One of the great benefits of working in the media is feedback from a public that cares enough to register comments. They cause us to think about what we do and whether we are fair.My voicemails, on return from the long Memorial Day weekend, included two angry callers about what we featured on May 26 in the Tribunes Spiritual Life section. There were three feature articles two written by me and one by an Associated Press writer. There was the Clergy Corner column, penned by an Imam a Muslim cleric from Tempe. (The Clergy Corner is written weekly by a different clergyman, and sometime lay people, from panoply of faiths. We rotate through about 40 different writers). As the way things fell in that issue, my two features were; 1) about SuSu Levy of Scottsdale, a Wiccan who was forceful in calling for preserving creatures large and small and honoring the Arizona desert by not transforming it into what was never intended to satiate ex-Midwesterners; and 2) coverage of a talk in Tempe last Tuesday by a daughter-in-law of the Rev. Sun Myung Moon, founder of the Unification Church. The AP article, titled God is Not Great hits best-seller list, dealt with atheist writer Christopher Hitchens, along with other atheist writers who have been gaining wider respect in wake of the excesses primarily from the Religious Right. And Ahmad Shqeirat, the imam of the Islamic Community Center in Tempe, sought to show the common ground that the Prophet Abraham has with Islam, Judaism and Christianity. Its predictable that any Muslim-related article will draw anti-Islamic comments. One male caller said SuSu Levy, the Wiccan, already get plenty of press, especially given her success in her opinions printed in the Tribune. Said the caller, She gets her letters published in the paper on a regular basis just for years that I have seen, and it seems that she has no problem getting her views across. And here today, you have this big spread. What is it about this lady that you guys idolize her the way you do? Enough of SuSu Levy. My gosh, give us somebody else.Another caller said Christians got left out totally in the Saturday section: I have just now read the Spiritual Life section of the paper and read about Wicca, and the Unification Church and the non-believer who doesnt think that God is great and how the Muslims seem to think they worship the same God that Christians do, she said. It would have been a little bit better if, at least, you would have printed one article that pertains to Christians, the believers. I really am disappointed today. There was nothing uplifting for a Christian at all. Thank you very much.When the mix of stories and Clergy Corner column started shaping up for that section, I suspected that someone might complain. My mind heard echoes of a reader years ago who called and said she wanted to get something into the Christian section of the paper. First, no faith tradition has guaranteed or reserved space in the Tribune each Saturday. By the sheer dominance of Christianity, I can say week in and week out, the offerings are distinctively Christian. Secondly, the wire service religion features offered for the nations religion sections are limited to one or two articles weekly. Sometimes neither is a Christian article. We choose those that seem to be most compelling. The argument could be made that the Hitchens article mentioned Christians and Christian position extensively, albeit in a generally negative light. Yet is still was useful for a Christians to recognize. Thirdly, the Unification Church formally declares strong respect for Jesus Christ and it prides itself on drawing Christians and followers of all faiths into its many cooperative programs for world peace. Fourth, the Clergy Corner seeks to represent as many viable beliefs as we can find in the tapestry of Valley religions. Christian writers have the lions share of weeks assigned. Representatives of some faiths are reluctant to participate. An examination of the listings and local briefs on Saturday, and every week, shows that Christian congregations and organizations consistently dominate. Finally, I have learned in the approximately 16 years of religion-writing for the Tribune that our own personal beliefs can be defended and reinforced simply by seeing what other faiths and doctrines are all about. We see the common ground and the contrasts. We learn how history, culture and spiritual leaders have shaped faith systems. I have readers applaud a steady offering of stories about minority religions. In the end, I hope we are less apt to adopt the us-against-them mentality as if each column-inch of space about our faith is ammunition against the dark forces of belief.
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It amazes me how UPC has displayed signs for services throughout the years with no one saying one thing that the church was in violation. Then all of the sudden we get a complaint from someone obviously anti-church & obviously just moved into the neighborhood that takes that innocent right away. Get a life!! It’s not hurting anyone & could possible help someone looking for what UPC has to offer. It’s not right to “change the rules” just to have the city earn a quick buck.
I think there are more important matters the council would rather address.