Comments on: A pity Mark Scott lost his faith in the Religion Report

By: Gary Johnson

Gary Johnson — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 04:41:15 +0000

Define religion i say. Just because most people are irreligious these days does n’t mean they don’t believe in a greater Cosmic Story….and if so, then why not provide the appropiate arena for people to dig it all out.

The ABC is typical in this case…framing it all in the context of politics, a sure way indeed to ensure that nobody enters the deeper end of the pool.

” you blind guides and hypocrites. you neither enter in to the kingdom yourselves nor allow others to enter in.”

i read it somewhere but forget where it was

By: tony

tony — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 21:32:10 +0000

Interesting link about the way the Republican party in the USA has used and still uses religion to (try and) keep its evangelical politicians in line http://www.thenation.com/doc/20091019/gomorrah_video

By: tony

tony — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 12:42:49 +0000

This is developing nicely. AR: I won’t disagree with you about what’s left (or what isn’t right if you get my meaning) but I think clipping stories from the New Scientist hardly counts as ’ hard science’ a very poor substitute for the kind of specialisation we could be having and which the Religion Report attempted to bring us. Mainstreaming has been enveloping ABC radio for quite a few years now - remember the boiling frog story? It didnt know what was happening until it was dead.

By: Gavin Moodie

Gavin Moodie — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 10:27:01 +0000

The trouble with the religion report was that it was the christianity report. That could be overlooked as the normal christian bias that infuses most of Australian public life and culture. But intolerable was the religion report’s attacks on the views that it ascribed to brands of islam it disliked. Of course the views had to be ascribed to islam because the religion report gave so little time to muslims or indeed any people of any other non christian faith to present their beliefs in their own way.

Even without the religion report Radio National still broadcasts heaps of religion: encounter (1 hour weekly), the rhythm divine and the spirit of things (another hour).

By: AR

AR — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 10:04:55 +0000

Tony - surely Nadia’s point was that ZERO divided, or multiplied, by the largest number is still NOTHING? ABC still has that hair-tearing Rachel Cohen smarming about sky fairies.
I’m more angry about their axing of Newsradio’s “Star Stuff”, the only hard science on radio or TV, Quantum being little more than TT/ACA . Robyn William’s venerable ‘Science Show’ remains excellent but it has to cover too much, too lightly compared to its heyday.

By: Tom McLoughlin

Tom McLoughlin — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 09:07:04 +0000

Good read there Paul. As I always say, keep building the alternative media with more stories like this. Always liked your approach ever since you stated that logging old growth forest was a sin.

By: tony

tony — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 07:20:29 +0000

I think Nadia has missed the point Paul Collins was making. The Religion Report was commentary about religion not promotion of it

By: Nadia David

Nadia David — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 07:00:55 +0000

I have to say, as a government-funded institution, I applaud the ABC taking what appears to be a non-religious secular approach. Just as religion has no place in government schools, I listen to the ABC relieved I won’t be hearing about people whose only claim to fame is that the believe in a god. Religion per se is only news to the religious. To care about religious news, current affairs and theology, one must hold either a religious belief, or a fascination with the psychology of those that do.

And there is plenty of talk from religious people to fill the void apparently left by the ABC. The Christian Lobby never shut up, and church leaders feel compelled to comment on everything. Plus, the Philosophers Zone tends to cover theological topics, so it’s not as if the ABC has gone entirely atheist. More’s the pity.

By: tony

tony — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 05:27:36 +0000

ABC management has often used ‘it will be covered in mainstream programming’ to justify the removable or a pestilent priest. It is both cynical and dishonest and sadly transparent, but nobody seems to be looking. Thanks for the viewpoint Paul.

By: BH

BH — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 04:47:52 +0000

Well said Paul Collins.

I am not religious but I thoroughly enjoyed the Religion Report on Wed. mornings. I found it valuable from the historical point of view and the diverse cultural aspects.

A great program lost.