What do you think of NPR?

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I’m talking progressive liberal. How far left can I go from the rightmost end of the political spectrum without being criticized as anti-catholic?
You choose how left you go. Keep in mind you have political loyalties as a Catholic. Do you know about these loyalties?

Your thread has given you a chance to share some of your views–that’s fine. But I would really like to know more of your thoughts on NPR. For example, you said, “I find the non-news-related programming to be both very entertaining and educational.” Can you elaborate? Thank you.
 
Lately, I’ve really gotten into listening to NPR. Not only does it seem to be all but devoid of the bias that floods cable TV networks, but it covers the news in a global setting, rather than a strictly national one. I find the non-news-related programming to be both very entertaining and educational. The audio nature of the network allows me to multitask while listening. The only downside that comes to mind is that all of the programming is strictly secular (which isn’t much of a downside, as it allows people of other faiths to enjoy it). Short of perhaps the Colbert Report, I’ve yet to find a compelling alternative.

What are your thoughts on NPR?

–James Chapel
I think NPR, like FNC, fulfills a need in our society.

We live in an extremely divided and diverse culture…From extreme right…to extreme left…and the entire spectrum in the middle…

Each has their target audience.
 
The Democrat Party is the Pro-Death Pro-Abortion party. So-called pro-life Democrats are marginalized or threatened into compromise. I don’t so much care if a Catholic is Republican, but I can’t see being a loyal Catholic and voting Democrat. The Democrat Party has been taking over by anti-family, anti-life extremists.
This is exactly my point, and forgive me for using you as an example but many Catholics, such as yourself, take a far-right political position, which there is nothing wrong with. However, they go on by saying that anything further left than this far-right position is evil, and that God will judge you harshly, perhaps condemn you, if you disagree with it.

This is where I see the Catholic church basically turning into a platform and conversion medium for conservatives / The Republican Party. Now, if you people think that it’s so wrong for NPR, a tax-payer funded, publicly aired news program to be silently pushing a liberal agenda, what makes it right for the Catholic church, a tax-payer funded, very much public religious organization to be loudly pushing a conservative one?

Sure, I can understand taking a stance against specific issues, abortion, for example, but what is so wrong with liberal ideology that these witch hunts have to take place to either convert or weed these people out of the church?
 
Yes, how can we ignore such important factors? I’ll skip over the inappropriate scene in the movie, and still say that one scene ruined the whole movie for me–gasp!:eek:.
I’m afraid I have no idea what movie you are referring to?
 
This is where I see the Catholic church basically turning into a platform and conversion medium for conservatives / The Republican Party. Now, if you people think that it’s so wrong for NPR, a tax-payer funded, publicly aired news program to be silently pushing a liberal agenda, what makes it right for the Catholic church, a tax-payer funded, very much public religious organization to be loudly pushing a conservative one?
?
The Catholic Church is not taxpayer-funded. Nor it is a platform for the Republican Party. The fact that it is almost impossible to find a Democrat running for Congress that is not pro-abortion is a problem the Democrat Party needs to address. The church idoes not say we have to vote Republican but the Democratic Party’s rejection of core moral church teaching makes it almost impossible not to do so without throwing your vote away on nonviable third-party candidate
 
But I would really like to know more of your thoughts on NPR. For example, you said, “I find the non-news-related programming to be both very entertaining and educational.” Can you elaborate? Thank you.
Yes, indeed I can. Take for example, this last week there was a famous composer on NPR’s Fresh Air (his name eludes me) who did the scores for a number of well-known movies starting in the early 60’s. They interviewed him, played a number of his hits, and gave him an opportunity to reflect back on the history of his career.

That’s what I’m talking about.
 
