All my life, as an agnostic swimming in a sea of Christians, I've become accustomed to people proseltyzing to me under all kinds of circumstances, whether inappropriate or not.
There is a certain charm about the earnestness of some folks as they proselytize away. A year ago, for example, when Andrew and I were on the trail, descending Rob Roy Mountain, near Wanaka, New Zealand, we encountered a dentist who was eager to preach the Gospel. But his message was very much a personal one: his faith had helped him survive the removal of a brain tumor. One couldn't help but respect his testimony of faith.
As a representative of FOX News, however, Brit Hume cannot help but speak on behalf of the FOX News organization, which may include people of a number of faiths. Perhaps he cleared his message with FOX, but likely not. Whether approved or not, the message is not personal at all.
The Kiwi dentist never told us what to do with our faiths. He left that to our own judgments. Suffice for him to testify. On the other hand, Brit Hume presumed to tell Tiger Woods what he should do with his Buddhism. Rather rude, I thought.
One strange proselytization episode I experienced was among an apartment full of Salt Lake City Mormons, in 1989. I excused myself, and as I was leaving, someone asked whether I was Mexican. I said I was derived from Mexicans, and in parting the person said they had a place in their religion for my people. Kind of creeped me out a bit....:
Brit Hume is continuing his media tour in defense of his remark that Tiger Woods should convert to Christianity if he wants to be redeemed. This time, he claims that the media uproar that followed his comments is just "anti-Christian bigotry."
Hume said on Fox News that Woods, who is "said to be a Buddhist," should turn to Christianity because "I don't think that faith offers the kind of forgiveness and redemption that is offered by the Christian faith."
According to CNSNews.com, when asked if he was surprised by the "media uproar" that resulted from his comments, Hume said ""No, I'm not surprised," and that "sure," he'd do it again.
Hume also said that "the most controversial two words you can ever utter in a public space are 'Jesus Christ.'"
He continued: "I'm somewhat at a loss to explain it because so many of the people who purport to be aghast at such mentions are themselves at least nominally Christian. But there it is."
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