Criticisms are mounting against what some call bias reporting for the Christian segment of last week’s three-part CNN special “God’s Warriors.”
Viewers of the Aug. 21-23 mini-series, which re-aired Aug. 24-26, were allegedly pounded by the special’s producer and anchor Christiane Amanpour with slanted messages of Christian extremism.
“By lumping Christian religious conservatives into a series that began with a focus on terrorism, it creates an impression of guilt by associations,” said Dr. Gary Cass, chairman and CEO of the Christian Anti-Defamation Commission and former head of the Center for Reclaiming America for Christ, according to OneNewsNow.
The segment shown prior to the Christian installment reported on Islamic terrorists like the Taliban and suicide bombers.
“It seems as if there may be a problem of moral equivalency stating that what we do peacefully and lawfully, in trying to bring change to the culture, is in any way related to what violent fundamentalists and other religions do in the name of their religion,” Cass said.
Liberty University, for example, was said to be raising a generation of “pit bulls” to attack secular culture. Though Amanpour was citing a past quote from the late Rev. Jerry Falwell, Liberty University’s founder, it was said in a way that cast Falwell as a radical leader building an army of young Christian warriors.
Viewers were introduced to Liberty University’s new law school which has a replica of the U.S. Supreme Court room. The special portrayed the school as plotting to raise conservative Christian lawyers who would take over the nation’s highest court of law in the future. It also zoomed in on the ten commandment carved outside of a classroom at the Christian law school.
“Really, what our vision is is to raise a new generation of people that understands the rule of law that are taught that in our Christian tradition and worldview,” clarified Mathew Staver, dean of Liberty University’s law school, when Amanpour questioned him on raising a new generation of “pit bull” lawyers.
Also included in the special were clips of fatal bombings of abortion clinics by Christian fanatics and a Christian Zionist pastor who believes in protecting Israel at all costs, including a military attack on Iran.
“[The CNN series] is false in its basic premise, established in the opening scene in which Jewish (and Christian) religious fervency is equated with that of Muslims heard endorsing ‘martyrdom,’ or suicide murder,” stated the report by the Committee for Accuracy in Middle East Reporting in America.
“There is, of course, no counterpart among Jews and Christians to the violent jihadist Muslim campaigns under way across the globe,” it added.
Not all the reporting for the Christian installment was criticized, however. Christian figures and ministries more accurately portrayed on the episode included the Rev. Rich Cizik of the National Association of Evangelicals and Ron Luce of Teen Mania ministry and Battle Cry.
Part 3 of the series also included a May 8 interview with the Rev. Jerry Falwell, which turned out to be his last interview with a television journalist before he died on May 15, 2007.
Comments
Liberal Christian -
I may not agree with the characterization made by garak0410, but its clearly not intolerant. Many secularist and liberal Christians see Conservative Christianity as constraining progress through adherence to "outdated" orthodox truths. I believe the greater threat to our civilization is what Frank Beckwith calls the “passive aggressive tolerance trick.” Responses like yours are meant to limit the exchange of free ideas, controversy and ultimately growth with such a lable. Greg Koukl appropriately, I think, offers this definition of tolerance. "Tolerance applies to how we treat people we disagree with, not how we treat ideas we think false. Tolerance requires that every person is treated courteously, no matter what her view, not that all views have equal worth, merit, or truth. " Please don't be caught up in this culturally correct but restrictive technique. People should have the fortitude to throw out their idea and then have the courage to defend it. People deserve respect - ideas have to earn it.
To HampsteadPete, Apparently you don't understand the illogic of your assertion. One of the great restraining influences in human experience is the belief that you have to face a holy God to explain your life. Without this restraining influence, just what would be our incentive to abstain from murder, adultery, theft, etc. (as long as we can get away with it)? Christian values dominated American culture for most of its' history, without any of the things that you assert happening. Are you really comparing the peaceful approach of Christianity through democratic reforms and judicial restraint with the overtly violent approach of Islam? That assertion has no validity in theory or practice. As I mentioned in a response to an earlier post of yours on the same topic, the logical consequence of atheistic evolutionary presuppositions results in regimes like Lenin, Trotsky, Stalin, Hitler, Mao Jedong and Pol Pot, to name a few. While I don't think that CNN treated Christians unfairly, per se, it did seem to be an attempt to lump religion all into one basket.
