I want
you to think about the things that you have read for today and write about your perceptions of how radio and television have influenced,
and continue to influence, modern religion and modern religious practices. In
particular, how have radio and television influenced your own perceptions of
how religion is practiced around the world today? Are these influences negative
or positive? Why or why not? In my notes for today, I’ve mentioned a few factors or effects. Can you
think of any others? Have there been any particular religious broadcasts that
have influenced you in your life? Now, I realize that this is similar to what you wrote about last time, but this time I want you to answer the questions in the context of what you learned from today's readings about earlier religious broadcasting and how it may have created the foundation for the "nones" to emerge as a trend.Wednesday, August 31, 2016
Blog #2: The Beginnings of Religious Broadcasting
I want
you to think about the things that you have read for today and write about your perceptions of how radio and television have influenced,
and continue to influence, modern religion and modern religious practices. In
particular, how have radio and television influenced your own perceptions of
how religion is practiced around the world today? Are these influences negative
or positive? Why or why not? In my notes for today, I’ve mentioned a few factors or effects. Can you
think of any others? Have there been any particular religious broadcasts that
have influenced you in your life? Now, I realize that this is similar to what you wrote about last time, but this time I want you to answer the questions in the context of what you learned from today's readings about earlier religious broadcasting and how it may have created the foundation for the "nones" to emerge as a trend.
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People belonging to every religion on the globe think every so often, “How great would it be if everyone in the world belonged to my religion?” While I must admit that the same thought has crossed my mind, I also think that the rich variety of faith diversifies the human family for the better. Steven Covey said, “Strength lies in differences, not in similarities.”
ReplyDeleteAlthough radio and television has made religious messages more available and prevalent than anything else before, according to the articles for this section, it has also led to more of a mainstream message that filters out the differences making members of different faiths stronger. Perhaps this mainstreaming of religion has contributed to the rise of the “nones.” For, if almost all religions are the same and basically preach identical messages, what is the point of joining any one in particular? I think that this is a negative effect because it hampers faith in a variety of religions worldwide.
As a member of the LDS Church, I have always appreciated the biannual broadcasts of LDS General Conference. While the church leaders who speak try to appeal to a broad audience, they also focus on the tenets of the LDS faith that make it different from others. During a General Conference speech in 2011 about the Church’s missionary program, I was inspired to ask God in prayer if He wanted me to serve a mission. I received the answer that I should and consequently served an honorable two-year mission. So, in a very real sense, religious broadcasting has changed my life.
Having been a missionary for the Church, I would hope that someday everyone could be LDS. However, I know that not everyone will convert to the LDS faith in this life, and some may not ever. Thus, I believe that it’s better for people to belong to the religion that they truly believe in; one that helps them become better people, than to not belong to any religion at all. The variety of belief helps the human family by causing us to gain fresh perspectives and appreciate what is different about each other. Like Covey, I believe these differences make us stronger.
Talmadge Haslam-
ReplyDeleteI believe much of the nones' attitude toward religion to be a reaction to the portrayal of faith by the media. Just as previous generations had a very negative reaction to the scams of Televangelism, our generation reacts to religion as they view it through the lense of broadcast media.
I often wonder how I would view the LDS faith if all I had to go on were the opinions expressed by the popular media, or even media produced by the church. Admittedly, until recently my reaction to church movies and media has been pretty negative. A lot of what has been produced by the church is quite cheesy in my opinion, and if I didn't have my own testimony, I would place little faith in those mediums for my conversion. It has gotten a lot better recently, but It makes me wonder what perceptions I am developing about other faiths because of the popular media and even their self-produced media.
Certainly watching Bishop Fulton teach does not represent catholicism as a whole, but if that was my only exposure to catholicism I would develop a very one-sided opinion. I believe it to be very difficult to truly understand a culture and dogma without spending time with devout individuals of a certain faith. I am instantly skeptical of any opinions from the media on religion because of my experience watching them butcher my own.
I think the nones emerged from a distrust of the media, halting their investigation of any faith in particular, leaving them to create their own.