Issue 61
Kingdom Communication

Mainstream? non-mainstream? Clear stream!

In the United States, where most members of the editorial team of this magazine live, the public opinion market is already full of competing opinions. In recent months, from the outbreak of the COVID-19 epidemic to the anti-racial discrimination/anti-police violence demonstrations and the subsequent riots across the United States, the public opinion field has become even more noisy and almost completely out of control! Fake news, news mixed with true and false, true news and false interpretations, conspiracy theories... are overwhelming and indiscriminately bombarded. Objectivity, impartiality, balance, independence, etc., the bottom lines that have been adhered to by professional media for many years, have almost disappeared!

In fact, if you carefully and calmly think and examine, it is not entirely without context to follow.

In the author's opinion, the entire media industry can be roughly divided into two camps: "mainstream" and "non-mainstream". Both camps include some traditional media groups and large social media platforms, and there are political parties and interests behind them. Groups and individuals or organizations holding specific ideologies control, finance, and fuel the situation. Obviously, the former is much louder than the latter, so it is called "mainstream".

Take coverage of President Trump, for example.

Under the lens and writings of the mainstream media controlled by liberals from the "left" to the "ultra-left", all of President Trump's remarks, actions, and decisions are based on "looking at pictures," "transferring flowers," and deliberately distorting. Through imagination and other means, it has been vilified, belittled, and ridiculed, and interpreted as arrogant, rude, shallow, ridiculous, ignorant, and populist and belligerent.

So, what about the non-mainstream media, which are supported by people from the "center-right" to the "far-right", behind-the-scenes funders, and most of their audiences are conservative Christians? In their minds, President Trump is a hero sent by God to turn the tide against the "anti-Christ" trend in the United States for decades. All criticism and criticism of him are groundless and have ulterior motives. , are all crazy counterattacks by evil forces. Therefore, no matter what President Trump says or does, they beautify, exalt, praise, and declare him to "speak for truth and fight for justice." Many people even insist that as long as they are "true Christians" they should support him unconditionally!

Where do Chinese American Christians stand? According to the author's observation, within the Chinese church circle, an overwhelming proportion of first-generation immigrants who are middle-aged or older support Trump. Even if the few who hold different views do not fully agree with the so-called "mainstream public opinion", in this atmosphere where the supporters of "non-mainstream public opinion" account for a large proportion, they will inevitably become "the non-mainstream among the non-mainstream". If they are not "cautious in their speech" "OK", it is very likely that you will be labeled, labeled, or even bullied online in the name of your beliefs.

Where does the KRC team stand? ─We neither blindly follow the "mainstream" nor blindly follow the "non-mainstream", but strive to become a "clear stream" in the grace of the Lord!

What is "clear flow"? It is to gather like-minded people of insight, based on the comprehensive teachings of the Bible, and use the true wisdom given by God the Father to cultivate the habit and ability of independent thinking through constant reflection, communication, and action, so that our speech , words and lifestyle can demonstrate the unique foresight, breakthrough, challenge, practicality, knowledge, motivation and action of the heavenly culture, so that in this noisy jungle of troubled times, we can stand up and "Resolve to work with the Lord and strive to do justice, love mercy, and show love" is the main theme, and the ensemble plays a wonderful natural sound of walking with God!