For those of you meat lovers that have never had a bison burger I strongly suggest that you do. Bison has less fat, fewer calories, and lower cholesterol than beef while remaining quite flavorful, a delicious richer sweeter flavor than beef. An adequate description of a bison burger was penned years ago by drug saturated songster Jimmy Buffett: "Heaven on earth with an onion slice." So what does an exquisitely crafted burger have to do with eternal salvation? Nothing, not a thing... unless you're Jane Fonda and Ted Turner.
When Ted was 24 his father killed himself leaving Ted to run Turner's billboard company, which Ted did and parlayed it into his multi billion dollar empire. His former wife Jane Fonda says that's it's a miracle that he turned out the way he did:
“"Given his childhood, he should've become a dictator... He should've become a not nice person. The miracle is that he became what he is. A man who will go to heaven, and there’ll be a lot of animals up there welcoming him, animals that have been brought back from the edge of extinction because of Ted... And he says he's not religious. But he, the whole time I was with him, every speech -- and he likes to give speeches -- he always ends his speech with 'God bless'... He’s turned out to be a good guy.”
Ok, let's face it, when you think "biblical scholar" the name Jane Fonda is not in your top 10, and probably not in your top 10,000 either. A miracle that Ted overcame his background and became successful? How about the Robertsons who overcame their background, addictions and sinful natures and became successful Godly men? Has Ted accepted Jesus as the Way, the Truth, and the Light? Does Ted realize that no one comes to the Father except through him? Ted Turner summed up his views on Christianity in one sentence:
"Christianity is a religion for losers."
To me it doesn't sound like Jane's assessment that Ted will go to heaven because he's nice to animals and does good things is biblically based at all. Even thought she proudly proclaims that she's converted to Christianity there's something lacking. If you look at her statement of faith you'll see that the thing that's lacking in her conversion to Christianity is Christianity. Hanoi Jane has actually rejected Christianity for a new-age feel-good psychobabble heresy spouted by the likes of unversalist pantheist Reverend Forrest Church who teaches that God is everyone. She has also fallen for the Gnostic Gospel of Mary and gives that work of fiction credence over scriptural canon. Don't get me started on her confusion regarding Buddah and Allah.
Is Ted Turner a 'good man'? By all appearances he is. Ted has given nearly a billion dollars to the U.N. and many people think that's good. as he said on MSNBC
"I give a lot of money to those less fortunate than myself and that's one of the tenets of all religions. You know, the wealthy should help those less fortunate than themselves."
As Jesus said "No one comes to the Father but through cash donations to charity..."
I mean "No one comes to the Father but through saying God Bless after a dinner speech..."
I mean "No one comes to the Father but through doing things a religion you don't belong to does..."
I mean "No one comes to the Father but through saving lots of delicious animals and selling their meat..."
As for the animals? Ted bought 4 HUGE ranches in Montana, and sold the cattle which is not a bad thing at all. (Cattle are delicious) He then started populating his 4 HUGE ranches along with other HUGE ranches with American Bison (Which are even more delicious). The governor of Montana asked Ted if he'd keep 80 bison from Yellowstone National Park to insure they don't have the cattle disease brucellosis to which Ted said sure, as long as he gets to keep 75% of the calves. If you want to see one of Ted's 55,000 pet bisons up close and personal it's real easy, you don't have to go to Montana or anything. Just go to one of 44 Ted's Montana Grill restaurants and order a bison ribeye steak (my favorite!) or maybe a bison burger, they'll bring you a piece of one of Ted's bisons to enjoy.
Don't get me wrong, I have nothing against a business man saving an endangered species and making money while doing it. As far as I'm concerned Ted's ranches are a shining example of how to do the bunny-huggy thing right, but is it worthy of salvation?
Ted, who currently has three ex wives and four concurrent girlfriends, claims that he's no longer atheist, in fact when he knows of someone who is dying he'll actually pray for that person. Who is he praying to? "Whoever is listening." is Teds answer.
He who believes in the Son has eternal life; but he who does not obey the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him. (John 3:36)
Which is sad, it sounds like Ted wants to repent, he wants to find Jesus, but he's being led astray by Hanoi Jane who is reaffirming the lie that he can buy his way out of eternal damnation with charity and bison burgers.
8 For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; 9 not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. (Ephesians 2:8-9)
He really believes that these acts of generosity will pay a debt he could never be able to pay. His self appointed spiritual advisor is leading him down the wide, easy path of destruction. He needs to learn that these acts of generosity is not the path to salvation but merely the outward sign of a living, loving faith in Jesus Christ which is the path to salvation.
Maybe Ted fell in to that trap where people tell rich men that Jesus said the rich can't go to heaven when He said
Again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.” (Matthew 19:24)
The problem is that many people ignore what Jesus said next
And looking at them Jesus said to them, “With people this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” (Matthew 19:26)
Ted thinks that Heaven is like Montana in the summer, I've seen Montana in the winter and to me that's pretty much to opposite of Heaven. Ted may be right, for him God may make a bit of Heaven look like Montana in the summer, but unless Ted gets right with Jesus he's in for a very very long very very hot summer
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