Highlights from the Deseret News, Sept. 3, 2011

Deseret News

Published: Saturday, Sept. 3 2011 10:00 a.m. MDT

Values in the Media

At some point, nearly every faith - as well as the idea of religion in general - has been painted in an unflattering or erroneous light by producers and directors in the movie business who are admittedly less religious than the general population. Hollywood has also been known to step the other way by choosing to ignore religion entirely.

These skewed depictions of religion are not only offensive to members of the particular folds, but they can also be dangerous.

Faith in the Community

Black churches struggle to survive

Forty-eight years ago, the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. stood before 200,000 civil rights supporters and declared, "I have a dream." Now, with 16 percent of African Americans unemployed and 26 percent living in poverty, the question is whether the black church, for decades the "soul" of the African-American community, will lose grip on its congregations.

The recession has hit the black community disproportionately hard, shuttering hundreds of churches across the country due to foreclosure. But the greatest challenge may come from a shift in emphasis in preaching.

Faith in the Community

Editorial: Moral teaching and democracy

In the wake of Britain's recent and unprecedented rioting, Prime Minister DavidCameron spoke forcefully about the need to stem society's moral decline. Many welcomed Cameron's bracing moral critique. But some have berated Cameron for "simplistic and divisive moralizing."

Clearly, simplistic moralizing never did much good. But simple and direct moral teaching is critical in a democracy where liberties depend upon citizens honoring the law and the dignity of other citizens.