Attacks on prayer prove that the media still don’t get religion

More and more, however, that understandable anger has lead many on the Left to lash out at the victims in this shooting and others who put stock in prayer, or who console the families of victims by offering their prayers. Given that the shooting in Texas on Sunday took place in a church, anger over calls to prayer appeared to escalate, with some in the media pointing to the location of the crime as proof that prayer is useless under such circumstances.

The argument, of course, is that Republicans look dumbly to empty religious gestures in the face of tragedy, all while resisting legislative solutions, neglecting to act and pocketing NRA cash as a reward. For a number of reasons, I think that critique is grossly misguided. I’ve outlined my thoughts on that here.

But as we approach the anniversary of President Trump’s victory, these anti-prayer sentiments reminded me of something else. As the media autopsied its coverage of the 2016 election, one of the industry’s most powerful actors made an important concession. Roughly a month after Trump stunned the press and upset Hillary Clinton, New York Times Executive Editor Dean Baquet told NPR: “I think that the New York-based and Washington-based too probably, media powerhouses don’t quite get religion.”

“We have a fabulous religion writer, but she’s all alone,” he continued. “We don’t get religion. We don’t get the role of religion in people’s lives. And I think we can do much, much better. And I think there are things that we can be more creative about to understand the country.”

Fast forward one year later and left-leaning members of the media are denigrating the value of prayer, actively attacking Christian politicians for leaning on it in a time of tragedy. In complete fairness to Baquet, I haven’t seen anyone from the Times partake in the anti-prayer pile-on. But plenty of journalists, commentators, and other Blue Checkmarks have.

I’m including a sampling of those below.

After today's shooting, we need more than thoughts and prayers.— Andrew Cuomo (@NYGovCuomo) November 5, 2017

Sneering at politicians who pray in the face of tragedy is enormously insulting to a wide swath of Americans who do the very same thing. To your average Christian who doesn’t take money from the NRA but prays immediately upon hearing the news of a mass shooting, attacking the value of prayer is an attack on an action they hold sacred, and one their religion teaches them is enormously powerful, as Jesus never tired of telling them.

Yes, in this context, some of the anti-prayer digs were taken by those who believe politicians use it as a substitute for action (which is largely a straw man). And some in the press don’t care to empathize with religious people anyway, especially as a lot of them overlap with people who believe in and exercise their gun rights. But those who indulge in insulting and condescending remarks about prayer this week should ask themselves whether they’re actually widening the gulf between the coastal media and well-intentioned people with different backgrounds who happen to live outside urban enclaves. No matter how you slice it, that disconnect is not healthy.