My God, our media simply do.not.know how to report on religion, esp. Wright

[Rabrrrrrr]

I'm watching NBC morning show, and the talking heads are talking about Wright (again... :eyes:) and they have no idea what they're doing. They're using shitloads of loaded words - "distance himself from" and Obama "claims" to be different and Obama "needs to speak about" and, God, I can't go on. It's so fucking maddening!!!!!

Why are they making such a huge case out of this?

And yet, when the rightwing politicians pastors (and even the politicians) say shit like "We need to support Israel because the final world war that will destroy everything can't happen unless Israel exists", no one bats a fucking eye. Or when they say shit like "Jesus sanctions torture" no one bats an eye. Or when they say shit like "Katrina was God's punishment for gays", they bat an eye for a day and then never mention it again.

I mean, seriously, if anyone wants a candidate's pastor who says batshit unamerican, unchristian, evil horrible things, go to Hagee.

But the media think that the rightwingers are the "real" Christians, because the media, 30 years ago, dumbed itself down and stopped thinking and forgot how to talk about and report on and think religiously. And so, even though Wright's legitimacy as a properly trained and vetted Christian theologian and thinker is lightyears beyond any of the uneducated ignorant jackasses on the right, the media doesn't know that, and they don't care to bother to actually go find out.

Fucking disgusting.

I'm so angry.

This is precisely why I don't watch the news, but I thought today, since I've not watched it in so long, I'd watch a morning show and sort of catch up on what's happening.

:argh: :mad: :rant: :nuke:

[DarkTirade]

1. TV news is becoming increasingly irrelevant...

unfortunately it's the easiest for most people to access, so it's still popular among people who don't know where else to look for their news.

[TZ]

2. The media are idiots on a lot of things...

I personally find their science reporting particuarly idiotic...You know how they have to show "all points of view" when scientifically there is only one valid theory (using the "debate" about evolution and creationism as an example)

[Rabrrrrrr]

3. Yes, that's pretty awful, too.

The only thing they seem to do a good job with is sports, and probably that's only because you don't need any brains to report on scores and shit.

The science reporting is all "Shucks and gee, golly, that thar is stuff nobody could ever understand so we'll just report it like it's a whole 'nother world or sumpin' and keep up the illusion that scientists are trying to take over the world from we little dumb folk"

But then, the media thrive on fear.

It's funny how in Hearst's time that kind of journalism received a derisive name of "yellow journalism". Now it's de rigueur, and factual unbiased reporting is considered "liberal and elitist".

[rockymountaindem]

6. Not only show both points of view, but put them on an equal footing

I read in James Carville's book (I know, I know) that when George Bush unveiled his tax cut scheme in 2001, over 400 economists (including 11 Nobel Prize winners) signed a statement saying they were a bad idea. In response, the White House found 14 economists to say that they were a great plan. The result, all the headlines read "Economists divided on tax plan".

That's like saying a football team "barely lost" 68-3.

[MonkeyFunk]

4. Hagee isn't McCain's pastor

It's silly to think that this wouldn't be covered.

[regularguy]

5. What's driving me crazy about this controversy,

is that - if I recall the old testement correctly - is that the prophets tended to on and on about how the Israelites (both the people and the leaders) were not acting in a righteous way. I thought that's part of what religious leaders were supposed to do. The difference here being , I guess, that Jesus doesn't take kindly to critisism of 'Murca and in any event scary black men aren't allowed to comment on the country as a whole. I tell ya, it's maddening!

[Rabrrrrrr]

7. Yep - can't criticize American policies, but can criticize for America for letting gay people live.

As long the criticism toward the country is directed at a specific (or even broad) demographic of people, that's fine.

But criticizing the country for its policies - unless it's to criticize the policies that allow that demographic to live - is wrong.

And you are spot on about the Old Testament prophets - Wright is saying NOTHING different than they did, and is saying it precisely as they did; except that Wright is actually toned down in comparison.

Funny how the Old Testament-obsessed Jesus Crispies can't see that.

[Brigid]

13. This is exactly what the prophets did.

Check out any of them for further details. My personal favorite is Amos. The thing I find most intriguing about them is that they didn't spend a whole lot of time talking about the kinds of "wedge" issues we talk about today, like homosexuality. but they spent a whole lot of time talking about how we treat one another and about social justice.

[Rabrrrrrr]

20. Spot on! Not one fucking word about homosexuality, abortion, communism, or patriotism.

It's all about taking care of the widows, the orphans, and the poor; and not abusing clerical power and political power for self-gain; not mistreating foreigners ("For you were once foreigners in a foreign land and slaves, therefore, you are not to mistreat any foreigner or any slave"); and not waging illegitimate wars; and not worshiping other gods.

All condemnation against Israel which the prophets spoke - and they spoke a lot of it! - was all for the above reasons.

Which are the same things that Wright is talking about.

[Ellen Forradalom]

8. It's precisely because Wright

is properly trained and vetted Christian theologian and thinker that they feel so threatened by him. He's speaking truth to power and THEY HATE THAT.

