Journalism highs and lows: Christianity and gays edition

Last updated on: June 24, 2013 at 7:12 pm by mollie

Journalism highs and lows: Christianity and gays edition 2013-06-24T19:12:14-04:00 mollie

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http://youtu.be/YIU71skvtuEI’m elated to be able to highlight a wonderful article headlined “Christians’ views vary on gay marriage.” The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette news piece shared just that — how Christians view marriage and why.

A sample from the work:

Most opposition to same-sex civil marriage is rooted in religious conviction. A recent Pew poll found that 73 percent of those who believe that gay sex is sinful oppose it, while 84 percent of those who say it’s not a sin support it.

Leviticus 20:13 says, “If a man has sexual relations with a man … both of them have done what is detestable. They are to be put to death.”

That Bible verse isn’t what led Wesley Hill, assistant professor of biblical studies at Trinity School for Ministry in Ambridge, to conclude that his gay sexual orientation requires him to be celibate. The first two chapters of Genesis, which “presents male and female as the partners of one another” and Jesus’ affirmation of that in Matthew 19, are far more important to him.

Mr. Hill, 32, grew up in a Baptist family where homosexuality was unacceptable, but he knew that other traditions found it compatible with Christianity. He studied all sides, he said.

“I found myself convinced of the more traditional reading of scripture, that marriage between one man and one woman was the only context for sexual expression in a Christian setting, and that if I intended to remain a traditional orthodox Christian, I needed to be celibate.”

He believes people are born with same-sex orientation as a result of the fall — humanity’s original rebellion against God — which brought imperfections to the world. He hasn’t settled his view of same-sex civil marriage.

I wish I could excerpt the whole thing. It’s full of descriptions that are nuanced and balanced and really dig down into the doctrinal views of the various parties. We hear from many sides and we get to hear them explain themselves in their own words. How sad that this is so rare in reporting on the matter. But what a great contribution to civil discourse.

For the absolute opposite end of the spectrum, I offer the video embedded above from ABC “News.” A reporter sent it to us with a note saying that the program should be called “To Catch A Christian” (a riff on “To Catch A Predator”). The piece is so appalling I almost don’t know what to say about it.

It uses child actors posing as Boy Scouts to loudly discuss the one young boy’s professed homosexuality. Another boy, directed by ABC “News” tells the boy posing as gay to “pray it away.” See, tmatt! You’re always saying you never heard a real person say that line. But you’re wrong! Reporters say it all the time when caricaturing Christians!

I literally couldn’t bear to watch more than three minutes of the ABC “News” piece. It was just too much vile propaganda. I did find it fascinating the way that ABC was fine with using hidden cameras and actors to sting “Christians” under the pose of news gathering. (And, believe it or not, this really is ABC News that puts on this program. See here.)

Remind me again how ABC News has reported the stings done on abortion clinics, including those of the massively federally funded Planned Parenthood, that use live actors and show abortion clinic employees talking about how they’d kill babies born alive, cover up child sex trafficking, violate laws regarding reporting of rape, approve abortions done solely because the child is female, and take money from racists, and so on and so forth?

Heck, come to think of it, why is a media so cool with “undercover” reporting not actually doing undercover reporting at, say, late-term abortion clinics? Why just on Christians in Texas? Or why not do one of these gay children stings in ABC News’ back yard of New York City, which actually has a serious problem with violence against gays?

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Texas

To Catch A Predator

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June 24, 2013

The Age gives ex-gay ministries a fair hearing

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June 25, 2013 Godless congregations copying Christian churches

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