Is it time for network TV to take aim at god-belief?

Question

Social engineering through the media has, (almost single handedly,) assisted in successfully effecting changes of public opinion. Television programing has been specifically aimed at eliminating bias against the rights of women, gays and lesbians, blacks and other minorities, etc., and all have seen positive results.

Is it time for the media to engineer public opinion on the question of god-belief... and what shape should the message take? Should the media support or reject philosophies that support belief in Gods?

All opinions are requested:
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Answer 1

Absolutely. It was time 30 years ago.

I think it should promote a distancing from religion. Religion (and dogmatic thinking in general) is responsible for pretty much all of the pain and strife in the world. It has "justified" countless genocides, wars, exterminations and dictatorships.

In a society with a highly developed scientific method, religion is just unnecessary, and since it doesn't have to explain things anymore, it just reverts back to its main purpose: brainwashing people.

The media is usually one step ahead of society, and I think it's really time for them to get on this.

Answer 2

Network TV is already taking digs at what you call "god-belief." It's just so insidious that it's really only those who are very observant who see it.

Seriously, on every TV show that has a religious person on it (specifically, a Christian) represents them as one of three things:
1. Completely nuts.
2. A serious hypocrite. You know, like the priest who has a gambling addiction, or likes molesting little children (which very few do, in reality), or the Christian who murders, steals, or beats his wife? How about the church that steals from its parishioners?
3. Someone like, say, Ned Flanders. He's a good person, but more than a little annoying, and incredibly naive.

Very rarely is a Christian represented in a good, realistic light on TV. What about the Christian who spends their Saturdays at a soup kitchen? And the Christians who run missions that give a safe place for kids to hang out in a gang-infested section of San Francisco? How about the Christians who really DO love their neighbors, and are just like everyone else (listen to the same kind of music, might even have a beer or two with friends, play pool and poker, though not for money, and raise their children to be kind and thoughtful)? What about those Christians? What about the ones who condemn abortion clinic bombings, and who treat homosexuals just like everyone else, and who condemn the KKK? What about the ones who are faithful to their spouse, and refuse to beat someone over the head with their Bible?

Those Christians DO exist, all over the world, and yet TV always represents religious people (including but not limited to Christians) in a bad light. Why is that?

It's the same thing in movies. I've very rarely ever seen a Christian portrayed realistically in a movie. Most of the time, I find myself appalled at how they're represented.

To prove my point, think about ALL the times you've seen religious people on TV shows and in movies. How many times were they actually good people?

I'll admit I'm pretty biased, and maybe other religious people are portrayed just as unrealistically (take "The Wicker Man" and its representation of pagans as an example), and I just don't notice it.

I would say that our entertainment industry do a really good job of discouraging religious belief, if such a thing can be called "good." All we ever hear about is the bad in religion, but we NEVER hear about the good, unless we're IN the religion. The news media only reports the suicide bombers and the hypocrites. They never do a "feel-good" story on that good Christian or Muslim that's actually KIND to other people and do good things.

I rest my case.

Edit: There are only two examples that come to mind of GOOD Christians on TV: Touched by an Angel and 7th Heaven.

Answer 3

You don't watch CBS, do you?

Touched by an Angel
Ghost Whisperer

There have been others.

I don't believe it's the job of network television to engineer opinions on god. That's what TBN and other religious programming is for. And your church.. Besides, there are too many religions in this country.. which one should the networks focus on?

Answer 4

The media now is most definitely already now involved in and cooperating with, AND PROMOTING the liberalistic, democratic political party. They have no business involving themselves in trying to oppress or suppress the freedom of religion. Our founding fathers expressly set up our constitution to SEPARATE CHURCH AND STATE.....that really meant, they wanted NO GOVERNMENT involvement or oppression of the church, and the government was to never remove the right of the people of America to freely worship as they choose. The same goes for the media....they are suppposedly set up to be "UNBIASED" and objective in their reporting....although it is now OBVIOUS to everyone which side of the political agenda they are on....the liberal, humanistic, socialtistic agenda.....which is also the same agenda that has as its goal to stop the freedom of religion, one of our founding fathers' primary constitutional rights they purposely included in our government's laws. The media also years ago abandoned its supposed unbiased, objective viewpoints. Visit wallbuilders.com, for more information on our original American heritage, and the original intentions of our forefathers for this country.....they built this nation on their trust in the Living God, Jesus Christ, and they always intended for the government (and the media) to stay OUT of the churches' ministry to the people of this country, and to other countries outside the USA.

Answer 5

The media already does that along with all the rest...it rails against any Christian fundamentalist view, and has for a long time.

The media is left-wing...its all part of the left-wing religion.

Answer 6

Neither. In this country everyone has freedom of religion.