The New Fundamentalists
6 Mar 2006
I’m in a meeting tonight, so am recording this programme on channel 4’s Dispatches, ‘The New Fundamentalists’.
Here is the blurb from the web site.
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Rod Liddle investigates the evangelical Christians who tell teenagers that contraception won’t protect them and that homosexuality is wrong – and discovers what children are taught in the state schools they run. Julia Bard reports
The mainstream of the Anglican Church, comfortably familiar to Radio 4 listeners and those who pray only at Christmas and Easter, is in decline. But the evangelical wing is growing. It is targeting and recruiting young people and, says and middle-of-the-road Christian Rod Liddle, could make up half the congregation of the Church of England within five years.
In this Channel 4 Dispatches film, Liddle investigates the ideas and activities of Britain’s fundamentalist Christians, whose churches buzz with music, dance and American-style preachers who teach that every word of the Bible is literally true….
See site for rest of background.
Technorati Tags: Channel 4, Dispatches, The New Fundamentalists
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Comment by Jim Bonewald
8.09 pm on 6 Mar 2006
Wow, sorry for sending “American-style preachers who teach that every word of the Bible is literally true” your way…
Comment by tim
8.09 am on 7 Mar 2006
jason, wow i missed this one, it would be interesting to hear yours and others thoughts on how the programme was presented, by the sound of the blurb the schools were onto a loser from the start..!
Comment by Dave Roberts
8.49 am on 7 Mar 2006
It was unadulterated bigotry from start to finish. Propogandistic in its crude caricatures and totalitarian in its commitment to the state promulgation of specific world views.
It skated over arguements and used thin ‘factlets’ about the Silver Ring Thing that ignored the rality of the substantive benefits that most pledgers experience even if they stumble.
He had to acknowledge the positive facts with respect to the schools and Teen Challenge.
He also dragged in Christian Voice with their Christian Nation mythology to bolster his case. The EA have made it clear that they should not be regarded as a voice for evangelicalism.
Whatever you think about some of the ministries he attacked this was not a fair or even thorough treatment.
Comment by Sarah
5.20 pm on 7 Mar 2006
Will be interested to hear your thoughts when you’ve watched the programme. I saw it and was disappointed by the reporting generally. As someone on my blog commented, there was confusion between ‘evangelicals’ and ‘fundamentalists’, as being one does not necessarily imply the other.
Comment by marc
9.52 am on 8 Mar 2006
I have to say I didn’t really see too much of what I would call ‘fundementalist’ in the programme.
The thing that shcoked me somewhat was the 3 academies in Middlesborough, they are state schools and yet they are faith schools leaving he parents no choice to send their child anywhere else…what if you are not a christian?
It seems strange to me that a member of the public (Sir Peter Vardy) can put up 10% of the money for these schools and they take his beliefs. The tax payer who pays 90% has no say at all!
It was I felt a fairly dull programme all in all.
Comment by Hammer
12.07 pm on 9 Mar 2006
I’m visiting the UK from California on business and just happened to tune into the program on Monday night. I was apphauled at the general Christian bashing and poor journalism in this program.
My first observation was that there seems to be general confusion about who a Christian is. The Bible makes it clear (even to non-believers) that a Christian is a disciple of Christ. The narrator seemed to consider himself a Christian “of sorts”, as he put it, without believing any of the central themes of the Bible or its morality.
Is there ever a fair and positive portrayal of Christians in the UK media?
Comment by dhdh
11.05 pm on 9 Mar 2006
I too think that the term fundamentalist shouldn’t be used in reference to the group called “new fundamentalists”. Why is it that all it takes to be labeled “fundamentalist” is believe that homosexuality is wrong, sex before marriage is wrong and assist schools in what their kids are being taught? 10 years ago and as late as 5 years ago these things wouldn’t put a person in the fundametnalist category. For me I believe we need to redeem people who are Christians and Evangelical from being unnecessarily labeled fundamentalist. As an Evangelical Christian myself this must be done or we will continue this seperation. It appears the ones who are doing the pushing away are the ones who advocate not pushing people away. The people who acknowledge themselves in a “post-modern midset” (which advocates conversation) are doing the pushing away by not allowing people to discuss why they don’t agree with certain issues that the bible states are wrong. There seems to be so many double-standards on the progressive side that I’m starting to think that being progressive is actually backwards.
Comment by dhdh
11.09 pm on 9 Mar 2006
I will say that it is a good thing to see the number of Evangelical Christians taking a stand for Christ. Thanks Jasoin for the post. While I don’t like the labeling of “fundametalism” within the group I happen to agree with, I do appreciate seeing Christians taking a stand and for that I’m greatful.
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