Everywhere you look nowadays, you are surrounded by
lies and more lies. This is especially so with the news
networks. The networks are like starving dogs ready to
snap at anything that comes within reach. All that matters
is the ratings. Just look at the recent stories on the
“Wendy’s Chili Finger”, “Buried Treasure” and the “Run
Away Bride”. Every one of these stories, a hoax.
The real problem behind all this is clear — news reporters
don’t research any of the stories they present. They
simply “report the news”. They sit there reading off their
monitors and don’t even bother commenting — even on
the most outrageous statements made in the stories. I was
recently watching an interview where the guest was
spouting ridiculous claims. When the interview was over,
all the news lady had to say was “Now wasn’t that
interesting?”. How about challenging these claims? How
about making the obvious observation that this person
was full of boloney?
Speaking of making up “facts”, let’s look at the newest
craze: making Pope John Paul a saint. As you know, to be
a saint you had to have produced a “miracle”.
I was recently watching a BBC report (one of the rare
places where reporters actually research their stories).
They presented two possible “potential miracles” that are
currently being considered.
The first one being the Pope’s survival of his assassination
attempt. I think they are reaching here — why not call all
medical procedures “miracles”?! Why credit those lazy
doctors who’ve only studied and practiced medicine for
many years?!
The second possible miracle mentioned is the conversion
of all the “atheistic communists” in Eastern Europe after
the Wall came down. They are crediting the spread of
Christianity there to Pope John Paul. They like to assume
that everyone there were atheists and don’t bring out the
fact that many people practiced their religion in secret.
Just because your government espouses a certain religious
stance, doesn’t mean you do. And why does the Pope get
all the credit for this anyway?! And for that matter, even
if it WERE true, how is being persuasive a “miracle”?
What ever happened to investigation? What ever
happened to people giving a damn about their integrity?
What ever happened to people having to back up their
claims with credible evidence? Do these people not
realize that by spreading a lie, they are just as responsible
as the person telling it? But that would mean there was
some sort of accountability in this society.
It seems that people can say just about anything they want
and get away with it. What I am really asking is — what
ever happened to the truth? As a Humanist I care about
that sort of thing.
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Angela C. Byers
Copyright © 1996 - 2006 Angela C. Byers