Does the media hate Christians?

[Lostviking]

Does the media hate Christians?



After Fox News' Brit Hume came under harsh media criticism for suggesting that sex scandal-plagued Tiger Woods should convert from Buddhism to Christianity to find forgiveness, evangelical groups are accusing newspaper and TV commentators of being anti-Christian. But some religious scholars say evangelicals should ask themselves whether the bad press is just payback for their own "pious criticism" of others. Does the media hate Christians — or have evangelicals provoked hatred?

Stop whining — U.S. Christians aren't persecuted: There are plenty of "horror stories" about Christians who really are persecuted, says Martin Marty in The Washington Post. Churches bombed in Malaysia; Coptic Christians shot in Egypt; Christians killed in some provinces of India. But Christians in the U.S. can pray freely, in private or in public, so they should stop whining; it doesn't help the cause of people who really are persecuted.
"Christians are being persecuted, but not here"

Of course the media is hostile to Christianity: The "firestorm" over Brit Hume's remarks came as no surprise, says the Christian Coalition of America. A few years ago nobody would have blinked at Hume's expression of his faith. "Unfortunately, such hatefulness by the left-wing media is now commonplace and is threatening religious freedom in America."
"Media's hostility to Christianity"

The Christian right certainly has a friend in Fox News: One media outlet — Fox News — has no problem with faith bashing, says Simon S. Maloy of Media Matters for America. From the overtly Christian Fox point of view, "other faiths are dangerous, inadequate, or funny." So just look at the debate over Brit Hume's remarks as a "fitting coda to Fox News' annual winter exercise in manufactured outrage...the increasingly ridiculous 'War on Christmas.'"
"Fox News' shameless Christian crusade"

[soup]

That's quality journalism, handing out religious conversion advice. Britt's come a long way from ABC.

[waiting]

Maybe if people who are self righteous and offensive would stop publically affiliating themselves with Christianity, there would be less criticism of it from non-Christians.

[MrSocko]

I just thought it was funny that he made the comment under the assumption that Woods can only be "saved" through the forgiving nature of Christianity. First--convenient! Second--Woods is a Buddhist (apparently, I had no idea but that is what started the whole thing, right?) which puts heavy emphasis purification through moral and wholesome action, and suggests that poor behavior can be redeemed.

The whole thing was, shockingly, blown out of proportion of course. Hume has every right to say what he said and he said it more out of empathy than anything else.

[Lostviking]

Originally Posted by MrSocko

Hume has every right to say what he said and he said it more out of empathy than anything else.

Well, I am not sure the media really does have a 'right' to say what they believe. But there is simply no way to moderate it. Presenting something as "news reporting" should be as free from personal opinion as possible, otherwise its just biased drivel. Which happens to be what much of it is. It is so easy to present just one side to things and convince your audience. It is quite another thing to simply report the news and allow either side to make up its own mind.

This is what got Hume in trouble:

suggesting that sex scandal-plagued Tiger Woods should convert from Buddhism to Christianity to find forgiveness,

I believe what is offensive is the suggestion that christianity is somehow superior when it comes to finding forgiveness. It is a very offensive comment if you don't happen to believe in christianity.

What right does someone, calling themselves a reporter, have to disparage a religion that has over two billion believers?

[MrSocko]

Originally Posted by Lostviking

Well, I am not sure the media really does have a 'right' to say what they believe. But there is simply no way to moderate it. Presenting something as "news reporting" should be as free from personal opinion as possible, otherwise its just biased drivel.

I agree. I guess my perspective on it has always been that it is up to the individual to draw some conclusions on their own. Maybe that just comes from the fact that I didn't begin following the media or their coverage of current events until the whole institution was just various camps that were biased towards their own beliefs and tried their hardest to badmouth everyone else. If that is the case (and it is, as you said) then the burden is on the individual I think. The media really does have the right to say what they want, IMO, and it's because of that that we need to be super smart citizens. Maybe that's just a pipe dream.

I believe what is offensive is the suggestion that christianity is somehow superior when it comes to finding forgiveness. It is a very offensive comment if you don't happen to believe in christianity.

What right does someone, calling themselves a reporter, have to disparage a religion that has over two billion believers?

They're entitled to that opinion and the ability to say it, just as we are entitled to say in response "I'm gonna watch something else." I guess I can sum up in saying: I do think it was a fairly offensive thing to say, if you're the type of person who gets offended by that type of stuff.