LobeLog and writer Eli Clifton Mislead Readers about Ralph Drollinger and Capitol Ministries

Presenting opinion as fact and using inflammatory attacks, the positions of Ralph Drollinger and Capitol Ministries are unfairly characterized in a March 21, 2018 story issued by the online publication LobeLog written by Eli Clifton.

The reader hasn’t considered the story’s first word before the headline, Is Mike Pompeo As Islamophobic As His Spiritual Adviser? tells him what to think.

Before the first sentence, Pastor Drollinger is accused of being Islamophobic and the reader is told to suspect Mike Pompeo of being one too.

These accusations are false and baseless.

Islamophobia is defined by the Merriam-Webster Dictionary as: “an irrational fear of, aversion to, or discrimination against Islam or people who practice Islam.”

Pastor Drollinger has no “irrational fear,” no “aversion to” people who practice Islam, nor does he practice “discrimination” against them.

Pastor Drollinger has well-thought-out opinions based on evidence, information, study, and experience that are diametrically opposed to those held by Clifton whose positions may be discerned through biased stories laced with snide and sarcastic wording.

Many who call themselves “journalists,” today are propagandists who make inflammatory charges without offering any proof of their claims in attempts to damage reputations and silence or discredit those who do not agree with them.

In this story, Clifton attacks Members of President Donald Trump’s White House Cabinet who attend Pastor Drollinger’s weekly Bible studies. He charges: “Drollinger’s White House followers are perhaps the most reactionary members of an increasingly rightwing administration.”

Clifton offers no substantiation for his accusation; presumably, the primary reason for attacking Cabinet Members as “reactionary” is because they hold political and religious views with which Clifton does not agree.

Clifton charges that Pastor Drollinger has: “a radical view of Christianity that has little or no respect for other faiths, particularly Islam and its 1.8 billion adherents.”

This is false.

Pastor Drollinger respects other faiths. He believes other faiths have the same right to exist and practice as do Christians in a free country.

He is also a traditional, historic, Evangelical Pastor who believes that Jesus Christ is the one true path to God, that the Bible is literal, inerrant, and the infallible Word of God, and he teaches from this perspective using the Bible as his source. He is also passionate about sharing the Gospel with others.

As evidence that Pastor Drollinger is “Islamophobic,” Clifton quotes a number of Capitol Ministries Bible studies, including:

“Anti-Muslim perspective includes being critical of Muslim clergy who do not publicly condemn terrorist attacks.

“This religion has historically spread through the sword and seeks nothing less than world conquest for Allah.”

“NOT EVERY MUSLIM IS A TERRORIST BUT EVERY INTERNATIONAL TERRORIST IN RECENT HISTORY HAS BEEN A MUSLIM.”

“A 2013 Capitol Ministries study attributed theological differences to the reason the U.S. economy outpaced Buddhist and Muslim-majority countries. ‘The reason for this momentous growth is Christianity,’ according to Drollinger.”

“IT IS SHEER LUNACY FOR AMERICA TO PERMIT IRAN TO GO AS FAR AS THEY HAVE IN THEIR NUCLEAR PROGRAM!”

“Drollinger also compared Islam to communism in the March 2014 bible [sic] study: “Today Communism, in its atheistic political ideology is another such illustration; it persecutes the Church wherever it goes, as do Islamic ideologues as they expand their religiously exclusive political ideology.”

“In a March 2014 bible [sic] study, listing Pompeo as a cosponsor on the sidebar, Drollinger offered his own summary of Islam.”

Regarding the last point: who else’s summary of Islam would Drollinger offer in a Bible study that he authored?

Clifton offers no evidence that Drollinger’s positions are inaccurate, only that he holds them.

Capitol Ministries stands by Pastor Drollinger’s teachings.

In blatant unfairness, Clifton attempts to smear Mike Pompeo with the same tainted brush he uses on Pastor Drollinger by implying that as a Bible study sponsor, Pompeo agrees with all of Pastor Drollinger’s positions.

This is false.

The Capitol Ministries Bible studies are written exclusively by Ralph Drollinger and the views expressed in them are his own. Every Bible study posts this advisory:

“The views expressed in each Bible study are those of the author, and do not necessarily reflect the position of any individual Bible Study Sponsor.”

Clifton says he read many Capitol Ministries Bible studies and yet he failed to disclose this information to his readers. In fact, he did the opposite. This creates a false impression and is, in effect, lying to readers.

Clifton writes:

“Drollinger’s Capitol Ministries is hardly an upstart or small operation. Its website says, “Capitol Ministries plants and develops biblical ministries of evangelism and discipleship to Public Servants,” and boasts of “200 ministries in 200 countries,” “10,000 ministries in 33,000 cities,” “50 ministries in 50 states,” and “3 ministries in 3 branches.” 

This is false.

As is made clear in stories on the Capitol Ministries website, these objectives have not been achieved.

Capitol Ministries’ long-range goals are to establish 200 ministries in 200 countries; 10,000 ministries in 33,000 cities; and 50 ministries in 50 states; and 3 ministries in 3 branches of government.

Regarding these points made by Clifton:

“Capitol Ministries plants and develops biblical ministries of evangelism and discipleship to Public Servants,”

“The group’s strategy: “to reach Public Servants for Christ at every stop along their career paths, beginning with their first local elected or appointed positions and following as they ascend to higher office.”

This is correct.

Perhaps most hypocritical about LobeLog is their policy that restricts comment on their website.

While LobeLog liberally and freely criticizes, mischaracterizes, misrepresents, and presents falsehoods about others, they censor, silence, and prevent anyone from criticizing them. This policy is posted on their comment section:

“ALL COMMENTS ARE MODERATED. COMMENTS WITH LINKS WILL NOT BE PUBLISHED.”