Forget Sinclair and Stolen Honor. Check out the latest from Charisma News Service (emphases added):
International evangelist Morris Cerullo is taking his prayer initiative for the United States to the small screen just days before the Nov. 2 elections. As part of his Save America Now (SAN) campaign (www.save-america-now.com), Cerullo will host a one-hour, primetime TV special that will air from Oct. 29 to Nov. 1 on nearly 200 stations nationwide, including CBS, NBC, ABC, Fox affiliates and Christian stations.
“Our nation is at a major crossroad,” Cerullo said. “It is time for God’s people to unite together in prayer as never before as we go to the polling booths on Nov. 2. The Save America Now television special will call the nation to strategic prayer for God’s will in the election of our next president. It is time to cry out, ‘God, turn America back to you!'”
Christian leaders and musicians who are scheduled to appear on the program include Jerry Falwell, Ted Haggard, Kenneth Copeland, Cindy Jacobs, Keith Butler, Charles Stanley, Tommy Tenney, Jack Van Impe, Judy Jacobs, Eddie and Alice Smith, and Sandi Patty.
In other words, unless Charisma is making something up, primetime television in the USA is going to be saturated by the Religious Right (and I use the term advisedly – this is not plain “evangelicalism”) in the evenings before the election. Now, I’m a Brit living in Japan, but, please…is this legal? Cerullo’s website doesn’t actually endorse Bush explicitly, but the message is pretty clear:
2004 is an election year, during which the enemies of America will attempt to influence the election by increasing terrorism, thereby portraying the current administration as weak and ineffective. Don’t be fooled! The Enemy does not want us to continue on with the anti-terrorism crusade because that would unite America together for a common cause. If America is riddled with inner conflict and problems, then we cannot focus our attention on the true purpose — spreading the Gospel of Jesus Christ! If America falls into decay and turns its attention from the world, then the Enemy is free to infect the other nations of the world and no amount of outcry from watery Christians will be able to stop him!
Plus there’s this kitschy icon’s presence:
As for the other figures mentioned by Charisma, well: Jerry Falwell needs no introduction; Kenneth Copeland and Jack Van Impe are Christian Zionists in the Hal Lindsey mould; Ted Haggard has spent his time as head of the National Association of Evangelicals promoting C Peter Wagner’s “spiritual warfare” ideas, ideas that are shared by Cindy Jacobs; Charles Stanley’s In Touch Ministries promotes “America is a Christian Nation” theocracy; Keith Butler (like Copeland) is a Prosperity Gospel preacher; Tommy Tenney is a popular Charismatic pastor; and Eddie and Alice Smith run the US Prayer Center and are authors of Spiritual House Cleaning (“8 Steps to Purifying Your Home–Protect Your Home and Family from Spiritual Pollution”), among other books. Sandi Patty is a Christian singer. And, of course, Morris Cerullo himself is a faith healer of the Benny Hinn variety. He’s also a prophet, who was told by God last year that 2004 would be the most dangerous for the USA:
…Now, God has spoken again. He said, “Please mobilize my people. Mobilize the body of Christ. Because next year will be the most problematic year of the United States of America.”
…Next year we are going to begin to see the hand of the Enemy come into this nation as never before, and it will spread from America to the other nations of the world.
Next year is an election year and the Enemy is going to stir up the people in this country against God’s forces as never before. The Enemy is angry and mad, because we’ve got people in political areas of the world that are claiming to know Jesus Christ and are trying to serve him in prayer.
We’re going to see upheavals like never before! Terrorists acts will increase to try and cause distruption [sic], to turn us away from what our country was founded on!
But, of course, he’s not necessarily saying you shouldn’t vote for Kerry, so that’s all fair and balanced, and a message well-deserving of the nation’s prime-time attention.
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I peeked at the site, and it appears that the only current listings are for 9 AM or 10 AM on Monday, Nov. 1st. (And most of the channels listed must be cable channels, not network affiliates.) An obvious attempt to influence the vote, but I doubt that many undecided voters are going to be influenced by an hour of televised Christianity. I think this is ‘holy’ a get out the Bush vote effort.