Now, I don’t know about you, reader, but I am a fan of all aspects of the media. I like the feel of a newspaper (The Guardian, since you asked), I enjoy sitting down in front of the television, I even occasionally listen to the radio. But I have a bone to pick with this creation that I am so fond of. And that bone is none other than the representation of those with any faith and none, especially Christians. And those Christians, according to the media, are pretty different to the ones handing out free toasties in your JCR post-Ziggy’s.
Let’s look at a couple of examples. Eastenders and Corrie both have had recent faith-driven storylines. There’s Lucas, the East London preacher who ends up believing he is an earthly incarnation of Jesus, and charged with kidnapping someone and murdering another. Inspirational. The other is the ever-hypocritical Sophie Webster of Manchester, who gets involved with the wrong crowd despite her Christianity, all at the ridicule and disgust of her family.
Alright, I’ll admit that these make very interesting plots. They can be brilliant fun to watch. And I wouldn’t have a problem with them if it wasn’t for the fact that they reflect a growing trend. Quite simply, Christians never seem to be portrayed in a positive light. Ever. Ever. Even the Vicar of Dibley and Father Ted make the concept of religious faith a humorous, not altogether serious one. If these were the exception and not the rule, they’d be even better. Rather, it seems we revel in poking fun, or expressing horror, at the ‘others’ who practice a faith.
I understand that extremism is a lot more entertaining. We rarely talk about the normal everyday Muslim (who represents the vast majority of the Islamic faith). The normal Muslim who has no interest in terrorism. We also rarely talk about the casual drinker or the casual, non-dangerous, non-knife carrying teenager. As a people, we don’t like to talk about the virtuous person, we’d much rather talk about the sinner.
And in the case of faith it means we never herald the ‘normal’ ones. When has the church been in the news recently? Only for what the media calls its ‘outdated’ debate on women bishops (or keeping the bishop at all). Tuesday’s Guardian featured a story on a priest involved in bombings during the struggles in Ireland in the 1980s. Not for the money it’s raised for Pakistan in the face of floods. Christian Aid, Open Doors and Christians Against Poverty just never make it into the news. It is as simple as this: sensationalism sells.
But I fear that for a subject like religious faith, it means we can all too easily create a perception of wild, clinically insane extremists who seek nothing more than to cause difficulty in the lives of the far more amicable agnostic or atheist populations. And of course institutions like Westboro Baptist Church do nothing to help this view.
Now let’s get one thing straight. I’m a practicing Christian. I go to church, I’m part of York’s Christian Union, I read my Bible and I pray. I believe in God. However I’d like to say that I also don’t believe I’m Jesus, I don’t regularly indulge in the women in leadership debate (though I have my views) and I try really hard not to bomb any Catholics. As a student, I enjoy a night out, I enjoy a drink or two, I absolutely love the Willow, and I know plenty of other Christian students who are the same way. We may believe different things, but, much to the shock of the producers of soap operas – we aren’t all extremists. Promise.
As a member of York’s Christian Union, I’d like to think that the Christians in and around York Uni are pretty good with bringing together their views and those of the rest of the world. I’d like to think we don’t force them upon others, and aren’t extremist in our opinions or expressions of our faith. Sure, we do outreach, it’s an important part of our faith. But you also won’t see us outside the Freshers’ Ball this October creating a picket line because one of the acts isn’t to our taste. And I’m pretty sure that that sentiment sums up the vast majority of theists out there.
