Fox News’ Brit Hume raised a few eyebrows with his advice this week on Fox Sunday when the subject of Tiger Woods came up. Hume stated that the question of whether Woods can recover from his scandal “depends on his faith” and specifically the need for him to dump his Buddhist faith for Christianity.
So that nothing is lost in translation, here is what Hume said:
The extent to which he can recover seems to me depends on his faith. He is said to be a Buddhist. I don’t think that faith offers the kind of forgiveness and redemption that is offered by the Christian faith. My message to Tiger would, ‘Tiger, turn to the Christian faith and you can make a total recovery and be a great example to the world.”
Perhaps this is why so many Christian leaders have sexual scandals . . . because they can. Just look recently at how well Larry Craig, David Vitter and Ted Haggard have done. I am unsure why Hume did not offer the same advice to Eliot Spitzer (Jewish) given his religious impediments. Bill Clinton certainly proved Hume’s point in picking religions for their scandal-capacity. By this logic, the “greatest example to the world” would be for that stubborn Dalai Lama to convert. This new pitch of “Got Scandal? Get Jesus” is something the Church has not yet rolled out as a campaign.
Of course, Hume may be referring to the fact that many figures in the Old Testament had multiple wives — making Tiger look like a virtual underachiever.
Here’s the link to the post about Brit Hume at Think Progress that I wrote about in my previous comment.
http://thinkprogress.org/2010/01/04/imus-hume-christian-faith/
From Think Progress, 1/4/2010
Fox Business’ Imus Mocks And Fact-Checks Fox’s Brit Hume, Reports That He’s Wrong About Buddhism
By Faiz Shakir
Excerpts:
IMUS: Well, we checked this morning and unfortunately, or perhaps fortunately if you are a Buddhist, there is a path to recovery and redemption. Right? Well yes there is. The idea of redemption — nirvana under Buddhism — is achieving the state of being freed from greed, hate, and delusion.
******
Imus noted that Hume’s colleagues on the panel — including “the nut from wherever he’s from — [Bill] Kristol” (who is not Christian) — appeared to be stunned into silence and “looking at their shoes” while Hume proselytized.
Elaine,
You wrote: “Hume doesn’t THINK Buddhism offers the kind of forgiveness and redemption that is offered by the Christian faith. I’m wondering what Hume knows about Buddhism.”
I’m wondering what he knows about christianity! Geesh.
I’ve seen that video you posted. Every time, I am appalled.
Then we are, duh, on the same page, Adam.
Buddha,
I saw that it was corrected, and I appreciate it. I have no axe to grind, and my second comment, as you can see, was only a response to Larry. Duh.
Adam
Adam,
This site is well known for needed corrects from time to time and the Prof (along with the nearly indispensable nal) is very good about making them. Keep in mind the Prof often does his postings early in the morning and on the fly – like many of us. If you are perfection in action at 5 AM with kids and busy law practice in addition to this exercise, then bully for you.
The error was corrected and in a timely fashion.
You are being anal retentive over something that is no longer in error.
Don’t complain about something that has already been fixed.
It makes you look like you have an ax to grind. Duh. Or simply petulantly childish.
However, that is your choice to make. Feel free to carry on about a correction that’s been made. It’s kind of funny.
Larry,
Alan was clearly quoting the earlier, uncorrected version of the post, which said Craig was Mormon. Duh.
> Turley didn’t say Larry Craig was Mormon, “Alan” did. All that takes is reading!
The correct statement would be: “The article was corrected. It no longer says Larry Craig is Mormon.”
Rich,
Well said.
@mespo…Hume’s son was gay and had been linked to a then rising GOP congressman. Hume has never dealt with the gay part and has remained friends with Gingrich, who had spread the rumors.
Buddhism teaches Karma and assumes that actions are met by consequences in this life or another one. Rather than encouraging acts of contrition, redemoption, etc (which individual Buddhists often try to enact), it’s about recognizing that you screwed-up, there are consequences and you should try not to screw-up again. Much less melodrama and more emphasis on doing the right thing, eventually. Hume clearly misunderstand this. A truly Buddhist stance would lead to Tiger having a more sconstructive relationship with his wife. A Christian one would lead to some silly morality play that may or may not lead to different conduct in the future. one need only look at say, Hume’s pal Newt Gingrich and his serial divorces (under lousy circumstances for the wives) to see just effective Chritianity is at addressing marital strife.