The Catholic Church is not taxpayer-funded.
In a sense, it is, given that religious organizations are exempt from taxes, if certain conditions are met… or at least, in the sense that it is given certain advantages that other news organizations… on second thought, nevermind, I’m just ranting. 😛
 
This is where I see the Catholic church basically turning into a platform and conversion medium for conservatives / The Republican Party. Now, if you people think that it’s so wrong for NPR, a tax-payer funded, publicly aired news program to be silently pushing a liberal agenda, what makes it right for the Catholic church, a tax-payer funded, very much public religious organization to be loudly pushing a conservative one?
Why are you comparing a liberal radio station to the Church? That doesn’t help your argument.

We are more conservative in ideology because we HAVE TO BE. The Church, through* many* of the popes, has warned us about the evils of socialist liberalism. Progressivism. Marxism.

Now I’m not about to call you a communist.😉 Not even close. But the deep roots of today’s liberalism is ultimately an evil concept. I’m sorry.

PIUS IX (1846-1878):
“Overthrow [of] the entire order of human affairs”
“You are aware indeed, that the goal of this most iniquitous plot is to drive people to overthrow the entire order of human affairs and to draw them over to the wicked theories of this Socialism and Communism, by confusing them with perverted teachings.” (Encyclical Nostis et Nobiscum, December 8, 1849)

LEO XIII (1878-1903):
Hideous monster
“…communism, socialism, nihilism, hideous deformities of the civil society of men and almost its ruin.” (Encyclical Diuturnum, June 29, 1881)

SAINT PIUS X (1903-1914):
The dream of re-shaping society will bring socialism
“But stranger still, alarming and saddening at the same time, are the audacity and frivolity of men who call themselves Catholics and dream of re-shaping society under such conditions, and of establishing on earth, over and beyond the pale of the Catholic Church, ‘the reign of love and justice’ … What are they going to produce? … A mere verbal and chimerical construction in which we shall see, glowing in a jumble, and in seductive confusion, the words Liberty, Justice, Fraternity, Love, Equality, and human exultation, all resting upon an ill-understood human dignity. It will be a tumultuous agitation, sterile for the end proposed, but which will benefit the less Utopian exploiters of the people. Yes, we can truly say that the Sillon, its eyes fixed on a chimera, brings Socialism in its train.” (Apostolic Letter Notre Charge Apostolique “Our Apostolic Mandate”] to the French Bishops, August 15, 1910, condemning the movement Le Sillon)

PIUS XII (1939-1958):
The Church will fight to the end, in defense of supreme values threatened by socialism
“[The Church undertook] the protection of the individual and the family against a current threatening to bring about a total socialization which in the end would make the specter of the ‘Leviathan’ become a shocking reality. The Church will fight this battle to the end, for it is a question of supreme values: the dignity of man and the salvation of souls.” (“Radio message to the Katholikentag of Vienna,” September 14, 1952 in Discorsi e Radiomessaggi, vol. XIV, p. 314)

The state can not be regarded as being above all
“To consider the State as something ultimate to which everything else should be subordinated and directed, cannot fail to harm the true and lasting prosperity of nations.” (Encyclical Summi Pontificatus, October 20, 1939, n. 60)

Now obviously these sobering words of the popes were said in times of great distress in both the world and the Church. But today things can not be excused as being entirely different. Look at how we’ve attempted to “re-shape society.” Look at how we’ve come to ignore the weakest among us; to allow there to be an “ill understood human dignity.”
 
Yes, indeed I can. Take for example, this last week there was a famous composer on NPR’s Fresh Air (his name eludes me) who did the scores for a number of well-known movies starting in the early 60’s. They interviewed him, played a number of his hits, and gave him an opportunity to reflect back on the history of his career.

That’s what I’m talking about.
Got it. Thank you for answering!
 
This is exactly my point, and forgive me for using you as an example but many Catholics, such as yourself, take a far-right political position, which there is nothing wrong with. However, they go on by saying that anything further left than this far-right position is evil, and that God will judge you harshly, perhaps condemn you, if you disagree with it.

This is where I see the Catholic church basically turning into a platform and conversion medium for conservatives / The Republican Party. Now, if you people think that it’s so wrong for NPR, a tax-payer funded, publicly aired news program to be silently pushing a liberal agenda, what makes it right for the Catholic church, a tax-payer funded, very much public religious organization to be loudly pushing a conservative one?

Sure, I can understand taking a stance against specific issues, abortion, for example, but what is so wrong with liberal ideology that these witch hunts have to take place to either convert or weed these people out of the church?
I agree that the Catholic Church and the Republican Party are not and should not be synonymous. Abortion is evil, and the Democrat Party has adopted it as an important cause to promote and fund. So while I would not agree that anything to the left of far-right is evil, I do not personally know of any candidates with a “D” next to their names for whom I could in good conscience vote.
 
Why are you comparing a liberal radio station to the Church? That doesn’t help your argument.

We are more conservative in ideology because we HAVE TO BE. The Church, through* many* of the popes, has warned us about the evils of socialist liberalism. Progressivism. Marxism.

Now I’m not about to call you a communist.😉 Not even close. But the deep roots of today’s liberalism is ultimately an evil concept. I’m sorry.

PIUS IX (1846-1878):
“Overthrow [of] the entire order of human affairs”
“You are aware indeed, that the goal of this most iniquitous plot is to drive people to overthrow the entire order of human affairs and to draw them over to the wicked theories of this Socialism and Communism, by confusing them with perverted teachings.” (Encyclical Nostis et Nobiscum, December 8, 1849)

LEO XIII (1878-1903):
Hideous monster
“…communism, socialism, nihilism, hideous deformities of the civil society of men and almost its ruin.” (Encyclical Diuturnum, June 29, 1881)

SAINT PIUS X (1903-1914):
The dream of re-shaping society will bring socialism
“But stranger still, alarming and saddening at the same time, are the audacity and frivolity of men who call themselves Catholics and dream of re-shaping society under such conditions, and of establishing on earth, over and beyond the pale of the Catholic Church, ‘the reign of love and justice’ … What are they going to produce? … A mere verbal and chimerical construction in which we shall see, glowing in a jumble, and in seductive confusion, the words Liberty, Justice, Fraternity, Love, Equality, and human exultation, all resting upon an ill-understood human dignity. It will be a tumultuous agitation, sterile for the end proposed, but which will benefit the less Utopian exploiters of the people. Yes, we can truly say that the Sillon, its eyes fixed on a chimera, brings Socialism in its train.” (Apostolic Letter Notre Charge Apostolique “Our Apostolic Mandate”] to the French Bishops, August 15, 1910, condemning the movement Le Sillon)

PIUS XII (1939-1958):
The Church will fight to the end, in defense of supreme values threatened by socialism
“[The Church undertook] the protection of the individual and the family against a current threatening to bring about a total socialization which in the end would make the specter of the ‘Leviathan’ become a shocking reality. The Church will fight this battle to the end, for it is a question of supreme values: the dignity of man and the salvation of souls.” (“Radio message to the Katholikentag of Vienna,” September 14, 1952 in Discorsi e Radiomessaggi, vol. XIV, p. 314)

The state can not be regarded as being above all
“To consider the State as something ultimate to which everything else should be subordinated and directed, cannot fail to harm the true and lasting prosperity of nations.” (Encyclical Summi Pontificatus, October 20, 1939, n. 60)

Now obviously these sobering words of the popes were said in times of great distress in both the world and the Church. But today things can not be excused as being entirely different. Look at how we’ve attempted to “re-shape society.” Look at how we’ve come to ignore the weakest among us; to allow there to be an “ill understood human dignity.”
Look, I’m not in a position to challenge church doctrine, nor do I really want to, but while I’m not entirely for the democratic party in it’s current form, I see just as many flaws in the republican party, and I’m very fond of the idea, especially after my dealings in these forums, that church and state, religion and politics, need to stay divided. I see nothing wrong with the church expressing certain views on issues through its teachings, but more and more am I seeing its members seeking a political agenda, which is absolutely… perverted and contrary to the purpose of religion in the first place.
 
