The McLaughlin Group by Frederick Hoehn, copyright 2015, all rights reserved. Chapter 1 The McLaughlin Group is a weekly TV program on PBS. In the Midwest, it's on Iowa Public Television, and on Nebraska Educational TV. The Host of the show is John McLaughlin. Seems like I heard he's a former Catholic Priest, and apparently was an adviser or consultant to one of the former Presidents of the U.S. McLaughlin also used to do interviews on his program, "McLaughlin's One on One." But that program doesn't seem to be around anymore. At the very beginning of the McLaughlin Group program, the announcer says that you'll be hearing from "the sharpest minds." That seems to be a bit of a stretch. They might be somewhat sharper than average, but to say that they're the sharpest seems to be rather an exaggeration. If McLaughlin is a former Catholic Priest, doesn't he know the scripture that says, "Let another man praise you, and not your own mouth, a stranger, and not your own lips."? (Prov 27:2) I think it's a mistake to have the announcer say that every week. If you McLaughlin folks really are the sharpest, let's see it in what you have to say, because sometimes you're not really so sharp. I happened to see John McLaughlin one time when I was living in San Diego. He was in San Diego for the Republican Convention that was happening there that year. We were walking in opposite directions on the sidewalk. I recognized him as he approached. He seemed to be with one or more other people. I said Hi to him, and told him I watched his show. He said, "You watch it here?" (in San Diego.) I said yes. McLaughlin has four panelists on the show. A regular is Pat Buchanan, an author, and a former candidate for President. Another regular is Eleanor Clift, a columnist about whom McLaughlin used to say, in some of the early programs, "Eleanor, I think you're swellinor." Although, it's a little puzzling to me why he thought that about her. Mort Zuckerman seems to be a fairly regular panelist these days. He apparently is the owner of the magazine, "U.S. News and World Report." I believe he's Jewish, and very knowledgeable about what's happening in the world. He always seems to have something worthwhile as a comment, or as an answer. The fourth regular, these days, seems to be a bright young man, Tom Rogan, who sits immediately next to McLaughlin's left hand. Each weekend, McLaughlin Group is on several times on IPTV or NET. For a while I tried to catch the first half hour of "A Prairie Home Companion," on the radio because they often had some good music. But when I saw that McLaughlin was available in the same time slot, I switched to McLaughlin. After McLaughlin, there's Bill Gaither's Gospel Music, followed by Daniel O'Donnell's singing, followed by Lawrence Welk. This last weekend's McLaughlin Group, however, was rather disappointing because they spent so much time on what the Pope was doing. Now if the whole nation were Catholic, that might be justified, but the whole nation is not Catholic. And I'm not Catholic. I'm a Christian, a Protestant, Pentecostal, full-gospel, tongue-talker. (Unknown tongues, that is.) The Pope does seem to get into the news quite a lot. A while back, when the Muslim group, Boko Haram kidnapped about 400 young women in Nigeria, the Pope got on the news saying that he would pray to Mary for them. Pray to Mary? Yes, I'm aware that the Catholics have a prayer addressed to Mary called the Rosary. But that's strictly a Catholic invention. There is no scripture that supports the praying to Mary. And I am sure that if you, or the Pope, pray to Mary, Mary can't hear you. In fact, I believe that praying to Mary is a sin in violation of one the Ten Commandments that says, "Thou Shalt Have No Other God's Before Me." Perhaps not the unforgivable sin, but still a sin, that ought to be repented of. Are you kidding me? If you pray to Mary, you're treating her as if she were a God, or part of the Godhead, AND SHE IS NOT. We have a three-in-one God: God the Father, God the Son (Jesus), and God the Holy Ghost. Notice that Mary is not part of the three-in-one. I don't know all the words of the Rosary prayer, and I don't want to, but some of the words in the prayer say that Mary is "full of grace." Oh, really? Where did you get that? Who told you that? Now, those words, "full of grace" are in the Bible, but it's not talking about Mary. It's talking about Jesus. (Jhn 1:14) Chapter 2 There was a Catholic man living in the same building that I was in Oak Park, IL. We were talking about the praying by Catholics to Mary. I said, "And even if she could hear your prayer to her, I don't think she has the power to grant your request." The Catholic man said, "Well, I think she has access to the Lord." Really? Even on earth, mothers of kings and heads of state don't have 24/7 access to their sons. I don't think that Mary has 24/7 access to the Lord in heaven, assuming that Mary went to heaven. And my guess is that probably she did. If Mary were to go to the Lord about some problem on earth, I believe the Lord would tell her, "They should be praying to God the Father, or to