Media (TV channels, etc.) as a tool of normalization for 'obscure' faiths

[Chesterton]

@awitch C'mon admit it. You were heavily influenced by Bewitched, weren't you?

 

[dzheremi]

He had recieved reports from a little community that Baptists were causing trouble
and that they were hindering those who wished to join.

Huh. How odd. It has been said of Orthodox Christianity that we make it difficult to get in so as to make it difficult to get out (read: so that the potential convert is really sure that this is what they want before they accept baptism, and the Church will not be used as a kind of way station ), but I've honestly never heard of it taking the form of actually hindering someone who wishes to join. Can't relate to that at all. Was there a reason for it, according to what your friend saw and dealt with?

I could see certain groups being very insular and hence distrustful of outsiders. I myself have been asked by people in my Church which one of my parents is Egyptian (neither), if I was dating or married to a Coptic lady (no), and all sorts of questions which were roundabout ways of saying "You're not Egyptian/Sudanese/Libyan, so why are you here?", but were really more akin to curiosity than distrust. Once I answered them, the people just said "Oh, okay" and went on about their day. It's a little distressing to find that things might go beyond that, but I know it does happen in certain religious environments.

Boy, did he turn the place upside down.

Without knowing your answer to my earlier question yet, I am going to tentatively say good. It sounds like a place that probably needed to be turned upside down.

 

[awitch]

@awitch C'mon admit it. You were heavily influenced by Bewitched, weren't you?

Prior to identifying as a witch? More like Zummi Gummi.

 

[awitch]

That sounds very interesting. I still don't have cable so I probably can't watch it, but I will keep an eye out for it whenever I'm next in a place that has cable.

It's free to watch on the Disney Now app (which is also free).

Yeah, but I meant normalization in the sense of being made to look/seem normal, or at least less weird, to outsiders, not standardization.

Ah, OK. I like to think I try to present a less weird picture of Pagans here on CF.

 

[MehGuy]

I've heard that an atheist channel was launched somewhere. Although television seems to be low tech.

Growing up, my father subscribed to the Christian channels package. I wasn't really allowed to watch the Catholic ones though, lol. Can't say there was much good content on there.. other than "give me money" series of programs.

 

[dzheremi]

Well what else are you supposed to ask people for when your name is Creflo Dollar?

 

[Robban]

Huh. How odd. It has been said of Orthodox Christianity that we make it difficult to get in so as to make it difficult to get out (read: so that the potential convert is really sure that this is what they want before they accept baptism, and the Church will not be used as a kind of way station ), but I've honestly never heard of it taking the form of actually hindering someone who wishes to join. Can't relate to that at all. Was there a reason for it, according to what your friend saw and dealt with?

I could see certain groups being very insular and hence distrustful of outsiders. I myself have been asked by people in my Church which one of my parents is Egyptian (neither), if I was dating or married to a Coptic lady (no), and all sorts of questions which were roundabout ways of saying "You're not Egyptian/Sudanese/Libyan, so why are you here?", but were really more akin to curiosity than distrust. Once I answered them, the people just said "Oh, okay" and went on about their day. It's a little distressing to find that things might go beyond that, but I know it does happen in certain religious environments.



Without knowing your answer to my earlier question yet, I am going to tentatively say good. It sounds like a place that probably needed to be turned upside down.

Across the road a couple run a kiosk, he told me he was Greek ortodox,

so I said, "Oh, you from Greece?"

"No, Syria."
he replied smiling.

I smiled back, not being any wiser.
haha.

 

[Chesterton]

I've heard that an atheist channel was launched somewhere.

It's called MSNBC.

 

[MehGuy]

It's called MSNBC.

Lol, not familiar with that channel but maybe...

As far as the atheist channel goes.. guess they can play Atheist Experience Episodes and the silent film classic "The Godless Girl".

 

[Chesterton]

As far as the atheist channel goes.. guess they can play Atheist Experience Episodes and the silent film classic "The Godless Girl".

Godless Girl would be a strange choice to proselytize atheism.

 

[MehGuy]

Godless Girl would be a strange choice to proselytize atheism.

It's an heavily edited version.

 

[Chesterton]

It's an heavily edited version.

You'd have to edit it the way the Muslims edit the bible, lol.

 

[MehGuy]

You'd have to edit it the way the Muslims edit the bible, lol.

Lol, read that they actually did edit the film in Russia for a more pro-atheist message.

Actually tuned out before the end.. although I did like the atheist vs. Christian battle at the beginning. My grandparents generation used their fists instead of arguing on the internet.

 

[Chesterton]

My grandparents generation used their fists instead of arguing on the internet.

My grandchildrens generation are doing both.

 

[dzheremi]

Across the road a couple run a kiosk, he told me he was Greek ortodox,

so I said, "Oh, you from Greece?"

"No, Syria."
he replied smiling.

I smiled back, not being any wiser.
haha.

To make it even more confusing, in Arabic the Eastern Orthodox (which is what this guy meant) are "Rum Orthodoks", referring to the Eastern Roman empire. But your friend is correct in that the official name of the Antiochian Church to which he belongs is the Greek Orthodox Church of Antioch and all the East, as you can see on their official website.

So depending on the context an Eastern Orthodox person from that Church can say they're Eastern Orthodox, Greek Orthodox, Roman (Rum) Orthodox, or Syrian Orthodox, and they'll be correct no matter what.

