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From: bch@mcnc.UUCP (Byron C. Howes)
Newsgroups: net.religion.christian
Subject: Re: American Almanac, Christian Rock, and BJU
Message-ID: <956@mcnc.mcnc.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 25-Oct-85 13:24:29 EST
Article-I.D.: mcnc.956
Posted: Fri Oct 25 13:24:29 1985
Date-Received: Thu, 31-Oct-85 05:13:41 EST
References: <1756@akgua.UUCP>
Reply-To: bch@mcnc.UUCP (Byron C. Howes)
Organization: North Carolina Educational Computing Service
Lines: 53

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