Christian Denomination Denied Right to Preach Christianity on Television

Posted on December 2, 2004 in Journalists & Pundits Morals & Ethics

“Because this commercial touches on the exclusion of gay couples and other minority groups by other individuals and organizations,” reads an explanation from CBS, “and the fact the Executive Branch has recently proposed a Constitutional Amendment to define marriage as a union between a man and a woman, this spot is unacceptable for broadcast on the [CBS and UPN] networks.”

God is Still Speaking

The media continues to decide what kind of Christianity can be preached on its networks. I’ve stated before that I believe that there are those in the media who want Christianity to be bigoted, mean-spirited, and exclusive either because they are that way or because they want to shore up their own prejudice against religion. You have often seen me criticize organized religion and I want to make it clear that I do not throw my lot in with any organized religion. But the censorship being exercised against the United Church of Christ for this ad strikes me as more of the same from those who support the false teachings of the Religious Right.

The UCC is dead on: Christ did not preach turning anyone away from the open doors of a church. If you have read this blog for long, you have seen me state elsewhere that we bear more in common with the Romans than the Galileans. Fundamentalist Christianity has become the de facto state religion which cannot be criticized in the mainstream media without severe repercussions for those who so speak. The interests of the Government and the Corporations who parasitize upon it cannot be distinguished. It is they who must discriminate, who must invent a Christ who was hard of heart and discriminatory.

Again I say, we are the Romans. But let us not forget that Christ did not shut the door to even these. I remember his example of kindness when a centurion — the violent agent of the oppressing power — came to him and said “Lord I am not worthy….” Christ did not tell that soldier he would not help. In that man’s time of need, he acted towards him as he acted towards all human beings.

When I view the UCC’s commercial, that is the Christ I see. He should receive even unequal time to counterbalance the erroneous interpretations promulgated by the Fourth Estate and the silk-suited antichrists of the airwaves.

Speak up here or here.