Headline News
I was wondering what hook the media would latch onto on the new encyclical Spe Salvi.
Pope attacks 'cruel and unjust' atheism in his message of hope
Pope Benedict and the Crusade Against Atheism
New Papal encyclical blasts atheism, promises hope
Pope criticizes atheism and Marxism
Papal encyclical attacks atheism, lauds hope
Pope Criticizes Atheism in Encyclical
It it worth repeating what Tom at Disputations wrote some years ago about the press and papal letters.
And it suddenly hits me why reporters seize on such bits of rehashed doctrine as the hook on which to hang papal letters. It may have less to do with reporter's prefab notions of the Church than with everyone's experience of the Ginger Factor.
The Ginger Factor, named for a well-known "Far Side" cartoon, is a measure of the ratio of words said to words understood. A dog named Ginger, for example, only understands the word "Ginger" in the sentence, "Okay, Ginger, if you get into the garbage one more time, you'll be spending the night outside."
I think most people, not just benighted reporters, experience a high Ginger Factor with most papal encyclicals; my post below includes a paragraph from an apostolic letter that has a high G.F. for me. Naturally, a reporter doesn't report on the parts of a papal statement that sound like, "Blah blah blah, blah blah blah blah.blah" And naturally, a reporter does recognize (and report on) the part that sounds like, "This means Senator Rawkins is being naughty."
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I thought those were joke headlines you were predicting we would see. Then I realized they were links.
It's all just a little too predictable now. Atheism is the new protected class.
Bah!
Andrew, OP
*Sigh*. At least the one on the NYTimes website is not super bad. Here's the link: http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/01/world/europe/01pope.html?ref=world
I think we only need to start worrying when, after releasing a new encyclical, the ensuing headlines read: "Pope attacks hope, lauds atheism." What's that old line about news, a dog and a man......?
My computer counted the word "atheism" in the encyclical three times. "Atheist" or "Atheists" did not appear.
"Hope" appeared 200 times.
I wonder how long it took them to find this secular and anti-Catholic hook?
The pagans of the press are incredibly obsessed with their beliefs.
And obviously the atheists' thongs are already in a bunch, because I got a 'drive-by' comment on my blog post about it which wasn't even germane to the topic:
http://romancatholicbychoice.stblogs.com/2007/11/30/spe-salvi-b16s-new-encyclical/
It's an excellent point, and calling it something like "the ginger factor" makes it easier to remember and explain to other people.
LarryD is exactly right. MSM holds contempt for Pope, Catholicism. It's old, old, OLD news.
I tried to do some parody headlines on my blog but when reality is so close to satire, what's a humorist to do?
Personally, I don't mind the media focusing on the Pope's criticisms of atheism. I'm all for criticizing atheism.
What is more, the media knows its audience well - it is more interested in whether or not there is a God than in a theological virtue. Theological virtues are for those who believe.
One must first know that God exists before he has reason to hope.
But did you hear what one woman did? She named a Teddy Bear *gasp* Mohammed!!!! Is that despicable or what? She's now in jail and the Islamic fascists are clamoring for her death! Where's the outrage from our "news reporters" on that story? Oh yeah, they're too busy getting their knickers in a knot about our Pope's encyclical. It's a Topsy Turvy world after all. Incredible. Pope JPII nearly died from an assignation attempt, and the "backlash" of Christianity was Pope JPII going to visit his would-be killer. How much more askew can things get? Great post. Thanks!
Thank God she was "pardoned" and is safely back home. Very frightening that this could actually happen in a "civilized" world.