station has been built. No one lives there – no one has. Some trees, a lot of rocks, a traffic circle at the base – that’s all.

Read this local resident’s full statement here. Look at the above map! (details here); it is ‘much ado about nothing’, according to GW Bush’s deputy assistant Elliot Abrams. Also, CIF Watch refutes media claims and thereby trashes falsehood in The Guardian.

Here’s more true-to-type ‘yellow journalism’ from a badly biased international agency – Reuters Blames Israel For Doomsday. How’s that for manipulation?

Example 2

Another friend and reader of this blog contacted me about the effects that recent rocket attacks and defence had upon someone watching the news. Therefore, he quite rightly attempted to set the record straight. Thank you Neil for permission to quote your email, viz.:

How are you? I do greatly enjoy reading your “Watch” input and updates – keep up the good work.  We are now very close to the finish line for the End Times Course here…

I am writing because I had need to respond to an e-mail that I received. I quote an element below, and thought I would let you see my response as some information came from input you have so kindly provided. I am sure you will understand that I do not wish to identify the sender or quote the text in full:

[extract:]

“I am struggling to come to terms with what is happening in Israel / Gaza. Israel’s response to the missiles from Gaza seems to be disproportionate with appalling civilian casualties. And in response we now have a bomb on a bus in Tel Aviv. I am beginning to ask myself whether under the circumstances it is morally right …. ”

[Neil’s proposed reply:]

“Hard to know where to begin – I wish you had attended the Winvin End Times study. I take a very different view to yours: the Israeli’s have suffered extreme provocation over many years, particularly in relation to rocket attacks, from Hamas controlled Gaza into Southern Israel. These rocket attacks have been going on intermittently for more than 10 years. Hamas have repeatedly expressed their unequivocal aim to destroy Israel (wipe Israel off the face of the earth, re-occupy the land that belongs to Allah, and so on). They are supported and equipped by Iran, which takes the same view and appears to be close to developing a nuclear armaments capability.

“In mid October, Hamas gunmen, bombers and rocket firers started to increase the level of their cross border attacks. Some recent examples: on 8 Nov they blew up an Israeli military position on the Gaza border by tunnelling underneath it and filling the tunnel with high explosive. On 10 Nov they fired an anti-tank missile across the border, destroying a lightly armoured vehicle. On Sunday 11 Nov, the day before Israel retaliated, they fired 187 rockets into Southern Israel. Hamas launch their rockets from the vicinity of schools, hospitals and civilian populated areas, which is really using civilians as a shield and likely to “wrong foot” any military response, very challenging in terms of propaganda and “sound bite” media coverage. Hundreds of air sorties have failed to stop missiles being fired from Gaza, and they are now being fired at Tel Aviv and Jerusalem plus the bomb in Tel Aviv that you mention. I see it as a Hamas responsibility that civilians are being killed and injured – it is as a direct result of their tactics and their avowed determination to annihilate Israel.

“Israel is surrounded by its enemies (the more so since the so-called Arab Spring) and I suspect that it feels it is imperative to show to those who might contemplate an attack, that it is willing to take robust action.

“There are more complicated geo-political considerations in respect of Ayatollah Khamenei’s ambitions for Iran, his relationship with Bashar Assad (Syria and his wish to deflect attention from his “civil war”), Mohamed Morsi (Egypt and the Muslim Brotherhood) and Hizballah.

“I could go on but it would become a book! I will add that Israel has a sophisticated anti-missile missile system which manages to take out some of the incoming rockets…

“I believe that the Jews are God’s chosen people, He has an everlasting covenant with them, and Jesus (a Jew) will return to Jerusalem to take his rightful place on David’s throne. I do not believe in replacement theology. There is no doubt that the Israeli’s are far from perfect – however, the Bible tells us we should pray for their wellbeing (which is not the same as agreeing with their actions – though in this recent activity in Gaza, I do).”

“I did not develop the possible fulfilment of end times prophecy that we see in these events, probably a step too far for the enquirer at this stage!”

