Today's Diane Rheam Show

[Jennifer]

Did anyone listen to Diane Rheam (sp?) today?  I caught about 10 minutes of the show this morning and they were talking about that ossuary (sp?) that supposed is St. James.  I don't up with this kind of news but I vaguely remember hearing about this a few months ago.  One caller said that "the Church" had always believed that St. Joseph had a wife before Mary and that Jesus's brothers were from St. Joseph's first wife.  Diane Rheam interrupted him and asked what he meant by "the Church" and he replied the Catholic Church and one of her guests (no idea who he was) jumped in and said that's what the Orthodox believe not the Catholics.  And then Diane Rheam said something like "wasn't that one of the reasons for the schism" and the "expert" agreed.  I was a bit confused because I'd always thought that the Roman Catholic Church taught that St. Joseph had a first wife who was the mother of St. James.  Even though it's a pious tradition they have to have some way of reconciling the description of St. James as Jesus's brother with the dogma of Mary's Perpetual Virginity.  

The "expert" then said that we get the idea from Scripture that Jesus's brothers and sisters are younger than Jesus because they're usually mentioned as being in the company of Mary.  Obvious the "expert" is not a Catholic or Orthodox scholar.  

Did anyone here listen to the whole show?  If so who were the "experts?"  

[Nigula Qian Zishi]

I have no idea who this person or her show is, but yes Catholics also originally believed as the Orthodox do that St. James was an older foster-brother of Jesus from St. Joseph the Betroved's first marriage. It is allowed to be believed by Roman Catholics today.

[Justin Kissel]

I thought Catholics believed that too?  James was the son of Salome and Joseph, and was only a couple years old according to some sources when his mother died and Joseph and Mary were betrothed. The Protoevangelium of James mentions Joseph having children before he had even met Mary, and I've seen some date portions of this text to the mid-2nd century. Other apocryphal but authoritative material manifested this belief in the fourth century (it didn't "confirm" it, it simply stated what the apostolic tradition passed on). By the 6th-7th centuries, Orthodox hymnographers were incorporating the legit traditions about Joseph and his children into the hymns of the Church.

The argument about being in the company of Mary seems like a very strange one to me. We aren't talking about 21st century America here. In that context, it would have been perfectly normal for families to not only be close together, but even be in the same house (when a marriage happened, they'd add an addition on to the house). And considering that it was the Theotokos, why wouldn't they want to be in her company?

[Jennifer]

Nicholas Diane Rheam has a call-in talk show on NPR every morning.

[Nigula Qian Zishi]

Oh, I see. I purposely stay away from National Liberal Public Radio.  

[Jennifer]

Some Jewish people are currently boycotting NPR because they think it's anti-Israel  All extremists think the media is against them.  

[Nigula Qian Zishi]

Are you calling me an extremist Jennifer?

I know liberals that admit that NPR is liberal. I thought that was pretty well know fact.

[Jennifer]

Are you calling me an extremist Jennifer?

I know liberals that admit that NPR is liberal. I thought that was pretty well know fact.

Wouldn't you refer to yourself as an "extremist?"  BTW, "extremist" isn't really a negative term.  An extremist has strong opinions...what's wrong with that?  The opposite of extremism is moderation which can be good but is not always good.  

Most liberals I know think that NPR isn't liberal enough for them and most conservatives that I know think that NPR is too liberal.  The liberals think that the mainstream media is "conservative" and controlled by "big-business" (actually this is true) while the conservatives think that the mainstream media is "liberal" and controlled by Hollywood leftwingers (probably also true).  But it's not possible for the media to both too liberal and too conservative.  I think the media is more moderate than anything else.  Socially liberal but not wanting to go against the grain too much.  I think that people with strong opinions need to think that "the media" or "the man" or "the mainstream" or whoever is the boogeyman doesn't share their opinion because rebelling against authority is a very American thing and is a typical response to feeling like one of the "little people."  

I think the treatment of abortion by the media is a good example of the moderate position.  Abortion makes them uncomfortable but no one suggests that it should be illegal.  That's a far cry from a strict pro-choice point of view.  Of course it's not pro-life either.  It's middle of the road...average.  

I listen to NPR in my car on the way to and from work everyday and I'd say it's left-leaning moderate.  

[Nigula Qian Zishi]

Dangit Jennifer. Stop making so much sense. I've had to agree with you here and at the Caf+¬ today. Good points alla round here. I concede to your descriptions and comments.

[Monkey]

 I was a bit confused because I'd always thought that the Roman Catholic Church taught that St. Joseph had a first wife who was the mother of St. James.  Even though it's a pious tradition they have to have some way of reconciling the description of St. James as Jesus's brother with the dogma of Mary's Perpetual Virginity.  

Many Latin writers understand the brothers of the Lord to be His cousins, not His step-brothers.

[MartinIntlStud]

I should say that ALL other talk radio is conservative. NPR tends to be less over the top with it's attacks on the other side compared to guys like Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity.

[Columcille]

NPR = National People's Revolution!

Has always seemed left-wing to me,but I listen because it is usually intelligent and well done.  Diane Rheam comes across as very liberal.  The guests were from the liberal end of Protestantism and therefore pre-disposed to believing that Joseph and Mary had children of their own after Jesus' birth.

