For the first time since I joined the E.W. Scripps School of Journalism, I was ashamed to share that title with another student. I was completely appalled and disgusted with Alissa Griffith's sad attempt at journalism in her column from Wednesday's edition of The Post.
Her blatant disrespect for people with different religious beliefs than her own was only outdistanced by the fact that she used a journalistic pedestal to push her own religious views on an unsuspecting audience. She stated that there are people who hold the arrogant belief that every man is his own god
and was brazen enough to write, God's existence is obvious. I sincerely hope that I am not the only one deeply offended by that personal attack on every person who does not acknowledge the same God as Griffith.
Just as disturbing was Griffith's statement that there are those who have insisted that the concept that every living creature is the product of some incredibly unrealistic coincidence (aka evolution) be stuffed down young throats in public schools. First, it is a crucial journalistic rule to present all angles of a story in pursuit of the truth. Such blatant bias discredits the author as well as the publication. Second, how much more believable is it that a foreign omnipotent presence created everything on the Earth in six days, gave life to humanity in a single breath, only to have the downfall of the entire race come down to a talking snake and a piece of fruit?
Griffith continues to put her naivete on display when she writes that donations to local food shelters can't be credited to humanism. I would propose this experiment: Let's take the humanity out of the equation and see how fast the shelves fill up. I have no issue praising divine inspiration, but to completely discredit humanity is, well, ridiculous.
Another perfect example of Griffith's one-sidedness: Those who have experienced God's love benefited from his rescuing hand and acknowledged the beauty of his creation ' these people cannot be bothered with empty arguments. That argument is a double-edged sword. Those who have experienced God's rejection, suffered at his hand and witnessed the horrors of his creation, humanity ' these people should not be fed empty arguments and forced to swallow your preaching in a publication that is theoretically devoted to journalism.
Finally, the obvious reference to the incident at Baker University Center, using the image of sitting on a ledge to examine our lives, was the most disrespectful and offensive thing about the column. Even if printing the picture was questionable, the attempt to tie your column to that incident was presumptuous and a terrible decision. I hope the person involved does not have to suffer through the column.
Please, do Scripps a favor and transfer to a seminary school where your preaching will be tolerated. Don't drag the journalistic profession through the mud by using it as a smokescreen to pedal your unfounded, poorly supported beliefs.
Christina Carter is a junior journalism and Spanish major.
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