me." I told the Catholic man that Mary is just another sinner saved by grace. He answered, "But she was a virgin." I said that by the end of her life, she wasn't a virgin. He said, "What do you mean?" I said, "Mary was a virgin until after Jesus was born, but after that, she had at least six children the normal way. Children of hers, and her husband Joseph's." (The Bible doesn't tell us the names of the daughters, but the names of the sons were James, Joses, Simon (not Peter), and Judas (not Iscariot.) Those children were Jesus' half-brothers, and half-sisters. They shared the same mother with Jesus, but not the same father. The Catholic man said, "Oh, those were probably children by a previous marriage." No. If they had been children by a previous marriage of Mary, she wouldn't have been a virgin when she conceived Jesus. If they had been children by a previous marriage of Joseph, then they would not have been Jesus' brothers and sisters. Joseph, Mary's husband, was not a relative of Jesus. Joseph was Jesus' Step-father. It's good that Mary was a Virgin when she married Joseph, and so maybe she never committed any sex sins, but there are many other kinds of sins. Romans 3:23 says that "All have sinned and come short of the glory of God." This "all" who have sinned, of course, includes you and me and Mary. James chapter 3 tells us that the tongue is one of the hardest things to control. "If any man doesn't offend in word, he is a perfect man, and able also to bridle the whole body." (James 3:2) So just about everyone has at one time or another sinned with their words. And so I believe that the Catholic churches are teaching some wrong things. I believe the Pope ought to stop praying to Mary. But I expect that some of the Catholics will go to heaven, because I expect that some of the Catholics are born-again Christians. If Catholics will read their Bibles, they will find God's plan of salvation through Jesus Christ. In Houston, TX, my wife and I broke bread with Charles and Elizabeth Melton. They had come out of the Catholic church. They said, "When we were in the Catholic church, we weren't taught about being born again, we were taught that you'll go to heaven if you're a good Catholic." The Catholics have no right to teach that. No, Jesus said, "You MUST be born again." (Jhn chapt 3) When I lived in California, a co-worker of mine was Adrian. Adrian had been a Catholic, but he became quite disillusioned by some things he saw in the Catholic church, so he turned to Buddhism. I told Adrian, "You were better off being a Catholic, because at least they believe in Jesus." I'm not recommending the Catholic church, I'm only saying they have Jesus, while Buddhism doesn't. I don't know whether John McLaughlin is a born-again Christian. But he has certainly had lots of opportunity to study the Bible on the subject of salvation. Mort Zuckerman is probably not a Christian because the Jews, generally, are still looking for the Messiah, and are not aware that Jesus is their Messiah (Savior). What will happen is that the Jews will get a counterfeit Messiah, called the "Beast" in the book of the Prophet Daniel, and called "The Antichrist" in the New Testament. To become a Christian, obey Romans 10:9,10-- "That if you confess the Lord Jesus with your mouth, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you're saved. For with the heart man believes for righteousness, and with the mouth, confession is made for salvation." ___James chapter 1 1 James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes that are dispersed around, greetings. 2 My brothers, count it all joy when you fall into various temptations, 3 Knowing this, that the testing of your faith works patience. 4 But let patience have its perfect work, so you'll be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. 5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God for it, who gives to all men liberally, and won't find fault, and it shall be given to him. 6 But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavers is like a wave of the sea driven by the wind and tossed. 7 For let that man not think that he'll receive anything from the Lord. 8 A double minded man is unstable in all his ways. 9 Let the brother of low degree rejoice in that he is exalted, 10 But the rich, in that he is made low, because as the flower of the grass he'll pass away. 11 For the sun has no sooner risen with a burning heat, but it withers the grass, and the flower of it falls, and the grace of the fashion of it perishes, so also shall the rich man fade away in his ways. 12 Blessed is the man that endures temptation, for after he's been tested, he'll receive the crown of life, that the Lord has promised to those who love him. 13 Let no man say when he is tempted, "I am tempted by God," for God can't be tempted with evil, nor does he tempt any man, 14 But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away by his own lust, and enticed. 15 Then when lust has conceived, it produces sin, and sin when it's finished, produces death. 16 Do not err, my beloved brothers. 