Monday, February 21, 2011

How are Oprah or PETA better than Michael Vick?

There are reports that NFL Quarterback Michael Vick pulled out of a scheduled appearance on the Oprah Winfrey show because "animal rights" activists wanted to "confront" him about his conviction and prison term for dog fighting.

Vick was convicted and spent the better part of two years in prison for conducting dog fights and for abusing and killing dogs. He lost his job as QB of the Atlanta Falcons, lost product endorsement contracts and was rightly vilified for his cruel acts.

He was exposed and punished, both by public institutions and private businesses. Yet some are angry that he has returned to the NFL, with the Philadelphia Eagles. Some want a very high profile media venue "to confront him," and a big time media power sets it up. Why?

One of the things we frequently hear is that "people are turned off to church because Christians are so judgemental." Well, if that is what you believe, tell me what you have when Oprah, one of your post-Christian icons, a media host all about feelings, "sensitivity" and some higher consciousness we are supposed to admire, decides to hold a public "confrontation" of a neighbor who's already done prison time for the crime? What is your great improvement to humanity when you legally deprive a person of freedom and property and still bring on "activists" to impose an open-ended trial by ordeal?

Just how does an offender re-enter the sensitive, non-judgemental society of Oprah and PETA?

What Jesus said to the religious leaders way back when should send a shiver up the spine of any of us - religious or not - who present as "moral" or "important" persons in any time or place:

"For they preach, but do not practice. They tie up heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on people's shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to move them with their finger...You serpents, you brood of vipers, how are you to escape being sentenced to hell? " (Matthew 23:3-4,33)

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