Columcille

[Keble]

Are you calling me an extremist Jennifer?

I know liberals that admit that NPR is liberal. I thought that was pretty well know fact.

This is less true than it used to be. It serves a population which is going to be more liberal than the average bear-- namely, people who give money to public radio/TV and who style themselves smarter. Or in other words, the liberal arts side of the upper middle/lower upper class.

It seems to me that they've made an effort to be more balanced of late, though they do slip. I remember a story (Morning Edition) on the missionary activities of the African Anglican bishops in the USA which had Bishop Bennison talking. What they didn't say was that Bennison is most definitely a party to the dispute and should thus not have been introduced as if he were a neutral commentator. But I think that was a slip rather than actual bias per se. And they hardly show the kind of axe-grinding cant of, say, Rush,  whose purpose seems largely to be to give engineers and computer geeks a harmless outlet for their (mistaken) notions that they can run the world better than anyone else.

Diane Rehm I have to say I don't know.  Talk show formats on NPR do seem to be more liberal, but again I think this is more the liberal arts perspective coming out than anything else. The example of the NEA has pretty much put the kibosh on using these "public" media as a conduit for radical liberals (or for that matter, any kind of social radicals).

[The young fogey]

I haven't heard Diane Rehm's program.

It [NPR] serves a population which is going to be more liberal than the average bear-- namely, people who give money to public radio/TV and who style themselves smarter. Or in other words, the liberal arts side of the upper middle/lower upper class.

I have given money to two public-broadcasting stations but would not be considered liberal, nor upper-middle/lower-upper class. As for styling oneself smarter, well, we're all guilty of that now and then.

It seems to me that they've made an effort to be more balanced of late, though they do slip. I remember a story (Morning Edition) on the missionary activities of the African Anglican bishops in the USA which had Bishop Bennison talking. What they didn't say was that Bennison is most definitely a party to the dispute and should thus not have been introduced as if he were a neutral commentator. But I think that was a slip rather than actual bias per se.

Probably bias. Chances are both NPR and its listener base, the folks who fancy themselves a liberal elite, agree with Mr Bennison on the controverted issues, such as gay marriage, lady priests and radical revisionist theology/biblical studies.

(Editorial: That isn't religion but self-centered 'spirituality' - the kind of thing this elite likes. The conservative, smart and very funny P.J. O'Rourke once wrote that when hardship hits, people drop that fast and turn to RELIGION. How many people have had deathbed conversions to/reconciliations with some New Age guru?)

And they hardly show the kind of axe-grinding cant of, say, Rush,  whose purpose seems largely to be to give engineers and computer geeks a harmless outlet for their (mistaken) notions that they can run the world better than anyone else.

I haven't heard anything from Rush Limbaugh in about 6 years but from what I can tell he is basically a pro-war shill for the Republican Party.

[Brendan03]

I didn't hear Diane's show yesterday.

I listen to NPR often in the car because it is a good source for news when I am driving to and from work.  I would say that it tends to be somewhat more left than most TV media, but not all of the programming is consistently that way.  I find that "Morning Edition" is slightly more balanced, perhaps, than "All Things Considered", which may be why I listen more in the morning than in the evening.  To its credit, however, NPR has had a few commentaries aired by Frederica Mathewes-Green relating to Eastern Christianity and Orthodoxy, so there is at least an attempt at balance being made.

[Keble]

It seems to me that they've made an effort to be more balanced of late, though they do slip. I remember a story (Morning Edition) on the missionary activities of the African Anglican bishops in the USA which had Bishop Bennison talking. What they didn't say was that Bennison is most definitely a party to the dispute and should thus not have been introduced as if he were a neutral commentator. But I think that was a slip rather than actual bias per se.

Probably bias. Chances are both NPR and its listener base, the folks who fancy themselves a liberal elite, agree with Mr Bennison on the controverted issues, such as gay marriage, lady priests and radical revisionist theology/biblical studies.

"Never attribute to malice what can be adequately explained by stupidity." Someone who came up to the issue might be fooled into thinking that, because Bennison doesn't have one of the offending parishes in his diocesan boundaries, he isn't a party. Also, they might not understand that Bennison isn't speaking for the House of Bishops. I'm guessing that he was picked simply to present a contrary view without a full appreciation of how he fits into the situation, and also because he's a major city bishop in the mid-Atlantic. (NPR stories about community issues tend to use examples from suburban DC excessively-- proximity to Arlington is clearly driving that.)

(Editorial: That isn't religion but self-centered 'spirituality' - the kind of thing this elite likes.

Not just the elite-- it's a persistent feature of American religion in general.

The conservative, smart and very funny P.J. O'Rourke once wrote that when hardship hits, people drop that fast and turn to RELIGION. How many people have had deathbed conversions to/reconciliations with some New Age guru?)

O'Rourke is really one of the few conservative commentators who can stand up against the Liberal Ridicule Machine. It's a pity that conservatives tend to be humorless.

[bripat22]

Oh, I see. I purposely stay away from National Liberal Public Radio.  

   Well your loss , Nick-  NPR is  a haven of reasoned news coverage in the sea of CNBC, Fox, and the Shock Jocks on Talk Radio.  You can't argue with NPR's professionalism no matter what political viewpoint you take.

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