17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, nor shadow of turning. 18 He chose to father us with the word of truth, so that we would be a kind of first fruits of his creatures. 19 So, my beloved brothers, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger, 20 For the anger of man doesn't accomplish the righteousness of God. 21 So, lay apart all filthiness and the unnecessary naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls. 22 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. 23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like a man seeing his natural face in a mirror, 24 For he sees himself, and goes his way, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. 25 But whoever looks into the perfect law of liberty, and continues in it, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed. 26 If any man among you seems to be religious, and doesn't bridle his tongue, but deceives his own heart, this man's religion is for nothing. 27 Pure religion and undefiled before God the Father is this, to visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world. ___James chapter 2 1 My brothers, don't have the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with respect of persons. 2 For if a man with a gold ring comes to your assembly in fancy clothes, and a poor man in dirty clothes comes in also, 3 And you have respect to him that wears the fancy clothes, and say to him, "Sit here in a good place," and say to the poor, "Stand there, or sit here under my footstool," 4 Aren't you then partial in yourselves, and have become judges with evil thoughts? 5 Listen, my beloved brothers, hasn't God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom that he has promised to those who love him? 6 But you have despised the poor. Don't rich men oppress you, and bring you before the judgment seats? 7 Don't they blaspheme that worthy name by which you're called? 8 If you fulfill the royal law according to the scripture, "You shall love your neighbor like yourself," you do well, 9 But if you have respect of persons, you commit sin, and are convicted by the law as sinners. 10 For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all. 11 For he that said, "Do not commit adultery," also said, "Do not kill." Now if you don't commit adultery, yet if you kill, you've become a breaker of the law. 12 Speak in such a way, and do, as those who'll be judged by the law of liberty. 13 For he shall have judgment without mercy, that has shown no mercy, and mercy rejoices against judgment. 14 What does it profit, my brothers, though a man says he has faith, and doesn't have works? Can faith save him? 15 If a brother or sister needs clothes, and lacks daily food, 16 And one of you says to them, "Depart in peace, be warmed and filled," but you don't give them the things that are needed for the body, what good is that? 17 Even so faith, if it doesn't have works, is dead, being alone. 18 Yes, a man could say, "You have faith, and I have works, show me your faith without your works, and I'll show you my faith by my works." 19 You believe that there is one God, you do well, the devils also believe, and tremble. 20 But don't you know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead? 21 Wasn't Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son on the altar? 22 Do you see how faith worked with his deeds, and by works faith was made perfect? 23 And the scripture was fulfilled that says, "Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness, and he was called the friend of God." 24 You see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only. 25 Likewise also wasn't Rahab the prostitute justified by works, when she had received the messengers, and had sent them out another way? 26 For like the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also. ___James chapter 3 1 My brothers, don't be many masters, knowing that we'll receive the greater condemnation. 2 For in many things we offend all. If any man doesn't offend in word, the same is a perfect man, and able also to bridle the whole body. 3 See, we put bits in the horses' mouths, so they'll obey us, and we turn around their whole bodies. 4 Look also at the ships, which though they're so large, and are driven by fierce winds, yet they're turned around by a very small helm, wherever the captain wants. 5 Even so, the tongue is a little member, and boasts great things. See how great a matter a little fire kindles! 6 And the tongue is a fire, a world of sin, so is the tongue among our members that it makes dirty the whole body, and sets on fire the course of nature, and it is set on fire by hell. 7 For every kind of animals, and of birds, and of snakes, and of things in the sea, gets tamed, and has been tamed by mankind, 8 But no man can tame the tongue, it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison. 9 With it we bless God, the Father, and with it we curse men, who are made after the likeness of God. 10 Out of the same mouth proceed blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be. 11 Does a fountain send out at the same place sweet water and bitter? 