"Television always presents religious people to be out of touch with the modern world" Do you agree? Give reasons for your opinion.

GCSE Religious Studies (Philosophy & Ethics)

Gemma Hughes

Religion in the media coursework part (b)

Miss Murphy

“ Television always presents religious people to be out of touch with the modern world” Do you agree? Give reasons for your opinion.

In this piece of coursework I will be focusing on whether televisions always present religious people as out of touch with the modern world.

To be ‘in touch’ means to be up to date with current affairs and to be aware of what is happening all round the world.

We watched a range of programs some containing in touch characters and others containing out of touch characters some containing both. In the television programs we watched I would suggest that Fr Chad out of “The monks of ampleforth” because he was very soft and lenient with the students, also Fr James from the same program is in touch because he listens to the up to date trance music smokes and also allows raunchy posters to a certain extent.

Another example of an in touch character would be from the program rescue me would be the vicar he was very in touch with modern society up with the fashion side of life stating “black is the new black”. Also he does not intend to stay celibate but did fight the temptation from Katie.

An example of someone who would be out of touch would be the church Katie she is bored at the bible reading session, which makes the church seem out of touch, you could also have the vicar under the out of touch side as he ...

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Some programs are portrayed to be out of touch because of a few characters like eastenders maybe seen to be out of touch because Dot cotton is always referring to quotes from the bible and making comments on Jesus. Also Emily bishop in coronation street may give the impression that coronation street is out of touch alongside Ned Flanders in the Simpson’s he to may give the impression of being out of touch.

Also in the television program the vicar of dibley the vicar is portrayed to be in touch as she is not celibate and listens to the up to date music! Another character who is in touch is Marge Simpson she is a regular church goer but she is also very in touch as she gambles and drinks.

In my opinion I would have to say that television programs portray religious people to be out of touch because that’s the way they are seen to be old fashioned for example in eastenders dot cotton is all about no sex before marriage and before her and her husband where married they slept in separate beds. I don’t think television presents religious people in the right way in eastenders it presents dot cotton to be a bit over powered by god always using quotes from the bible and telling people they should live there life like Jesus did. I would say the way religious people are promoted on television they are giving a negative view toward religions though all religious people are caught up in the past and don’t accept anything new.