{"id":1659,"date":"2021-11-20T11:36:00","date_gmt":"2021-11-20T17:36:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/thelight.com\/?p=1659"},"modified":"2021-11-22T13:03:53","modified_gmt":"2021-11-22T19:03:53","slug":"does-the-media-really-have-an-anti-christian-agenda","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/thelight.com\/index.php\/2021\/11\/20\/does-the-media-really-have-an-anti-christian-agenda\/","title":{"rendered":"Does the Media Really Have an Anti-Christian Agenda?"},"content":{"rendered":"<div>\n<p>This pretty much sums up what we have been teaching you here at the LIGHT!\u00a0 The evidence that the &#8220;mainstream media&#8221; is orchestrating a big conspiracy to take down Christians is very shaky at best and doesn&#8217;t match reality.\u00a0 (If you are a leader in a large company try to get all your competitors to make up a &#8220;hit piece&#8221; on the strongest competitor in your market and publish it the same day on each of their websites.\u00a0 You will find that this is extremely difficult)<\/p>\n<p>The greater danger comes from the extreme ends of the spectrum.\u00a0 Use tools like:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>adfontes.com<\/li>\n<li>mediabiasfactcheck.com<\/li>\n<li>allsides.com<\/li>\n<li>newsguardtech.com<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>to determine which sites are generally reliable vs those that aren&#8217;t.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"1661\" data-permalink=\"http:\/\/thelight.com\/index.php\/2021\/11\/20\/does-the-media-really-have-an-anti-christian-agenda\/does-the-media-really-have-an-anti-christian-agenda-jpg\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thelight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Does-the-Media-Really-Have-an-Anti-Christian-Agenda-.jpg?fit=2248%2C1498\" data-orig-size=\"2248,1498\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-title=\"Does-the-Media-Really-Have-an-Anti-Christian-Agenda-.jpg\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thelight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Does-the-Media-Really-Have-an-Anti-Christian-Agenda-.jpg?fit=1024%2C682\" class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-1661\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thelight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Does-the-Media-Really-Have-an-Anti-Christian-Agenda-.jpg?resize=300%2C200\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thelight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Does-the-Media-Really-Have-an-Anti-Christian-Agenda-.jpg?resize=300%2C200 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thelight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Does-the-Media-Really-Have-an-Anti-Christian-Agenda-.jpg?resize=1024%2C682 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thelight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Does-the-Media-Really-Have-an-Anti-Christian-Agenda-.jpg?resize=768%2C512 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thelight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Does-the-Media-Really-Have-an-Anti-Christian-Agenda-.jpg?resize=1536%2C1024 1536w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thelight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Does-the-Media-Really-Have-an-Anti-Christian-Agenda-.jpg?resize=2048%2C1365 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/>As the nation\u2019s top lawmakers weigh in on various policies and laws over the coming months, it\u2019s likely that there will be a common refrain among some in conservative Christian circles: There is anti-Christian bias in the media; faith is under attack; \u201cChristian\u201d values are eroding.<\/p>\n<p>But it\u2019s a message that goes beyond a polarizing issue like same-sex marriage. It is a foundational ideology of the culture wars: Christianity is under attack from culture, and it\u2019s our job to defend it. The \u201cmainstream media\u2019s\u201d so-called \u201canti-Christian\u201d agenda is just one battlefront in the large war between us and them.<\/p>\n<p>Like the counterproductive, \u201cus vs. them\u201d message of the culture wars, viewing the media as some sort of ideological enemy only further isolates Christians from the people they are trying to reach.<\/p>\n<p>Not to mention, it simply isn\u2019t true.<\/p>\n<h2>The Fall of the \u2018Mainstream Media\u2019<\/h2>\n<p>The idea of an underlying bias against Christians permeating the media is predicated on the idea that a relatively small number of media conglomerates control the message. It\u2019s based on the premise that the \u201cmedia\u201d is made up of a handful of powerful TV networks and newspapers that have a specific political and social bias they try to impose of audiences.<\/p>\n<p>But, even if it were true that the leaders of the biggest newspapers and TV networks somehow work together to influence the masses with \u201canti-Christian\u201d messages, since the rise of the Internet, the media no longer has as strong of a \u201cmainstream.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Blogs, individual Twitter feeds and Web start-ups often wield more power than cable news outlets or traditional \u201cnews media\u201d channels. Articles on sites like <em>Vox<\/em> and <em>BuzzFeed<\/em> often <a href=\"http:\/\/www.niemanlab.org\/2014\/05\/the-leaked-new-york-times-innovation-report-is-one-of-the-key-documents-of-this-media-age\/\">attract more attention<\/a> than pieces in <em>The New York Times<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p>A 2016 Pew Research center study found that Millienials and Gen-Xers in-take more of their political news from Facebook than any other source. The once powerful \u201cmainstream\u201d media from a generation ago has become so fragmented and personalized that it\u2019s harder and harder to believe that there is some conspiracy to communicate an underlying bias. <a href=\"http:\/\/www.journalism.org\/2015\/06\/01\/millennials-political-news\/\">From Pew<\/a>:<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>As the research continues, these data suggest that younger and older generations espouse fundamental differences in the ways they stay informed about political news\u2014differences of particular interest as the 2016 election campaigns ramp up.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>If you were to believe that\u2014despite the rise of social media and leveling of the playing field created by online publishing\u2014traditional outlets like television wield the most media power, the idea of a single anti-Christian agenda behind the overall message falls apart if you look at real numbers.