Another, briefer gripe about misplaced American Christian zeal.

I have a little FM transmitter that I can plug into my iPod. It transmits a disappointingly wimpy signal on any of the four frequencies between 88.1 and 88.7, so that I can listen to the iPod over the radio in the truck.

An interesting pattern I've noticed in recent months is that often I'll run into radio stations whose signals will overpower the weak transmission coming from inside the cab. This is to be expected from Wimpy McTransmitter...however, what is not expected is the number of times I run across stations that absolutely blow out 88.5 or 88.3 (usually) and subsequently bleed signal onto the surrounding frequencies. These are strong towers, folks. A station booming on 88.5 will produce shadow signals on both 88.3 and 88.7, knocking down three of four of my choices to hear my own stuff. I'll hear the station on 88.5 as if my transmitter was not even on, and on .3 and .7, the buzz and rumble of the voices and music on .5 will overpower the clarity of what my iPod is quietly trying to play.

The common thread? All Christian stations, of one stripe or another. Since I started actively noticing this, it's been unfailingly consistent that if I lose three freqs, it's a Christian tower booming me out.

It's irritating, frankly.

And here's why. To me, this over-powered broadcast strength is a direct result of the misconception that people don't believe in Christ because they can't hear the message. Solution? Buy a tower that, like a blast cannon, launches the message a hundred miles in every direction. Then more people will hear it. Then end result is an extension of the functional stalemate between Evangelical Christianity and the Rest of Everybody.

Let me try to sum it up from the "Rest of Everybody" perspective: We've heard all of this. If we were interested, we'd listen. It just so happens we're not interested, and saying the same things you've already said, but saying them louder, and more invasively, does not increase the attractiveness of your message.

Let me also take a minute to point out that, in my opinion, Christian radio is dangerous. It goes out and honest, well meaning spiritual people listen to it, and because it got on the air, they take it for doctrinal truth. I've heard more things on Christian stations that are shaky, misleading, or just flat wrong than I can count.

So, if you happen to be thinking about buying a titanic broadcast tower in order to improve your evangelism, Mr. Christian Station Manager (and you happen to be reading this) let me make a couple of points.

1) The message of Christ is a message intended to be communicated from individual to individual, based on the way God uses the disciple to show the un-disciple how transformative redemption can be. Mass media will never replace this. Indeed it might be that mass media has made the individual completely oblivious to the need for personal relationship.

2) You overestimate your own role in God's purposes for redemption if you think that people are saved because they can't hear your programming. Very poignantly, I just heard today Magaret Atwood give one of the most concise (and deadly accurate) descriptions of Christ as the propitiation for sin I've ever hear anybody give, churchman or not, and she doesn't believe it personally for a minute. She understands the principle, but does not believe. It's not an issue of not having heard for her.

3) And I reiterate here, bits and blurbs of your programming, heard far and wide, taking out of context or in, can do damage the health of those on your own "team".

4) Always and always, a message delivered when the receiver does not desire to listen falls on deaf ears.