 

[MehGuy]

I would say... it would be fun to organize my own spiritualty channel. Especially wondering what kind of media I can work with.. I'm sure with some success and time I could create my own original programs too.. lol.

 

[Robban]

Well, I would think Pentecostal would be spirit based which in turn would bring forth song.

Lewi Pethrus was the pioneer of the movement and he was decided that
God gives of His spirit freely,
There were many tough battles .

Once I knew a Pentecostal pastor who was in the eyes of many both Pentecostals and Baptists very different.
The religious in the town ganged up on him,
I became his friend, and him, I, and a few others went to Budapest,

He had recieved reports from a little community that Baptists were causing trouble
and that they were hindering those who wished to join.

Boy, did he turn the place upside down.

I should say that I was not involved in the dispute,

I was offered a trip to Budapest, (he was generous like that)
So why not,
They make great cream cakes there and Budapest with the Danube in the evening
with all the lights on was breathtaking.

Otherwise the story is very long,

 

[cfyahoo08]

In a recent conversation in another thread, I advanced the idea of BYU-TV essentially being propaganda for the Mormon religion, which was not very well-received by my interlocutors. I also maintained that the same could be said regarding Roman Catholic TV channels like EWTN, Orthodox TV channels like Aghapy TV, or Protestant TV channels like CBN, in that they all exist to showcase and further a particular faith and the points of view (doctrinal, social, etc.) that are nurtured within their particular faith tradition(s). They have a definite 'agenda', you could say, and it makes complete sense that this is the case.

Pursuant to that idea, I want to share this interesting if a bit overlong video by ex-Scientologist Chris Shelton in which he talks about the arrival of Scientology TV, and (eventually) talks with ex-Mormon Jonathan Streeter regarding BYU-TV and its role in promoting Mormonism to the wider world:

(The interview begins at 21 minutes in, just in case the timestamp in the link doesn't work properly.)

I think Streeter's comment about the 'normalization' function of BYU-TV (that some of its programming is very innocuous, such that any non-Mormon who might be flipping through the channels might stop on it and get the idea "Ah, these Mormons aren't so weird/Mormonism seems like a normal faith") is right on for all of these examples. I know that is certainly true with regard to Coptic TV broadcast in the West, usually in English, often trying (sometimes quite awkwardly, if I can be honest about it) to appeal to Western/American (and often specifically youth) sensibilities, etc. These all have their reasons for being as they are, and are certainly meant to appeal to already-Coptic people, but also to the outside world all of this basically screams "We're integrating! We're a thing you can look into if you're a Westerner! It's not weird to be Coptic!" And having talked to a traveling monk who came to our parish one day to encourage us to take an interest in Coptic media, I can tell you that those who are intimately involved with the Coptic channels definitely see them as evangelization and normalization tools.

What does everyone think about the views expressed in the interview? Does your religion/tradition have a presence on TV (cable or internet), and if so what kind of programming does it show to make your faith look more appealing or accessible to those who are outside of it? Do you have any favorite shows that you always try to catch and/or show to others as an example of what your faith does?

I'm interested in the subject more generally because I remember when the monk came to us and talked to us about Coptic TV (I think he worked for CYC, the youth-oriented channel), he was kind of shocked/dismayed that none of us regularly watched it. He was kind of harsh about it, too ("No wonder you guys haven't received any new people in a long time! You're not getting out there!"), and addressed me in particular as the only non-Egyptian person there that day, asking me what I was doing to increase the visibility of the faith among other Anglophones, why I wasn't bringing friends to liturgy (I was in grad school; I didn't socialize/have friends because I was too busy...yeahhh, he didn't care; no excuses, habibi!), why I didn't watch Coptic TV, etc. It has kind of stuck with me in the years since then, even though to be honest I still don't watch Coptic TV unless it's in the form of YouTube clips, because I don't have the money nor the inclination to have to order some kind of "Middle Eastern channel package" to get it.

Anyway, please share what sorts of media your faith community produces! Examples of favorites of any kind would be really nice to see. I don't mean this to become a discussion of who is doing it "better" (though I put it in the debate forum because I expect that subsequent discussion could go that way)...just a general discussion of the role of media in your religion.

So are you saying that people that pay for and produce videos and television shows should only make them if you approve of them before hand ?

 

[dzheremi]

No. Not at all. That's nowhere in there. Not even close.

Can I please ask that people actually read the OP before replying to this thread?

 

[CherubRam]

How important is correct doctrine and a Godly lifestyle? I can show Christians what has been added to the bible, and they still will not repent.


Revelation 9:20
The rest of mankind who were not killed by these plagues still did not repent of the work of their hands; they did not stop worshiping demons, and idols of gold, silver, bronze, stone and wood—idols that cannot see or hear or walk.
In Context | Full Chapter | Other Translations
Revelation 9:21
Nor did they repent of their murders, their magic arts, their sexual immorality or their thefts.
In Context | Full Chapter | Other Translations
Revelation 16:9
They were seared by the intense heat and they cursed the name of God, who had control over these plagues, but they refused to repent and glorify him.
In Context | Full Chapter | Other Translations
Revelation 16:11
and cursed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores, but they refused to repent of what they had done.
In Context | Full Chapter | Other Translations