Make Sure You Ask What Flavor The Kool-Aid Is

A funny thing happened to Daniel this weekend. He was suspended from an online game service because of improper behavior. What??? Daniel??? He's such a good boy. He wouldn't do anything like that, would he?

72 hours! He won't be able to get back on his account for three days.

At first, he didn't know what he did wrong. He and our neighbor, Miranda, were playing the game on separate computers in our den. In fact, they had been playing the game off and on almost all day long. I wish you could have heard them laughing and carrying on.

Well, all of a sudden, Daniel exclaimed, "They kicked me off line."

"What?"

"They kicked me out of the game. They said I did something offensive."

Laughing, I inquired, "What did you do?"

"I dunno."

As it turned out, Daniel's and Miranda's characters were interacting and Daniel had his character tell Miranda's character that she was "gay". You heard me right. Daniel, in a playful spirit, called Miranda's avatar "gay" and Disney's Politically Correct police laid down the law...72 hours...no game. No one else was present in the gaming area where they were playing. Oh well.

I could have laughed this off and went on about my business. But, no, I used it to explain the importance of knowing what flavor Kool-Aid you might be drinking.

We are in the middle of a heated political debate...Obama vs. McCain...Left vs. Right...Liberal vs. Conservative. And don't think for one minute that you're not drinking somebody's Kool-Aid. So, you better be aware what flavor it is.

First off, let's get this out of the way. What Daniel did was insensitive. Hopefully, this will help him realize that not everyone is like him. However, it gave me a chance to explain that Disney is not the exactly the benchmark for moral living, so consider the source.

I think you'd be hard-pressed to name Christian-inspired Disney films. However, next month, you'll be able to find dozens of Halloween movies on the Disney Channel, which will have all sorts of witchcraft. Sorry to be a Bible-thumper, but the Good Book warns against that. Miramax, a Disney subsidiary, has released several anti-religious films. Not to mention that the wonderful world of Disney has "Gay Days" designated for homosexuals at many of their parks. I don't recall them ever offering "Christian Days".

Now getting away from Disney, what news channel do you watch or what website do you seek for news? Trust me, they all have agendas. One of the things that set me off last week was a video by one of MSNBC's anchors. Clearly the guy is not an objective reporter; but, then again, maybe his show isn't supposed to be. He ranted on and on about how the Republicans were feeding propaganda to the public during their convention. Only problem is he's guilty of the same thing. What propaganda was he spewing last week? His beliefs...that he's right and the Republicans are wrong. I don't like the flavor of his Kool-Aid.

Well then, turn on Limbaugh. He's a conservative radio talk show host. I have to admit that I used to listen to him daily. I didn't always agree with him but I liked his viewpoints. However, somewhere around 2000, I realized that he's blindly carrying the water for the Republicans. Rarely did he see a Republican do anything wrong...it was always those nasty Democrats. His propaganda was similar to the goober on MSNBC...only the other side of the coin...he's right and the Democrats are wrong. Stale Kool-Aid...yuck!!!

Standing in line at the check-out at Wal Mart, I noticed the latest onslaught of propaganda...Sarah Palin is evil. Only in America! We place adulterers and drug abusers on a pedestal...celebrate their lives...look to them for wisdom. If you don't believe me, take a look at the magazines by the check-out stands. But a Christian woman who is standing firm for what she believes is now the devil incarnate. Puh-leeze! This country needs a check up from the neck up. We should be celebrating women of faith...not tearing them down. But that wouldn't sell magazines, would it?

Little by little, America keeps deviating towards having no true values. We're like the frog that's sitting in a pot of water. If you turn up the heat ever so slowly, the frog will wind up boiling before he knows that he's getting too hot. It makes me wonder how much further we can go before it all crumbles. Propaganda from opposing sides are hitting us daily and, personally, I'm sick of it.

I warn you to be careful to consider who's Kool-Aid you're drinking. Some of us make the mistake of following only what makes us feel good. But what feels good now may not be good for you over the long haul. Remember the 900+ people that died at Jonestown in 1978. The Kool-Aid delivered the cyanide that ultimately took their lives. The propaganda from this election season is going to get thicker and thicker...you can count on that. I don't care which side of the political aisle you're on, you're going to drink somebody's Kool-Aid. Trust me, forces are trying to divide us. So, again, be careful! As for me, I'm going to try to ignore all of it and drink Kool-Aid made from the Living Water. He said it this way: "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God." Matthew 5:9 (NASB)

Wanna glass?