Christians Complain About Media Treatment
SEATTLE — From the big screen to the little screen and from sitcoms to the news, Christians say they can't get a fair shake in the media.
Christians complain that the media portrays them as either bigots or buffoons, with such characters as Ned Flanders of "The Simpsons." They point out that even Christmas symbols like Santa are ridiculed, as in the new film "Bad Santa."
They also refer to Mel Gibson's upcoming movie "The Passion." The film, which closely follows the gospels in the New Testament, had difficulty getting financial backing and is being criticized as anti-Semitic.
"Christians seem to be the one religion that gets no respect from all the others. They're the ones that can be kicked around and not tolerated as we're being asked to do about everything under the sun," said Robert Knight, director of the Culture and Family Institute (search), an affiliate of Concerned Women for America.
However, other media observers disagree, citing the prevalence of shows about spirituality, including "Touched by an Angel," "7th Heaven," and "Joan of Arcadia."
Tim Appelo, senior arts writer for the Seattle Weekly (search), said Christians are "winning and they still can't see it, because they've spent so long in the desert. And so they're back, they're mad and they're not going to take it again."
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