[Brigid]

14. Some in white America . . .

have no idea where Wright is coming from. It is true that Wright is a narcissist who is milking this controversy for all it's worth, but it's also true that rantings like his have traction in the black community for a reason. The tragedy of the syphilis experiments of the 1930s, for example, is a known historical fact. From their standpoint, then, is the idea of HIV being deliberately introduced into the black community really so outlandish?

[Ellen Forradalom]

16. Anyone's point of view must be taken in context

If an idea strikes you as crazy, yet it has traction amongst a group of people, you need to dig for the reason why.

[zanne]

9. I think we can keep our powder dry with Hagee...

If this crap comes up during the general election campaign, we have many Hagee video clips to use in DNC ads. Even Republicans are sick of seeing Rev. Wright videos!

[zippy890]

10. check out this wonkette comment

http://wonkette.com/385014/aww-jeremiah-wright-isnt-doing-whatever-barry-asks-him-to-do-what-a-jerk#c5421053

"Ach -- all religion is politics. Kurt Vonnegut said there are two classes in America -- winners and losers. Each class has their own Jesus, and the Joel Osteens and Dubyas of this world worship Winner Jesus. Jeremiah Wright worships Loser Jesus -- the H.L. Mencken, Ralph Nader, Harriet Tubman Jesus who cries out at injustice.

Winner Jesus, crafted by and for the winners, wants everyone to shut up, work hard and tithe.

The goal of the winners is to make the Losers worship Winner Jesus so they'll stop complaining and wanting change. The more losers they get to worship Winner Jesus, the better off they'll be.

Obama is that rare creature -- a winner who worships Loser Jesus. But he's run into the Country Club Gate Conundrum -- the Winners won't let you keep worshipping Loser Jesus -- Loser Jesus is mean, and says we get what we deserve when we're mean and bad things happen to us. Winners don't want to hear that crap. Winners only want to hear they got what they deserved when they buy a huge house or their girlfriend gets implants......"

pretty insightful

edited to add- except the ralph nader part

[Lydia Leftcoast]

11. Great comment

:-)

[Brigid]

12. This is the one issue on which the religious right seems to be . . .l

well, right. I used to think they were just being insular and closed-minded when they said that reporters have no understanding of religion at all. I first started realizing that they were right about that not too long ago when Christiana Amanpour did a seriesfor CNN called "God's Warriors." Half the time she didn't seem to have a clue what she was talking about -- rare for her.

Part of the problem is that mainline churches have been woefully inadequate when it comes to providing religious education. I recently became a confirmed Catholic, and I know more than some who have been Catholic all their lives. I went through RCIA (Rite of Christan Initiation of Adults), but actually learned more on my own before I ever got there. And did you know that about 40% of evangelical Christians can't even name the four gospels? And that some even enter seminary that way? I learned that in Sunday school 40 years ago.

I believe that any education, without at least a basic understanding of the world's religions, is lacking. Religion, after all, has had more than a little to do with the shape the world is in right now.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

19. There's a lot of ignorance going around

I never was a fundamentalist--wasn't raised that way, even as a preacher's kid--but I don't see how anyone can be a Biblical literalist if they read all of Genesis at one sitting, as we had to for the Episcopal church-sponsored course I took.

They'd have to notice that it's full of fragments that go nowhere and that there are TWO creation stories and two flood stories.

But you're right, Brigid, the mainline denominations have fallen down on religious education in recent years. When I was a young Lutheran, we had two years of weekly confirmation classes, a year of Bible and a year of church history, plus we had to memorize Luther's Small Catechism. Yes, I said "memorize."

Especially when I lived in secularized Oregon, I had to laugh at some of the general ignorance.

"You mean that churches are open on Thanksgiving?"

Or, when I went into a bakery to ask if they had hot cross buns, the bakery clerk said, "No, Passover was last week."

People can believe or not, whichever way they're inclined, but there's no excuse for such ignorance, such as why a roll decorated with a cross would not be a Passover food.

[KG]

15. wright is a black man speaking out. explains it all. even the venom towards him on DU.

there are plenty of racists on DU, yes INDEED!

[kwassa]

17. Someone else made the great point that when the Pope visited ..

the media respectfully got experts on Catholicism, including priests, to do commentary.

Wright was accorded no such treatment. The commentary on him came from people who know nothing about him, his church, or his theology, mostly white right-wingers who've never been even close to a black church.

[Rabrrrrrr]

21. I hadn't noticed that, but you're right - the media wouldn't dare criticize the Pope.

Because the Catholic Church has a lot of power.

The black church, they know, doesn't have much power; the mainline churches also, they know, don't have much power. The media also know that neither of those are likely to retaliate or throw a fit, anyway, even if they had the power to do so.

[sammythecat]

18. You are so right and it is infuriating.

If there was a rumor going around that one candidate is really a Klingon sent here as a Trojan Horse, Larry King would host a discussion featuring an astronomer, a doctor, Rod Parsley, Art Bell, Marilu Henner, and a "prominent" psychic. :banghead:

Honest to God, aside from my own observation, why in the world do I know who wears a lapel flag and who doesn't? If the news media did it's job, I'd have no fucking idea at all. And I wouldn't be wondering about it either.
:grr: