Approaching the Media Critically...VERY Critically

I am sharing with you this article which appeared on the Ignatius Scoop weblog.

It gives a good perspective on the current sexual scandals within the Church as well as being a lesson about critically reading (viewing, listening to) the mainstream media.

A long time ago, I developed a habit which has never steered me badly.  When I first hear something shocking in the news, particularly where it involves the Church, I completely ignore the first report.  It is rarely accurate.

Actually I cannot recall an instance where a first report about something to do with the Church has been accurate.

If what they are saying is not outright incorrect, it is only partially incorrect, or has weasel words incorporated to make the 'news' appear to say something quite different than the actual events.  Sometimes it is just that religious terminology is not understood, and no effort has been made to understand on the part of the reporter.  An example of this would be the references to "immaculate conception" that sometimes appears in media.  These references nearly always refer, usually with an implied sneer, to virgin births; like "That was no immaculate conception!".  In fact, the doctrine of the Immaculate Conception refers to the conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary...who was conceived in the usual human fashion...but the result of that conception was a being who was sinless from the very beginning of her existence.

So, here you are! Click on the Blog entry title to read the article.