Dear KLTY,
I would like to formally announce that as of today, April 3, 2012, I will no longer be listening to your radio station. Considering that you are the #1 Christian Radio Station in America, I realize that losing my listenership will have ZERO impact on your continued success, but I would really hope that you will pause for just a moment to read these comments.
These are difficult economic times for the general populace, and I'm sure that organizations such as KLTY must also be watching the bottom line very closely. I can appreciate that. I also realize that during difficult economic times, people and companies must also decide to take some extraordinary measures in order to survive. (My family has ditched cable in favor of "over-the-air" signal to watch TV, which doesn't sound like much, but it has been an adjustment.) That being said, those of us who proclaim ourselves to be Christ-followers, in spite of our sometimes difficult financial situations, should still live above reproach. A Christian family struggling to pay the bills should not, for instance, go out and knock over a 7 Eleven or commit identity theft just to have the money to pay the bills. In fact, most Christian families that I know who are faithful stewards of the money that God has given them have always had their needs met (not necessarily their wants, but God always takes care of needs).
A Christian radio station should be absolutely no different. As a beacon of Christian music in the United States, KLTY reaches MILLIONS of people. So why do these faithful listeners have to hear advertisements for a plastic surgeon who is promoting "Mommy Makeovers" during the morning show? Are you telling me that you are SO desperate for sponsors that the only alternative you had was to allow someone promoting "sinful vanity" (which I have NO hesitation saying) to promote their goods and services on your station? I ground my teeth when you promoted a laser hair removal service, but I was willing to let that pass. Now that you are actively promoting cosmetic surgery for mothers who want to look better, I think we've crossed a line.
Let me be clear. I am all for taking care of the bodies that God gave us. I think that is a necessary aspect of stewardship. Fitness is a virtue that we should all practice. However, when we promote things like plastic surgery (aside from therapeutic/reconstructive surgery), we are playing into the world's view that looking good is of ultimate importance. That's complete garbage, and a lie straight from the pit of Hell.
I am the father of two little girls, and it is a challenge to raise them in this world when they are constantly bombarded by unwholesome words and images. And yet, here I am on a Tuesday morning, driving my daughter to school listening to KLTY prattle on about plastic surgery that exists for no other reason than to promote a false body-image that is in line with the constant barrage of images that tells women and girls that they should fight wrinkles, bags under the eyes, sagging anything at ALL costs. If I were a woman, I would feel angry and manipulated by this. As it stands, I'm furious that the source of this tripe is America's #1 Christian Radio Station.
So, why did I write this? Because you have a tremendous platform, one that allows you to reach SO many people for the cause of Christ. I would like to hold you accountable. I want you to reconsider allowing companies that promote vanity to take up precious airtime on your station. I would also ask those of you who are reading this who are KLTY listeners to consider doing any one of the following:
1. Call KLTY at (972) 870-9949 to let them know that you will no longer listen to their station until they agree to stop allowing companies that promote sinful attitudes to advertise on their station. Alternatively, you can use their
email form HERE to contact them electronically and let them know how you feel about this (please make sure and choose VP/General Manager from the drop-down list).
2. If you are in the Dallas/Fort Worth area, switch over to
89.7 Power FM (which is a Christian Rock station that is mainly listener supported) or 90.9 The Word. If you live elsewhere, I am sure that there are other choices in your market. And if you are at work or at home, you can always listen online to any number of other Christian radio stations from around the country.
3. Share a link to this open letter on your FaceBook or Twitter page (there are buttons down below that should allow you to share it easily). You can also post the following link in your FaceBook status and post a short comment. http://givingunleashed.blogspot.com/2012/04/open-letter-to-klty.html
Let's not stand for this. I believe if KLTY is faithful and decides to not accept advertising dollars from questionable sources, God will be faithful in providing for their operational needs. It works for families who are faithful with their finances.
Why wouldn't it work for them?
Respectfully disappointed,
Jesse S. Greever
Learning to Give in a Getting World, by Marc Farnell and Jesse Greever, is available as both a paperback and eBook at the following locations:
It
is also available to Amazon Prime members as a free eBook download as a
part of the Kindle Lending Library. Pastors and church administrators
can contact me directly at
jesse@accidental-author.com to find out about discounts available for churches that wish to use this for teaching and small group curriculum.
Real quick one today: Joel Osteen and his church paid $93 MILLION to acquire and renovate the former Compaq Center to become the home for the church. $93 MILLION! I sure am glad that there wasn't a need for such money anywhere else in Houston.
