tdekeyser

I see over and over on the news topics about god and prayers, and no one questions that. Everyone acts like it is fact. It is as if they said, "When the sun rose this morning, I woke up." Which could be a factual statement. But when someone mentions that god heard their prayers or that God did something, they act as if it is just as factual even when the topic come up in press conferences and such.

Why can't someone just stand up and say, "What God are you talking about? Where is this god that answered your prayers?"

Why is everyone scared to stand up and state the obvious:

"This god you speak of...where is he? I have never seen or heard this creature you speak of. I percieve you as a liitle loony if you are seeing imaginary people or spirits. Maybe you need to check yourself into a mental ward?"

That is what I would say if I were a media employee.

I'm just tired of everyone acting like it is something that is fact and should never be questioned.

HaysooChreesto!

Maybe that's why you're not a media employee.

I see it differently. I see the media actually being incredibly neutral when they're confronted with the statements you refer to. In almost every case they ignore the religous statement and just continue with their previous line of questioning.
Besides, most of the time they're talking to someone who has just been through a trying experience and it would be inappropriate for the reporter to question the interviewees religous beliefs.
Remember too that most people are believers and the networks would stand to lose a lot of sponsorship and therefore $ if they took anything but a neutral or (gasp) anti-religous stance.

tdekeyser

Yeah, I realize you are right, but I still would love to see some reality here.

If someone stood up there and said that their daughter was saved in a car accident because of the alien that lives with them, then what would happen?

1st news reporter: What? Did you say an alien lives with you?
Family member: Yes. He has special powers that saved our dauther

2nd news reporter: Can we interview this alien?
3rd news reporter: Where did you find this alien?
4th news reporter: What planet is this alien from?

So you see that the line of questioning would be 100% prudent. Why do they not do the same when they hear about a diety helping a family/person out?

I would be fired on the first day as a news reporter I'm sure!

Starboy

You forgot to add that it isn't possible for them to tolerate someone who questions their beliefs.

Starboy

Rhea

If I am ever in a position to proclaim to the media, I will do my best to state, with a straight face, "I am so glad the aliens acted and kept us from harm". then we can see if they question it or not. If they do, I will say, "at a time like this you can question my beliefs?"

hee hee.


Actually, I am glad they ignore it. I think little enough of airing distraught families as it is... I think it's a good thing that they don't ask. Although, I would want them to not ask about the aliens, too.

However, I guess we have evidence that they don't - remember the raelians announcing the clones? Oh how the media did snicker and snort. It was unseemly. I was glad that NPR, at least, aired the indignant commetns from listeners that it was inappropriate to snigger.

-RRH-

Reporters contsantly need to make decisions as to what they do and do not pay attention to. The influence of the audience isn't usually as concious as, "That would piss them off too much." But reporters try to form questions that they think the audience would want to know the answers to.

Most people would want a lot of details about what the alien folk believes, because it is unusual. But when someone mentions God, most folks assume they know what this person is about. And usually their religious beliefs aren't the reason they are in the news.

Illithid

I have a standing determination that if I am ever interviewd after some crisis, or for some award (less likely), I will lead them up to the point when most people thank God and then instead thank my wife or parents or Asimov or someone.

atheist_in_foxhole

I've noticed this as well. Just the other day there was a story in the paper about a local man fighting in Iraq, and he just went on and on about his relationship with God and Christ. He even said that he was comforted in battle because he knew that Christ was with him. How ironic when you consider that the Iraqis said that they were comforted by their god at the same time.

And every time Jesus is mentioned in the paper they always capitalize "Him" and write about the resurrection as if it actually occured instead of calling it the *alleged* resurrection like they would with any other wild claim. For some reason the media has decided to never criticize religion no matter how crazy or absurd it may be.

Paperstreet

Mostly just the popular ones are left untouched.

openeyes

I have a problem when prominent people make statements that basically say only people of faith are worthwhile and aren't challenged to explain themselves.

For example, there was a recent story about a former governor of our state (granted, it was in the "Faith and Values" section) who thought he was being so magnanimous when he opened his defintion of "ok" people to include people of all faiths. When he was younger, he thought only Christianity was valid, but lo and behold, he ran into some decent Jewish people along the way, etc.

Obviously to him, atheists could only be amoral people. No one asked him if he knew any people who didn't believe and, if so, what sort of people they were.