Give your responce to the view that 'Television always presents religious people as out of touch with the modern world'

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Anushi Patel  11E                          Religious Studies Coursework                               20-02-08

B) Give your response to the view that –

        ‘Television always presents religious people as out of touch with the modern.’

        This essay will discuss how the media represents religious people, and if the statement given is true.  Often stereotypes are created in our society thorough the media. It is thought that the media portrays religious people as out of touch with the ‘modern’ world.

        Time and again people are presented in soap operas. Frequently the character is elderly and advocates his or her religion to the other characters. An example of this is Dot Cotton, a character in the television series Eastenders. She is described as an ‘Icon of British soap, Dot Cotton is the heart, soul and conscience of Walford. She is a chain smoking, Bible reading, gossip’. Dot preaches from the Bible (Christian holy book), and applies those teachings with herself. She is represented as a pillar of strength in the community, and is a consolidation to the younger characters in the show.  

Dot Cotton is perceived by the audience as out of touch with the modern world, as she is elderly and lives her life from the teaching of the Bible. This leads her to refusing to perform marital duties with her second husband. This proves Dot’s views are old – fashioned, as sex is now an issue that is commonly and openly discussed in modern society. She also does not accept her step-granddaughter’s sexuality, as she mentions ‘I can not say I agree with what you are doing…’ Homosexuals are more openly spoken about in modern society and therefore the modern view is to accept homosexuals, which would show Dot to be out of touch with the modern world.

        Another television programme which is broadcasted internationally, for all ages, is ‘The Simpsons’. The central character is Homer Simpson, an obese, alcoholic, neglectful father. His neighbor, Ned Flanders, is the opposite, and is seen to be very religious and is described as ‘irritatingly optimistic and cheerful’. He believes that the Bible has all the answers. He has two children, Todd and Rod, over whom he has a big influence on, making them very religious. The children are shown to be outsiders within the school community. They are often the subject of school mates’ practical jokes and are unable to understand them. They are proven to be easy targets, as they have been taught not to fight back and have faith in their Bible. It is obvious that the Flanders’ strict religious view does not allow them to be a part of the modern society they live in, proving them to be out of touch.  

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Another representation of the religious characters is different to the way they have been discussed above. It shows that even if the religious characters are young, they are perceived as outsiders to the community and unable to understand the ‘modern’ views of others because they still live by their faith.

        The head of the Church is Pope Benedict XVI, an elderly man, he is known to have made many controversial statements, for example – ‘…The various forms of the dissolution of matrimony today, like free unions, trial marriages and going up to pseudo-matrimonies by people of the same sex, ...

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