There has been a perceived bias against Christians in the media in the Western world, but now it’s more than perceived.
According to the Christian Institute in the United Kingdom, Mark Thompson, the head of the BBC, says the company would never mock Muhammad like it mocks Jesus.
Thompson admitted the religious bias suggesting that mocking Muhammad might have the “emotional force” of “grotesque child pornography.” But he claims Jesus is fair game because Christianity has broad shoulders and fewer ties to ethnicity.
That’s not sitting well with Christians worldwide, especially evangelist Sammy Tippit. Tippit says it’s not good to mock any religion—and it sets a dangerous precedent: “I think the type of attitude and philosophy that’s being expressed at the BCC prepares people for persecution.”
As Tippit sees it, media bias in Rwanda prepared that nation for genocide. While this may be an extreme case, Tippit says, allowing Jesus to be mocked is not right: “If this kind of drumbeat continues, it could be very bad for Christians, not just in the Western world, but all over because the BCC has its tentacles all through the world.”
Tippit is calling for the BBC to stop its unethical practice before someone gets hurt. In fact, he says, people are probably already getting hurt.
“We don’t need to respond with ‘insult for insult’ and respond with anger to those who hate us,” Tippit says. “We need to have the proper response. And yet, I think it’s proper also to call for repentance among those who are doing that.”
While it was common for Communists to make fun of Christians and other religions, Tippit says this isn’t Communism: “The media is very powerful in this day. And there are a lot of people who will believe what they see on that tube, so we need to speak out about these things.”
