Get Religion is a national and global journalism site focusing on how the mainstream press covers religion news in politics, entertainment, business and sports.
More than any other story in this campaign cycle, Democratic outreach to evangelical Christians has some serious staying power. We have been told over and over that Democrats have ramped up their outreach to religious voters and we’ve been told all about every part of that effort.
The czar of Beliefnet is on fire, right now, when it comes to analyzing the mix of religion and rumor that is dominating American politics at the moment (even while the stock market rages on).
What is it about the traditional Christian view of a male priesthood that causes mainstream journalists to just lose their minds? Normally I write about this topic when we’re analyzing the outsized and generally inaccurate coverage of Roman Catholic Womenpriests. But The Atlanta Journal-Constitution wanted to get into the act with a story on Southern Baptist opposition to female clergy.
As I mentioned the other day, it was great getting to spend part of Saturday hanging out at the Religion Newswriters Association meetings here in Washington, D.C.
In his new cover story for The Atlantic Monthly, writer Jeffrey Goldberg portrays John McCain as a believer in the military in general and the right use of military power specifically. My summary of Goldberg’s article is lengthy, so please bear with me.
This morning brought religion news junkies yet another case of authorities investigating a religious group for doing things that are against the law and against any sense of society’s morality. In this case, it is the Southwestern Arkansas-based Tony Alamo Christian Ministries, more than 100 police from federal and state agencies and six children in state custody. There have been no arrests, but people expect the leader, Tony Alamo, to be arrested soon once again.
Last week, the Fordham Center on Religion and Culture hosted a panel of media professionals talking about how the media are covering religion and morality in the 2008 camapign. When I heard about the event, I was disappointed that I couldn’t attend. Thankfully there was a brief write-up of the event. Peggy Fletcher Stack, senior religion writer for the Salt Lake Tribune, condemned the treatment of Romney by the press. Don Wycliff, veteran journalist for the Chicago Tribune, remarked that sensational treatment of religion goes back to coverage of “born again” Christian Jimmy Carter:
