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2 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Home News Latest Stories Week-long lane closure coming to Tenth Street 10 things to know for Tuesday Funds sought to upgrade youth prison 10 things to know for Monday Medford's second-hand law gets a second look Crime, Courts and Emergency Services Emergency Services, Feb. 24 Man critically burned in trailer fire Medford neighbors take up arms against a sea of graffiti Emergency Services, Feb. 23 Car crashes into new south Medford home Politics and Elections Ballots on Jackson County marijuana tax go out Friday Brown's inauguration brings hope to local lawmakers Kate Brown sworn in as Oregon's 38th governor Gov. Kitzhaber steps down, federal investigation begins Gov. Kitzhaber announces resignation Education Medford, Ashland districts fall short of anti-bullying standards Grace to assume school governance AHS principal up for national award Today is exclusion day for kids who don't have required vaccines A question of punishment Environment Lost Creek Lake logjam could become hazard for boaters Made in the Shade Controlled burn planned for Ashland watershed on Friday Coho salmon road trip Mt. 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Our view: Expulsions hurt students, district, community Letters to the Editor Letters to the Editor, Feb. 24 Feb. 23: Letters to the editor Feb. 22: Letters to the editor Feb. 20: Letters to the editor Feb. 19: Letters to the editor Columns Guest Opinion: Bill would shore up legal aid funding Parker: Cable news twists the 'war on Islam' Independent Party focuses on the public interest Milbank: Walker's cowardice on view in NY Will: Tweet this: Digital dialogue won't work Guest Opinions Guest Opinion: Bill would shore up legal aid funding Guest Opinion: Weed killers should not be sprayed on streams, homes Guest Opinion: Understanding Wes Cooley Guest Opinion: Smokers: Quit before this happens to you Guest Opinion: Our public school system is a stew pot of clashing ingredients Lifestyle Latest stories Community blog: Clean anything with lemons, baking soda, vinegar Wry & Ginger: Nobody nose sternutation consternation Donna Knight: Going through priceless memories Shayne Looper: Whoever exalts himself will be humbled Dr. Elaine Heffner: Oscars and reality Food Community blog: Clean anything with lemons, baking soda, vinegar Food for Thought: Feed your creativity with Havarti Kitchen Call: Baseball, beans and Bob Motley Gail Ciampa: Scrod Francaise fits the bill for Lenten dining Restaurant Inspections: Sunday, Feb. 22, 2015 Home and Garden Home Help: Low-maintenance landscaping ideas Garden Cameos: Winter is the time to prune How to install energy-efficient windows the right way Dear Monty: Nine downsizing tips for seniors Carol Link: Prime time for pruning blueberries approaches Health Community blog: And if I Die Before I Wake Dr. Murray Feingold: Does a sedentary lifestyle make you prone to disease? Dr. Jeff Hersh: Breathe easy - all about lung function Health Watch: Health improvements you can make today that will pay off for a lifetime Runners’ Corner: Helpful winter running hints Hiking Biking Faith Religion briefs: Friday, Feb. 20 Religion News: Pope makes surprise shantytown visit Religion briefs: Friday, Feb. 13 RELIGION BRIEFS, Feb. 6 Religion News: Church of England consecrates first female bishop Milestones and Achievements Anniversary: Hofer New arrivals: Sunday, Feb. 8 Columnist for a Day Rogue Healthy Aging Tempo Latest stories SOU presents 'She Stoops to Conquer' Live Music in Local Clubs OSF kicks off its 2015 season SOU presents 'The Glass Menagerie' Third Fridays showcases local artists Theater SOU presents 'She Stoops to Conquer' 'The Glass Menagerie' is polished and professional OSF kicks off its 2015 season SOU presents 'The Glass Menagerie' Le Cirque presents 'City Walk' Music Professor Gall plays Oberon's Tavern Live Music in Local Clubs The music that made Paris famous Blues Jam at The Little Brown Jug Southern Oregon Jazz Orchestra Community Events Third Fridays showcases local artists Southern Oregon Rod and Custom Show Ashland's First Friday Art Walk showcases new exhibits by regional artists Jacksonville celebrates Chinese New Year Comedian Susan Westenhoefer pulls no punches Dining Restaurant Inspections: Sunday, Feb. 22, 2015 Saigon Xich Lo Vietnamese cuisine The zwickels shall flow Soo Rah Korean Cuisine Stylish shareables are the feature at Brickroom Tempo Videos Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » Obits Blogs TV Listings Movie Listings Oregon Outdoors Oregon Healthy Living Magazines/Special Sections Business Services NEWS NOW Our View: Homeless food proposal is the best solution yet ... Guest Opinion: Bill would shore up legal aid funding ... Medford's second-hand law gets a second look ... Our View: Homeless food proposal is the best solution yet ... Guest Opinion: Bill would shore up legal aid funding ... Medford's second-hand law gets a second look ... Shayne Looper: Whoever exalts himself will be humbled Comment MailTribune.com Writer Posted Feb. 24, 2015 at 6:56 AM Posted Feb. 24, 2015 at 6:56 AM » Social News By Shayne Looper More Content Now  NBC anchor Brian Williams stopped reporting the news and became the news after several soldiers contradicted his sensational account of a 2003 trip to Iraq in which, he says, the helicopter he was in was hit by a rocket-propelled grenade. The way Williams remembers it, the chopper was forced to make an emergency landing, and he and the crew had to be rescued from the enemy by U.S. troops. Not so, say the soldiers who were with him. The chopper was never fired on. The whole account is fictitious. Williams’s fellow-journalists are confused about why the veteran reporter would make up such a story. Some are coming to his defense, supporting his claim that he “misremembered” the event, but most are simply at a loss to explain it. But Williams is not the only one making up stories. Bookstores around the country are pulling the book “The Boy Who Came Back from Heaven,” about 6-year-old Alex Malarkey, who claimed to have seen angels and met Jesus during the two months he was comatose following a car-accident. Malarkey, now 16, has admitted to making the story up. The book, which reached the New York Times bestseller list in 2011, was promoted by the publisher as “…the true story of an ordinary boy’s most extraordinary journey. As you see heaven and earth through Alex’s eyes, you’ll come away with new insights on miracles, life beyond this world, and the power of a father’s love.” Alex, who co-wrote the book with his father, now says that he made the whole thing up. “I did not die. I did not go to Heaven. I said I went to heaven because I thought it would get me attention.” He goes on to castigate the people who have made considerable money from the sale of his book. “People have profited from lies, and continue to … Those who market these materials must be called to repent and hold the Bible as enough.” Remarkably, Alex’s mother has been saying the same thing since at least 2012, but no one would listen to her. She contacted major booksellers, telling them that Alex had recanted his story, but she was ignored. How is it that a Christian publisher whose mission is to “minister to the spiritual needs of people, primarily through literature consistent with biblical principles” failed to pay attention to the warning signs? And why did major Christian retail outlets ignore Alex’s mother’s claim that the story was false? One wonders whether the Christian publishing industry has fallen victim to its own success. Most of the Christian publishing houses and the booksellers who market their product were founded to serve the larger Church in communicating the good news of Christ to a wider audience. Have business plans somehow displaced mission goals? Has their model of success been reshaped in the mold of their secular counterparts? Has the focus shifted away from spiritual impact to issues of retail strategy and market share? It has recently come to light that Christian authors (or their publishers) have been buying their way onto the New York Times Bestseller list by hiring marketing firms to purchase their books in bulk – enough books to earn a listing and thereby attract publicity. Some authors have defended the practice as a common sense marketing tool. Others have called it manipulative. The fact that authors are defending the practice is itself a caution against the seductive power of success. It is also a reminder of one of Jesus’s most memorable teachings. After advising people against self-promotion, Jesus bluntly warned: “For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.” He was right, as always.   Shayne Looper is the pastor of Lockwood Community Church in Branch County, Michigan. Read more at shaynelooper.com. 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