home *** CD-ROM | disk | FTP | other *** search
- Comments: Gated by NETNEWS@AUVM.AMERICAN.EDU
- Path: sparky!uunet!europa.asd.contel.com!paladin.american.edu!auvm!ROADRUNNER.PICTEL.COM!HARLING
- X-Envelope-to: CHRISTIA@ASUACAD.BITNET
- Content-transfer-encoding: 7BIT
- Message-ID: <9212211733.AA26765@roadrunner.pictel.com>
- Newsgroups: bit.listserv.christia
- Approved: NETNEWS@AUVM.AMERICAN.EDU
- Date: Mon, 21 Dec 1992 12:33:30 -0500
- Sender: CHRISTIA@ASUACAD
- From: Dan Harling <harling@ROADRUNNER.PICTEL.COM>
- Subject: Re: Operation Pest.
- Lines: 53
-
- > Date: 21 Dec 1992 11:14:10 -0600 (CST)
- > From: "Scott D. Weberg" <sweberg@GARFIELD.WES.ARMY.MIL>
- > Subject: Re: Operation Pest.
- > To: Multiple recipients of list CHRISTIA <CHRISTIA%ASUACAD.BITNET@asu.edu>
- >
- > Dan Harling writes:
- >
- > ---------------
- > Christians in movies and on TV are actually being portrayed in a
- > *positive* light on occasion (rather than as zealous maniacs) for the
- > first time in years.
- >
- > ---------------
- >
- > ... Many of the "bad things" that are shown by the press about
- > Operation Rescue are examples of groups or, even worse, individuals
- > who are acting on their own, without direct leadership from Randal
- > Terry. They are commited to an ISSUE or a CAUSE, when they should be
- > commited to CHRIST. They are led only by their personal convictions
- > and emotions, when they should be led by the SPIRIT! They make
- > Randal Terry (and all Christians) look bad.
-
- I wasn't referring to O.R.'s press coverage in particular, but the
- popular portrayal of Christians in general, as a result of perceived
- association with such groups. These groups slander Christ, as well as
- his followers, when they act inappropriately "in the name of Jesus."
-
-
- > This brings me to a question about the above statement. I don't go
- > to many movies, and I don't watch TV as much as I used to. Could you
- > please give me some examples of TV shows and movies that have
- > portrayed Christians properly? I can only think of one movie that
- > portrayed Christians fairly well (Sister Act) and no TV shows. In
- > fact, there is a new Steve Martin movie being advertised where he
- > plays a con-man evangelist whos just in it for the money and the
- > scam.
-
- My statement was based on my general perception from watching TV and
- seeing movies, not on a list I have been keeping. I have heard people
- cite examples in which Christians are *not* portrayed as self-
- righteous, hypocritical, or insane, but I didn't write anything down.
- My observation is simply that Christians seem to be portrayed more
- sympathetically by the media than they were in the cynical period in
- the 70's and 80's, after the "Jesus movement" had quieted down.
-
- Events like the televangelist scandals (yes, *plural!*) merely
- reinforce that popular view of Christians in general, by association.
- I wish folks would just stop and think before they do things like
- this.
- ____________________________________________________________________________
- Daniel A. Harling (harling@pictel.com)
- PictureTel Corp. Opinions expressed are not necessarily those of
- Peabody, MA 01960 PictureTel Corp. (so there!)
-