<\/p>\n<p>Fox News\u2014a network whose <a href=\"http:\/\/mediamatters.org\/video\/2011\/10\/13\/oreilly-there-is-an-anti-christian-bias-in-the\/181676\">own anchors<\/a> claim that Christians are victims of media bias\u2014is the No. 1 <a href=\"http:\/\/www.medialifemagazine.com\/this-weeks-cable-ratings\/\">highest rated<\/a> cable network in the country. Fox News owns a far bigger viewership than any news competitor, and is known for its overwhelmingly socially conservative lineup of personalities. In the 25 to 54 demographic, it reaches a bigger primetime audience than CNN and MSNBC\u2014<a href=\"http:\/\/deadline.com\/2015\/03\/msnbc-ratings-all-time-low-fox-news-wins-cnn-1201402274\/\">combined<\/a>. In radio, conservative hosts routinely top lists of the <a href=\"http:\/\/radiotvtalk.blog.ajc.com\/2014\/04\/03\/rush-limbaugh-leads-talkers-heavy-hundred-radio-talk-show-list-for-eighth-year-in-a-row\/\">highest-rated<\/a> shows.<\/p>\n<h2>Choosing Selective Examples<\/h2>\n<p>When critics of the media attempt to show an \u201canti-Christian\u201d bias among the media, they typically point to several examples: Political issues aligned with social conservatives; the prevalence of sex and violence in movies and television; voices from other faiths that also receive a platform.<\/p>\n<p>The problem with claiming certain stances, certain personalities or certain programming is \u201canti-Christian,\u201d is that it reduces Christianity only to certain issues. Using such a broad, sweeping term\u2014\u201canti-Christian\u201d\u2014to describe an entire industry marginalizes the message of the Gospel. Sure, a paper may run a column that comes from a pro-choice perspective, but inside the same issue, the same paper may run pieces exposing an injustice, praising an individual who has helped his or her community or reporting on conflicts that devastate populations.<\/p>\n<p>If outlets are labeled \u201canti-Christian\u201d for taking an occasional position on a single issue that runs counter to a traditionally Christian one (while other \u201cpro-Christian\u201d values are ignored), it makes Christianity seem only about a select issue.<\/p>\n<p>Using terms like \u201canti-Christian\u201d to label people or institutions\u2014as opposed to specific ideas or actions\u2014is not only inaccurate, but it runs counter to the message of Christ. It creates an \u201cus vs. them\u201d scenario when, in reality, we are all on the same team. We have a common enemy\u2014and it\u2019s not each other. \u201cFor our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Everyone has biases. And some of those biases show up in the media we consume. That\u2019s why understanding nuance and the ability to think critically\u2014not defensively\u2014are so important.<\/p>\n<h2>An End of the Victim Complex<\/h2>\n<p>For decades, the culture war mentalities positioned Christianity as an opposing force, pushing against social trends. But creating false conflicts and manufacturing persecution where it doesn\u2019t exist only furthers the gulf between Christians and our neighbors.<\/p>\n<p>Yes, the Bible does warn against cultural opposition. In Matthew, Jesus tells His followers, \u201cYou will be hated by everyone because of me, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>But there\u2019s a difference between sharing the airwaves and the Internet with people with think differently and genuine persecution.<\/p>\n<p>In some parts of the world, Christians die for their beliefs. When American Christians\u2014who are not only free to practice their faith openly, but are also a majority of the population statistically\u2014create false senses of \u201cpersecution\u201d we risk diminishing the impact of actual persecution.<\/p>\n<p>Jesus did warn against opposition, but he didn\u2019t do it to make His followers feel like victims. He did it to give context to the message of the Gospel: It\u2019s radical, and it goes against human nature. A few verses later, Jesus says, \u201cDo not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Our enemy was never meant to be people or corporations.<\/p>\n<p>The idea of being targeted by an \u201canti-Christian agenda\u201d is the wrong message for Christians to perpetuate: We should see ourselves as part of bigger conversation, not the victims of conversations we don\u2019t like. Our \u201cenemy\u201d as the \u201canti-Christian\u201d media industry is an ideology that goes against Christ\u2019s message of grace.<\/p>\n<p>Because that\u2019s the most powerful message of them all.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<p>This content was originally published <a href=\"https:\/\/www.relevantmagazine.com\/culture\/myth-medias-anti-christian-agenda\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">here<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>This pretty much sums up what we have been teaching you here at the LIGHT!\u00a0 The evidence that the &#8220;mainstream media&#8221; is orchestrating a big conspiracy to take down Christians is very shaky at best and doesn&#8217;t match reality.\u00a0 (If you are a leader in a large company try to get all your competitors to [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1661,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1659","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-uncategorized","entry"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p8kHU7-qL","jetpack-related-posts":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thelight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Does-the-Media-Really-Have-an-Anti-Christian-Agenda-.jpg?fit=2248%2C1498","_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/thelight.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1659","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/thelight.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/thelight.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/thelight.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/thelight.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1659"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"http:\/\/thelight.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1659\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1663,"href":"http:\/\/thelight.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1659\/revisions\/1663"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/thelight.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1661"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/thelight.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1659"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/thelight.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1659"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/thelight.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1659"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}