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Written Word > Articles & Commentaries > July 2009 > "Who Gets To Speak on Public TV?"

Current rating: 5 (4 ratings)

"Who Gets To Speak on Public TV?"

By Rev. Robert Barron

All individuals and institutions are, to some degree, marked by inconsistency. Not all of our ducks—conceptual and behavioral—are ever quite in a row. But sometimes, an inconsistency is so sharp, so jarring, that it crosses the line into hypocrisy. A case in point is the recent decision of the Public Broadcasting System to exclude any religious programming from its future schedules. The usual reasons are trotted out: religion is divisive; it would be impossible to give equal time to all denominations; the public forum should not be the place for partisan speech but rather for objective exploration of issues, etc. etc.

Well, about three months ago, I was flipping my way through the cable channels and I stumbled upon a PBS program hosted by the British intellectual historian Jonathan Miller. I rather like Miller, having enjoyed his past programs on the history of science and the workings of cultures. But this show, I discovered was part of a multi-episode presentation on atheism. As I watched, it became increasingly clear to me that it wasn’t an objective history of the phenomenon of non-belief, nor a balanced presentation on the relative merits of theism vs. atheism. Rather, it was an enthusiastic advocacy of the atheist position; I might even be tempted to call it evangelism on behalf of unbelief. Miller tried, over and again, to show that religion is stupid, a hold-over from a primitive age, and the enemy of intellectual progress. The episode that I watched concluded with Miller’s interview of an elderly lady on her death bed. At our kind host’s prompting, she assured us that she looked forward to nothing at all after death.

Late on the evening of the very day that I read of PBS’s decision to exclude religious programming, I found myself, once again, surfing channels and came upon another interesting PBS offering. This one was an episode in a series on homosexuality in America. Once again, it was not an objective study of same-sex attraction or a sober consideration of the history of the debate concerning gay marriage. It was outright and passionate advocacy. What stayed particularly in my mind was a conversation between Larry Kramer, the well-known gay playwright and activist, and a man dressed as a woman, sporting a three foot blond wig! Kramer laid out his familiar arguments in a relatively disciplined way, but his interlocutor at one point intervened to observe that while there is only one Gay Pride Sunday all year, there are 51 Sundays on which the churches attack gay people. I’ll leave aside the laughable insinuation that the Christian churches attack homosexual people every week of the year (in fact, I can’t remember even one sermon to that effect in nearly a half century of hearing and giving sermons). But I will observe that this program amounted to a kind of evangelism on behalf of gay rights.

Now don’t get me wrong: I love the fact that we live in a free society where practically all positions can be aired, debated, and argued. I welcome passionate and public advocacy for points of view that I don’t share. More precisely, I think it’s fine that atheists and gay activists have a televised forum to present their cases. But come on PBS, you can’t have it both ways! You can’t say that religious evangelism is dangerous and divisive, but other types of evangelism are just fine. You can’t say that all voices should be heard in the marketplace of ideas—except religious voices.

In his trenchant book Democracy and Tradition, Jeffrey Stout argues that there is a healthy construal of liberalism as the set of practices that allow for peaceable conversation and interaction in a society marked by differing understandings of ultimate meaning. Here, tolerance, reason, and openness of spirt are the great practical virtues. Hence it was in the context of a robust liberal American polity that Abraham Lincoln could interpret the Civil War in explicitly religious terms and Martin Luther King could argue for civil rights on the basis of Old Testament prophecy. Both were permitted to speak religious language in the public forum, because both entered that arena with respect and non-violence. However, Stout holds that there is a more destructive and ideological version of liberalism that sees religioius belief as irrational and therefore advocates the exclusion of religion from the public discussion altogether. This mode of liberalism is hoisted on its own petard, precisely in the measure that it becomes deeply intolerant, totalitarian, and exclusive.

So Jonathan Miller can have ten hours on public television to trumpet the value of atheism, but no religious voice can be raised in that forum to counter him. I’ll let you decide which type of liberalism PBS is displaying.

Posted: 7/8/2009 2:31:47 PM by Word On Fire Admin | with 6 comments
Filed under: PBS

Comments

Fr. Russell A. Griffin

Dear Fr. Barron,
What you bear witness to in this article is what I have been saying and teaching over and over and over again. The problem is, true liberalism does not exist anymore. There is no longer any free exchange of ideas. What bothers me is, "liberal" venues like PBS have heard our position which you have so beautifully stated, and they just don't care. They will not address. “We are the intellectuals and we know better.” How patronizing and how blatantly ignorant and blind they are.
I think back to what our Blessed Lord said, ""If the world hates you, realize that it hated me first. God bless you. You have been a blessing to my priestly ministry.
AKA: FSU1976

7/8/2009 4:54:58 PM

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Robert

Fr. barron,
I am afraid that in a couple of years, people like you will be serving time in prison for the things we beleive. If that ever happens, I want to to go to prison for Christ too, becausese there is no difference to me between a society tht does not allow God in thier midst and a state penitentiary. If it comes to that, I rejoice and will be glad! For we suffer for the Lord!

7/14/2009 6:12:00 PM

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maggoo

Do you not (all of you) grow weary of defending your faith at every turn? I do. I became Roman Catholic at Easter Vigil 1989. It seems once people learn you are Roman Catholic (and it does not take long for them to see it) they are suddenly full of questions; usually accusations disguised as questions. It has caused me to research research research in order to answer their questions. Word on Fire is one site I visit regularly for answers. Our own priest has amazing homilies and I find them very helpful; but I become tired of constantly defending. I find rest with like minded people. No discussion necessary. It is tempting to remain within that "bubble."

7/18/2009 10:37:46 PM

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Claudia

Well I'm gay and catholic. I understand why gay people separate them self from god. Church is the last place where you can find a kindness. People who would look at you as a human being before your sexuality, before star judging you for who you are. The bigger the gap between gay people and church people, the more we are going to keep on discussing this issue. I'm very glad to have a sold ground for my faith and be mature enough to know who I am but most important to know who I am not.
I understand Fr. Barron's view, but he also had to understand that gay people don't have it easy. You might think they have already to much "media-time", but have a deep look and you'll see that most of it is about defending ourselves or being stereotype.
I don't want to offend anyone here. God bless you.

4/4/2010 6:21:32 AM

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Ryan

PBS operates to some extent with public funds. So, to some degree they will have to operate under the separation of church and state philosophy. Although, you might find from time to time in a non religious show people talking about their beliefs or for that matter you might see shows that talk about religion from a historical perspective.

I would recommend seeing if you local area has public access usually through a local cable provider that allow religious programming. I lived in Dallas some time ago and we produced a show that way. Because public access is mean to serve the community they broadcast in, they usually don't have a religious programming exclusion.

8/10/2010 11:42:31 AM

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Kell Brigan

For Claudia,
Don't you find more intolerance in the "gay" culture, than at Church? How do you handle the pressures when you have to tell other people you know who consider themselves "gay" that you are living a celibate life? I've seen many Catholics dealing with same-sex attraction issues who are ridiculed and harassed for not engaging in homosexual acts, and for living a celibate life. I see many more people in the "Gay" culture who are hostile to the Church, and to the teaching that homosexual acts are intrinsically disordered and cannot be supported by the Church.

8/24/2010 5:59:27 PM

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