LJ-SEC: (ORIGINALLY POSTED BY swisscelt)

So far, "Daily Links" has focused on the more overt and radical elements of the Christian Taliban. While the dangers such elements present to our society are obvious, it's easy enough to dismiss such elements with a yawn. After all, they're the lunatic fringe, right?

Not necessarily. To kick off June's "Daily Links", I'd like to examine how the Christian Taliban is evident even in the mainstream. Our first item is Clear Channel Communications.

It's no exaggeration to say that Clear Channel is huge. They own, or have a controlling interest, in the following:

• Over 1,200 radio stations in the United States.
  
• 20% of radio advertising share nationally.
  
• The Premiere Radio Network, syndicators of such right-wingers as Rush Limbaugh, Laura Schlessinger (who, by the way, does NOT hold a doctorate which would entitle her to AMA or similar membership; she holds a PhD, not an MD), Glenn Beck, and presidential son Michael Reagan. Premiere reaches an estimated 180 million listeners across 7,800 radio stations.
  
• 36 television stations in 28 key markets, affiliated with all six major English-speaking television networks.
  
• Billboards in 46 US markets.
  
• 41 US amphitheatres, and other entertainment venues which combined attract 66 million ticketholders annually. To put that into perspective, that's almost as much as all of Major League Baseball last year (68 million) and more than the combined total attendance of all MLB teams except World Series winner Anaheim (which was a mere #16 in attendance rankings out of 30).
  
• Speaking of baseball, Clear Channel's SFX Sports Group also represents several hundred athletes. The chances that any one of them would speak out against Clear Channel or CC-supported causes is slim.

How does one go up against such a juggernaut? As the Dixie Chicks learned earlier this year, the answer is simple: One does not. Clear Channel's conservative bias is undeniable to even the most vehement right-wing apologists. Further, their influence in political matters is also evident: Clear Channel has been a vocal supporter of the tough new US copyright regulations which may well kill Internet radio. Given their dominance in broadcast radio, one could easily see why they'd want to support these regulations.

All of this is impressive, but how does this relate to the Christian Taliban? It's a subtle connection, to be sure, but one which no one should mistake isn't present. There is an implicit understanding Clear Channel has of its audience, that they will possess a belief system similar to that of the Christian Taliban.

For example, Clear Channel staged rallies around the country in support of the liberation of Iraq earlier this year. At one such rally in Wheeling, West Virginia, sponsored and broadcast by Clear Channel's WWVA, a prayer was invoked to commence the rally. (To hear the prayer, direct a Windows Media file-compatible viewer to the above link. The prayer begins at approximately 5 minutes and 13 seconds into the file playback.)

The prayer demonstrates the underlying mindset of the Christian Taliban, particularly in geopolitical matters. The man asked to give the invocation begins,

Obviously, most of the people of God have a conflict within their hearts. [...] At the same time, the people of God respect His might. So how do we reconcile that?

The Prophet Micah deals with that in chapter 6 verse 8, where he asks the question, 'What does the Lord require of thee?' The answer is to do justice, and to love mercy. And so how do you reconcile justice and mercy? The answer to that question is answered right there in Micah 6:8: '[T]o walk humbly with your God.'

It should be noted that due to the weather in Wheeling that day, the audio recording of this rally is garbled, in some places seriously so. With that in mind, continue to read my transcription as the speaker begins the prayer:

Father of Nations, [...] for most of the [?] half-century you have used war to execute your judgement on those who [? - rest of sentence is unintelligible]. In this time, we pray that you will be merciful, both to the people of the United States and to the people of Iraq.

We pray that you [...] will bring light to those who have been living in darkness.

So what's wrong with this? Several things. First is the very fact that such an event should require an invocation in the first place. This was an event staged for political means. To ask the blessings of a particular deity is to imply a direct link between the political and religious views of the participants. In effect, Clear Channel sponsored and supports the invocation given on that day.

Secondly, there is the matter of the deity invoked. The speaker prayed to the "Father of Nations". This is a direct address to YHWH, the deity who authored the division of nations and races. Finally, the speaker asks that YHWH "will bring light to those have been living in darkness". As the speaker acknowledges that YHWH has used war to bring his judgement upon those who oppose him, this prayer essentially invokes this spell upon America and Iraq: Accept the "light" brought forth by the US military, or receive your judgement from YHWH in the form of warfare.

This is a dangerous thing to invoke metaphysically. That aside, it reveals an attitude among the Christian Taliban: The US government is theirs to use to promote their religious beliefs, and to back those beliefs with the full force of the US military.

Am I stretching things a bit? I certainly hope so! However, I must skeptically admit that this isn't a very far stretch, if at all. If nothing else, media entities such as Clear Channel are setting the tone for the Christian Taliban. This is enough to raise one's concern, if not to sound the alarm.