12 Can the fig tree, my brothers, produce olive berries? Or a vine, figs? So no fountain can yield both salt water and fresh. 13 Who is a wise man, possessing knowledge among you? Let him show out of a good lifestyle his works with meekness of wisdom. 14 But if you have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, don't glory, and don't lie against the truth. 15 This wisdom doesn't descend from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish. 16 For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work. 17 But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be reasoned with, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy. 18 And the fruit of righteousness is planted in peace by those who make peace. ___James chapter 4 1 Where do wars and fightings among you come from? Don't they come from your lusts that war in your members? 2 You lust, and don't have, you kill, and desire to have, and can't obtain, you fight and war, yet you don't have, because you don't ask. 3 You ask, and don't receive, because you ask wrongly, so you can consume it on your lusts. 4 You adulterers and adulteresses, don't you know that friendship with the world makes you an enemy of God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world is an enemy of God. 5 Do you think that the scripture says for nothing, "The spirit that lives in us lusts to envy?" 6 But he gives more grace. So he says, "God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble." 7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he'll run away from you. 8 Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double minded. 9 Be afflicted, and mourn, and cry, let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness. 10 Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he'll lift you up. 11 Don't speak evil about each other, brothers. He that speaks evil about his brother, and judges his brother, speaks evil about the law, and judges the law, but if you judge the law, you're not a doer of the law, but a judge. 12 There is one lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy, who are you that judges someone else? 13 Go on now, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we'll go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and make a profit," 14 Actually, you don't know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is a puff of steam, that appears for a little time, and then vanishes away. 15 For you ought to say, "Lord willing, we'll live, and do this, or that." 16 But now you rejoice in your boastings, all such rejoicing is evil. 17 Therefore to him that knows to do good, and doesn't do it, to him it is sin. ___James chapter 5 1 Go on now, you rich men, cry and howl for your miseries that shall come on you. 2 Your riches are corrupted, and your clothes are moth eaten. 3 Your gold and silver are rusted, and the rust of them shall be a witness against you, and shall eat your flesh like fire. You've heaped treasure together for the last days. 4 See, the wages of the laborers who have reaped down your fields, which you've kept back by fraud, shouts, and the shouts of those who've reaped have entered into the ears of the Lord of Sabbath. 5 You've lived in pleasure on the earth, and been wanton, you've nourished your hearts, like in a day of slaughter. 6 You've condemned and killed the just, and he doesn't resist you. 7 Be patient therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord. See, the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, and has long patience for it, until he receives the early and latter rain. 8 You also be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is getting near. 9 Don't grudge against each other, brothers, so you won't be condemned, see, the judge stands at the door. 10 Take, my brothers, the prophets, who've spoken in the name of the Lord, for an example of suffering affliction, and of patience. 11 See, we count them happy that endure. You've heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord, that the Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy. 12 But above all things, my brothers, don't swear, not by heaven, nor by the earth, nor by any other oath, but let your yes be yes, and your no, no, so that you don't fall into condemnation. 13 Is anyone among you afflicted? Let him pray. Is anyone merry? Let him sing psalms. 14 Is anyone sick among you? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord, 15 And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up, and if he has committed sins, he'll be forgiven. 16 Confess your faults to each other, and pray for each other so you'll be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man is does a lot of good. 17 Elijah was a man subject to the same kind of passions that we are, and he prayed earnestly that it wouldn't rain, and it didn't rain on the earth for three years and six months. 18 And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth produced its fruit. 19 Brothers, if any of you strays from the truth, and someone converts him, 20 Let him know, that he that converts the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins.