rjb@akgua.UUCP (R.J. Brown [Bob]) (10/23/85)
Recently, on the news magazine program American Almanac
one of the features was on Christian Rock music. The report
featured some the better known groups/persons: Petra, Amy Grant,
Stryper.... The network people ever conscious of money and the
prejudiced view that religions are really scams to amass $$ for
nefarious purposes stated that Christian Music generated $75 million
last year. I think that figure is low since Jimmy Swaggart alone
probably brings in that much :-) :-).
But the main point is that guess who they went to for the "con"
point of view ??? BOB JONES UNIVERSITY !!!!!
Now that has to be calculated from a show biz perspective because
they were hoping the BJU folks would say something outrageous.
They really didn't say anything but the predictable - that Rock
is evil and that "Christian Rock" (a term they would probably
class an oxymoron) is seven times more evil because it purports
to be part of the Good News.
We can argue their contention some other day but the point I want to
dwell on is why did the network choose a fringe element for their
opinion ?? Some of the possibilities are: one I already mentioned
(makes good show biz), another is they were attempting to characterize
the two viewpoints as polar opposites. For instance, if we hear a view
that's 20 miles left of center and we are only presented with an opposing
one that is 150 miles right of center we may be mentally nudged into
moving the center position to make the two views appear polar opposites.
I think the media does this on a lot of issues which in essence presents
us with false dichotomies. I don't know that they have an ax to grind
against Christian Rock other than their general anti-religious one
...and so much the better if they can play one group agin' the other.
Bob Brown {...ihnp4!akgua!rjb}
P.S. For those of the net who like Christian Contemporary - Steve
Taylor has a song that pokes at BJU a little called "Honky if you
love Jesus."bch@mcnc.UUCP (Byron C. Howes) (10/25/85)
In article <1756@akgua.UUCP> rjb@akgua.UUCP (R.J. Brown [Bob]) writes: >Recently, on the news magazine program American Almanac >one of the features was on Christian Rock music. >...The network people ever conscious of money and the >prejudiced view that religions are really scams to amass $$ for >nefarious purposes stated that Christian Music generated $75 million >last year... I really thought this was simply news. A statement of the economics of Christian pop music. I don't think most people consider this as an extension of the organized church. > >But the main point is that guess who they went to for the "con" >point of view ??? BOB JONES UNIVERSITY !!!!! > >...the point I want to >dwell on is why did the network choose a fringe element for their >opinion ?? Some of the possibilities are: one I already mentioned >(makes good show biz), another is they were attempting to characterize >the two viewpoints as polar opposites. For instance, if we hear a view >that's 20 miles left of center and we are only presented with an opposing >one that is 150 miles right of center we may be mentally nudged into >moving the center position to make the two views appear polar opposites. > >I think the media does this on a lot of issues which in essence presents >us with false dichotomies. I don't know that they have an ax to grind >against Christian Rock other than their general anti-religious one >...and so much the better if they can play one group agin' the other. > Oh c'mon Bob! Just because the media don't bend to your particular faith doesn't mean they are anti-religious. Extremists make good press. That's the simplest and most obvious explanation. Bob Jones University is a *weird* place (where else in the world would alarms be placed in the bathrooms that went off when someone tried to smoke a cigarette.) It's weird no matter whether you are a fundamentalist or not. The fact that they are being intolerant of Christian music is illustrative of their weirdness. I don't think most people assume fundamentalists are all like Bob Jones graduates. I do think that those of us of the more liberal christian persuasions feel towards you like you feel toward the Jonesites. Exposure should be educational for everyone. > >P.S. For those of the net who like Christian Contemporary - Steve >Taylor has a song that pokes at BJU a little called "Honky if you >love Jesus." -- Byron C. Howes ...!{decvax,akgua}!mcnc!ecsvax!bch