Two things to say about this:
1. “Tuesday’s Guardian featured a story on a priest involved in bombings during the struggles in Ireland in the 1980s. Not for the money it’s raised for Pakistan in the face of floods.” And so they should. Choosing to run with the story they did is not “sensationalism”, it is quite simply deciding that this story will interest and inform more people than a story about someone donating to charity. SensationalISM is the OVER-hyping of a story. The story was about an appalling plot and cover up and should certainly have had a high status. The fact is that Christianity and other religions are portrayed in this way because it is often these more negative things that have a greater and more serious effect on the world. Yes, donating to charity is good, but lots of people do it and not many people organise IRA bomb plots. But further, what makes it particularly news worthy and serious is that it shows people completely going against what they supposedly stand for. Not only that, but it is precisely because of their blind faith that they come to justify their actions. This is true of so many religious atrocities from the Catholic opposition to contraception and the subsequent spread of AIDS to the 9/11 attacks. The point is that it is not only right, but important, that the media DO continue to raise awareness of these issues because they ARE very serious.
2. “It seems we revel in poking fun, or expressing horror, at the ‘others’ who practice a faith.” Good. I think this is a sign of a healthy society and, personally, I don’t think we do it nearly enough. Whether you are atheist, agnostic or religious, you must admit that religion is a hugely powerful institution that has the capabilities to influence, dictate, brainwash and motivate millions of people. I know that the whole point of religion is to walk with your eyes closed and go through life never asking questions, but surely any vaguely liberal theist would, at the very least, agree that it is right to publicly question and analyse such atrocities which happen in the name of religion? Actually, I think that it is high time religion started to lose its influential status in society and the media. You seem to have a rather black and white picture of religion with good charitable people at one side and terrorists at the other. In fact, there is a great deal of damage done by a lot of people in between. For instance, science textbooks in schools are increasingly diluted of factual content as Biology teachers are increasingly forced to teach evolution as an “alternative theory.” As Richard Dawkins points out, this is the equivalent of History teachers being forced to teach Holocaust denial theory with an equal status to Holocaust “theory”. And how about even the more basic, little things like lifestyle choices and political views – these can all be affected by religion and, sometimes, negatively. Further, the mindset of religion is to have faith and, therefore, taking a leap of judgement without any evidence to back you up what so ever. That is what faith is, by definition. Now, I think people should be free to believe what they want, but “faith” is nevertheless a POTENTIALLY very dangerous thing. It is certainly narrow minded (again, by definition). Therefore, whether one has faith or not, we should always allow and encourage the questioning of faith in whatever form this may take, be it journalism or satire.
This all depends on what your view of extremism is whether the York CU make you uncomfortable or not. Some people just don’t like to talk about or even hear about other people’s religion.
“For instance, science textbooks in schools are increasingly diluted of factual content as Biology teachers are increasingly forced to teach evolution as an “alternative theory.” ”
Yeah, when I went to school they told me that fossils were made of cheese and that the earth is only 600 years old. Oh, wait, I live in the UK where evolution is taught as fact. Oops, my mistake.
@ ~
Yes, I accept that it is not common place to have Biology teachers teaching creationism as equal to evolution in the UK, yet. But there is, nevertheless, a worrying trend towards that. According to the Guardian: “Schools must teach evolution under the national curriculum, but are free to promote ‘young Earth’ creationist theories alongside it.” This should not happen.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2006/apr/07/schools.faithschools
http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2009/oct/25/teach-evolution-creationism-britons
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/belief/2010/jun/19/creationism-northern-ireland
However, even forgetting this example, that is not, quite, the more general point I was making. What I mean to say more broadly is that religion has a huge amount of power and influence and this, often, can be damaging to education/society/politics. For instance, remember this? – http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2010/feb/24/sex-education-faith-schools-opt-out
Err not all tv about christianity is sensationalist. Anyone watched Rev on the BBC recently?!?
I’d say that puts the church in an honest and true light. Just a vicar struggling along in modern society.
Eh, mate the priest situation was in Northern Ireland… get it right.And it’s about time those boys were held to account for what they did in Northern Ireland, the army shouldn’t have to take all the rap. But, on a whole, I agree with this article.
I could not have found a closer view to my own! Great article pal. Only qualm is that you read the Guardian…
Great article! With articles like these I wonder how people can say that Vision is trashy – or not as good as Nouse!