A question of respect

Marc Nadeau

On a periodical basis, I like to visit the ChristianNewsWire website, one of the sources that I visit to get a better view of the larger media landscape about what happens on the religious front in America. I do not agree with every angle or aspect they cover or everything they publish, but I’ve always been able to appreciate the fact that they respect those who disagree with them. To me, that’s the natural basis of what we simply call respect.

Recently, though, an effort to lambaste Pat Robertson for his collaboration with Al Sharpton – which took form in a piece that can hardly qualify as a news piece – appalled me. Fair enough, we can disagree with the famous televangelist’s positions and actions. But turning to slander - calling him wicked, corrupt, perverse, wrong and anti-Christian is quite another thing. And I just can’t understand why CNW went with it, other than for what one could think may resemble a character assassination agenda.

Am I coming to the defense of everything Pat Robertson said, did, wrote or stood for? No. I just tend to believe, like Ronald Reagan, that «The person who agrees with you 80 percent of the time is a friend and an ally, not a 20 percent traitor. »

From what I have been reading on CNW, Pat Robertson and the people who nourish this website have lots more in common – notably in terms of their religious and human aspirations – than the sum of their disagreements.

I like to believe that CNW’s people will come back on track of what we so much appreciate with any real and credible news provider, which is respect of our intelligence and respect, period.