Overheard on Michael Savage’s "Savage Nation" 2/28/03:

Caller: I was having some chest pains and was told I was probably having a heart attack at the emergency room, but they wanted to confirm with a cardiologist. As I was waiting those long minutes that seemed like hours, I was understandably shaken. The report came back that I had been diagnosed a "false positive" and was not having a heart attack at all. I had been saying Psalm 23 over and over again while I waited. Oh, by the way, I’m a Christian and I think you are one of the greatest wits that radio has ever had.

Michael: Thanks, but I’m not a Christian, as you know.

Caller: Yes, but I just wanted to let you know that when I was saying Psalm 23 over and over again, I wasn’t demanding that God give me anything. As a Christian, I do not expect God to answer my prayer for health or money, but I just pray that God’s will be done.

Michael: Christianity, Judaism and Islam all share the same faith in God. I don’t care if it’s Allah, or whatever you want to call God. The Muslim prays for the will of Allah to be done and that’s the same as when you pray for God’s will to be done, is it not?

Caller: Well, yes. But as a Christian, I must tell you to quit snubbing the late Fred Rogers, who helped my boys, now in their late twenties, grow up into respectable men.

Michael: *laughs* What’s with everyone attacking me about my statement that Mr. Rogers was a questionable male role model? I loved to watch him also. Some days I was so depressed after having listened to affirmative action speeches, I came home and turned on Mr. Rogers and had a couple of beers. But, I am sure we can both agree on thanking God that you didn’t suffer a heart attack and you can be happy this night for his love, right?

Caller: Oh, yes.

Michael: Thanks for listening to the Savage Nation.

 Admittedly, this is not the exact words or order of the conversation. I was driving home after work in a beat up 1975 Chevy Luv with leaky door gaskets and a poor radio, and I don’t have the best memory in town. Once in a while, I’ll tune into Mike Savage for a few minutes during this time. My transcription is therefore faulty, but I record it to make several points.

First, why was the caller calling? At first flush, he was expressing his brush with mortality. Then, he appeared to be trying to thank God for not having a heart attack, although Michael, not he, actually thanked God. Then he was teaching religion or how to pray or how to eulogize the dead or something. It’s all confused.

Second, the caller wanted to ramble on about his religious performance. He cites how he repeated Psalm 23 over and over again (good for him). He prayed in a humble fashion (not asking for anything specific?). He felt this need to present himself as a model Christian. Michael caught on to that.

Third, Michael brought the matter to a quick crisis, as he is wont to do. His caller was beating around the bush wasting air time. Michael knew he had to call the hand. Michael does not believe in the Christian God, but he shares many ethical and moral standards of Christianity. So he forced the caller into a real confession of faith. The caller failed. Michael pressed him into agreeing that when a man prays to Allah for Allah’s will to be done, that is the same as praying to the Christian God that His will be done.

Fourth, the caller, after having praised Michael and denied God, goes on to praise Mr. Rogers and chide Michael for making an astute observation about the late children’s show host being a little too effeminate.

Fifth, is this Christianity? It seems to me that we have a lot of feminized men out there, courageous to defend the likes of Mr. Rogers but shaky on defending their own faith in the true God.

I realize the caller had some backbone for even admitting his faith, but is this good enough to qualify for "whoever confesses me before men, him will I confess before my heavenly Father"? In this country, we glibly use Christ’s name without understanding its power. We equate him with someone else’s "higher power." It is blasphemy to say our Father is the equivalent of Allah. People lose their lives every day for Christ’s name in Muslim countries. In this country, we have experts like Mike Savage telling us there’s no difference in the end. Well, in the end, on That Day, all those who sought to save their lives shall lose them eternally, but those who gave up their lives for the Name of Jesus Christ will have eternal life. Amen.