Recommended links for countering Anti-Semitic mis-information:

1. For in-depth investigation and refutation of many instances of weak journalism, visit:

2. For well-informed, no-nonsense commentary within UK visit:

Be blessed as you dig…

>> See also Update

Is BBC’s coverage of Gaza ‘yellow journalism’?

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I have much better things to do than bang on about the BBC but its deliberate bias is outrageous. For example, last Monday evening I took an exception to the clear tone of bias/bigotry.

For once I quickly checked our TV’s teletext for the BBC News of 26th November and selected ‘World Reports’.  I spotted and opened ‘Israel and Hamas begin Gaza talks’, which reports as follows.:

‘Representatives of Israel and Hamas have begun indirect talks about implementation of the ceasefire deal that ended recent violence in Gaza. The negotiations are being led by Egyptian intermediaries in Cairo. Hamas is expected to press for an end to the Israeli blockade on Gaza, while Israel wants arms smuggling to cease.

‘At least 158 Palestinians and 6 Israelis were killed by the 8-day offensive which Israel said it launched to stop rocket fire from the territory.’

What I’ve underlined is what I took a great exception to – it insinuates that Israel is lying or saying that as an excuse for violence. Why not simply state the plain substantive fact by deleting ‘said it’ ??

Any reasonable person can read the BBC is making a sly, subtly derogatory comment in order to mislead.  Anyone who has been closely following ‘front-line’ news on Israel for years, as I have, well knows its south has been subject to unending bombardment – which is why Mike Evans has solicited funds for the provision of bomb shelters!

The fact is, THE VIOLENCE HAS BEEN COMING FROM THE GAZA STRIP ever since Israel vacated it. Since 2005 OVER 8,000 missiles have been fired by terrorists into Israel from Gaza…almost 1,700 in this year alone! (per IDF Rocket Attacks report) 

So it was happening well before Israel decided enough was enough.

The BBC has never, ever bothered truthfully reporting upon that fact.

Hence, B.B.C. does mean ‘Bigoted Broadcasting Corporation’!

If the BBC were a professional organisation it would be aware of the truth of the matter and not have produced highly slanted news reports throughout this latest clash. Yes, it was tragic for the baby son of one of its Arabic services staff to have been killed. But I was most uneasy not only over the propriety of this report but also whether or not it was truly as claimed. Happening to be on-hand to cover this in a sensational way was a tad unprofessional – it smacked of ‘yellow journalism’ (see definition and background), as does the history of the BBC’s coverage.

I had to ask, why were the family in harm’s way? – is there truth in the Israeli claim that Hamas are guilty of war crimes by using civilians as ‘human shields’?

That particular tragedy has been investigated by BBC Watch, who conclude:

It is implausible that the BBC…is unaware of the Masharawi family’s connections to Hamas – a terror organization proscribed by the British government and many others.

The BBC’s funding public will naturally find it unacceptable on all levels that a BBC employee should engage in propagating lies and antisemitic vitriol on a television station owned and run by a terror organization. (To read in full click here and then scroll down page.)

Stop Press: Breaking News >> The Government Press Office has issued a formal warning to the BBC reporter on the above case for his use in an unrelated matter of ‘unverified and misleading material’ – see BBC’s Jon Donnison gets yellow card. [Clarification 30/11: earlier report refers to Israel’s GPO; not UK’s as may be inferred.]

I also read there are serious questions about BBC Middle-East editor Jeremy Bowen’s partiality – click that link for report (again, scroll to read).

Others who share my concerns:

In BBC leads Hamas spin…again The Commentator castigates the Corporation and urges readers to file complaints.

With his usual subtle wit, His Grace Cranmer recognises the same issue, as herein.

Controversial yet sensible Melanie Philips now posts ‘REAL News Bulletins’ on her blog, starting with Here is the (real) news. (“Here is some information about the war between Gaza and Israel that for some unaccountable reason you may have missed today in Britain’s mainstream media…”)  Melanie has also written about The real BBC scandal.

