Ronald Reagan defending the King James Bible on the Radio.
I really can’t imagine much that a fundy would love more than this:
Tag Archives: radio
Talking with Drew Marshall
Last week I was invited to chat with Drew Marshall on his radio show up in the frozen north land. So if you’d like to spend a few minutes listening to me shoot the breeze with Drew about SFL you can listen to it here (just scroll down a bit and look for my name).
SFL Flashback: Children’s Radio Programs
This post was originally featured on SFL in December 2008
Fundamentalist children who were born after 1954 may recognize these words…
“Ranger Bill, Warrior of the Woodland, struggling against extreme odds, traveling dangerous trails, fighting the many enemies of nature. This is the job of the guardian of the forest, Ranger Bill. Pouring rain, freezing cold, blistering heat, snows, floods, bears, rattlesnakes, mountain lions. Yes, all this in exchange for the satisfaction and pride of a job well done.”
Ranger Bill was just one of a host of children’s radio programs that began in the 1950’s and continue to be rebroadcast to the present day. Keys for Kids with Uncle Charlie, Story Time with ‘Aunt B’, Uncle Bob’s Nature Corner…the list goes on and on.
These radio programs taught lessons such as the evils of lying, stealing, television, gambling and other various and sundry moral ills while accompanied by the dramatic effects of an electric organ that would do any soap opera proud.
Don’t knock it. For fundy kids, Saturday mornings around the radio were some of the happiest times of the week.
Radio
Since before the days of Lester Roloff, fundamentalists have been fascinated with the medium of radio. Churches of the fundamentalist old-school will actually own their own radio station but others will at least buy time on a local station to let the managawd’s sermons be spread far and wide.
As is their custom, fundamentalists must spare no cost to provide an approved alternative to all the godless programming that congests the airwaves. This is mostly justified as “outreach”, although who exactly other than a fundamentalists will consent to listen to the usual fundy radio fare is not exactly clear.
A church’s radio station is actually a pretty good way to figure out exactly what camp they are in.
– If the people sing like they’re a hundred years old and chronically depressed it’s one of the BJU family of churches.
– If the people sound like young men and women who are so excited and happy that they may experience spontaneous combustion at any moment, you’re enjoying the sounds of PCC-style broadcasting.
– If the music sounds like neutered Southern Gospel and frequently stops for interludes of preaching that sound like the speaker is trying to inflict as much damage as possible on his vocal chords, you’re somewhere in the Hyles spectrum.
If you too would like to enjoy a trip down fundy lane, you can check out all kinds of fundamentalists programming from stations like WOEL, Rejoice Radio, and the Fundamental Broadcast Network.
It’s enough to make you wish that Marconi had invented something else — like, say, a better earplug.
Sunshine on the Soapsuds
If your fundamentalist church ran its own radio station (as an inordinate number do) you’ve probably heard these words pouring forth from your radio:
The Bible says, “Every wise woman buildeth her house; but the foolish plucketh it down with her hands” (Proverbs 14:1). Each day, Beneth Peters Jones shares with you spiritual helps for building rather than battering your home.
This is pure gold. A show by a housewife for housewives (who one supposes are listening whilst they are baking, cleaning, and doing obeisance to their husbands) could not help but be a hit with fundamentalists.
In the clip below, Beneth takes on the topic of “Depression.” Notice that she takes care to address her remarks to women. After all, you wouldn’t want a man thinking she was trying to tell him what to do.
edit: Audio source has since been removed…
I feel better already.
For more soapsuds goodness, be sure to check out her two
