Religion In Media

There are presently 35 television stations owned and operated by religious organizations, but every television station features religious programming in one way or another (Postman, 116). Religious television program producers are driven by the desire to make money, and they find the best way to accomplish this is by scamming viewers and members. During this process, religion loses its authenticity. Religion is not being practiced on television, it is being mocked. Religion is no longer for worship, but for entertainment.

Moneymaking scams are becoming very popular in recent years. One would like to believe some things in life are sacred. Religion is where billions of people invest their hopes, dreams, beliefs, and most importantly, money. The greedy, selfish, minds of our world see this not as a way to fix problems, but as a way to make money. “Television,” Billy Graham has written, “is the most powerful tool of communication ever devised by man. Each of my prime time ‘specials’ is now carried by nearly 300 stations across the U.S. and Canada, so that in a single telecast I preach to millions more than Christ did in his lifetime.” (Postman, 118). Aldous Huxley’s “Brave New World” sets forth the notion that religion is a bad thing, and that it only leads to problems.

“But if you know about God, why don’t you tell them?”

asked the Savage indignantly. “Why don’t you give them

these books about God?”

“For the same reason as we don’t give them Othello:

they’re old; they’re about God hundreds of years ago. Not

about God now.”

“But God doesn’t change.”

“Men do, though.”

“What difference does that make?”

“All the difference in the world,” said Mustapha Mond. (Huxley, 229)

On these religious shows, people are shown with obvious handicaps such as paralyzed limbs, or walking handicaps. They join these religious clubs, or are shown on television speaking with these “electronic preachers” as they are called, and they let Jesus into their hearts. All of a sudden they are miraculously cured and can live their life in harmony. Still paying their monthly fees of course to stay this way. One of the most successful and popular religious programs and organizations is Pat Robertson’s “700 Club” which you can belong to by paying fifteen dollars a month (of course you can watch at home for free assuming you have cable television) (Postman, 114). In one episod...

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...y, are actually placed in front of God, since they are the ones who are “curing” you and caring for you and relaying God’s message. By making religion entertaining, it can destroy its sacredness and purity. This can only be stopped by morals. As long as people are willing to run, view, or participate in these shows, they will not cease and no religious ethics will be practiced. God is only as real as we make him, and if this keeps up, we may no longer be praying to God himself, but to a television box, a stage with flowers and lights or even someday, a computer screen.

With religion becoming more an attraction than a tradition, we may no longer have someone to turn to for help or something to pray for when we are weak. We cannot turn to the television set for answers. Religion is now being used to make money, mostly through scamming people. In the process it’s authentic purity and spirituality is lost. But more importantly, is it destroying what religion we have left. Who knows what lies in the future of religion. Soon you may find yourself praying to your dog for answers. Now is the time, when a line must be drawn between the future and the past.