“Dr. Phil” On “Meet The Press”

What In The World Was Host Tim Russert Thinking?

What In The World Was Host Tim Russert Thinking

What in the world was host Tim Russert thinking when he had pop-shrink Dr. Phil McGraw on his NBC program “Meet The Press” the day after Christmas? In any event, what McGraw’s appearance demonstrated was that the form of idolatry called “civil religion,” wrapping yourself in the flag, is a solution to nothing.

At one point, Russert, noting that we are a politically divided country, asks McGraw about some issues like abortion and homosexual marriage. He wonders how such differences can be reconciled when folks differ on these “profound political and moral” issues? Is there any way to find “common ground”?

“Yes,” says McGraw, “because we do have more common ground than we do differences.” He says that even though you and “your neighbor” may have a “completely different” view on abortion, homosexual marriage, and stem cell research, you and your neighbor still have “similarities” and “commonalities.” Such as? Well, such as that you and your neighbor are “Americans!”

‘Dr. Phil’ On ‘Meet The Press’

McGraw, obviously assuming that no American has as a neighbor a foreigner or illegal immigrant, says of this ostensibly American “neighbor” that “neither one of you is necessarily more patriotic than the other. Neither loves their country more than the other one does. Neither wants any less for the children of America, for the quality and fiber of our life in this country.”

Russert asks, incredulously: “Even though people have profound moral views that abortion is taking a life or gay marriage immoral and against the Bible, that people can find common ground?”

Yep, says McGraw, because: “As I say, we start on common ground. We love America. We all want a quality of life. We all want to leave the next generation better than this one. I think a good, healthy debate about these things is what causes us to evolve. So I hope we don’t ever just kind of become Stepford Americans where everybody is just kind of going along and nodding their heads.”

Yikes! Have you ever heard such glib, nonsensical gibberish spoken so fluently?

For openers, McGraw’s notion that simply being an “American” is the “common ground” that will “reconcile” all of us, begs the crucial question: What, exactly, is an American? Is it true, as McGraw seems to believe, that an American is simply a person who lives in America and this is sufficient for all of us — as Rodney King said — to “get along?”

I think not. And the reason I think not is because all those who meet McGraw’s ludicrously simplistic definition of an American are not getting along, are not reconciled!

A true, real American, the kind of person who founded America, was a Christian who believed the Bible. This true, real American also believed — as the Declaration of Independence says — in a Creator God who gave us unalienable rights that the government cannot take away, such unalienable rights as the right to life. Thus, strictly speaking, no true, real American, could ever believe in abortion, the taking of an innocent human life for no reason, without due process of law. Ditto, killing human embryos to get stem cells.

As for homosexuals being allowed to “marry,” no true, real American could possibly believe in such a thing. No way. In the true, real, original America, homosexual sodomy was a capital crime for which the penalty was death.

Oh, and some “American” neighbors are more patriotic than other “American” neighbors. Some “American” neighbors do love their country more than other “American” neighbors. Some “American” neighbors do want less for the children of this country. And some “American” neighbors could not care less about the quality or fiber of life.

So, Doc, you are wrong, sir, dangerously wrong, stupidly wrong. Geography is not destiny. Simply living in America does not make you an “American” — at least not in the original sense of that word. Many “Americans” are un-American. They do not believe in the only true religion there is that actually brings reconciliation, Christianity. They do not act like Christians. And that is the problem. The Lord Jesus Christ is the only real “common ground” there is — period.

—JL

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