Electronic religion and the separation of Church and State

This paper examines the rise of “Electronic Religion” in the United States and the movement's fusing of religious and political issues during the 1980 election year. It is argued that a clash between “Church” and “State” is inherent in the political aspects of these broadcasters' activities, and that this conflict may ultimately be resolved only by the United States Supreme Court. The 1980 election year revealed that exercising First Amendment rights regarding the free expression of religious beliefs was potentially in conflict with the FCC's Fairness Doctrine. It seems as if the potential political influence of these programmes lies in the power of mobilization of conservative voters. Opposition can be expected from various groups, which could well rely on the FCC's Fairness Doctrine as an integral part of an attack on political activity by these broadcasters. Religious programmes are traditionally seen as “non-controversial”, yet if the Commission is forced to draw a line between religious and political programming, no clear precedents to follow, exist. It is argued that any rulings the Commission may make on the issue, are ultimately likely to be resolved in the Supreme Court. At the time of writing this article, Mr. Jackson was a doctoral student at the School of Journalism, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana, USA. The article is baaed on a paper presented to the Association for Education in Journalism East Lansing, Mich., 1981. Before leaving for graduate studies in the US, Mr. Jackson worked as a journalist in South Africa

Commission · Doctrine · Journalism · Opposition (politics · Political science · Politics · Power (physics · Religious organization · Sociology · State (computer science · Supreme court · American Constitutional Law and Politics · Law · Media, Religion, Digital Communication · Religion and Society Interactions