In the Middle East, the Israelis know that they are a peace-loving people and that the Palestinians are terrorists. Talk to a Palestinian and you'll hear that it's the Israelis who are the terrorists. Palestinians are angry at the United States because they believe this country unfairly favors the Israelis. And many U.S. citizens can't understand why much of Europe is so biased in favor of the Palestinians.

Of course, bias—supporting one viewpoint over another—isn't limited to the Middle East. It seems to pervade just about everything.

Television programs provide clear examples of producer bias. The latest fall programming reveals a bias for homosexuality and premarital sex. And the bias isn't limited to the sitcoms. Even the news programs put their own spin on the news. Ironically, the three major networks—ABC, CBS, and NBC—like to think of themselves as unbiased in their coverage and that they cover every story fairly. But a large percentage of Americans think otherwise. Perhaps that is why during the war in Iraq many Americans turned to FOX for news on the war. They simply didn't trust the three major networks that are widely recognized as decidedly liberal in their bias.

One of the latest observations about these same three networks is that they focus more on reporting the ongoing deaths of American soldiers remaining in Iraq than on the progress being made as utilities and governmental infrastructures are rebuilt. Conservative thinking assumes that because liberals hate war and the present administration, they will try to shape public opinion by turning Iraq into another Vietnam. Liberal television producers respond that they don't make the news—they only report it. What they don't acknowledge is that they decide which news to report and how much prominence to give each story, if any. Operating in accordance with their biases, they think they are doing a good job.

Radio is another case in point. National Public Radio (NPR) clearly promotes the liberal agenda while Rush Limbaugh and Dr. Laura Schlessinger clearly represent the political right. In some cases, the hosts clearly state their biases and tell you where they stand. Other programs, such as those on NPR, don't tell you their bias overtly. You have to listen for the sarcasm and little digs at other positions to determine their slant. And no matter which side you listen to, you will hear it presented as the most logical, intelligent and valid view—and anyone who holds an opposing view is obviously an ignorant radical!

While freedom of speech in the United States is supposed to be protected via the First Amendment to the Constitution, those with political bias now attempt to silence competing views. Many college and university campuses, long presumed to be the bastions of free speech, have become very selective in what kinds of speech they allow. It seems that the public is expected to tolerate immorality, vulgar speech and contempt for our country in the name of freedom of speech. But make a statement in support of God or the Bible and you are considered by many to be a dangerous, religious bigot who needs to be silenced.

Does all this sound far-fetched? Consider the September 17, 2003, article headline on World Net Daily that read: "'Bible as hate speech' bill nearing vote: With U.S. watching, Canada set to criminalize 'anti-gay' expression."

As the article reported, "opponents fear if the bill becomes law, the Bible will be deemed 'hate literature' under the criminal code in certain instances, as evidenced by the case of a Saskatchewan man fined by a provincial human-rights tribunal for taking out a newspaper ad with Scripture references to verses about homosexuality." Note that the man's ad didn't quote Scripture. It simply referred to several Bible verses, and the man was fined for hate speech!

A recent report on young people's attitudes toward politics showed than many U.S. youth aren't interested in voting. Of course it's not just youth that refrain from voting. Many adults also forego this right. Could all the contention be one of the reasons so many are turned off by politics?

So now for the question: What's your bias?

Now, don't deny being biased. I'm biased. You're biased. Everyone is biased because we all have opinions, feelings and points of view. For that matter, even God is biased. And thankfully, He continues to act in accordance to His character and plan for human beings.

As for my bias, I'm trying to adopt God's point of view. I'm trying to make His perspective mine. That's why I'm going to be observing the Feast of Tabernacles and Last Great Day, October 11-18 (Leviticus 23:34-36; John 7:14, 37). I'm looking forward to setting aside human bias for godly bias. I need to focus on how the coming Kingdom of God will provide a society based on compassion, fair laws and opportunities for success for all.

If you'd like to have a refreshing look at the coming Kingdom of God represented by these biblical festivals, request our free booklets God's Holy Day Plan: The Promise of Hope for All Mankind and The Gospel of the Kingdom.