Here’s the latest from the crossroads of faith, media & culture: 11/20/20

Freedom of speech is a religious liberty and human rights issue that affects us all. Skepticism is a word that is dangerously out of fashion these days. A lack of tolerance for dissenting thought is what makes theocracies so dangerous. I don’t care how devout a Catholic you are, IMHO, none of us should want the Pope running the government. Likewise, we shouldn’t extend a doctrine of infallibility to an alliance of globalist corporate media, Big Tech fact checkers (aka censors) and the leaders of the Democratic Party.  And, yes, I’d say the same thing about a similar information cartel involving Donald Trump and the GOP.

We, as a people, don’t need to be protected from alternative facts (aka alternative perspectives).  We need to be exposed to them so that we can make informed decisions. By weighing everything, we can separate the wheat from the chaff and balance the legitimate arguments of all sides.

With all that off my chest, here are some overlooked stories for this week.

From John Stossel:

IMHO: It’s amazing to me how in recent years “science” has become a magic word that makes debate disappear – especially on matters that, no matter what the globalist corporate media tells us, all scientists don’t agree on. The scientific perspective is very important but, especially when it comes to predicting eco-apocalyptic end times, the doomsday scientists of the have been no more accurate than your run-of-the-mill religious zealot. Thank God for skeptics!

From Deadline: (CBS) has introduced an edict that 50% of its casts for its unscripted shows must be Black, Indigenous or People of Color (BIPOC) and it has committed that at least 25% of its annual unscripted development budget must go towards creators and producers that are BIPOC.
IMHO: I am a big advocate for diverse perspectives in storytelling. I think we all benefit from it and any broadcast network or media outlet would be wise to cast a wide net that speaks to and for everyone in our diverse nation. But this kind of heavy-handed coercive is storytelling by committee (which is usually awful storytelling) and only sows resentment. And, BTW, isn’t the BIPOC acronym kind of redundant?

From The Hollywood Reporter: (Reality show producer/Chairman of MGM Worldwide Television Group Mark) Burnett’s position in Hollywood has been damaged by his association with Trump, whose billionaire-businessman image was crafted and sold to the public through The Apprentice. Sources say Burnett made efforts to lure Fargo creator Noah Hawley and Warren Littlefield, producer of The Handmaid’s Tale and Fargo, to his house for dinner and was repeatedly rebuffed. Sharon Osbourne recently told THR that she, too, had refused invitations. “I would never go to his parties and he would be like, ‘Why?’” she says.
From Mediaite: In a new interview, (actress/comedian) Whitney Cummings says more people in Hollywood should try to empathize with supporters of President Donald Trump….Cummings explained, “I’m fascinated by playing devil’s advocate and want to understand the people I disagree with. I don’t want to dismiss and malign. I think it’s very self-righteous or sanctimonious to just dismiss people we disagree with without trying to understand why they believe what they believe.”
IMHO: So, it seems even a mega-successful TV creator like Mark Burnett isn’t immune to the vindictive venom of the Cancel Culture crowd. I think Whitney Cummings speaks to this issue quite well – though I see speaking up for tolerance as actually being quite the opposite of “playing devil’s advocate.” I think it’s siding with our better angels.

Also from John Stossel (who was on fire this week):

IMHO: Maybe it’s time to Defund the Thought Police.

And, finally, from YouTube (Published February 22, 2018):

IMHO: When all is said and done, this (sharing the wisdom of the past to be built on by the citizens of the future) is what makes America – and humanity – worth preserving. No Great Reset needed.

Encourage one another and build each other up – 1 Thessalonians 5:11