Hello everyone. Sorry I have missed my lectionary posts for a couple of weeks. I hope to get back on track for Lent with a series on Victor Frankl and the problem of suffering. Meanwhile, I have just a few quick words about how the New York Times covers religion. The Times has consistently ignored Christian statements against the war in Iraq while Pat Robertson keeps making the front page with any ridiculous thing that comes to mind, whether it means assassinating Chile's President or proclaiming that God caused Sharon's heartattack as punishment for moving settlers out of Gaza. Why has the NY Times chosen to focus on this headline:
Conflicts
Cited at Christian Conference
and this one:
Orthodox Ties to Catholics Seen as Vital
instead of this one:
Church Alliance: Washington is 'Raining Down Terror' with Iraq War
All three articles are important. There is legitimate editorial debate which is more important; the potential Orthodox pullout of the WCC, the Mohammad cartoon controversy, or the blistering anti-war statement. The sad fact is that the Times will not talk about the strength of the Christian anti-war movement. Christian clergy perform civil disobedience outside Congress and the Times says "nada." The Catholic Bishops say the war in Iraq is immoral and the Times puts some small town school board decision about teaching evolution on the front page. Every major Protestant Denomination in the US except the Southern Baptists puts out a statement against the war and the Times covers some lunatic who is burning down churches in Alabama. All of this leads to the perception that religion is just a zany set of ideas that leads people to reject science, burn churches and kill each other over cartoons. The thinking liberal Christian who believes in justice and human dignity is beyond the pale, even if a deliberative body that represents 500 million Christians believes the Iraq war is immoral.
Lent is here. I haven't read Victor Frankl in 40 years, this ought to be good.
Posted by: Joel | March 02, 2006 at 09:09 PM