Wednesday, May 10
Childless in Germany
I mentioned not long ago, I think in this blog, that France has the second highest birthrate in Europe, I believe 1.79 or higher (replacement being 2.1).
Germany, of course, has the lowest, with almost 30% of German women choosing to be childless.
Were I to speak to the writers at the L.A. Times, I would adamently point out, however, that though I am "aghast" (to use the story's words) at Germany's dislike of children, I am not a "religious fundamentalist." I strongly encourage the entire news media to re-discover that "fundamentalism" is
(1) A specific movement within Christianity
(2) A American Protestant movement, which in its principles of subsuming the discoveries of honest science to Biblical literalism is distinctly un-Thomistic and un-Catholic. It was John Paul II's conviction, the Catholic conviction, that the Scriptures do not contradict good science which allowed him, and most Catholics, to confess that "evolution is more than a possibility."
I suppose someone might argue that the word has "taken on" the meaning of "someone who actually believes their religion is true," but in an age when we are so careful to avoid even slightly pejorative language, I would think that journalists would attend to the way in which this usage is not only inaccurate, but unappreciated.
Though I have to admit the worst case of ignorance in religious labelling in journalism which I have ever seen was the dubbing of jihadists as "born-again Muslims," a ridiculously oxymoronic title indicating that the author has neither read the Gospel of John nor has any basic hold on the tenets of Christian belief and vocabulary.
I mentioned not long ago, I think in this blog, that France has the second highest birthrate in Europe, I believe 1.79 or higher (replacement being 2.1).
Germany, of course, has the lowest, with almost 30% of German women choosing to be childless.
Were I to speak to the writers at the L.A. Times, I would adamently point out, however, that though I am "aghast" (to use the story's words) at Germany's dislike of children, I am not a "religious fundamentalist." I strongly encourage the entire news media to re-discover that "fundamentalism" is
(1) A specific movement within Christianity
(2) A American Protestant movement, which in its principles of subsuming the discoveries of honest science to Biblical literalism is distinctly un-Thomistic and un-Catholic. It was John Paul II's conviction, the Catholic conviction, that the Scriptures do not contradict good science which allowed him, and most Catholics, to confess that "evolution is more than a possibility."
I suppose someone might argue that the word has "taken on" the meaning of "someone who actually believes their religion is true," but in an age when we are so careful to avoid even slightly pejorative language, I would think that journalists would attend to the way in which this usage is not only inaccurate, but unappreciated.
Though I have to admit the worst case of ignorance in religious labelling in journalism which I have ever seen was the dubbing of jihadists as "born-again Muslims," a ridiculously oxymoronic title indicating that the author has neither read the Gospel of John nor has any basic hold on the tenets of Christian belief and vocabulary.
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