Example of CNN bias

[therealUT]

This type of idiotic attempt to poison the well helps nothing.

You deny evolution and you call me an idiot? That is rich!

Feel free to believe in a god that plays in the mud; my God created an ordered universe by instilling scientific laws, the use of which prompted natural selection in order to advance lifeforms to the point in which they are today.

 

[KiffinKiller]

So gay marriage is impeding on your rights? Is that what you mean by persecution?

 

[Abe Hoffman]

BTW, I am not a fan of "In God We Trust" on our currency.

As long as it is not a specific "God", who cares?

 

[JayVols]

I am still not playing the victim. I am recognizing threats. Public schools cannot legally favor one religion over another even if one is "right" and the other is "wrong". It is either implicitly or explicitly taught that a "neutral/secular" position on religion is superior to holding a strong faith. That is NOT tolerance... it is a VERY intolerant position.

**Most teachers at my school are Christians. Even though we are not allowed to discuss specific religions, we demonstrate 'Christian values' through our actions. Your perception on what public schools are like and the reality of what they are like are far apart. Schools are not out to destroy anyone's faith. I know. I'm there every day. This myth that schools are comprised of anti-religion athiests is totally false.**

Evolution and other aspects of materialism/humanism/modernism and lately post-modernism are used as frameworks for curricula or are taught as facts.

**God gave man intelligence and the ability to reason. Schools seek to help develop these God-given gifts. I view science as a tool that God gave man to better understand and appreciate the awesomeness of His creation.**

These things DO undermine religion generally and Christianity specifically. NT Christianity is not a fence sitting proposition. We are not empowered to make compromises and play nice. The original Christians were very uncompromising on what they believed... and many died for it. And yet you want to describe me as a victim for speaking out against threats?


**Again, you see perceived threats that aren't there in K-12 education. I do not compromise my base beliefs. But, the Bible is not specific on how the universe was created. I don't get hung up on the way God created the universe. I simply believe that He said for it to happen and it did. Whatever method He chose to bring this about is irrelevant, imo. I just believe however it happened it was initiated by God.**

I am aware of the discrimination and persecution endured elsewhere. I am also aware of insidious attacks that make Christianity weak enough to collapse under its own load of apathy and lack of living faith.

**I tend to believe that the only influence others have on us is what allow them to have. If you are questioning my faith or others simply because I may see the Bible's lessons in a little bit different light (the main message being the same), I have an issue with that.**



Do you believe that homosexuality is immoral? Assuming tht you as a Christian will acknowledge that biblically it is... do you think it is right for gov't to force the unwilling to accept homosexual marriages?


**I truly believe that at least some homosexuals are born that way. This is based off of people that I have known my and their entire life that are homosexual and their actions at an age long before any knowledge of sexuality. I myself have never woken up one morning and thought that I would like to have sex with another man. I do feel that if Christians want to influence homosexuals, they need to approach them with Christian love rather than disgust. You catch more flies so to speak with honey rather than vinegar. Christ approached some of the most sinful people with love and compassion, not hate and rancor.**

I have no problems with companies that make the choice to support them. I have a big problem with the idea that companies can or should be forced to.

**You see homosexuality as a choice, correct? I don't. Are you equally upset about companies being forced to treat different races and religions indiscriminantly? No I'm in no way saying you are racist in any form.**



Nor do I in public schools... and that's the rub. No prayer is just as much a "law respecting an establishment of religion" as forced prayer is. There is no resolution that respects the rights of all except to dissolve the condition that creates the conflict... privatize all schools or return them to strict local control while reversing decisions that imposed the US Constitution on states.

**Disagree strongly on the privatization. I feel that some things are more important than making a profit. Education is one. Privatization is not some magic elixir that cures all ills.**

They aren't? Agnosticism is a religious pov. Atheism is a religious pov. Humanism and materialism are philosophical pov's that unavoidably overlap with religion. Evolution in particular teaches specific things about the origins of creation, the forces behind it, and the nature of reality itself.

**See earlier response on humanism, science, etc.**

Why? Why should you not have the choice to put your kid in a school that supports your effort rather than opposing it or at best teaching your kids to compartmentalize their faith? Nowhere in the NT will you find an allowance for a compartmentalized faith.


**I and you do have choices. There are Christian schools and home schooling available. Once again, your perception of what goes on in schools is vastly different from reality. Public schools are not out to crush anyone's faith or force them to compartmentalize their faith. I am there everyday. I would gladly invite you to my classroom at any unannounced time to observe for yourself.**

Right. So much like the homosexual marriage issue... you either decide whose ox will be gored (rights trampled/denied) or you get gov't out of the business of favoring one side over the other.

*Agree that government should not be in the morals/marriage business.**

We agree on a great deal.

** I suspect that we have a good deal in common. However, I do think, especially in relation to your perceived educational war on religion, that you need to rely less on what others say about something and go examine/experience the issues yourself. I am a teacher AND a dedicated Christian. I like to think that being good at one makes me better at the other.**

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[sjt18]

So gay marriage is impeding on your rights? Is that what you mean by persecution?

No. Gay marriage as a religious/social ceremony is not "infringing" my rights. In fact it is none of my business. In fact... I would willingly die to defend their right to have such ceremonies AND to live their lives according to their own conscience even if I find it repugnant. Forcing a business, landlord, church, social group, individual, etc to acknowledge those marriages and treat them the same as heterosexual marriage IS a violation of religious rights.

