ABC Lumps 'Christian Right' With 9-11 Terrorists as Driving People to Atheism

NewsBusters ^ | Mark Finkelstein

[governsleastgovernsbest]

Editor's Note: ABC News broadcast the item equating Christians with 9-11 terrorists in being responsible for driving people to atheism. Mark Finkelstein wrote the article at NewsBusters CRITICIZING ABC. Please address your comments accordingly.

ABC may have set a loathsome new MSM low in insulting traditional Christians. On today's "Good Morning America," the network lumped the "Christan right" with the 9-11 Islamic terrorists as driving people to atheism.

Keying off an atheists convention being held this weekend, GMA ran a segment on the "Rise in Atheism." Seeking to explain the phenomenon, as images rolled first of the WTC in flames and then of a man placidly holding a sign that simply read "One Nation Under God" and of a display at a demonstration of the Ten Commandments, ABC's Liz Marlantes stated:

Some are reacting to religious extremism, like the Islamic fundamentalism behind the terrorist attacks of 9-11, but also the rise of the Christian right in the U.S.

So there it is. To ABC, traditional Christians are as responsible for making people doubt God as the 9-11 terrorists. People peacefully exercising their First Amendment rights by displaying the Ten Commandments or a sign containing an excerpt from the Pledge of Allegiance as faith-shattering as terrorists who murder thousands by flying airplanes into buildings.

Does MSM anti-Christian bias get any worse than this? ABC owes an apology.

NOTE: In making the case that atheism is growing, Marantes mentioned that "Congress now has its first self-proclaimed atheist." But while displaying his image [shown here], ABC didn't in any way identify him. He is Pete Stark (D-Calif.)

 

Contact Mark at mark@gunhill.net

[stevem]

Of course I don't watch ABC, NBC or CBS or any other alphabet soup news providers for information on much of anything.

Still, when it comes to atheists, I always harken to the U=boat skipper, one of the few who survived, who said he always found atheism interesting. As the war progressed, fanatical youths kept joining the submarine corps. The more the war surrendered to time, the more atheistin these patriots became. The sub driver said when the depth charges started exploding around them, these fanatical atheists were the first to hit their knees to pray fervently for deliverance.

Is "atheist" a synonym for "MSM" which is a synonym for "Democrat?"

[SoldierMedic]

But you are undoubtedly prone to vote for someone who agrees with you regarding my religious rights, so you'd be taking money out of my wallet anyway.

Sure thing Shylock, your pound of flesh is in the mail /sarc

Still, when you refer to religion being "stuffed down" your throat, that's a criticism of OTHER PEOPLE'S religion ~and those who start sticking their nose into other's religious beliefs almost invariably end up voting for people who will suppress religion, or start dictating beliefs.

Please, I in no way want to supress somebody's religion, I just object when it affects me. If my baggage handler at Safeway refused to handle my bacon because of their Islamic beliefs, I'll object. If my Hindu neighbor made constant efforts to curtail my beef intake, I'd object. On that same token, if somebody starts ranting at me because I my wife and I weren't married yet when we started living together, or is telling me I'm going to hell because I don't go to church, I object to that.

[ImaGraftedBranch]

This is to be expected. Christ told us so.

[ImaGraftedBranch]

This is to be expected. Christ told us so. That he did this 2,000 years ago, and (yet another) prophecy from the bible shows to be true, reveals how much evidence they must look past in order to set their eyes on themselves instead of God.

[roses of sharon]

Wow, this is blatant, this is an actual political campaign.

It’s time to begin ours.

[dinoparty]

Rejecting God because they don’t agree with some believers? Even if it were true, isn’t it like ... rejecting all food because you don’t like macaroni and cheese?

[weegee]

Time=Lies, Newsweak, and other branches of the MSM have been telling the public that “God is Dead” since the 1960s.

Every Christmas and Easter is another expose how Christianity is a “sham”.

ABCDisney can go Lewinsky themselves.

[L98Fiero]

“While not agreeing with the way it was presented, I can see the point that GMA (through very bad presentation) was trying to make.”

Although I don’t agree with they way they presented it, I tend to agree. The problem with this is mainly in the MSM depiction of this “rising Christian right”.

