Here’s today’s dispatch from the crossroads of faith, media and culture.

Exodus success. Patterns of Evidence: The Exodus, the one-night documentary theater event I told you about last week played to packed houses across the country Monday night — leading Fathom Events to schedule an encore showing Thursday night (1/29) at 7:00 PM local time. Check here to find a theater near you. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zpwzrNGSVGU&feature=youtu.be

The Politically Incorrect Jesus. That’s the provocative name of  a new book from Renaissance Communications founder Joe Battaglia. The Broadstreet Publishing paperback, due out Monday (2/2) consists of 24 penetrating essays in which the author argues against the moral hazards presented by meekly and mindlessly succumbing to the demands of the PC police.

“Political correctness,” Battaglia writes, “is intellectual suicide.” He warns that Christians, in the name of sensitivity or tolerance, are giving into PC pressure at great moral risk. In his book,  Battaglia calls on Christians to boldly make the case for the principles we believe in, asserting that “(Jesus) calls believers to be salt and light–not chameleons.”

Battaglia contends “American censorship is societal—an unwritten list of you-can’t-say-that.” And how does he suggest Christians respond? “Embrace who God Almighty designed you to be, men and women of counter-culture faith making a difference in a counterfeit world.”

Personally, I’m looking forward to reading The Politically Incorrect Jesus — and not just because Joe’s a friend of mine. I just think its high time that we, as a society, stop feeding the whoever-is-most-offended-wins beast. Real discussions of life-and-death issues are too often shut down because people are afraid that, if they bring up legitimate points or raise fair questions, they’ll be labeled a racist, a sexist, a hater or something-phobic. The result is public policy by name calling which is downright dangerous because it pits group against group and places group sensitivities over what should be the common quest for truth.

As Joe says “Truth flies in the face of fear and false sensitivities.”

Encourage one another and build each other up – 1 Thessalonians 5:11