WHTT Podcasts

The Southern Baptist Convention's leadership loves to defend Israel, using mostly political arguments or corrupted biblical theology. Since our first vigil in Nov. 2002, We Hold These Truths has been challenging Southern Baptists and their leaders. (see: "WHTT Asks Southern Baptist Convention Messengers To Choose Life Not War") In this 33 minute podcast, Chuck Carlson and members of WHTT discuss biblical responses to the Southern Baptists surrounding their recent support for the move of the American embassy, in Israel, to Jerusalem. The dedication ceremony was led by a prayer given by Southern Baptist Pastor Robert Jeffress (see: "Dallas Pastor Uses Bible To Justify Killing N Korea Boss"). Referenced in the podcast: "Israel embassy, protests draw Baptist reactions," "The Israeli Emperor Has No Clothes" and WHTT on Southern Baptists. (Graphic: Pastor Robert Jeffress of First Baptist Church of Dallas)

Two recent actions by members of We Hold These Truths in Fresno, CA and Scottsdale, AZ highlight the continuing need to challenge Neo-Christian churches on issues like peace in the Middle East. Our team in Fresno challenged the California Southern Baptist Convention at their state headquarters in Fresno with some interesting results, both encouraging and and troubling. In Scottsdale, the ongoing need to challenge our church leaders is revealed in this 34 minute podcast by Chuck Carlson and members of WHTT. Excellent references mentioned in the program are: "WHTT Asks Southern Baptist Convention Messengers To Choose Life Not War," "Pastor Dr. Chuck Baldwin Rejects Christian Zionism" and "Does the Bible Require Followers of Jesus to Support the Jewish State of Israel."

Pastor Dr. Hanna Massad is a Palestinian Christian with a fascinating story. He was born in a Gaza refugee camp because his parents and grandparents, and over 750,000 Palestinians, were forced off their land in Palestine, by the Zionists in 1948, when Israel was founded. In this remarkable and inspiring, 44 minute podcast, Pastor Hanna is interviewed by Chuck Carlson and members of We Hold These Truths. We learn about the challenges Palestinian Christians face in Gaza and the West Bank of Palestine. They are caught between two fires: the brutal Israeli occupation and radicalized Muslims. Growing up in Gaza, Christians like Hanna Massad and his family lived peaceably with their Muslim neighbors. We learn from Pastor Hanna the impact of Christian Zionism and the Israel-first policies of the US government on Palestinian Christians and Muslims. An excellent book that includes a story about Pastor Hanna, and delves into the plight of evangelical Christians in the Holy Land is: "Between 2 Fires: The Untold Stories of the Palestinian Christians"' by Jack Kindaid. If you were moved by Pastor Hanna's story, any help with his ministry would be greatfully appreciated. It is: Christian Mission to Gaza and it helps with Gaza relief, the Gaza Baptist Church (Yes, there still is a Evangelical Baptist church in Gaza, praise God!), Iraqi & Syrian refugee relief.

Under a blockade and siege since 2007, children in Gaza don't have many fun things to do. One very popular activity is kite flying. In 2011, over 13,000 kites were flown in Gaza to break a Guinness World Record. This one minute report by ABC, tells the poignant story. During the recent "The Great March of Return" protests in Gaza, starting in March, about 150 people have been killed and over 2000 people have been wounded by Israeli snipers. To fight back, some Palestinian protesters in Gaza decided to try out "armed" kites and helium-filled balloons as weapons that have ignited some Israeli farmlands (see here & here). After all, Gaza is the world's largest open air prison and some of the inmates aren't too happy about the ongoing Israeli economic blockade that is slowly strangling Gaza to where it will be unlivable by 2020 (see here).

"Evangelical Christians make up the biggest pro-Israel bloc in the US. Support for Israel is stronger among American evangelicals than it is even among American Jews. According to a poll conducted by the Pew Research Center, 82 percent of white evangelicals think God gave Israel to the Jewish people. Less than half as many Jewish Americans or Catholic Americans agree." Chuck Carlson and members of We Hold These Truths discuss this tought that was presented in an article entitled "Why American evangelicals are a huge base of support for Israel" by Christopher Connelly at pri.org. The companion commentary to this 28 minute podcast is "Public Radio Details Judaized Christians’ Passion for Israel." Referenced in the podcast: "Dr. Chuck Baldwin Rejects Christian Zionism" and "Confessions of a Former Christian Zionist."

