Call it the Christian’s Enquirer. My wife received in the mail an invitation to subscribe to Angels On Earth magazine. Here’s the pitch:
We have reserved in your name a FREE issue of ANGELS ON EARTH, an inspiring magazine about God’s messengers and their work in the world. And when you accept it, you also get a FREE GIFT — the 2009 ANGELS ON EARTH CALENDAR! [OMG!]
There is no risk — no obligation to subscribe. We simply want you to experience this magazine presenting the stories of angels and the messages they deliver.
Stories of tragedies averted and destinies altered. Stories filled with profound mystery, yet radiating faith-affirming hope!
Angels still visit us today, ministering spirits guard us and guide us and give us reassuring evidence of God’s love. You’ll find these stories in ANGELS ON EARTH. …
Wow. There are enough people who believe this nonsense to support a magazine. And I suspect that, relative to the Enquirer, a higher percent of subscribers help choose our political leaders.
I can hardly believe I have to make this point in the modern world, but here it goes. What are all these alleged angels doing when people die in car crashes, die at the hands of criminals, get cancer, or drown? What about “stories of tragedies not averted” and “destinies altered for the worse?” The claim that angels are responsible for all things pleasant in the world is a gross sort of bias that simply ignores cause and effect, luck, and contradictory facts.