31 December 2014 A.D. Newsweek’s Hit-Piece on the Bible
Fox News Insider
Newsweek ended the year
with a cover story on the Bible that declares the Scripture to be "so
misunderstood it's a sin."
The piece argues that
many in America - evangelical Christians in particular - have a gross
misunderstanding about what the Bible actually says.
Kurt Eichenwald writes:
They wave their Bibles
at passersby, screaming their condemnations of homosexuals. They fall on their
knees, worshipping at the base of granite monuments to the Ten Commandments
while demanding prayer in school. They appeal to God to save America from their
political opponents, mostly Democrats. They gather in football stadiums by the
thousands to pray for the country’s salvation.
They are God’s frauds,
cafeteria Christians who pick and choose which Bible verses they heed with less
care than they exercise in selecting side orders for lunch. They are joined by
religious rationalizers—fundamentalists who, unable to find Scripture
supporting their biases and beliefs, twist phrases and modify translations to
prove they are honoring the Bible’s word.
On his website, Dr. Albert Mohler, president of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, slammed the article as a complete misrepresentation of the Bible's words.
On his website, Dr. Albert Mohler, president of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, slammed the article as a complete misrepresentation of the Bible's words.
Mohler said this report
differed greatly from previous mainstream media forays into the Bible and
questions about Christianity, calling the previous reports balanced and
insightful.
But Newsweek‘s cover
story is nothing of the sort. It is an irresponsible screed of post-Christian
invective leveled against the Bible and, even more to the point, against
evangelical Christianity. It is one of the most irresponsible articles ever to
appear in a journalistic guise.
The author of the
massive essay is Kurt Eichenwald, who boasts an impressive reputation as a
writer and reporter for newspapers like The New York Times and magazines
including Vanity Fair. A two-time winner of the George Polk Award, he was also
a finalist for a Pulitzer Prize. Eichenwald, however, has been primarily known
for reporting and writing in a very different area of expertise. Most of his
writing has been on business and financial matters, including business
scandals.
When it comes to
Newsweek‘s cover story, “The Bible: So Misunderstood It’s a Sin,” Eichenwald
appears to be far outside his area of expertise and knowledge. More to the
point, he really does not address the subject of the Bible like a reporter at
all. His article is a hit-piece that lacks any journalistic balance or
credibility. His only sources cited within the article are from severe critics
of evangelical Christianity, and he does not even represent some of them
accurately.
Mohler was on "Fox and Friends" this morning to further discuss the Bible "hit piece," saying it's yet another example of "incredible hostility" toward evangelical Christians.
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