At first glance, the Hal Lindsey website appears to be a news site. Apart from its title as “The Hal Lindsey Report”, the sleek appearance and layout puts it on the level of major news outlets, like the New York Times or BBC. There are numerous links to stories about current events, especially regarding Iran, nuclear deals, and Obama. There is even a designated area for Breaking News. However, once you start reading the story headlines and the news sources, the Christian slant becomes very obvious. “New Fern Discovery Pokes Holes In Evolutionary Theory” and “Muslims Have Infiltrated Washington DC” are just two of the several stories that are obviously geared toward those who share Hal Lindsey’s beliefs. Their source website, Christian Headlines, again demonstrates the Christian focus. Interestingly, though, the website provides links to news stories that are from mainstream sources like Reuters and the Boston Herald that are not intrinsically Christian. They appear to be selected as examples of current geopolitical events that either largely support Hal Lindsey’s and his followers’ views, or illustrate examples of evils in the world. At the top of the home page, there are multiple links that lead to other pages of the website. Under the one called “Links” the site lists numerous outside news sources, which, again, lists Christian based sites along with non-religious ones.
In the middle of the home page, the video of Hal Lindsey’s most recent report occupies the majority of the space, easily available for quick access. I only watched about 5 minutes of the February 27 report. Hal Lindsey delivers his interpretation of current events like an anchor, sitting behind a desk with a Mac tablet, sheets of paper, and what is likely a copy of the Bible. In the first 5 minutes of the video, Lindsey discusses global climate change, and attacks agencies, such as NASA, for deliberately providing false information and hiding the truth from the public. According to Lindsey, the agencies are promoting propaganda, not science. Following the first segment, a disembodied male voice announces that viewers can financially support The Hal Lindsey Report by calling 1-888-RAPTURE.
The video archives go back to 2009, offering free viewing of all his reports. The older videos are much shorter and show him much less like an anchor and more like a casual speaker. The website also hosts an online store offering opportunities to purchase DVDs, CDs, and apparel. Options for donating, subscribing to the newsletter, or submitting prayer and praise requests can also be found in the store.
I had a difficultly taking Hal Lindsey’s website seriously, due to its specific agenda being presented like a news outlet. In her article, Brasher discussed popularizing and marketing the end. I definitely identified such instances on Hal Lindsey’s website. The online store selling DVDs and CDs of Lindsey’s teachings could be interpreted as spreading his Christian ideas, but the undertone of monetarily profiting off religion was certainly present. Additionally, the commercial-like tone of the video segment announcing the toll free donation number did not make my impression any better. Hal Lindsey is popular with many people who truly believe in what he has to say, but I could not get beyond the sense of commercialization on his website.