"Liberalism is a Mental Disorder." ??? Sorry garak0410, but didn't your post start out with the statement "Christians are the most tolerant people on earth?" Where exactly is the tolerance in a statement like that?? As a Liberal Christian who happens to be married to a woman with bipolar disorder I take offense at your post. Extremism regardless of the religion can be dangerous or at the very least troubling is what I took from CNN's piece, not that Liberty lawyers = suicide bombers. Drawing parallels does not mean that you are equating things on the moral scale. Perhaps you are unwilling to see that one can eventually lead to the other because you are defending your side so vehemently.
I don't agree with Pete either, but that is the flip side of what the people in the CNN piece can do. Push people towards non-belief because of literal interpretations and insistance on rigid dogma.
Personally I side with Marcus Borg - "Tell me about this God you don't believe in. Chances are that's not the God I'm talking about" (The quote is not exact, but you get the gist)
Peace
This series focused on extremisim in three religions. Once I understood that (because it wasn't what I expected at first), I understood that *most* of the people featured were extreme in their beliefs. Did I agree with them? No, not all of them, all of the time. But I found the series to be informative and insightful on the subject of extremism.
I'm really not sure what Dr. Cass is concerned about. If we are truly in a "religious" war, then Christians need to understand that faith is more than just a smile and saying Jesus loves you.
We need to learn Spiritual warfare.
Eph 6:12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the world's rulers, of the darkness of this age, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
Matthew 24: 3-14 (Read the whole chapter sometime)
3As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately. "Tell us," they said, "when will this happen, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?"
4Jesus answered: "Watch out that no one deceives you. 5For many will come in my name, claiming, 'I am the Christ,[a]' and will deceive many. 6You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. 7Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. 8All these are the beginning of birth pains.
9"Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me. 10At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, 11and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. 12Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, 13but he who stands firm to the end will be saved. 14And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.
When the secular world comments on God's people, they do so with prejudice, not knowing the truth of Jesus Christ. Their hearts and minds are blocked from the light of His glory, by their own choices, spiritual things are spiritually discerned. The Lord told us, we will be misunderstood, HE certainly was; and we would be persecuted (and that can take many forms), He did prepare us for what is to come. The true body of Christ is not the one that is portrayed in the media, and we do NOT need to defend ourselves, the LORD is our defender, and HE is our shield! It is foolishness (the Gospel) to those who are perishing, but for us it is the POWER OF GOD! :o) Keep looking up to JESUS!
Isn't CNN the channel that substituted news with spectacular pictures (less comment for better info)? And reporters with well-groomed camera stares. Cosmetics count more than journalism, of course.
People like HampsteadPete just don't get it. Christians are the most tolerant people on earth. No one wants to go back to stoning and we don't want a religious based government. We are tired of being put in the same category as terrorist and made out to be worse than terroroist. That is liberal nonesense which makes me believe more than ever that "Liberalism is a Mental Disorder."
Hey Pete--
As a one time atheist that now loves the Lord.... I am used to people claiming that the Bible teaches all sorts of wicked stuff.... I have heard such claims by many... and... used to believe it. As my life changed, I began to get drawn to the Bible and realized that the message that Christ taught in the Gospels was no where CLOSE to what had been claimed. His love is amazing. I feel it in my heart today. Unfortunately, humans throughout history mess up and stray from the teachings of JC. It has happened in the past... it will happen again in the future... it shouldn't be a surprise.
As long as there are those on this planet who believe in the foolishness of an afterlife, the human race is in danger of being destroyed by adherence to religious dogma. As Carl Sagan said: "The differences between the Abrahamic faiths pale before their similarities." If the Christians were ever in charge in this country, you would be burning folks like me at the stake for heresy, stoning for adultery and sodomy would be a capitol crime. There are many of you aching for an ayatollah, so don't blame CNN for shining a little light into the darkness.
Isiah the prophet wrote the following in Chapter 5, starting at vs 18
18 Woe to those who drag iniquity with the cords of falsehood, And sin as if with cart ropes; 19 Who say, "Let Him make speed, let Him hasten His work, that we may see it; And let the purpose of the Holy One of Israel draw near And come to pass, that we may know it!" 20 Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; Who substitute darkness for light and light for darkness; Who substitute bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter! 21 Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes And clever in their own sight! 22 Woe to those who are heroes in drinking wine And valiant men in mixing strong drink, 23 Who justify the wicked for a bribe, And take away the rights of the ones who are in the right!
Is it any wonder that CNN would come up with this stuff? Jesus said that those who are not with him are against him. Where does that put CNN and Christiana Amanpour?