That said, these MSM-proclaimed “evangelical leaders” don’t do much to help the situation. Many preach a new form of social conservatism enforced through force of government. I say to FReepers, be careful what you wish for and by what means you employ to see those wishes to fruition. Dangerous ground here.

[weegee]

The homosexual agenda is forced down our throats too by the MSM, courts, corporate America, etc (but surprisingly little action by the LEGISTATURE, which is part of why the issue is still a sore spot for many people, it was foced upon us without consensus).

Doesn’t seem to have soured the public’s tv viewing habits, beer thirst, support of Ford Motors, applications for colleges, etc.

[khnyny]

I would like to start that I am in no way trying to “bash” or hate on religion, this is just the way I feel on this subject:

While not agreeing with the way it was presented, I can see the point that GMA (through very bad presentation) was trying to make.

The reason I say that is because not everybody wants to have religion crammed down their gullets, and sometimes that is what it feels like when somebody makes an attempt to limit your freedoms due to their religious convictions.

What freedoms are you talking about and how, exactly, are they being limited?

[weegee]

Expect the nastiest political advertising and media smears since 1964.

[P-Marlowe]

Does MSM anti-Christian bias get any worse than this? ABC owes an apology.

What happened to "Turn the other cheek"?

Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you. (Matthew 5:10-12 KJV)

[citizenmike]

The name itself, Mark Finklestein, conjures up images of a godless, socialistic, wimp writer.

What did you mean by that exactly?

[Cvengr]

Its somewhat ironic that the policies of the atheists to legalize their belief and outlaw those of others is the same policy used by zealots who seek to influence worldly affairs with their religious devotion.

Christianity is the only faith which promotes life, instead of worldly systems which acquisition death.

[B Knotts]

Did you ever consider Pascal's Wager?

[Cvengr]

Perfect Justice still demands Perfect Righteousness.

An apology is still owed, but if they simply placed faith through Christ, Divine Judgment has a perfect solution available.

[P-Marlowe]

Perfect Justice still demands Perfect Righteousness.

That makes our sins as bad as ABC's.

[SoldierMedic]

What freedoms are you talking about and how, exactly, are they being limited?

Buying Liquor on Sundays and other Blue Laws

[tpanther]

I’m sure there are those out there cramming their beliefs down other’s throats, but I can’t understand how a typical Christian’s rights, exercised in public, somehow means another’s rights and freedoms are being suppressed.

For instance...if Christmas is banned from public schools (often while other religions get a free pass), how was it all those prior years that Christian kids celebrating Christmas in various forms somehow harmed another non-Christian kid?

If a Christmas tree is displayed in a town square, or a cross on public land, etc. how does that limit another’s freedoms?

If Under God is in the Pledge, how does that “harm” or suppress the freedom’s of one that doesn’t believe in God?

In other words, if an atheist doesn’t even BELIEVE there’s a God, how can another person’s belief in something that doesn’t exist HARM them or impinge on their rights or freedom’s not to believe?

I’m sure there are examples, but for the vast majority of cases I’ve seen, the very opposite has been true. A concerted effort is being made to remove Christianity from the public(again while giving other religions a free pass).

www.thomasmore.org

[Jedi Master Pikachu]

Although sort of off-topic, Stargate SG-1 (at least season 1) is very anti-Christian, and seems to have an atheistic bent. So many atheists seem to have a big figurative chip on their shoulder when it comes to Christianity.

Secularly, atheists should be free to be atheists--though an atheist society would be HUGE threat, with the potential to be far more dangerous than an Islamic country under Sharia law.

It was very offensive how they repeatedly characterized Christianity (and non-atheist religion in general) as being irrational, and not fit for advanced people. It was quite rich when a Senator goes into a conniption upon hearing that some other people are polytheistic.

Uh, news flash to the atheist writers, Christians generally would not go into a flying rage at the mere recognition that others have beliefs contrary to their own.

That, and they demonstrated a very naive view of how the world (or universe) works.

Christian fundamentalism is not driving people to atheism. It has been too long that Western societies have pressured their peoples to be 'Christian.' This has led to many corrupted, watered-down forms of Christianity. If people want to be atheists, let them, and hopefully they'll lose the big chips on their shoulders and come to respect Christians right to have their beliefs and recognize Christians as being as intellectually advanced as them and their secular equals.