One of my readers tells of someone’s distress and faulty logic as a consequence of the  media reports. I shall, therefore, consider this pernicious effect of ‘yellow journalism’ another time…

Does B.B.C. = Bigoted Broadcasting Corporation?

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Back in August I asked Is the BBC becoming a ‘Badly Biased Corporation? regarding Christianity in the Olympics. This was a week after having observed The biased BBC doesn’t know about Jerusalem; that is, its reporting and editorial staff are plainly ‘pig ignorant’ of the basic facts on that location’s especial history and status. Next, a few  days later events confirmed my remarks and I couldn’t escape concluding.:

“Thus, it’s clearly evident the Badly Biased Corporation does display double standards.”

A month later fellow blogger Gillan Scott wrote Don’t believe everything you read (even if it’s by the BBC) and noted:

“In order to simplify the narrative of a news story or to present it from a certain angle our broadcasters and newspapers will not always give viewers or readers information about the bigger picture.  Most of us who follow the news know this happens, especially in the newspapers, but the problem is we don’t know what we’re not being told and that can lead to inaccurate beliefs and perceptions being reinforced even if we’re aware of biased reporting.

“Even the BBC, supposedly balanced in its coverage of the news, can’t always be trusted…” [emphasis mine]

Gillan then proceeds to give three examples of unhappy experiences of contact with the BBC all in the space of one article and remarks, “Not what you’d hope for”.

Once renowned and envied worldwide for practising the highest standards in journalism the BBC is now verging on bigotry. This is a most regrettable situation and directors are now taking the consequences for allowing a long decline in falling ethical standards. So a fortnight ago Gillan reblogged a commentary by Christen Forster under the heading The BBC and the dangers of rejecting your Christian roots – regular readers may recall my earlier references to Christen, whose updated comments are found on his original post, British Institutions and the Promises of God << NB: Highly recommended reading.

Last week The Commentator observed Shocking BBC bias as EU talks get under way, remarking it would have been logical for the PM’s aides to prepare by looking at what’s appearing in the press [again, emphases are mine]. :

Across the traditional media they (PM’s aides) would have found a plurality of views reflecting the broad concerns that British people routinely express when the question of EU membership takes centre stage.

Not if they’d consulted the BBC.

If you open up the BBC website you’ll find a prominent article entitled: “Viewpoints: How experts see UK role in EU“. It all sounds very promising; just the sort of thing a political advisor would be looking for….

It’s not funny. It violates every rule of journalistic objectivity in the book. And it’s an insult to British licence fee payers who have a right to expect an even handed approach to all issues, but especially one so central to the UK’s vital national interests.

The Commentator concludes:

And there we have it. Not a single analyst or representative offering the view that Britain might do well either out of the EU altogether or with a radically reformed relationship.

We think that this is unacceptable.

A bigoted broadcasting corporation?

The Oxford Dictionary describes ‘bigoted’ as an adjective and gives this definition:

  • having or revealing an obstinate belief in the superiority of one’s own opinions and a prejudiced intolerance of the opinions of others: a bigoted group of reactionaries a bigoted article.

The Merriam-Webster has ‘bigoted’ as the adjective of the noun ‘bigot’, which means:

  • a person who is obstinately or intolerantly devoted to his or her own opinions and prejudices; especially: one who regards or treats the members of a group (as a racial or ethnic group) with hatred and intolerance.

To my mind it certainly appears that the BBC is verging upon, if not, exhibiting bigotry. I will show briefly in the next post how this makes its Middle-East reporting unreliable.

Update 2 of 3 – on the BBC

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Readers who followed my earlier post’s links to Archbishop Cranmer’s site may have discovered that the BBC has finally paid tribute to Usain Bolt’s Christian faith!  Regular readers of His Grace recognise this as yet another sample of his satirical wit.

[Today, Cranmer adroitly tackles the public perception that PM Cameron is out of touch with the concerns of ordinary people.]

