Lindsey's final decree: 'I am not coming back'Author dispelling suggestion from network of imminent return to Trinity Broadcasting
Posted: January 12, 2006
2:37 a.m. Eastern
By Joe Kovacs
© 2006 WorldNetDaily.com
Hal Lindsey
Despite a letter from the head of the Trinity Broadcasting Network indicating a possible resolution to a dispute involving Christian author Hal Lindsey's program, Lindsey maintains he will not return to the network that has aired his show for the last 12 years.
"I am not going back to TBN," Lindsey told WorldNetDaily this morning. "There's friendship there, but also differences in opinion in what ought and ought not to be presented. And I don't want any censorship."
As WND reported, the correspondence signed by Dr. Paul Crouch, the evangelist founder of the world's largest religious network and America's most-watched faith channel, was responding to a concerned TBN viewer's Web comment about Lindsey's absence.
The text of Crouch's letter states:
Evangelists Paul and Jan Crouch head up Trinity Broadcasting Network
"Hal and I have talked about the potential return of Hal's 'International Intelligence Briefing' to the TBN programming schedule. This is certainly my desire and Hal has indicated to me that he is very interested in returning to his regular time slot.
"The problem we faced was receiving very serious and threatening e-mails, letters, etc., to TBN because of statements Hal had made concerning Islam and the Arab people. My plea to Hal is to please not focus so much on the political aspects of the Middle East and to focus more directly on biblical perspectives.
"As soon as the current TBN series 'Against All Odds' ends we will hope to see Hal's program back home on TBN. ... Please know that we love you and appreciate your sincere concern for Hal and for TBN."
Lindsey explains while he did have a conversation with Crouch Tuesday night about the possibility of returning, Crouch misinterpreted Lindsey's response when he said he would pray about the matter. He says his main concerns remain the pre-empting of the show with little or no notice, and the desire by Paul Crouch's wife, Jan, to pre-approve the program's scripts, to make sure Lindsey was focusing more on the Bible and less on current politics.
"I don't consider talking about Islam 'politics,'" Lindsey told WND. "Radical Islam is the most vicious false religion on Earth."
"It's [TBN's] desire to only be positive and only present the love and peace message of Christ," Lindsey added, noting Paul Crouch told him he didn't believe Jesus was ever confrontational.
But Lindsey pointed out Jesus was very confrontational with the false teachers of his own time, calling them "whitewashed tombs," "brood of vipers," and "sons of hell" in the 23rd chapter of the Gospel of Matthew.
"It wasn't all sweetness and light," Lindsey said.
Throughout this dispute, Lindsey's photo and the name of his program have remained on the TBN website.
Hal Lindsey's image and show name have remained on TBN's website
Lindsey now says he's looking to air a new weekly program called "The Hal Lindsey Report" on the DayStar Christian Network as early as Sunday, Jan. 29. He may also have a slot on the Sky Angel Network.
WorldNetDaily broke the story in December that Lindsey, author of "The Late Great Planet Earth" and many other best-selling books and a weekly columnist for WND, had been dropped by TBN, claiming he was being muzzled for his views about radical Islam.
Though John Casoria, TBN's general counsel first told WorldNetDaily the show's suspension was simply a traditional hiatus in lieu of seasonal programming, that statement was later revised to confirm that the network believed Lindsey's program "placed Arabs in a negative light."
Lindsey's final decree: 'I am not coming back'My note; I guess TBN, want to be politically correct.
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