Monday, October 29, 2007

Brad Stine’s truthful humor hits the mark as he rails against political correctness

"Wussification" DVD/CD
Artist: Brad Stine
Label: Right Minded Records
Length: 19 tracks/91 minutes

If you were to see Brad Stine in a short video clip, you might take him to be a loud, macho guy who likes to rail about whatever he is talking about. He’s not a timid Christian. He speaks forcefully and is not afraid to touch on controversial subjects.

For those who don’t know him, Brad Stine has been a vulgar-free, in-your-face type of comedian for the past 18 years. Seven years ago he "came out" as a Christian, letting the world know where he stands.

That gets to the crux of this particular DVD. Wussification is what happens when people refuse to take a stand. With political correctness gone amok and a pervasive fear of causing offense, no one wants to speak out about what’s right and wrong.

But that is what Brad Stine does so well on this DVD. He’s not afraid to speak the truth even if it offends. "The truth is supposed to offend," he tells us. With great animated expression, he makes us laugh at the craziness and superficiality in our world (and in our lives) as he walks us through a variety of subjects.

Whether he’s talking about the differences between men and women, sports, Jesus and the Pharisees, Barney vs. Captain Kangaroo, legalism, "We Say Toot" (he argues that "fart" is not a dirty word), or France, it’s all motivated by a desire to communicate the truth. He may be a bit brash at times, but that’s just his personality and zeal. His heart is in the right place.

He has a good word to Christians about being real with outsiders so that they take more of an interest. He speaks plainly to fellow believers (his "tribe") about becoming free of the legalism that keeps us in bondage. If the Bible doesn’t address it, we should not substitute its silence for rules of our own making.

Near the end he shares his story of how God led him to move from California to Nashville, which seemed like the death of his dream to make it in the movies. It’s a powerful illustration of the reward of being obedient to God’s call. It was only after he moved to Nashville that his career took off. He’s now appeared in three films, written two books and this is his fourth audio/video release.

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