Back to the ‘Beeb’…Wonderful as the great Brit Mo’ Farrar’s fantastic feets’ feat of winning double Olympic gold medals in 10,000m and 5,000m is, ol’ Auntie’ saw fit to give serious consideration to the ‘Mo Effect’ upon his fellow Somalis in the United Kingdom.  And, of course, the BBC News recognised his Muslim faith and made reference to his on-track prayers.

Thus, it’s clearly evident the Badly Biased Corporation does display double standards.

Is the B.B.C. becoming a ‘Badly Biased Corporation’? Or…?

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Has the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) deliberately ignored the fastest man on earth’s God? Also, could its coverage of the Middle-East just be bellicose disinformation prior to an anticipated major regional conflict?

Cranmer’s posting of 10 August about this year’s thrice-Olympic gold medal Jamaican sprinter and world record buster opens as follows:

Usain Bolt – the fastest man on the planet – is a devout believer (of the Protestant Christian kind) in the One True God. And he makes absolutely no secret at all of the fact: he crosses himself to exalt the Trinity, and mouths a prayer to the heavens before every race. And after each victory, he publicly gives thanks to God, in word and physical supplication. Following yesterday’s triumph in the 200m, he said of his Lord and Saviour: “Nothing would have been possible without Him.”

Is this not worth just a passing mention by the BBC?

He continues:

While he was manifestly thanking God on his knees for yesterday’s victory, the BBC presenter spun this spontan-eous act of worship as Bolt having ‘a moment to himself’. This manifestly blurs the significance for the viewer. This is what Bolt tweeted:

Later, he closes:

The BBC have known for more than four years what Usain Bolt always does, before and after each race, without fail: …They have been briefed to bits by Bolt’s PR team and by members of his family: Usain Bolt is a Bible-believing, God-honouring, Jesus-worshipping Christian. But not a whisper from the BBC; not a word of explanation of the real significance of these ‘moments to himself’.

Could the once-honourable ‘Auntie’ have fallen into disrepute? I do hope its writers and directors are not making her jump onto “bigots’ bandwagon”. The following opinion in The Commentator could make one wonder whether ol’ Auntie is thinking of just that.

The Commentator questions BBC’s unquestioning acceptance of a well-known liberal Jewish blogger’s claims of receiving ‘secret’ information from Israeli military sources on a regular basis. In this particular instance, Richard Silverstein discloses details of Israeli plans for a strike against Iran. The Commentator observes:

The problem is, while Silverstein is quick to publish information he ‘receives’, the veracity of such information can of course never be verified. The BBC has not seen the so-called documents that Silverstein purports to have, nor has it double-sourced any information of the sort….

The BBC, despite being unable to verify any information beyond that of a blogpost, has run full pelt with the story, interviewing Silverstein on several occasions and quoting him widely. While their diplomatic correspondent Jonathan Marcus states that it is impossible to know whether or not the document exists, one might question the need for any kind of story based on such a tenuous blog…

One wonders what it takes today to get the BBC to report a non-story. Was it the fact that as a self-proclaimed ‘progressive’ blogger, Silverstein is well connected within the BBC? Or could it be once again that anything showing Israel in an aggressive light is swarmed upon by BBC hacks looking for a quick bit of Israel bashing?

BUT, to be fair, Silverstein’s full article deserves to be read in its entirety, as well as the follow-up.  It was also covered in depth in last night’s Eye View from the White House    (subscription service) wherein William Koenig similarly reports upon several articles that quote well informed high-level sources in the USA and in Israel.  Of the alleged comprehensive text released to Silverstein, Koenig notes this outline shows a full ‘decapitation plan’ and comments that Israel cannot afford to go in half-cocked; so it is quite believable.

So could this ‘leak’ simply be part and parcel of the dozens of options for disinformation issued in the prelude to war? Alternatively, if it is the definitive game plan, its unofficial disclosure could be a way of spelling out very clearly to the mad-mullahs of Iran and their maniac-in-chief what, in fact, they’ll be up against when they act upon their oft-declared intent of ‘wiping Israel off the map’.

