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Award winning journalist Gary Baumgarten hosts the Newstalk show on Paltalk.com. He asks critical questions, and invites people from all around the world to talk directly to his newsmaker guests using Paltalk's voice over IP technology.

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It's not uncommon to hear people say that Islam has been "hijacked" by terrorists who use that religion as an excuse to commit their heinous crimes on humanity. Now a new book claims that Christianity has been likewise misrepresented by people advancing their their political agenda. Robert McElvaine, who wrote the book Grand Theft Jesus: The Highjacking of Religion In America, will be my guest on News Talk Online on Paltalk.com Tuesday April 15. Grand Theft Jesus exposes the televangelists and the leaders of mega churches as the people Jesus warned us about ? the wolves in sheep?s clothing of our day. McElvaine calls their version of religion ChristianityLite because, he argues, it resembles schemes that promise ?lose weight without diet or exercise!? McElvaine argues that a crew of politicians, mega church preachers, televangelists, hypocrites, and snake-oil salesmen has hijacked true Christianity and distorted it into something Jesus wouldn?t recognize. Its leaders, he says, have taken the generous and loving ideals of Christ and twisted them into a religion that advocates war and intolerance, values money above charity, preaches hatred instead of brotherhood, and promises ?true? believers the keys to the gates of the kingdom of God. Jesus? radical message of love and peace, he says, has been drowned out by the bluster, the hate, and the selfishness that often passes for Christianity in America.

Robert McElvaine, author of Grand Theft Jesus, a book about the "hijacking" of Christianity put forth an interesting case about how many people claim to be Christians in order to put forth their own political or personal agendas. But, during his interview on News Talk Online on Paltalk.com he aruged, they really aren't following the true teachings of Jesus. It reminds me of the old Yiddish theater bit. The son buys a yacht and invites his parents on board. "So Papa," he says to his father. "Look at me. A regular captain." To which the father replies, "Son. to me you're a captain. To you you're a captain. And to your mother, you're a captain. But to a captain, you're no captain!" The discussion during the show indicates that many people have their own view of Christianity. Maybe we should leave it at this. Whatever a person's personal faith beliefs is just that. Personal. And nobody else's business. To McElvaine's larger point: if you really want to follow the teachings of Christ, (or any other religious leader for that matter), study what he had to say first. You may find that your perceptions don't necessarily always match the reality.