Challenging the international bankers and the corrupt mega-banks is no small task. Phoenix Goodman, co-founder of the PublicBankLA movement, discusses with Chuck Carlson and members of We Hold These Truths, his group's intriguing efforts to get the City of Los Angeles to start a public bank. Los Angeles manages more than five billion dollars in annual revenue collected from tax, fee and fine payers. The city paid over $109 million in transactional and origination fees to commercial banks in 2016. In an era of consolidation, where banks have grown too-big-to-fail, any discerning city will soon run out of options of where to put its money. The PublicBankLA campaign has convinced the Los Angels City Council to put an iniative for starting a city, public bank on the ballot for voter approval. A very successful example of a public bank is the Bank of North Dakota that has been existence for almost 100 years. For articles by WHTT about public banking: Click here (32 minutes)

Since 2002, We Hold These Truths has conducted over 200 vigils at "zionized" churches around the US. A group in Fresno has taken the WHTT message to Clovis Hills Community Church (CHCC) near Fresno, CA. In this 12 minute podcast, David Jacobs and his crew reveal the success of their vigil. CHCC is a Southern Baptist Convention church, but doesn't advertise it as such. We can understand why that is, as evidenced in our reports, "Choose Life, Not War!" and "WHTT Asks Southern Baptist Convention Messengers To Choose Life Not War" that challenge Southern Baptists.

We Hold These Truths' California, Central Valley, Outreach Director, Dave Jacobs, spotted media at the Fresno, CA airport, while he was driving by. He found out that President Donald Trumps' daughter, Ivanka was arriving in Fresno for a Republican fundraising luncheon. Dave retreived his signs and went back to the airport to greet Ivanka and her entourage. Chants of "No More Wars For Israel" can be heard on the video report showing Ivanka leaving the airport. With some super sleuthing, Dave was able to find out where Ivanka was heading for lunch. Then, Dave and his crew showed up at the offices of Harris Construction with some other protestors. This got reported in local TV news reports (1 min. 18 seconds).

Millions of "zionized" Christians have been jumping for joy with the moving of the US Embassy in Israel to Jerusalem. Among them is Franklin Graham, son of deceased evangelist, Billy Graham. Evidence that Franklin Graham is a genuine, "zionized" Christian should be obvious to the intuitively obvious to the casual observer in these two articles: "Franklin Graham links return of Christ to opening of US embassy in Jerusalem," "Franklin Graham Speaks at Israeli Embassy." Franklin Graham has conducted a "Decision America" California. Friends of We Hold These Truths, in Fresno, CA conducted a vigil at the event with remarkable results. In this 15 minute zinger of a program we learn from Kitty Jacobs that the Graham tour has been meeting with opppostion at other stops. One of Kitty's signs asks the question, "Is Jesus or the State of Israel the Fulfillment of Prophecy. Choose!"

The Denver Museum of Nature & Science has hosted a "Dead Sea Scrolls" exhibit, presented by the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA). Chuck Carlson of We Hold These Truths visited the exhibit and discovered a subtle controversy that is analyzed in this 33 minute podcast with Craig Hanson and Palestinian Pastor Jamal Bishara. Craig Hanson takes a Biblical look into the idea that Jesus, not the modern state of Israel, is the Vine, as referred to in the New Testament. The Denver Post noted another controversy in an article, "'Dead Sea Scrolls' exhibit in Denver illuminates the mysterious origins of major world religions," - "In December, the IAA canceled a major Dead Sea Scrolls exhibition at a museum in Frankfurt after German authorities refused to guarantee their return if the scrolls were claimed by Palestinians or Jordanians. Palestinian activists have argued that the scrolls do not belong to Israel because they were first found during the 1940s in caves in the West Bank." This is a very unique program, as Pastor Jamal joined our podcast while attending the Southern Baptist Convention's annual meeting held this year in Dallas. Pastor Jamal and other Southern Baptists are working to keep politics out of the SBC and focusing on winning souls to Christ. He reported that many Southern Baptists were questioning the appearance of Vice President Mike Pence, a "zionised" Christian, at the convention.