Media, Religion, and You

[badlydrawnjeff.livejournal.com]

Putting aside for a moment the questions from the CNN anchor which border on uninformed ridiculousness about what CNN must acknowledge is at least a significant portion of their viewing audience, this video really spoke to me on a level about the religious discussion in this country.

I've written a little about this before when I was writing up recent book reviews on two nonfiction books I recently read, Rapture Ready by Daniel Radoff (about Christian pop culture) and Quiverfull (the author escapes me, but about the "Christian patriarchy movement"), and how a lot of folks, especially the media, appear to view the religious as a quirky bunch and don't even begin to try to understand how to talk to them, with them, about them in ways that they can understand. This clip inadvertently makes this crystal clear to me - the salesman is utterly flabbergasted by the line of questioning in the second half because her questions make no sense to him. Yeah, guess was - 90% plus of people do believe in God here, we could credibly, demographically, be considered a "Christian nation" regardless of one's views on the matter, and her question is "well, what would Jesus do," as if her entire knowledge of religious thought and spiritual viewpoints comes from a popular fad from 10 years ago.

The battles over religion are going to get worse, not better. The right is in full force right now, and it's going to translate to local and state races in 2009 and the midterms next year. I'm not convinced at all that the less religious - or anti-religious of us in many cases - are going to be able to gain ground with these folks as long as we keep acting like religion, spiritual belief, and religion-as-culture is some sort of quirk or oddity. There's secularism - a heady, worthwhile goal in many areas - and there's burning bridges to make some sort of, well, holier than thou point about how wacky the religious folk are.

This piece could have been a great piece on promotional ingenuity that'd make Billy Mays proud, or even turned into a solid discussion as to how religion and patriotism factor into his business plan and how his customers respond. Instead, it's the mainstream media deciding that he's not to be taken seriously, thus meaning that it becomes the mainstream media deciding that a sizeable minority, perhaps plurality, if not outright majority of people are nothing more than a quaint national joke. That's not right.

Comments

[sgiffy.livejournal.com]

Putting aside the way she asked them her questions were not wholly out of line. I would rather interviewers always play devils advocate.

That being said I for the life of me don't understand people like him. I mean I was religious for most of my life and somewhat understand the basic idea of faith, but the simpleminded gods, guns, country thing is something I just will never understand. Just because something is popular does not mean it's not a weird quirk.

[merig00.livejournal.com]

read the last part of the post. he just combined religion and patriotism into his business plan

[kadeshaderow.livejournal.com]

Your picture is that of Christ with the head of a dinosaur transplanted on it.

Change starts at home.

[badlydrawnjeff.livejournal.com]

Raptor Jesus isn't a mockery of anything, though. It's an absurdity.

[merig00.livejournal.com]

[badlydrawnjeff.livejournal.com]

I could dig up a photo of Jesus riding a dinosaur, that'd probably get him real angry.

[soliloquy76.livejournal.com]

Do you think that the majority of people in this country would take the "God, Guns, Guts and Pickup Trucks" slogan and the AK-47 voucher promotion seriously? I doubt it. He's using God and politics to move product.

I think the media would be better off avoiding these kinds of confrontations, though, and let the viewers decide for themselves how to feel about the story. Less commentators, more reporters.

[merig00.livejournal.com]

I'd find it funny and go check out his dealership

[soliloquy76.livejournal.com]

Don't make me bust out a survey on this.

[badlydrawnjeff.livejournal.com]

Do you think that the majority of people in this country would take the "God, Guns, Guts and Pickup Trucks" slogan and the AK-47 voucher promotion seriously? I doubt it. He's using God and politics to move product.

Values matter. Yes, I absolutely think the slogan makes a difference, and I'd be willing to believe he sees it reflected in his sales.

Less commentators, more reporters.

We agree on this much.

[soliloquy76.livejournal.com]

I don't doubt that some people choose to do business with people who share their values (or, at the very least, use these buzzwords). This slogan and promotion might resonate in his rural community, but I think it would elicit chuckles and dismissal from the majority of the country.

Regarding the lack of journalistic integrity, what's the solution? News is driven by ratings which is driven by corporate sponsorship. People are watching, so big media is going to keep doing whatever it takes to bring in the crowds.

[rev-proffessor.livejournal.com]

Geeze I wish I could fix the sound on my computer. I love nothing better than to discuss religion. While it may be true that 90% of people in America believe in God, using that as proof that we are a christian nation is a stretch. Many non Christians, especially Muslims and Jews, also believe in God. I've met countless people who believe in God but not in organized religion. Their religion is personal and they do not go to church.

I, personally, believe in God but, I don't think I would be considered a Christian, not by anyone who self identifies as such. I certainly don't consider myself one. Even if 75% of the nation considered themselves to be Christian, we still have separation between church and state. Therefore, to be a christian nation is to endorse one religion, albeit a multi-factional one. To do so is to tacitly inform non christians that they are not truly American and, perhaps, that they do not belong here.

[badlydrawnjeff.livejournal.com]

To do so is to tacitly inform non christians that they are not truly American and, perhaps, that they do not belong here.

I was more or less with you until this. The statement is not exclusionary in itself unless it's being couched in the "get all them heathens out." Which exists in some very small circles but doesn't represent even the fringe religious.

[rev-proffessor.livejournal.com]

If you were a non christian, you might not see it that way. I find this to be a common way of christian thinking. Christians do not understand that promotion of their religion has a chilling effect on non christians, right or wrong. This leads to confusion among christians when non christians get offended by the ten commandments being displayed in a court house. They do not understand how that symbol could possibly cause concern. Being a christian nation does not explicitly outcast non christians but, it sure doesn't make them feel welcome.

