Get Religion is a national and global journalism site focusing on how the mainstream press covers religion news in politics, entertainment, business and sports.
Did you catch Robert Wright’s “religious literacy test” in The New York Times this week? It’s under the opinion section, and I’m all for people having their own opinions. But, as they say, you can’t have your own facts. And that’s why I bring it up here. Wright is very well respected, a journalist and the author of the bestseller The Evolution of God.
You know how The Screwtape Letters was written from the perspective of a senior demon to his nephew demon? This article on the Pope’s visit to Britain by Washington Post foreign service writer Anthony Faiola reads better — and much funnier — if you imagine it written by someone pretending to be a demon.
The last time Molly Norris was in the news was July. She’s the Seattle cartoonist who responded to censorship of South Park by declaring April 20 to be “Everybody Draw Mohammed Day.”
The New York Daily News has a brief story about a man who was just fired for a First Amendment protest.
Pastor Terry Jones’ decision to call off his September 11 Koran burn has not stopped violent protests among some Muslims across the world. A Lutheran church in Pakistan was destroyed by a bomb. Kashmir protests left 13 dead. In Tehran, protesters are calling for the death of Jones.
You have to read this article by CNN writer John Blake. It’s all about how tolerant and respectful Islam is of Judaism and Christianity. For instance:
The other night I caught just a portion of Soledad O’Brien’s interview of Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf. I rarely watch television news shows but I enjoyed the interview. O’Brien had a good “get,” as they say, and made sure to make the most of it.
Do you wonder if every religion news story from here on out is going to involve some kind of clash of civilizations? I hope not but here’s another entry into that category. We’ve covered the various stories surrounding the Danish cartoon controversy that erupted a few years ago. German Chancellor Angela Merkel honored the creator of some of the controversial cartoons at a ceremony this week. Since 2006, Kurt Westergaard has had his life repeatedly threatened by Muslims angry over his art. Here’s how AFP put it:
Several weeks ago, there was a flurry of stories about someone in Israel convicted of “rape by deception.” Here is a typical lede for the story, this one from the BBC:
