Secular Media affects Christians

[edwest2]

I’m just going to focus on newspapers. Secular newspapers are clearly biased. They promote, for example, embryonic stem cell research, even though it is a proven, scientific fact that we all began as embryos. Killing human beings is the issue. Abortion is OK. Maybe, under certain circumstances, like saving the life of the mother, and it is a serious medical procedure. But once again, you are killing a human being.
Contraception. Marriage is the legitimate, holy situation for sexual relations, but if pleasure is put ahead of the teachings of the Church, which as John Paull II stated, such relations are for “The transmission of life,” then Catholics need to consider that. Newspapers are definitely biased against what the Church teaches about it.

As Catholics, we need to see the newspaper as not just the news but as a promoter of anti-Catholic ideas. They may quote the Pope on occasion but they are clearly secular media designed to promote secular viewpoints, especially in all matters involving human sexuality.

Contraception - OK. Church’s position: No.
Abortion - OK. Church’s position: No.
Embryonic Stem Cell research - OK. Church’s position: No.
Gay marriage - OK. Church’s position: No.
Cohabitation/sex before marriage - OK. Church’s position: No.

Your newspaper is supporting anti-God, anti-Church teachings regarding human sexuality. Instead of being appropriately being expressed under the bond of Holy Matrimony, it is being trivialized, and even to the point of being, in the minds of some Catholics, “everyone else is doing it so why can’t I ?”

Sure, enjoy each other and express your love toward each other, but the spiritual, committed side of the relationship needs to include God. God should be the center and HIS Church and what HIS Church teaches should be heard by all Catholics. By making sex trivial and commitment optional, people avoid the genuine trials that God gives to all of us to refine us like gold, and to create a closer union with Himself and our spouses. If we are born again of the Spirit, and are temples of the Holy Spirit, then just satisfying our flesh is only part of our commitment. The spiritual commitment before God and man needs to be lived out. Without trials, there is no refinement.

I strongly suggest that all Catholics get a Catholic newspaper to get the Church’s views about issues of the day. I have found excellent explanations of many things I was unclear about, and information about what the Church is doing regarding social issues and helping Catholics avoid becoming like those who lead purely secular lives. If a newspaper is not available, then get a good Catholic magazine.

We need to be reminded about how we are to live. Your newspaper, although it can contain the occasional helpful article, generally won’t.

God bless,
Ed

 

[Cat]

edwest2, we get our city’s newspaper to read the local news. I really don’t see the harm in this. There is much good in it.

I like to know what’s going on in my own city. Often, I know the people or places or companies that are in the news. (My city has a pop. of about 150,000).

I also like to have the schedule of local events, plays, concerts, lectures, museum exhibits, etc.

The obits are always worth a scan.

I love many of the human interest features about local people and happenings. Just today, there was an article about a local man, a church organist, who published a novel. Sounds good to me!

The political happenings at the local level are also very interesting and vital to know about at election time. In order to be a responsible voter and citizen, I have to know what the candidates and issues are all about.

And the sports–I don’t think there is harm in reading the sports scores, especially the local scores and stories.

We get our diocescan newspaper, which comes once a week. But this doesn’t report in depth on local news stories.

I think the local television news is worth watching, too, for all the same reasons listed above. I LIKE knowing what’s happening to who in my city! Sometimes I’m even in the news, or my kids!

I agree with you that news magazines like Time and Newsweek are very slanted toward the non-Christian viewpoints. I don’t get cable, but I see CNN at work and I think much of it is non-Christian.

But I don’t think it’s accurate to make all the print and television media out to be worthless to Christians.

 

[edwest2]

I didn’t use the word worthless. I was very specific about which issues I was concerned about and that other Catholics should be concerned about.

God bless,
Ed