Friday, June 06, 2008

Fair and Balanced?

In today's Journal Times: Reverend Glen Halbe, a retired United Church of Christ minister from Racine, wants more Jeremiah Wrights. More divisive hate speech. More evidence free conspiracy theories about the US government trying to exterminate blacks with viruses. More damning of America. Our pastors "only pretend to preach" as they are"too afraid" to speak out. "Let the prophets cry out!"

The Journal Times can find room for Halbe's message, but conservative writers need not apply.

6 comments:

Preachrboy said...

Amen.

Though, to be fair, whenever I have written them (a half dozen times or so) they have printed my letter.

In fact, once it was in response to Rev. Halbe himself. Funny that.

Denis Navratil said...

You are correct preachrboy in that the JT will usually, though not always, print conservative letters to the editor. However, they appear to have no interest whatsoever in employing a journalist or columnist with a conservative world view.

Anonymous said...

The J-T time has come and gone. Blogs and Web 2.0 will kill what is left of the old media.
Lee lost how much last quarter? Ad sales are down as is readership.
So why bother the J-T is no longer relevant

Preachrboy said...

Denis,

That's true... but as for clergy.. Halbe isn't employed by the JT is he?

They have that parson-to-person column, which the Racine Clergy Association runs - they just take turns. I think, though, that the members of that group tend to hold a more liberal view.

I suppose if conservative preachers joined the RCA that the JT would print their stuff in the Parson to Person column. Problem is, conservative preachers have little in common with the RCA types, I think.

I think your point is true, Denis, about the JT slant. I'm just not sure Halbe is the illustrative example.

What I do think is more telling, when it comes to clergy in the JT, is their failure to ascertain a conservative clergyman's view to balance the likes of Tony Larsen - whose ubiquity is unparalelled in JT print. As are his liberal views.

Anonymous said...

The shame of it is that certain sources of information are quickly deemed untrustworthy and are conveniently ignored. There often is strong evidence that many "conspiracy theories" are actual conspiracies, but mainstream news sources rarely carry stories that convey such evidence.

Anonymous said...

Halbe is more in lie with Conservatives than the Dimple's guy:

http://www.zenit.org/article-22913?l=english
l=english

Pope Criticizes Individualism,

Affirms That Church Serves Society by Educating in Solidarity

SANTA MARIA DI LEUCA, Italy, JUNE 15, 2008 (Zenit.org).- The Church must overcome individualism by educating in solidarity and sharing, Benedict XVI explained at the beginning of his 10th apostolic trip in Italy.

The Pope affirmed this Saturday in the homily he delivered at the shrine dedicated to Mary "De Finibus Terrae" (at the end of the earth) in Santa Maria di Leuca, Italy.

The Holy Father began his homily by greetings the sick, who were in the front rows. More than 20,000 faithful filled the area around the shrine, which was bathed in sunlight.

In his homily, the Pontiff spoke about the Church's social role: "In a context that tends to give more and more incentives to individualism, the first service of the Church is that of educating in a social sense, in attention to neighbors, in solidarity and in sharing."

"The Church," he went on, "charged as she is by her Lord with a spiritual mission that she continually renews, shows herself to be capable of exercising a positive influence even on the social level because she promotes a renewed humanity and open and constructive human relationships, in respect and in service, first of all to the least and the weakest."

Silently victorious

In Salento, as in all of southern Italy, the ecclesial communities, "are places where the young generations can learn hope, not as a utopia, but as tenacious confidence in the power of the good," the Pope said. "The good is victorious and, if at times it seems to be defeated or circumvented, in reality it continues to work in silence and in discretion bearing fruit in the long run.

"This is Christian social renewal, based on the transformation of consciences, on moral transformation, on prayer, yes, for prayer gives us the strength to believe and fight for the good even when, humanly, we are tempted to be discouraged and retreat.

"The Christian community cannot and never wants to replace the legitimate and dutiful work of other social institutions; indeed, she stimulates and supports their efforts and she always offers to collaborate with them for the good of all, beginning with the situations of great unease and difficulty."

Fireworks sent off the Pope as he departed for Brindisi, his second stop on his two-day tour.