Got it. Thank you for answering!
I love the music on the NPR radio station where I live it’s mostly classical music. Opera on Sat I believe. They have an Gaelic music day. Jazz/blues day etc etc. And like JChapel has said the occasional non political/biased based programs are good as well.

Nothing is perfect. And I find it beats the other choices out there for my tastes. If I could get Catholic Radio that’s what I’d listen to all the time, but then I’d miss the music. 👍
 
But you are forced to pay to keep them on the air, which I find even more annoying. This, in my mind, is the crux of the debate. I consider NPR to be nothing more than a left-wing mouthpiece for the Democrat party. Others may consider that Fox is nothing more than a right-wing mouthpiece for the Republican Party. I suspect they would be upset if they were forced to help fund Fox news yet try to hide behind the myth that NPR is balanced to justify their taxpayer funding.
I agree.👍 If I thought about this, it would not only be annoying, but painful to listen to NPR.
 
I also agree it’s a shame people on both sides of the spectrum often assume that you have to be a republican if you are a religious person with convictions.

I remember hearing a webinar/podcast of Priests for life the day after the 2008 election and the one thing that they all said was that the pro life movement cannot afford to be labeled a subset of the republican party.

But I also agree that as a general rule, a good catholic cannot vote for a democrat because their platform goes agains several of the non-negociable issues. If the democratic party were more open to these positions, maybe we could get some real work done. I’d love to vote for people who want to improve the lives of immigrants and encourage the development of alternative fuels, but there’s a good chance all of those candidates would perpetuate the slaughter of innocent human beings through abortion. The numbers alone outweigh any benefits of immigration reform or environmental protection.
 
I agree.👍 If I thought about this, it would not only be annoying, but painful to listen to NPR.
What’s annoying and painful are ad filled radio stations with loud obnoxious ad’s that fill the airways or rather airwaves.
 
What’s annoying and painful are ad filled radio stations with loud abnoxious ad’s that fill the airways.
Seconded. That’s the inherent beautify of the internet, though, if you have a good ad-filter installed (I use Firefox and AdBlock Plus, which seem to block all but a scant 1% of the ads out there).
 
I see nothing wrong with the church expressing certain views on issues through its teachings, but more and more am I seeing its members seeking a political agenda, which is absolutely… perverted and contrary to the purpose of religion in the first place.
I’ve noticed that, as well.
 
Since I don’t believe that Jesus died on the cross so that we would all be card carrying Republicans, I have no problem with much of NPRs programming and generally enjoy it for the insight it gives me into humanity.

Since I am a theology major at a Catholic College and, as an adult, am old enough to see the difference in understanding other people’s opinions/beliefs and agreeing to them/with them, I can listen to NPR and discard any bias to left. I find the stories and news reports quite interesting, and I can’t get that for free most other places.

My local NPR station tends to play an astounding selection of sacred Baroque music on Sundays. I can’t write off liberals as wholly evil when they at least have better musical tastes than most of the Catholics on my campus.
 
Also, I have no idea why I quoted lil_flower_luv. I must have pressed the wrong button. My bad!
 
You asked for our opinion of NPR. I gave it. You then launched into an attack on Fox news and asked for my opinion on that. My opinion is ,as a liberal ,you’re required to attack Fox news in any thread about politics in the first dozen poster so. Whether Fox News or MSNBC are biased is irrelevant as they receive no tax payer funding to do so. NPR does.
When it comes to comparing stations that receive taxpayer funding versus those that don’t, it’s amazing how closed-minded and bigoted some people can be. If my words sound disturbing, that’s the truth talking to your conscience. Just because the liberal bias has gone unchallenged for years, it doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist. People need to realize that the mainstream media has inherent liberal tones which attempts to try to skew public opinion to the left, which makes the truth seem almost wrong to the average unthinker. It’s Scary how much loyalty they’ve generated to hide their skew.
 
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