Hume said: “The extent to which he can recover seems to me depends on his faith. He is said to be a Buddhist. I don’t think that faith offers the kind of forgiveness and redemption that is offered by the Christian faith.”
***************
Hume doesn’t THINK Buddhism offers the kind of forgiveness and redemption that is offered by the Christian faith. I’m wondering what Hume knows about Buddhism. Hume may think what he likes–that doesn’t make it true. I agree with BIL–Hume’s statement “reeks of ‘Christian’ arrogance.”
************
Talking of Christian arrogance: We’ve had members of the US military proselytizing in Muslim countries.
From Huffington Post (May 4, 2009)
US Soldiers in Afghanistan Told to “Hunt People for Jesus… So We Get Them into the Kingdom”
by Jeremy Scahill
Excerpt:
“Military officials at Bagram are caught on tape urging US soldiers to evangelize in the Muslim country.
“New video evidence has surfaced showing that US military forces in Afghanistan have been instructed by the military’s top chaplain in the country to “hunt people for Jesus” as they spread Christianity to the overwhelmingly Muslim population. Soldiers also have imported bibles translated into Pashto and Dari, the two dominant languages of Afghanistan. What’s more, the center of this evangelical operation is at the huge US base at Bagram, one of the main sites used by the US military to torture and indefinitely detain prisoners.”
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jeremy-scahill/us-soldiers-in-afghanista_b_195639.html
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hVGmbzDLq5c&hl=en_US&fs=1&]
Adam,
Turley didnt say Larry Craig was Mormon, “Alan” did. All that takes is reading!
mespo,
Perhaps. But he could have sent a letter or an e-mail or called. I know for a fact Hume could have gotten in personal contact with Woods. I’m thinking Tiger’s contact info is well known in the news business. Instead Hume it did on Rupert’s dime in a broadcast manner. That’s a lot more expensive than a phone call. That’s talking to a helluva lot more people than just Tiger.
Call my a cynic. I’ve been called worse . . . and less accurate. But if Hume wanted to reach out? There was a more personal and private way to do it. This reeks of “Christian” arrogance and proselytizing as broadcast. Ask yourself who FOX panders to. Fundies, the easily duped and fascists. Which segment of the audience would get a warm fuzzy if one of their anchors went all Jesus-y on air?
Call me a cynic. I don’t mind. Really. 😀
Although I prefer the term skeptic.
Turley,
Larry Craig is NOT Mormon, he’s Methodist. The other senator from Idaho is Mormon, but not Craig. For heaven’s sake, all this takes is a simple wikipedia search.
Swartzmore mon,
Denial is the word is the word…
Mespo,
I can relate to the mans pain. I can do this on many personal levels.
From what I understand is Mommy of W, got together the best of the Christian leaders and held meetings at there home until W was cleansed of the beasts of his addiction.
Also Brit Hume is an admirer of Bush and Bush quit drinking through christianity. Notice I did not say Bush is in recovery.
I am no ideological friend of Brit Hume, but I suspect his statements derive from his own personal tragedy in 1998 when his son committed suicide. Perhaps the cynical among us could conceive that Hume is pandering to his base, but I would like to think it is a sincere, though clumsy, offer of assistance by one who derived some comfort from the religion.
Yeah, Brit. That Christianity thing worked so well for Jimmy Swaggert and that televanelist from Colorado (can’t remember his name just now). And weren’t all those Catholic priests Christians? Ah, religion.
> I am unsure why Hume did not offer the same advice to … Larry Craig (Mormon) given their religious impediments.
What impediments are you referring to? FYI, members of The Church of Jesus CHRIST of Latter-day Saints consider themselves to be Christian.
“Never take the advice of someone who has not had your kind of trouble.
Sidney J. Harris “