[rev-proffessor.livejournal.com]

BTW, I love the Raptor Jesus.

[ironhawke.livejournal.com]

Actually while its sort of nit-picking, the latest polling nationally shows that about 15% of the population does not believe in a higher power, a HUGE increase over the last 20 years. I'm secretly excited about this as I'd like to see the government start being more secular...as such seeing a higher rate of atheists and agnostics shows at least a beginning of such.

(p.s. not that I've anything against religion per se, only that I'm constantly irritated at the constant involvement of religion in government affairs, something that is inconsistant with the pluralistic nature of our country.)

Guns and guts

[sophia-sadek.livejournal.com]

I have never felt the urge to cower behind a gun. Guns and guts are an oxymoron. As for divinity and deadly weapons, I remember an admonition about a guy cutting off an ear in a garden with a deadly weapon.

The man is a brutal fundamentalist, a truly sick fuck.

Re: Guns and guts

[badlydrawnjeff.livejournal.com]

He also represents the majority. Do you think the reason that your message is so ineffective is because of your complete lack of tolerance for your fellow man?

Re: Guns and guts

[mrbogey.livejournal.com]

'I have never felt the urge to cower behind a gun. Guns and guts are an oxymoron.'

The gun is a tool. If you're one person, unarmed, facing a group of people. Is it cowardice to wish you had a gun to protect you?

Are people who call 911 cowards because they want others to protect them?

' As for divinity and deadly weapons, I remember an admonition about a guy cutting off an ear in a garden with a deadly weapon.'

What about it? Jesus told his followers not to resist the arrest. The admonishing was because his follower resorted to violence directly opposite Jesus' wish. He had accepted his path and any violence was needless.

As to weapons, Jesus told his disciples to sell their cloaks and buy a sword. And his daddy was pretty big on eliminating certain folks.

Re: Guns and guts

[underlankers.livejournal.com]

Fine, eschew the gun. Then get shot dead like the man in Raiders of the Lost Ark who thought a gun could prevail over a sword. Or the Mahdi in the Sudan who believed the same thing. Or the idiots that believed Tenskwatawa the Indian Prophet. The advent of guns eventually changed war dramatically, even if at first the difference between guns and metal armor and spears and cotton armor was smaller than might at first be believed.

[underlankers.livejournal.com]

The problem with the New Atheists is that while some of them are surprisingly reasonable, others are just as much a bunch of boors as the Fundies they are diametrically opposed and connected to both thanks to that nifty thing called Modernity. The even bigger problem is that so long as empiricism holds sway over human thought in "the West" that Fundamentalism and Irreligion will both be entirely valid and equal claimants to its heritage.

And that, ladies and gents, is why I scrap Modernity altogether out of disdain for irreligion and Fundamentalism. ;P

[kinvore.livejournal.com]

If we developed a Muslim majority should we declare this a Muslim nation? I just don't believe in giving in to the tyranny of the majority.

The fact is that this country is better off without it becoming a theocracy. Not only because one of its founding principles is freedom of religion (and to declare this a "Christian Nation" opposes that principle) but because for far too long we've given in to this mindset.

It IS possible to have morals without religion. It IS possible to find happiness and contentment without it. It IS possible for America to be America without having to favor one religion over another. I think we need to stop worrying about appeasing the religious fanatics in this country and I think it's time for the religious right to open THEIR minds and meet others halfway instead of expecting everyone to go by what they say.

There doesn't have to be a "battle" over religion. Nothing is threatening Christianity in America. The only battle is keeping them from trying to take over the politics of this country, nothing good can result from that.

[badlydrawnjeff.livejournal.com]

If we developed a Muslim majority should we declare this a Muslim nation? I just don't believe in giving in to the tyranny of the majority.

Calling something what it is isn't the tyranny of the majority, though. Should we not call ourselves a capitalist nation?

The fact is that this country is better off without it becoming a theocracy. Not only because one of its founding principles is freedom of religion (and to declare this a "Christian Nation" opposes that principle) but because for far too long we've given in to this mindset.

That's fine, but very few are talking theocracy. It's more or less a non-starter.

I think we need to stop worrying about appeasing the religious fanatics in this country and I think it's time for the religious right to open THEIR minds and meet others halfway instead of expecting everyone to go by what they say.

Why do you consider the majority fanatics?

There doesn't have to be a "battle" over religion. Nothing is threatening Christianity in America. The only battle is keeping them from trying to take over the politics of this country, nothing good can result from that.

Uh...

[underlankers.livejournal.com]

The problem is that this "Battle" is an intractable result of Modern Empiricism. Both the Fundamentalist and the Atheist are natural outgrowths of empiricism, the atheist applies it to the natural world, the Fundamentalist to the texts of the religion.

The only way to "resolve" this is to completely alter Modernity into something new....or wait for it to implode upon itself and let the return to feudalism erase Fundamentalism on its own.

[kunaifusu.livejournal.com]

This piece could have been a great piece on promotional ingenuity that'd make Billy Mays proud, or even turned into a solid discussion as to how religion and patriotism factor into his business plan and how his customers respond. Instead, it's the mainstream media deciding that he's not to be taken seriously, thus meaning that it becomes the mainstream media deciding that a sizeable minority, perhaps plurality, if not outright majority of people are nothing more than a quaint national joke. That's not right.

That is right for entertainment, which CNN is. One way to entertain is to make the audience laugh, one way to make somebody laugh is to show that you are queer, one way to show how queer you are is to call queer something that your audience think is normal.