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norrie- while there is alot of positive coverage as you noted of christianity in the media- i would venture to guess that you havent seen a positive portrayal of a muslim in...well..ever.

"When religion is covered by the major media, it usually is related to violence, hypocrisy (as in TV evangelists who are adulterers, or stealing from their supporters), or theological excess (as in apocalyptic predictions about the end of the world)."

Well, it's more fun than covering vacuous drivel and attempts to use scripture to justify all sorts fo stuff, much like you do in this series for The Post.

Which brings up the fact that you are being covered by The Post which is part of the major media.

The major media does cover vacuous drivel about religion.

Maurie Beck

Elaine Pagel and Karen King have written an account of the recently discovered Gospel of Judas that suggests that the glorification of persecution among certain Christians goes back to very early times. They argue that the author of that particular (relatively late) gospel was recoiling against church leaders who were vigorously encouraging their followers towards a horrific martyrdom. The modern martyrs like Cal and Chuck Colson are figurative rather than real -- sort of like the wafer in the Eucharist being a representation of the body of Christ. They are to be pitied because they don't get to live in the theocracy for which they yearn.

Cal says:

---When religion is covered by the major media, it usually is related to violence, hypocrisy (as in TV evangelists who are adulterers, or stealing from their supporters), or theological excess (as in apocalyptic predictions about the end of the world).---

Well what subject isn't covered in the same way? But lets not forget that religions give the media so much material of the type you're talking about. Should we start talking about Haggert? People enjoy seeing the high and mighty fall on their faces. Why I do not know, but the media knows it. And people like Haggert made themselves high and mighty maming their fall "newsworthy".

---Changed lives that credit faith in God and selfless service in God's name hardly ever make the news. That is too bad because most of the public understands such things, even while much of the media does not.---

And when on the news do you see anyone's life that changed for the better, for any reason, except winning the lottery? Your question sounds like Bush asking that the news report the good things happening in Iraq. We all know they are happening but who would rather hear abut them in the 30 minutes the news is on and not the destruction? Which would you rather know about? The news media knows and gives the people what they want.

The media is not a good subject to discuss how religion is treated. Everything is stereotyped in the media: blacks, whites, Italians, Muslims, Priests, Rabbis, moms, kids, the mailman, you name it. That's the media including the "news". To expect this nation's media to treat any subject objectively is wishful thinking. Once again Meacham and Quinn asked an irrelevent question.

Hoaxbuster.com is a joke and not even a very good one. Anyone who thinks that site disproves the Bible probably knows even less about the Bible than it's creators

Maurie Beck, you've quite correctly "nailed" Cal to his cross...

Roy, I couldn't have said it better myself...

Cal, what is there left to say that others haven't already said so eloquently before me? Nothing, unless perhaps it's this: Cal, thy self-righteous name is hypocrite...

Cal Thomas certainly is doing his level best to perpetuate every one of the stereotypes he complains about.

Hello my Fellow Americans, LIBERATOR of MANKIND still living in ancient minds, not time.

“G-d Bless UNITED States of America & FRIENDS!

(((( DOWN WITH IRAN's Rule By THEOCRACY ))))

(((((((((((( DOWN W/ SAUDI Style MONARCHY ))))))))))

((( Reward for MAHMOUD Ahmadinejad's TONGUE )))

(( DOWN WITH PERSIA's GOV. by THEOCRACY ))

USE YOUR ((( H.U.E.R.I.S.T.I.C.S ))) NOT RELIGION

(-: (((((( VOTE FOR SECULAR THINKING MINDS )))))) :-)

Greetings Brothers and Sisters in Cyberspace & Beyond:

Today is UINIVERSAL YEAR CICA, 4-Billion.98-Million.Wed.March.28.2007. Short hand UYC.4B.98M.2007.28,03.

ON: Scientology & Going under:
MOST of the PSYCHOLOGISTS & PSYCHOTRISTS & Freudian & Jung fiens are PRO-RELIGIOUS or PRE-Apocalyptic "CooCoo" or "Copa Cabana" So to speak. Yes, That is way they will label you "PSYCHOTIC" and or "Dysfunctional" or even "Dangerous" if you give them a out of this [Truth] World philosophy or vision. If you hear voices in your head then it is best to "Check-In" and yes, get examined. But:
DIANETICS: Like "NOVELIST" MOSSES, JESUS, MOHAMAD et, novelist Lafayette, RONNY, HUBBARD et al, preach a "Psychiatric" type of brain washing that includes, guess what, you guessed it, MORALITY.
And upon close examination and by using the ECLATi On technique of the INSIGHT & PATTERN RECOGNITION and of the FREUDIAN SLIPS OF GENUINE Prophecy's running rampant in Hubburds "Dianetics" Does show me and others how stupid and mixed up in their mind and GOING CLEAR" it all really is.
Ronny Hubbs "TIME-TRACK" or "PRE-NATAL" reversing or remembering oneself form UTERO is a nut cases attempt to make you see yourself as if out side of your body seeing yourself.
This is a Mental "Manipulation of the Psych: and NOT (NDE) or Near Death Experience. i think a NDE is the ultimate human experience. especially when I had TWO (2) of them both in my pre-teens. Ya Ta.
So better give me your money Mr. Tom Cruise et at.. singer Madonna too (Lover of Secret Mysticism). SCIENTOLOGIST's are like Vultures waiting for a well-off but-confused “Sucker(s)” like you. I went under ground with them. And they indeed operate like those Purse/Wallet gold digging “GYPSYS” who read ones palms and sucker you in via naiveness. Thats how they operate. Ya Ya.