FOOTNOTE: Click here, and here for a special despatch from MEMRI, Middle-East Media Research Institute, for the latest Iranian madness on the elimination of Israel. See the recent reblog and my earlier references here and here to this diabolical attitude.

The biased BBC doesn’t know about Jerusalem

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Further to my previous about the USA’s non-recognition of Jerusalem I offer a further point published in Bible Prophecy blog. Therein, Chad Groening reports upon the BBC’s ignorance of Israel as displayed in its Olympics website, as herein.

Furthermore, Britain’s own solidly sensible political blogger ‘Cranmer’ informs readers that:

His Grace has been following this story closely for the past week: The Commentator blog drew attention to the fact that the BBC’s online Olympic coverage was manifestly anti-Israel and pro-Palestine: every participating nation had its capital city listed, bar the state of Israel, which was left blank. Yet the non-state of Palestine had its capital listed as ‘East Jerusalem’. Despite Israel’s seat of government – the Knesset – being in Jerusalem, and despite a plethora of foreign embassies being located in Tel Aviv, the BBC opted to identify neither as Israel’s capital city. And yet, despite the Palestinian seat of government being in Ramallah, and despite Jerusalem not being divided, the BBC opted to carve the East away and hand it, lock, stock and barrel (Temple Mount, Western Wall and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre) to the self-proclaimed Palestinian Authority.
This was a blatant bias and factual inaccuracy…Yet the BBC summarily dismissed what Israel says of and claims for Jerusalem, while validating and authenticating what Palestine says and claims of the city.

As ever, Cranmer is facetious in his castigation of the outright bias in the BBC:

The changes to the BBC’s website are inadequate: they not only constitute an overt attempt to deny and de-legitimise Israel’s capital; they amount to a breach of the BBC’s own Charter which requires impartiality and factual accuracy (emphasis mine).

His single-page ripost, BBC Slams Pro-Israel Jewish Lobby and attendant discussion, is well-worth taking time to read.

Enjoy and be well informed.

Christmas broadcasts

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We trust you had a blessed time. We were particularly pleased to hear the Queen close her Christmas Day broadcast with such a clear emphasis upon Jesus, for instance:

”…Although we are capable of great acts of kindness, history teaches us that we sometimes need saving from ourselves – from our recklessness or our greed. God sent into the world a unique person – neither a philosopher nor a general (important though they are) – but a Saviour, with the power to forgive…”

Click here for the full transcript of the Queen’s speech.

The political blogger ‘His Grace Archbishop Cranmer’ concluded his posting of Tues 27 December on Christmas messages as follows:

“There was only one Church leader who spoke inspirationally of courage and hope; only one who used the occasion to speak of the importance of family, friends and the indomitable human spirit. Only one who spoke of the gospel of forgiveness, the uniqueness of Jesus the Saviour, the love of God through Christ our Lord:..”

I particularly took note that both the political head of our nation, PM Cameron, and Head of State and Head of Anglican Church, Her Royal Majesty, have now strongly spoken out in public declarations concerning our nation’s true source of spiritual stability. Could we have turned a corner? Maybe Christen Forster of River Church, Maidenhead, was correct in reporting last September,

…at the Emmanuel Centre in Marsham Street, Bill Johnson prophetically declared to 1,000 leaders from Church, Culture, Commerce, Community and Civic Government that we would look back at 1st Sept 2011 as, “The day things changed in the UK”.

Personally, on Christmas morn I was blessed to see our recording of the broadcast I recommended, Carols From Bucklebury, bring strong messages from each interviewee/ reader. (See brief disocesan report.) Only a few weeks previously I’d visited my ‘best-man’ and farm manager John Bishop, and was introduced to Bradfield CoE Primary School’s head Andy How when John took me there on a brief visit as school governor. John told me the broadcast was recorded by a Christian media organisation that’s part of the Rank Foundation. (From CTVC – Our History I read that J Arthur Rank, now Lord Rank, has been involved with Christian media since 1930s.)

