– it’s like the normal missionary position, except you approach it from the left.
When the corporation that spent a reported £2M on Popetown (an everyday story about corrupt Catholic cardinals and a mad Pope ) and the presenter Gavin Esler (author and presenter of The New Jerusalem, a hymn to the welfare state in Britain) decide to discuss the subject of Christian missionaries, the outcome is decidedly predictable.
So it was during yesterdays edition of ‘Four Corners’ on Radio 4 (sadly not available online) – one of a large number of cheap ‘talking head’ programmes that typify the Radio 4 schedule. Hosted by Esler, one of the subjects was the decline of Christian belief in Britain contrasting with the strength of Christian belief overseas. This is a subject worthy of discussion.
The focus of discussion was primarily on the work of Christian missionaries overseas, where Christianity is a growing religion. To discuss this with Esler, they had a researcher and a Muslim cleric (I’m sorry I did not get the names – no pen to hand at the time). Needless to say, Christian missionaries are generally a Bad Thing because…
– They sell Christian beliefs on the basis of ‘this religion gets you a better job, and a nicer car’
– You can be as greedy as you want with these Christian beliefs
– They don’t respect local customs
– Christianity is the religion of computers and progress (presumably opposed to Islam)
The researcher and cleric did not bring differing points of view – just the opposite, they kept falling over themselves to say ‘how right you are with that point’.
So, what was wrong with this programme? Simply this – it’s one-sidedness. It would have been nice to hear from some of the recently converted – maybe from Africa or China. Many Africans I’ve met have had a compelling Christian belief. It would have been nice to hear from organisations involved in missionary work, such as the Catholic church. Most importantly, just some other point of view other than the BBC view – this was a good example of an inward-looking BBC talking to itself.
It may have been interesting to ask the muslim cleric how Christian missionaries are getting on in Saudi Arabia. No doubt Gavin Esler passed that little question over.
OFF TOPIC.
Have a look at the “have your say” site.
A good %age of the entries are of a anti-state, anti-tax, personal-responsibility viewpoint (which I share). But look at the points they have highlighted as interesting, they are all pro green, pro state, pro economic-lunacy.
Enlightening as to where their editorial interests lie?
It is not as if there are no resources for the BBC to check out in giving a fair representation of world Christianity. Philip Jenkins, Distinguished Professor of History and Religious Studies at Penn State University, published a landmark book in 2002 entitled ‘The Next Christendom’. It demonstrates exactly the opposite premise–that the worldwide resurgence of Christianity into a non-western, non-White, global faith based in Latin America, Africa and Asia–will result in a massive shift in influence. Here is a quote from the cover blurb: “Western commentators have recently declared that Christianity is declining, or that it must modernize its beliefs or risk being abandoned altogether. Philip Jenkins,…contends that just the opposite is true: Christianity is on the rise again and in more traditional forms than we have seen in many years.” The fact is, most of the conversions are the result of non–western efforts, indigenous to the culture.
I find it disgraceful that the publicly-funded broadcaster for the Brits does not have the grace to reflect basic Brit culture by giving time for an Easter Sunday church service on either of the TV channels. There was an excellent service from Canterbury Cathedral on Radio 4 at 9am, but nowt on TV.
The four points attributed to the talking heads are, of course, wrong.
And that’s representative of the problem with talking head programs — everyone’s, not just the BBC.
So-called experts, typically unknown to the vast majority of the audience, are presented with no attempt to illuminate their agendas, biases, motives, etc. Couple that with the obvious ignorance of presenters and hosts, and their obvious unwillingness to challenge unsubstantiated assertions — when those assertions serve the agenda of the presenter — and you have a recipe for phony journalism.
“reflect basic Brit culture”
Very few people go to church in the UK and the UK is one of the least religious countries in the world.
As a non-godbotherer, I find being forced to pay for religious indoctrination at times of hijacked pagan festivals rather offensive. Especially when there are dedicated religious channels available on Sky.
Another example where the market has provided, yet the TV-Tax has divided.
As a public service broadcaster the BBC should reflect the community. Easter is the most important religious festival for millions of people in the UK, and to deny that Britain’s cultural history is not bound up with Chritianity is the height of PC nonsense.
I am not a practising Christian. But I believe that the BBC should reflect Britain’s heritage by giving some time to the Canterbury service – they already had a radio crew there. The historic setting is splendid, the music is beautiful.
As to the “preaching” – it was mostly PC stuff from the present Archbishop, so who would worry ?
A Muslim cleric was commenting on how Christian missionaries “don’t respect the culture” of local natives?
A representative from the religion that tried to get the historica Boar statue removed from the Derbyshire park? The self-same religion whose representatives must not be exposed to Piglet toys and fairy tale collections that mention the Three Little Pigs? The self-same religion that wants spiritual representatives in the House of Lords along with the princes of the CofE?
This is simply grotesque.
“As a public service broadcaster the BBC should reflect the community.”
When was the last time you heard the BBC directly question the existence of god(s) as 20+% of the UK population do?
They don’t even serve the “community”
–As a non-godbotherer, I find being forced to pay for religious indoctrination at times of hijacked pagan festivals rather offensive. Especially when there are dedicated religious channels available on Sky.–
Do you also work on Christmas?
Yep I’m self employed. The “market” pays more when there is a shortage of labour, so the winter solstice isn’t so bad.