Believe & trust in your vibrations & Heuristics AND YOU WILL SURELY FIND the ECLATi in You & things too. This is a high in ITSEL and IT is all truly FREEY. Ya.

So, Ronny Hubbard and his SCIENTOLOGY is another classic case of "Market Share" grabbing or in search of that "SUCKER," that is said is, born every minute of the day.
Even Albert Einstein knew Hubbard et al were "MISHIGINNA" “crazy” or stupid like. Ya Ya. :-)

Tonio, I was being sacrastic. I agree with what you posted.

And the "religious" don't stereotype? How about the stereotype that all gays are pedophiles or the Catholic stereotype that divorced people are all sinners. Or the Mormon stereotype that non-members don't all have standards acceptable to God. Religion invented stereotypes - they are part of the guilt, control and manipulation.

BGone, I don't understand your point about "crackpots." I wasn't trying to defend the mavericks. I was repeating Achenbach's argument that the mavericks come across as heroes in the press, regardless of the scientific validity of their claims.

Like any good Christian, Cal follows the persecution narrative that justifies outrageous beliefs and informes the worldview of many Christians.

I suppose a crack about Our Correspondent being a self-hating journalist would be in poor taste.

On any topic -- science, religion, politics, the weather, history or hemlines -- the mass-market media is subject to charges of simplification, oversimplification, lack of depth and the such.

That's because of the great pitfall of trying to reach a mass-market -- writing about things and writing in a way that would tend to appeal to the largest number of people.

For this he indulges in stereotype and hypocrisy. His post lacks depth -- he doesn't give detail the scads of studies that prove that "media people" are, as he hints with euphemism, atheists.

These are easy shots for Thomas to make. He knows the mass-market formula tends to the light once-over. He knows that since the invention of the printing press, specialty publications have done the heavy intellectual lifting and mass-markets have done an uneven job summarizing the most widely relevant stuff.

But, I am really puzzled by one of his last comments -- it seems as if he doesn't understand the essential truth of Christianity.

He wrote that the media usually reports "theological excess (as in apocalyptic predictions about the end of the world)."

Christ was an apocalyptic prophet and he founded an apocalyptic religion. The entire form and focus of Christianity is preparation for the end of physical life, on a personal level, and the the reign of God's kingdom here on earth, on a global scale. I know that Thomas here is talking about the false TV prophets who claim, against scripture, to know the hour and manner of the end, but is there something deeper to this objection of his?

Norrie, that terror is one way. They're equally un-terrorified of reporting on religion without question.

Matthews, CNBC "Hardball" plays religious hardball with the other team not there and not invited, not allowed to attend the game even. He never tires of mentioning his Catholic education and how it has helped him.

NBC's "Meet the Press" Russert mentioned how what his nun teacher told him about "always telling the turth" after his Scooter Libby testamony. I'm sure the judge was thrilled to find at least one truthful person in his/her court room. Scoot must not be religious, huh?

Tonio, don't defent crackpots. Crackpot: what Colombus was when he sailed west to get east. If crackpots are mentioned be sure to "spin" it, make them look more cracked than reality.

Mr Cal Thomas, you know the Bible is bogus. I'm left to expect the evidence is a little too convincing to be "spun." http://www.hoax-buster.org is still on the air as of this AM.

I'd never thought I'd say this, but Cal is correct with his next-to-last paragraph.

I hasten to add that Cal is wrong about "deliberate ignorance" and "bigotry." Look at the larger picture - the news media focuses on conflict and controversy instead of consensus. That's especially bad in television news because the medium encourages a lack of depth in coverage. It's easy for reporters to quote the latest hateful outburst by Pat Robertson than question whether Robertson really speaks for the majority of Christians.

Joel Achenbach makes the same criticism of science reporting - often reporters focus on mavericks who have little credibility, ignoring the consensus in the particular scientific field. They treat the mavericks as little guys being pushed around by the big guys, equating their situations with citizens being screwed by powerful corporations or heartless bureaucrats.

The problem with media reporting of religion is that the reporters and commentators are terrified of retribution from a multitude of sources if they do anything but give glowingly favorable, or at least respectful, coverage of religious figures and organizations.

This is true no matter how intolerant, discriminatory, overbearing, cruel, stupid, fanciful, politically motivated,or insane the religious figure, institution, or activity is.

The result is that usually the only thing that comes out of religious reporting is favorable P.R. for the religion.

It takes something of the magnitude of the Massachusetts priest scandal to produce objective reporting.