3/12/09
“Give me that old-time religion; it’s good enough for me.” So went the lyrics of a traditional gospel song that was popularized in the 1800s.
My, how times have changed.
While religion has been a divisive subject for centuries – the Great Schism, in which the two groups that eventually became known as the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox churches severed ties, took place nearly a thousand years ago – it’s really taken a hit in the last half-century or so.
Forty-two years ago, when John Lennon famously stated that the Beatles “were more popular than Jesus,” the outrage it caused was almost alarming, especially in this country’s Bible Belt. Lennon probably would have been lynched if he’d stepped foot down South, where protests were held and his band’s records were burned. (In case you missed it, the Vatican formally “forgave” him for his comments last November, when it issued a statement saying they sounded like “the boasting of an English working-class lad struggling to cope with unexpected success.”)
Today, if young musicians like Miley Cyrus or the Jonas Brothers made such a claim, they’d be ridiculed by some, but others would cheer and the publicity likely would result in increased sales.
What happened? Chalk it up to poor public relations. Religions often suffer from the acts, and images, of their extremists.
Before touching upon other religions, let’s start with mine: Catholicism. A friend of mine pointed out awhile back that the Catholic Church probably does more good than any other institution in the world, and he’s right. But if one armed lunatic, who happens to be Catholic and labels himself “pro-life,” walks into an abortion clinic and starts firing, that’s what people are most likely to remember. Of course, the pedophilia scandal involving priests from the Archdiocese of Boston and elsewhere didn’t help much, either. And the Church, along with other Christian denominations, also draws ire from detractors when it publicly focuses on social issues such as gay marriage instead of its core mission of helping the poor, the sick, etc.
Practitioners of Islam, meanwhile, have endured tremendous hardships in the post-9/11 era. Islam is a religion that teaches the taking of a human life is a great sin. But for many people, the word “Muslim” often conjures up images of the Twin Towers, and hate crimes have occurred as a result.
Other religions, including Judaism, Protestantism and others, also have had their problems.
With all of this in mind, the Milton Times is considering the addition of religion as a regular feature in its pages, the same way news, sports, schools, business and other categories are given their due. I’d like to get feedback from the leaders of all of the organized religions here in town, and other readers, to see how that might best be accomplished.
The Religion page would be designed to put a spotlight on the services being held at local houses of worship, as well as the many good works performed by the various congregations. Scott MacKeen’s article involving St. Michael’s Episcopal Church, which can be found on Page One, is a great example. The work that the church members did in post-Katrina New Orleans is truly inspiring. They deserve a round of applause, as does the group from First Congregational Church that will travel there this month.
Stories like that one could be given a place
of prominence on a regular Religion page. The
Milton Times would be happy to publish them.
So, what do you think? People often complain that the media focuses solely on “bad news.” This seems like an opportunity to
provide them with something much better. I hope you agree.

J. Michael Whalen
Editor