ROBERT REDFORD, PAY YOUR FAIR SHARE

When I was in the cozy confines of a middle school Civics class, we studied how politicians use something called "Glittering Generalities" (GG) to grab votes. It's not only those running for office who use such the GG, but also advertisers who want our money in exchange for their product. As I learned back then, "GGs use words that glitter and sparkle, while only stating generalities. That is, they give us a general, or vague sense of what they are trying to sell; they just look good. Glittering generalities are used for their emotional value, not their logical value."

MOUNTAIN SPRING WATER

Let's look at a GG: "Pure, fresh, mountain spring water. Bottled especially for you in Iceland from only our purest mountain springs.” We note the words that glitter in the ad--"pure," "fresh," "mountain spring," "Iceland," and "purest mountain springs." (I get thirsty just reading it.)

Then I realize that I'm in the mental clutches of a GG. That statement, the brainchild of some advertising agency, doesn't tell me why the Icelandic waters are any better than the waters from the mountain springs in Colorado, nor does it tell me just how "pure" pure is. They leave "fresh" vague. And I ask, how do they know who I am? They must know me because they bottle their fresh and pure Icelandic water "especially for me." How does their bottling process work so that it's "especially for me?" After such questions,  I'm not thirsty, and I've saved my money.

COKE

Let's look at a well-know slogan for Coca-Cola: "Things go better with Coke." Now, there's a GG staring us right in the face. What "things" "go better" with Coke? Just how does drinking a "Coke-Cola," as we say in Dixie, make things "go better?" But the GG has us; we order a Coke and fries.

GETTING MORE SERIOUS

Let's get more serious with an advanced definition of GG that I learned in Civics: "Glittering generalities are a form of propaganda that elicit strong emotional responses through the use of vague and hollow, though perceptually meaningful, words and phrases."

Two recent GGs come to mind: "Change we can believe in" is a popular political slogan of current vintage. The problem is that it says a lot without saying anything. "What change?" is an obvious question to ask, as is, "Why should we "believe" in it, whatever it is? But, give credit where credit is due, it was a winner of a GG.

GET OUT YOUR WALLET

One clever approach to a politician's justifying a tax increase is to put a GG into action.  The GG centers around the fact that politician feigns outrage that one group or another must pay its "fair share." The magic of this GG lies in the implication that, somehow, until now, the group in question has not been paying its fair share – an implication that serves to inspire other groups to want to see that group punished through a tax increase on them. This places that group in the minority and helps make them conciliatory for their crime of not paying their "fair share."

But we note that the GG doesn't define "fair share." Is the "fair share" 100%, 75%? Who knows? The GG doesn't tell us. That's left for later when someone or some group decides what the "fair share" is.



"Pay your fair share" sounds good. Fairness is nice thing. Being fair is a good quality. All GGs sound good. It sounds good until you find yourself in the designated group that should pay their fair share as Robert Redford did this year. In August a reporter wrote, "People like Redford claim the way to make America work better is to pass laws forcing people like them to pay more in taxes. Then, the state of New York forces Redford to pay more in taxes. Actor Robert Redford is suing the state of New York for what he says are unfair taxes from the sale of the Sundance Channel; he wants his 1.7 million dollars back."  Somehow, the GG of "Pay your fair share" isn't all sparkly any more when he becomes the person told to do so. Mr. Redford didn't put on his happy face that day.



IT GETS EVEN MORE SERIOUS

We find bad, even dangerous theology when preachers use GGs as witness the following closing of a motivational speech disguised as a Bible study/sermon:

"Scripture says - Let God arise and His enemies will be scattered. When you let God arise in your life. and you go out with this unshakeable confidence, your [sic] waiting for your harvest like that farmer, knowing that it's gonna be better than expected, you know down deep no difficulty can defeat you, no person can keep you from your destiny, every setback is only temporary. Instead of complaining, you are saying "I can't wait to see what God's gonna do." When you let God arise, you might as well get ready, your enemies WILL be scattered- Enemies of sickness, enemies of debt, enemies of depression, enemies of disappointment.

"I'm gonna come out like Job - with twice what I had before. . .  . Friends you have comeback power in your DNA. You've been created to overcome every obstacle, to rise above every challenge. I want you to have this confidence that no matter what comes against you, it cannot defeat you. As long as you're letting God arise, your enemies will be scattered. That same dirt that's trying to bury you can be the dirt God's gonna use to promote you. Learn to shake it off and step up. Remember in the tough times that loss, that disappointment, that injustice is not the end. It's a new beginning. Pull your shoulders back, hold your head up high. Dare to declare, "I'm coming back and I'm coming back better." If you do that, you're gonna come out like Job, with twice what you had before. Those difficulties are gonna give way to new growth, new potential, new talent, new friendships, new opportunities, new vision. You're gonna see God blossom your life in ways you'd never even dream of. Amen?" (Time forbids the listing of all the GGs in the above.)





Then, signing off, the speaker says, "We never like to close our broadcast without giving you the opportunity to make Jesus the LORD of your life. Would you pray with me? Just say -

“LORD Jesus, I repent of my sins. Come into my heart. I make You my LORD and Savior.

"Friends if you prayed that simple prayer, we believe that you got born again. Get into a good bible based church. Keep God first place. He's gonna do amazing things in your life."




See the danger of the GGs? The "Bible study" hasn't been about Christ and Him crucified. It's been about the listeners' health and wealth and how the eager hearer can see his illnesses, his debts, his depression, and his disappointments defeated by letting "God arise," the recurring high-sounding GG of the sermon.

The speaker has not identified Jesus (He's the Son of God). He hasn't told us what Jesus did on the cross. He hasn't told us anything about the Resurrection. He hasn't told us anything about faith, what it is and the necessity of its meeting the right object, Christ. He leaves "repent" to be defined by the hearer who will wrongly define it as feeling sorry sin; he hasn't defined "sin" either.

Did Paul go into Galatia and deliver such a message, asking the people, "Would you pray with me? Just say, “LORD Jesus, I repent of my sins. Come into my heart. I make You my LORD and Savior.” Never. He dialogues with the unbeliever(s) in the forum and in the synagogue, explaining, expounding the gospel. He tells the listener who Jesus is and what He did. Philip sits in the chariot of the Ethiopian official explaining Isaiah 53.

To further complicate things, the speaker promises everyone who prays that prayer, "He's [God is] gonna do amazing things in you[r] life." What are the "amazing things?" The amazing things he's cited in the sermon are "new growth, new potential, new talent, new friendships, new opportunities, and a new vision" along with "the defeat of illnesses, debts, depression, and disappointments" and you're going to come out with "twice as much," just like Job. Did Paul ever promise anyone anything like that at any time?

Could not his listeners become like the noble Bereans and search the Scriptures to see if these outlandish GGs are true? No more than the average U. S. voter questions the GGs during a political campaign.

The bottom line is this: Glittering generalities aren't the truth. They're propaganda.