You really don't have to take my word for it. Chai Feldblum was appointed to EEOC by Obama. She is openly lesbian and involved in homosexual advocacy. She has publicly stated that the battle for "homosexual rights" vs religious rights is a zero sum game. Granting the PRIVILEGES that homosexuals seek MUST come at the expense of religious rights. She understands and is at least honest about what she and her allies are demanding. A few people here have even been honest enough to effectively say, "Tough, your rights are going to be sacrificed to accommodate the desires of homosexuals."

 

[sjt18]

As long as it is not a specific "God", who cares?

Atheists do... so I as a Baptist should. Empowering the gov't to do this in the name of and at the expense of atheists/agnostics/spiritualists/etc empowers them to do similar things to theists. It legitimizes the notion that fundamental rights can and should be sacrificed to the shifting tides of public opinion.

 

[sjt18]

**Most teachers at my school are Christians. Even though we are not allowed to discuss specific religions, we demonstrate 'Christian values' through our actions. Your perception on what public schools are like and the reality of what they are like are far apart. Schools are not out to destroy anyone's faith. I know. I'm there every day. This myth that schools are comprised of anti-religion athiests is totally false.**

My children have been in public school districts in WA, IL, GA, and MO. The first three were suburban. The last rural/small town.

To be fair... they aren't even close to the same. GA was kind of in the middle. WA and IL are very much like I described. A teacher in IL told our at the time 2nd grader that she couldn't wish another student "Merry Christmas".

Our rural MO school district is very reflective of the conservative, religious community in which it operates.

 

[JayVols]

My children have been in public school districts in WA, IL, GA, and MO. The first three were suburban. The last rural/small town.

To be fair... they aren't even close to the same. GA was kind of in the middle. WA and IL are very much like I described. A teacher in IL told our at the time 2nd grader that she couldn't wish another student "Merry Christmas".

Our rural MO school district is very reflective of the conservative, religious community in which it operates.

The IL teacher was an idiot, imo. There are idiots in all walks of life.

Just a suggestion, no offense intended, but when speaking about schools and religion, be more specific. Don't paint with such a wide brush.
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[sjt18]

The IL teacher was an idiot, imo. There are idiots in all walks of life.

Maybe. But from our own experiences and those of our friends she was typical.

Just a suggestion, no offense intended, but when speaking about schools and religion, be more specific. Don't paint with such a wide brush.
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No offense taken. You're right. I should be more careful. I left the wrong impression and caused the discussion to go off track when you were making an effort to have a reasoned discourse.

Sorry about that.

 

[JayVols]

Maybe. But from our own experiences and those of our friends she was typical.



No offense taken. You're right. I should be more careful. I left the wrong impression and caused the discussion to go off track when you were making an effort to have a reasoned discourse.

Sorry about that.

No worries.
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[therealUT]

This type of idiotic attempt to poison the well helps nothing.

Your entire thread is an attempt to poison the well.
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[sjt18]

Your entire thread is an attempt to poison the well.
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Nope... and no one forced you to even open it.

You have a habit of trying to poison the well or pick a fight when you cannot come up with a reasoned argument. You would make a better impression on all sides if you didn't do that.

 

[therealUT]

Nope... and no one forced you to even open it.

You have a habit of trying to poison the well or pick a fight when you cannot come up with a reasoned argument. You would make a better impression on all sides if you didn't do that.

Honus is on you to present a reasoned argument for your perceived slight from the nuances of how CNN decided to word their headline. Everyone here is still waiting...
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[sjt18]

Honus is on you to present a reasoned argument for your perceived slight from the nuances of how CNN decided to word their headline. Everyone here is still waiting...
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I did. They took it directly from the WH's talking points... and it isn't unique.

 

[therealUT]

I did. They took it directly from the WH's talking points... and it isn't unique.

What is unbalanced about the approach? The GOP wants to materially cut spending; the DNC wants to materially raise revenues.

Note: this discussion is not concerning the consequences of Keynesian economics; it is about the approach and intent. For someone who thinks Keynesian policy can substantially raise revenue, and there are smart persons who think this way, then they see their approach as a serious way to raise revenue.

You are perceiving a slight and a bis where there was none; when this was pointed out by a handful of posters, you switched the argument to some BS perceived persecution of Christians. When you fail to make reasonable arguments, I have no problem slinging mud as that is the only thing that will stick on irrational fools.
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[PoochPunt3rdDown]

I did. They took it directly from the WH's talking points... and it isn't unique.

I love it when people bring up "talking points". Can you get me a certified copy of these talking points. Otherwise, isn't that just a made up term that doesn't mean ****?

 

[therealUT]

I love it when people bring up "talking points". Can you get me a certified copy of these talking points. Otherwise, isn't that just a made up term that doesn't mean ****?

To be fair, here are the President's remarks that I imagine CNN was referencing:

What I emphasized to the broader group of congressional leaders yesterday is, now is the time to deal with these issues. If not now, when? I've been hearing from my Republican friends for quite some time that it is a moral imperative for us to tackle our debt and our deficits in a serious way. I've been hearing from them that this is one of the things that's creating uncertainty and holding back investment on the part of the business community. And so what I've said to them is, let's go. And it is possible for us to construct a package that would be balanced, would share sacrifice, would involve both parties taking on their sacred cows, would involved some meaningful changes to Medicare, Social Security, and Medicaid that would preserve the integrity of the programs and keep our sacred trust with our seniors, but make sure those programs were there for not just this generation but for the next generation; that it is possible for us to bring in revenues in a way that does not impede our current recovery, but is fair and balanced.

We have agreed to a series of spending cuts that will make the government leaner, meaner, more effective, more efficient, and give taxpayers a greater bang for their buck. That includes defense spending. That includes health spending. It includes some programs that I like very much, and we – be nice to have, but that we can’t afford right now.

That said, I still do not see the issue either with CNN's or the President's use of the term "balanced".