“Shouldn’t that article have been on the weekly “Religion Page”?  That is the question that could have been asked regarding the news article on “The Gospel of Judas” translation being released by National Geographic. This article was located on the front page of our local paper, Daily Press, on April 7th.  In A.D. 180 the gospel was rejected as heresy by Irenaeus, one of the leaders in the early church.

Some days earlier, the same paper had printed an article on a recent study that seems to show the ineffectiveness of prayer among a group of patients recovering from heart-bypass surgeries.  That article also appeared on the front page.

To question why these articles were not on the “Religion Page” is valid.  Our society is conditioned to separate religion from daily life.  It is okay to gather to worship one day a week (perhaps, I should say one hour on that day) but we are to keep our religious beliefs to ourselves.  Newspapers reinforce this view with a “Religion Page” that generally appears each Saturday.  This page contains local church news and, usually, articles related to the Christian faith.  Should the above-mentioned articles have more appropriately appeared on that page?  Whatever the answer to this question, it comes as no surprise that they did not.

I do not presume to know the motives behind the location of any article in a newspaper.  I do know that we live in a culture that is increasingly opposed to Christianity.  These two articles, one based on a medical study and the other on an authentic, but heretical Gospel, could have been deemed important information for readers who oppose Christian truth.  Whether or not this entered into the placement decision, there is another reason not to be surprised by these front-page articles.

Every article in a newspaper is religious.  In that sense, every page in the newspaper is a “religion page”.  God, the Creator (Gen. 1:1ff.), is lord over all things (Mt. 28:18-20).  He is the origin of true law (Ex. 20:1-17).  He holds the keys to life and death (Rev. 1:18).  He raises up rulers (Prov. 8:15-16).  Civil authorities are ministers of God (Rom. 13:1).  Weather conditions come from Him (Job 37:10-12).  Every event is the outworking of His eternal plan (Eph. 1:11).  Even “chance happenings” are from the Lord (Prov. 16:33).  God is sovereign over all events.

Other articles on the April 6th front page detailed President Bush’s allegedly authorizing the leak of classified information and the upcoming Hampton City Council elections.  From verses referenced earlier, one can see those articles are religious.  All articles should be read through the lens of scripture.

Several years ago, the cartoonist Johnny Hart received negative publicity for his Easter “B.C.” cartoon panels.  In them he made clear reference to Christ’s cross and His resurrection.  Some editors chose to not print these Easter cartoons because of the centrality of Christian truth therein.  During the ongoing controversy, I looked at the Sunday comics in our local paper.  Not one mentioned anything regarding Christ.  Several developed a theme around Easter eggs and the Easter bunny.  This focus, without any reference to the resurrected Christ, was clearly making a religious statement.  There was no public outcry regarding these views of Easter.  The comic page is also a religion page.

As we turn to any page in a newspaper or magazine we must do so realizing each article, in some way, reflects religion and relates to our sovereign God.  As we turn our attention to a news website on a computer screen, we must remember that every article, in some way, espouses a religious viewpoint.

 ©2006 Byron Snapp, Hampton, Virginia