Readers sound off on religion and the press

A couple of weeks ago, we asked the question, "Does the press accurately cover religion?"

It was prompted by a meeting at which some folks wondered why more liberal religious folks weren't quoted in the media. I pointed out in The Back Pew of May 8 that I got the reverse question - why aren't more conservative religious folks quoted? - far more often.

We asked you to respond to questions about what kind of job the media are doing covering religion, and whether they are supportive of moral values or pushing a conservative agenda.

We got a couple of dozen responses, many of which ran on at considerable length in answering those questions.

Here's a sampling of some - longer versions are available online - for your reading pleasure:

I applaud The Roanoke Times for continuing to include the Billy Graham column and considerable weekend coverage of religious topics. For the conservative "evangelical" Christian, however, there is unmistakable evidence that his faith and relevant morality is perceived as "far out" and suspect.

Carleen Ellis

Roanoke

Yes, there is a bias toward not offending the vocal extremist religious right in today's media. Fear of the label "liberal media," fear of offending the Republicans in power and simple laziness. ... I am tired of fundamentalist cherry-pickers telling me what is moral, and quite tired of the media aiding and abetting this without question. I am tired of having non-Christians equate all Christians with the Christian talibangelists who have the exposure in media that we quieter types don't.

Robin Allison

Pembroke

The dominant, old media support aggressively the current court-imposed prohibitions on public expressions of Christian belief. Furthermore, they embrace "Christians" (and their positions) who deny the divinity of Christ, scoff at other orthodox Christian beliefs, reject traditional Judeo-Christian morality and take left-wing political positions.

Lewis Sheckler

Radford

Since moral values encompass far more than one's position on abortion and homosexuality, the media is doing less than a satisfactory job covering the national discussion of moral values. Truthfulness, integrity, civility, tolerance, humility, to name just a few, are also important moral values.

The Rev. Albert S. Hoyer

Hardy

I think the local press (and you) do a remarkably balanced job of reporting issues from all sides, but the same isn't always true of the national media, particularly cable TV. Cable has so much air time to fill up that they beat issues to death, hour after hour of the same old stuff (e.g., the Terri Schiavo case) to the point that balance and perspective are totally lost.

Joan Bugbee

Conservative Christians seem to be the only "officially recognized" Christians - i.e. the only ones interviewed; all Christians are represented by Jerry Falwell or Pat Robertson, etc. However, they are almost exclusively shown in a negative light - crazy, dangerous, brainwashed masses. Liberal Christians are usually only mentioned in the context of approving of abortion or gay rights, rather than as mainstream. There seems to be little or no recognition in the media that the vast majority of politically or socially liberal Christians are just average folks - not fringe groups.

Shan Wilkins

Roanoke

I feel the media stereotypes Bible-believing Christians. They try to make us look like vicious hypocrites trying to destroy people who don't believe the way we do.

Rebecca Wiseman

The complaint that I would have about religious or moral news coverage in the media is oversimplification of the issues and a tendency to seek the more spectacular angle on the story to gain attention. ...

Timothy Anderson

It is interesting that news people seem not to get the basic problem which is that people with a right-wing religious bent cannot budge from their positions without betraying their own doctrine. This is very frustrating to moderates and liberals because they start out by wanting a give-and-take dialogue with people who staunchly never budge.

C.B. Cook

One would think from reading the papers and listening to the TV that our country was full of rabid, raving, frothing Liberals and Conservatives. ... I think that the media has been as irresponsible in this instance as it has been in so many others, emphasizing the lurid, the shocking, the outrageous on both sides and neglecting the vast number who make up what might be termed "the middle."

Jeanne Pritchard

Roanoke

Yes, I think the media sways more to the conservatives than the liberals on this. I also think one of the reasons this is so, because there are more conservatives in the media than liberals now days.

Carolyn Lawson

There have been a few exceptions, but I would say over all that the news media reflect a liberal bias in their reporting on religious issues. There have been too many times when a more "liberal or progressive" event got full coverage and put in a good location, where the more "conservative" events are not even covered or are put on the back page.

Kathy Hayden Terry

I give thanks daily for the editorial policies of The Roanoke Times. I am a practicing Christian, concerned about the needs of people and the society in which we live. Our newspaper shows that concern too - publishing both "conservative" and "liberal" views toward that goal.

James W. Reynolds

Roanoke

I believe that we are simply being subjected to the filters or baggage inherent in the vast majority of reporters, writers and editors who view Christianity and the Christian belief system as nothing more than another lifestyle. Once a person decides that all morality is subject to individual choice, instead of being based on concrete and inviolable truths, he or she will no longer be able to honestly report or write about it.

Robert C. Shook

Max Meadows

The problem is truth! How do you report on religious groups, that all believe that their convictions or opinions are true? Truth by definition is exclusive. The law of contradiction tells us that "two opposing views cannot both be true." They can be false but not true. Therefore all religious doctrine cannot be true. And if the press is trying to report truthfully, which truth does it pick?

Henry Kruse Jr.