Whilst living west of Reading prior to our marriage, I’d attended a number of Christmas services in Rushall Manor Farm’s barn. Its Christingle events are always solidly packed by a couple of hundred folk. This time, however, John used the larger cattle shed because it could better house the 1000 strong congregation!! Ah well, perhaps this is another indicator of changes happening in Britain? Bradfield village has had a Christian presence since Saxon times – maybe this ancient well is now getting unblocked?

May you all have a wonderful New Year

Richard & Nina

Rapid rollover on today’s news!

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COPY of pre-blog email.: The cat is out of the bag!

In my humble opinion and in view of the Biblical relevance of our times, some exceptionally penetrating remarks are required reading for Christian leadership. 
In a single page, ‘think-tank’ blogger Robin Shepherd, Director of International Affairs at Henry Jackson Society in London, incisively but politely castigates the anti-Israel establishment.   Pause for thought, for example, on just these comments…
“Game over. No way back. An entire edifice of anti-Israeli demonisation definitively consigned to the scrap heap, never to be recycled again. This is the uncompromising message that comes out of yesterday’s revelations on Israeli-Palestinian peace negotiations. To the horror of a European political intelligentsia…
“This is utterly devastating since it simultaneously shows that everyone from the British Foreign Office and the BBC to the European Commission and the continent’s passionately anti-Israeli NGO community have been adopting a position which was significantly more uncompromising on “settlements” than the Palestinian leadership itself…
“In one of its most resentful leader columns for years, the Guardian was nothing short of apoplectic: not so much with Israel, but with a Palestinian leadership which has effectively blown the credibility of the Guardian’s very own mantras on the MidEast straight out of the water…
“It will be interesting to see how this whole affair now plays out. But never again can the anti-Israel community play the settlement card and at the same time retain a single ounce of credibility.”
Click here to read the full blog >
[No doubt distinguished David Greenfield will go to town over this at http://sultanknish.blogspot.com/ – see eg. ‘Anglophobia or Islamophobia, What’s the Problem?]
Can we discern the Lord’s Hand in all this?  I wonder…
Richard

A media turnaround: part 1

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COPY of pre-blog email (as in ‘About’):

Dear Friends – could the Lord be stirring British broadcasting, press and public for doing a deep work this Christmas?  A Christmas that soon follows a very rare lunar eclipse on a winter solstice, one when sun, moon and earth were directly lined up with the galaxy’s centre?

The Nativity

Since when did a best-selling newspaper devote an editorial in amazement because the anti-Christian BBC is running a 4-part mini-serial about Jesus’ birth? It concludes:

“…Having started the project as a sceptic, the time has now come to believe that the Nativity is a true and wonderful story. As he says in an interview with this newspaper today: “If you accept that Jesus is Son of God, why would you not believe that Mary was a virgin and that God must have had some hand in the impregnation?” Such an absence of cynicism would be refreshing in a modern bishop; it is a delightful surprise coming from a BBC scriptwriter. His four-part drama, to be shown in peak-time slots in the run-up to Christmas Day, is influenced by a belief that the words of Jesus Christ “are the most truthful thing I have ever read”.

Click as appropriate to read full editorial > to read the interview > to watch episodes on your pc.

Nina and I are pleasantly surprised to find each script follows the gospel fairly closely, even when taking journalistic licence into account. A large slice of the script covers preparations and journey by the magi, thus showing Tony Jordan has taken pains over his work. I liked their expecting a bridge between heaven and earth and explanation of God looking after his Jewish people as would a father – perhaps Jordan’s script will encourage spiritual seekers who’re being called into the Kingdom? Could the magi have had in mind the prophetic visions of their past leader, the prophet Daniel? (Daniel 7.13-14 and 4.9 refer.) For more background see Who Were The Magi? at Koinonia House.