Instead of thinking the media is religiously bias, could it be the media is religiously illiterate?

Question

The reporting of the Pope's statement on Limbo makes me think that. I know several years ago we had an article in the religious section of our paper calling celibacy a doctrine of the church. The religious editor stood by the comment. Celibacy is not a doctrine of the church but a discipline. Being a religious editor someone said he should have known that whether he was Catholic or not.
How about comments on other faiths. Have you noticed lack of knowledge by the media on your faith

Answer 1

I think that most Americans are religiously illiterate, not just the media. That is the premise of Stephen Prothero's book, _Religious Literacy: What Every American Needs to Know--And Doesn't_. I saw him on the Daily Show with John Stewart, and it was a very interesting interview.

Here's the link to the reviews on Amazon.com, I'll spare you the cutting and pasting;

http://www.amazon.com/Religious-Literacy-American-Know-Doesnt/dp/0060846704/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/102-2308345-3816120?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1177253085&sr=8-1

Answer 2

As a long-time member of a controversial "new religion", Unificationism, I have seen an incredible amount of biased and negative reporting on my faith. This negative reporting has been full of damaging misconceptions and outright lies from self-proclaimed "experts" about our movement.

I do believe that the press is largely illiterate when it comes to stories relating to religion, particularly controversial new religious movements. These issues are not easy to report on accurately and fairly. It is rare that a reporter makes the effort to really understand the nature of the religious questions rased by events in the news. The problem is that it is easier to recycle old news whenever a new story breaks and the old rumors and gossip are spread around again and again.

For example, negative stories about our movement from the early days of the '70s are still being recycled, even though the character and lifestyle of our membership has drastically changed in the past 30 years.

In those days we were mostly single and celibate, living together communally, selling flowers and candy to support our ministries. Now most of our members are married professionals, homeowners, with kids in college. Some of us are new grandparents. We work as teachers, accountants, social workers, business owners and even politicians. We worship in regular church buildings and private homes. Our ministries are supported by member tithes and donations.

The negative rumors have largely died out, but we still cringe when some "cult" story surfaces in the media, because the usual suspects, self-proclaimed "cult experts" and ex-members from the '70s trot out the same old tired stories of Moonie brainwashing. Those stories were ridiculous the first time around, but people still believe them.

What really disturbs me though, is that other religious people are so quick to believe the worst about us from these false reports in the media. Pastors and other religious leaders get their information on our church from the media, not even questioning the possibility of bias or bigotry.

If you wanted to know the truth about Jesus, would you ask Judas, Pilate or Herod? Not hardly. If you wanted the truth about the Jewish faith would you ask a Nazi? Never! So don't get your facts about new religions from the media!

Answer 3

Men spend a lifetime studying the intricacy of just one religion or even just one religious writing and still do not understand it completely. Though I don't agree with the term illiterate, I would say uninformed. Our problem is that we are bombarded with the format of 24 hour news coverage and think it's the whole picture that they are presenting. We are spoon-feed this jumble of information, relying on them to truthful and unbiased. In truth, they provide little information and then slather on opinions and comments that they solicit for others.

Answer 4

I think you are right on the money. For instance, the media seems to think that the pope speaks for all Christianity. This is a false illusion, that the media made and operates out of.
They are doing the same with all religions. They seem to decide for themselves what people stand for and believe, and we are supposed to go along with it.
I think the media is very disconnected from reality concerning the public they claim to represent.

Answer 5

Christian knowledge by the media is a joke.
The man that fell asleep at the wheel.Ran into a gas station,missed a costumer by inches.Knocked out a pump,started a fire.Car ran into the store missed a worker by inches and customers.No one was hurt and the media said Lucky.Honey that is a MIRACLE,no matter what your faith is.<><

Answer 6

The Media has an agenda and it is not to give us the news accurately. They want to control how we think what we know, and how much we know. Who we vote for and who runs this country. My husband told me to watch this guy that the media was proping up. He was a no body, like a state rep, or something like that, with hardly no political experience. My husband predicted it right when he said that the media was going to try to make this guy the next president candidate. He was right. It is funny how you can see long in advance what they are planning if you just open your eyes. It is a shame that people are so silly to actually believe what the media tells them. I learned long ago, that if the media is trashing someone, chances are they are good for our Country, if they are proping up someone, chances are they are bad for our Country. Our Media is Anti-American.

Answer 7

It is very difficult for men and women to report facts without adding an opinion, either by adding of omitting information. Religion is not exempt, just as politics or crime or education, ect. I believe that no unbiased media exist.

Answer 8

I find that the majority Who slam religions even if there is a little truth to what they say, very much often are completely in the dark to the religion they’re harassing. I just say *nod*, and say sure pal. I've had some people say some wild stuff was in the bible, and if you ask for the scripture they never know where it is.."but the teaching is in it" they say. Just hold fast to what you know is true.

Answer 9

It is not the media but the person himself who is in that media is ignorant about religious activities. Advise him to s top from participating on religious matters if he do not know anything about religion.
jtm

Answer 10

Yes, this is true of almost everything that the reporters write about. They are in a hurry to get the story out... accuracy be damned.