Over the last couple weeks, NRB executives have been on air discussing the legal boundaries of free speech and political violence in light of Jimmy Kimmel and James Comey’s rhetoric, the moral crisis of biblical illiteracy, the nation’s need to return to its Judeo-Christian foundations, the threat of corporate media consolidation to independent religious broadcasters, and the ongoing legal fights to defend pastoral free speech.
NRB addressed these issues in recent press releases.
Troy A. Miller, NRB president & CEO, spoke with Jenna Ellis on American Family Radio about America’s crisis of biblical illiteracy and the modern church’s failure to properly disciple its congregations. Miller explained that prioritizing cultural relevance has created “CEO pastors” who avoid tough issues to run their churches more like businesses.
“The church became overemphasized on the lost…dumbing down the church to the lowest common denominator,” Miller said. “You can’t teach doctrine or Scripture if you’re worried about an unbeliever sitting in your congregation who is not going to get it.”
To fix this crisis, Miller emphasized a return to genuine biblical discipleship: “The answer is the recovery of and the reverence for Scripture. … We need to read it with the understanding that this is God speaking directly to us.”
Listen to the full AFR interview:
Michael Farris, NRB general counsel, also spoke with Ellis on AFR about NRB’s complaint before the FCC against ABC about the recent Jimmy Kimmel monologue.
“When you incite violence, especially violence against the life of the President of the United States, you’re in a completely different First Amendment world,” Farris said, further suggesting that because broadcast networks operate on government licenses, they should face stricter scrutiny than private individuals.
Connecting the broadcast complaint to broader cultural decay, Farris criticized those in power who fail to condemn violent speech: “They are using those positions of authority to normalize a very dangerous line of rhetoric.”
Listen to the full segment:
Miller discussed the issue with Billy Hallowell of the Christian Post.
“Even giving him the benefit of the doubt … just think of the joke itself,” Miller said. “We can disagree on policies, but to lose the dignity of humanity itself … just shows you that we’re losing those moral foundations.”
To explain this cultural shift, Miller quoted John Adams’s assertion that the Constitution was made for a “moral and religious people,” concluding, “We’re seeing a more irreligious and immoral society. And I think we’re seeing the results of that.”
Click here to read Hallowell’s article on the topic, and watch the interview with Miller below:
CBS News also picked up the story, quoting Miller’s statement:
“We’re seeing a pattern of violence in this country that didn’t appear overnight,” said Troy Miller, NRB’s president and CEO. “When influential voices joke about death or treat political opponents as disposable, it contributes to a culture where violence feels thinkable to the already unstable.”
Movieguide® ran a story on the topic, quoting Farris:
“While the FCC is bound by the First Amendment of the Constitution and federal law (47 U.S.C. § 326) to respect freedom of speech, Supreme Court precedent makes clear that speech which incites violence is not protected. Under Brandenburg v. Ohio (1969), speech loses constitutional protection when it encourages lawless action, is intended to produce such action, and is likely to result in imminent harm.”
Miller joined Matthew Alvarez on RSBN Live to discuss America Reads the Bible, the foundational role of Scripture in American freedom, and the persecution of Christians in the Middle East.
“A lot of countries, particularly communist countries, dictatorships, they’re afraid of the Bible,” Miller said. “Our Founding Fathers understood that our freedoms and the fundamental moral fiber of society comes from the Judeo-Christian Scriptures. … God defined our values.”
Watch the full interview:
Farris also joined Alvarez on RSBN to discuss NRB’s FCC complaint.
“Inciting violence against the President of the United States is a crime,” Farris said, noting that while the NRB has defended Kimmel’s free speech in the past, this instance requires investigation. “We have asked the FCC to be consistent with the First Amendment because the advocacy of violence is a recognized exception.”
Farris spoke with Amie Beth Shaver and Allison Sinclair on Rightside about Christian civic responsibility and James Comey’s recent rhetoric.
“Our job is to be demanding justice in the face of injustice,” Farris said. “It means using whatever means are available to you to stand up for the right thing … bringing organized political pressure in a responsible fashion on those who … have the duty to enforce the law.”
Watch the full interview:
On NTD News, Miller also discussed the dangers of violent media rhetoric and the need to return to America’s moral foundations.
“We’ve really lost the moral footing of our country,” Miller said. “We have people today that are … more biblically illiterate than they were at the time of the founding of this country. … The onus is on us as Christian communicators, as Christian pastors, to really step up and be a part of the dialogue, to be a part of the solution and not part of the problem.”
Watch the full interview: