If you were Tiger Woods, and you heard Hume's advice, wouldn't you convert to Christianity on the spot?
The transcript of the video is at Think Progress along with good commentary.
Fox prides itself on being “fair and balanced.” Will it now give equal time to other religions for proselytizing, or is it comfortable becoming the next Christian Broadcast Network?
Paul (A.) sent me the link to Bill in Portland Maine at Daily Kos. Should Tiger choose to convert to Christianity, Bill says:
Generically urging a Buddhist to convert to Christianity---as the Fox Conservative Opinion Channel's Brit Hume urged Tiger Woods to do Sunday on Fox Conservative Opinion Channel Sunday---is like telling a child to trade in his dependably-yummy carrots for a new vegetable. If you gorge on a really crappy one willy-nilly and it makes you throw up---I'm looking at you, Brussels sprouts---it can leave a spiritually sour taste in your mouth. So you have to pick your brand of Christianity carefully---sniff it, squeeze it, bang it on the table, see if the dog likes it, throw it in the microwave and see how long it takes before it explodes and, finally, drown it in ranch dressing and try a nibble.
Tiger must choose wisely.
I'm Episcopalian, mostly because God gave us the power and the glory to ditch the vegetables and instead put on the best pancake suppers on Earth. ("Why, yes, it is real Maine maple syrup. What's that? The Lutherans use that Mrs. Butterworth goop? And sausage patties instead of links? Heathen.") Plus we have Bishop V. Gene Robinson on our team, and I believe that makes us the coolest denomination by default.
And ain't that the truth?
David Gibson, at Politics Daily, without question, has the best headline:
Brit Hume: Jesus Can Tame You, Tiger
Britt Hume is a senior
Britt Hume shared his faith with Tiger as he felt compassion towards him. Britt is a political analyst at Fox but this wasn't political commentary. It was and is a story of a broken man in need of forgiveness. I share Britt's sentiment and his faith and I'm glad we still live in a country where you can speak freely. He wasn't glib about his faith as Bill the Episcopalian from Maine appears to be. If Britt believes in his heart (a many in the world do) that Jesus Christ provides the only means of redemption then the fact that he wants to offer that to Tiger seems to come only out of a heart of compassion. People can agree or disagree as they so choose. But go Britt for your courage and your concern for a man who needs a little grace.
ReplyDeleteHere is my Blog Post from Dec 12th
http://i61project.blogspot.com/2009/12/i-can-see-clearly-now-plank-is-gone.html
Peace.
I-61, in my opinion, Hume's proselytizing was entirely inappropriate in the context of a news show roundtable forum.
ReplyDeleteExactly. Time and place. NOt to mention the incredible disrespect of another faith tradition.
ReplyDeleteIf fundies want to know why so many people are revolted by their type of religion, here's a great example.
fortunately, despite his claim, brit Hume does NOT define Christianity and many other Christians walk far more humbly than he.
...brit Hume does NOT define Christianity and many other Christians walk far more humbly than he.
ReplyDeleteYes.
Britt Hume,
ReplyDeleteI strongly urge you to continue to help the cause of Christ, to promote Christianity as an act of public grace, and, as a man who wishes to do this, the best way you can possibly promote Christ and His Call is to publicly convert to Islam as quickly as possible.
And take your supporters with you.
Go with whatever nauseous creature it is you worship.
...the best way you can possibly promote Christ and His Call is to publicly convert to Islam as quickly as possible.
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure what you mean by those words, Mark.
Perhaps we should cultivate Mettā even towards Britt Hume and Tiger Woods (though it might help to start with mad priests:-).
ReplyDeleteInteresting conversation here - but like Grandmère I have to say that this was supposedly a news show, not a religious one.
ReplyDelete(Oh, and I think Mark was being more than rude.)
I think Britt Hume could do his best work for Christianity by leaving it.
ReplyDeleteMark, I don't like the idea of asking anyone to leave, not even Britt. Help him to do better. Don't forget that Jesus sought out the undesirables to spend time with them.
ReplyDeleteMoving on from Buddhism to put down Islam seems a rather poor method of spreading Christianity.
Erp, mettā seems always a good thing to cultivate, no matter your faith.
My point here was to indicate the inappropriateness of Hume's evangelizing on a news show.
My initial comment about the three men involved in the story is that they are much more in the news than is their due, and I hesitated to give any of them more attention.
Thanks for the shoutout.
ReplyDeleteThe best way to gauge the appropriateness of Hume's comment is to simply ponder what the reaction of the Fox News crowd would be if Tiger was a Christian and Hume was a Buddhist trying to recuit him to a life of Zen.
They would...go...ballistic.
Here endeth the lesson.
And to the commenter who thinks I'm being glib about religion: nuh uh. I just think humor in religion is a necessity. God knows the frowny-faced adherants have done enough damage to the world. We need a lot more Gene Robinsons and a lot fewer Reverend Stickinthemuds.
Cheers!
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Hi Bill. Thanks for dropping in and leaving a word.
ReplyDeleteI just think humor in religion is a necessity. God knows the frowny-faced adherants have done enough damage to the world.
Amen to that!
Sorry, Mimi. I stand rebuked, but unbowed - I would still ask him to leave.
ReplyDeleteThis "news show" is only pretence anyway... But, indeed, inappropriate and lacking in respect.
ReplyDeleteOn Fulcrum:
ReplyDeleteI see on your site you have a link to Wounded Bird. If you check this post out, http://thewoundedbird.blogspot.com/2010/01/britt-hume-tiger-woods-bill-oreilly.html, you will find a commenter who repeatedly insists that Christianity would be better off if Britt Hume left the faith. While I presume that commenter is an American I do not presume he is an Episcopalian. After all, all is well in TEC and there are no extremes there.
http://www.fulcrum-anglican.org.uk/forum/thread.cfm?thread=14674
Naughty Pluralist! You should know better than to link to my blog.
ReplyDeleteAnyway, do you really think Peter Carrell reads Wounded Bird?
This "news show" is only pretence anyway...
ReplyDeleteGöran, indeed it is, but too many citizens in the US swear by the "news" as delivered by Fox News.