Biased reporting?

[Owlswing]

http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2015/08/28/bus-driver-will-quit-rather-than-drive-citys-new-rainbow-bus/

The subject of this article is obvious from the link, and appears to be just another anti-gay thing but, why are the following comments amde in the specific way they are:

1 - in the article it states that the driver is making his stand "because he is a 'Christian'."

Why the commas around the word Christian? Why is the article calling into question, apparently, the driver's religion or the genuineness of his claim to be a Christian?

2 - it states that the driver, "claims to be a Christian", but does not say why this claim is being called into question.

It states in the headline that "Bus driver will quit rather than drive the city[']s (Calgary, Alberta, Canada) new rainbow bus"; however this is not exactly true if what follows is. The driver states that he is worried that if he refuses to drive the bus he will be fired and the bus company, Calgary Transit, have (at the very end of the article), confirmed that "can’t just refuse to do their job because a bus has rainbows on it." Thus it would appear that the headline is in error.

Now, this article is published by Pink News so I feel that the wording of the article has been slewed to make the driver just plain anti-gay rather than a Christian standing by his beliefs.

Also, before my motives are called into question I should state that, in my view, if the driver is standing by his Christian views he should quit on the matter of the principle rather than making a thing of it in order to make the company fire him thus shifting the responsibility leaving his job from himself, but I also think the article, in the way it is presented, is not right.     

[Leonard James]

Gay information sources are notorious for emphasising their own slant on news items. But i suppose that is true of most sources ... they usually present the news from their own point of view.

[Rhiannon]

My view when I was a Christian would have been that the bus driver was behaving in an unchristian manner. Whether that justifies using 'Christian' in this context I don't know but there's an argument to be had.

[Harrowby Hall]

It looks to me as though the bus driver is putting himself up as a candidate for some kind of martyrdom. He is challenging the city with a nonsense argument. He wants to be put into a lose/lose situation so that he can claim some kind of moral victory.

It implies in the piece that there will be only one bus. How many bus drivers does the city employ? What is the likelihood that he will have to drive the bus, anyway?

Like so many "christians" he hasn't a clue about the expectations of the religion on him. Like so many (including some on this forum) he has scraped a pass in the theoretical but totally fails the practical. (Amended)

The matter is really quite trivial. I don't really see much scope for biased reporting. I suspect that he has gone out of his way to publicise his objection and that Pink News has done little more than report it.

[Owlswing]

Like so many "christians" he hasn't a clue about the expectations of the religion on him. Like so many (including some on this forum) he has scraped a pass in the practical but totally fails the practical.

HH, did you mean to say a "pass inthe theortical . . ." or have I misunderstood what you were saying?

If I have I heartily apologise.

[jeremyp]

2 - it states that the driver, "claims to be a Christian", but does not say why this claim is being called into question.

It's because they haven't investigated his claim.  If they want to say "He is a Christian" they would need to check that he is rather than just accept his words at face value. 

Now, this article is published by Pink News so I feel that the wording of the article has been slewed to make the driver just plain anti-gay rather than a Christian standing by his beliefs.

Being a Christian standing by your beliefs is not a get out of jail free card for being anti-gay.  If he is anti-gay because of his Christian beliefs, he is still anti-gay.

Also, before my motives are called into question I should state that, in my view, if the driver is standing by his Christian views he should quit on the matter of the principle rather than making a thing of it in order to make the company fire him thus shifting the responsibility leaving his job from himself, but I also think the article, in the way it is presented, is not right.   

It's just a bus with a rainbow on it.  He should try not being a twat.

[Harrowby Hall]

Like so many "christians" he hasn't a clue about the expectations of the religion on him. Like so many (including some on this forum) he has scraped a pass in the practical but totally fails the practical.

HH, did you mean to say a "pass inthe theortical . . ." or have I misunderstood what you were saying?

If I have I heartily apologise.

No, you have not misunderstood me. My enthusiasm for getting my message in print overcame my self-editorial responsibilities. I shall correct the original. Thank you.

[Owlswing]

HH

I am just very, very, glad that I am NOT the only one who has, on occasion, been guilty of this particular error!

[Hope]

Like so many "christians" he hasn't a clue about the expectations of the religion on him. Like so many (including some on this forum) he has scraped a pass in the theoretical but totally fails the practical.

How do you understand 'the expectations of the religion on him' or anyone for that matter, HH?

[Harrowby Hall]

Like so many "christians" he hasn't a clue about the expectations of the religion on him. Like so many (including some on this forum) he has scraped a pass in the theoretical but totally fails the practical.

How do you understand 'the expectations of the religion on him' or anyone for that matter, HH?

One day, perhaps you'll try not to put people down, Hope. Was that your style as a teacher, pomposity?

If you don't know the answer to your own question then you fall into the category I have described.

[Owlswing]

Like so many "christians" he hasn't a clue about the expectations of the religion on him. Like so many (including some on this forum) he has scraped a pass in the theoretical but totally fails the practical.

How do you understand 'the expectations of the religion on him' or anyone for that matter, HH?

One day, perhaps you'll try not to put people down, Hope. Was that your style as a teacher, pomposity?

If you don't know the answer to your own question then you fall into the category I have described.

Are you joking HH?

Hope has been everywhere, seen everything, experienced everything and knows more than anyone else on this fporum about just about everything.

Just don't, for the sake of your sanity, ask him to prove any of it.

[OH MY WORLD!]

Would Jeremy be ok with the buses in his area having crosses or say the ten commandments on them? If he is for gay advertising on busses (gay pride rainbows) then he surely would fine with Christian messaging on public transport as well.

[Harrowby Hall]

Would Jeremy be ok with the buses in his area having crosses or say the ten commandments on them? If he is for gay advertising on busses (gay pride rainbows) then he surely would fine with Christian messaging on public transport as well.

I can't answer for Jeremy, JC, but providing the bus is offering a service which I want, at a fare which is acceptable, and is on time, it can have any painting it likes on its outside.

How about this week's special attractions at the local whorehouse?

[Owlswing]

Would Jeremy be ok with the buses in his area having crosses or say the ten commandments on them? If he is for gay advertising on busses (gay pride rainbows) then he surely would fine with Christian messaging on public transport as well.

Transport for London has had buses with messages from Christian churches and groups, the Mormons, Atheists amd LGBT groups.

If you can pay the price you get the publicity, unless or until someone launches a complaint that the ads are illegal for some reason.

[Leonard James]

Hope has been everywhere, seen everything, experienced everything and knows more than anyone else on this fporum about just about everything.

Just don't, for the sake of your sanity, ask him to prove any of it.

As far as claiming knowledge of the Bible is concerned, I think he must take second place to Sass.

[Owlswing]

Hope has been everywhere, seen everything, experienced everything and knows more than anyone else on this fporum about just about everything.

Just don't, for the sake of your sanity, ask him to prove any of it.

As far as claiming knowledge of the Bible is concerned, I think he must take second place to Sass.

True!

[Hope]

As far as claiming knowledge of the Bible is concerned, I think he must take second place to Sass.

True!

I'd disagree.  I suspect Jim has a better overall Bible knowledge than I do, perhaps even some of those who profess atheism.  My area of knowledge has more to do with the linguistic aspects of the material.

[jeremyp]

Would Jeremy be ok with the buses in his area having crosses or say the ten commandments on them? If he is for gay advertising on busses (gay pride rainbows) then he surely would fine with Christian messaging on public transport as well.

Why would I have a problem with that?

[Gordon]

Would Jeremy be ok with the buses in his area having crosses or say the ten commandments on them? If he is for gay advertising on busses (gay pride rainbows) then he surely would fine with Christian messaging on public transport as well.

Who cares if they pay the going rate and the transport is reliable: adverts are easily ignored, and there are tons of things being advertised that are of no interest to me whatsoever (e.g razors or mayonnaise).

[Leonard James]

As far as claiming knowledge of the Bible is concerned, I think he must take second place to Sass.

True!

I'd disagree.  I suspect Jim has a better overall Bible knowledge than I do, perhaps even some of those who profess atheism.  My area of knowledge has more to do with the linguistic aspects of the material.

Read my post! I said people who claim better knowledge, not those who actually have better knowledge.

[ippy]

Like so many "christians" he hasn't a clue about the expectations of the religion on him. Like so many (including some on this forum) he has scraped a pass in the theoretical but totally fails the practical.

How do you understand 'the expectations of the religion on him' or anyone for that matter, HH?

One day, perhaps you'll try not to put people down, Hope. Was that your style as a teacher, pomposity?

If you don't know the answer to your own question then you fall into the category I have described.

Are you joking HH?

Hope has been everywhere, seen everything, experienced everything and knows more than anyone else on this fporum about just about everything.

Just don't, for the sake of your sanity, ask him to prove any of it.

I've had personal first hand contact with teachers throughout my professional career and have found this attitude is common place amongst teachers, well a lot of them think so, once they have their degree it's the key to all of the knowledge in the universe.

Some of them even think they know more than wot i did.

ippy

[Owlswing]

Like so many "christians" he hasn't a clue about the expectations of the religion on him. Like so many (including some on this forum) he has scraped a pass in the theoretical but totally fails the practical.

How do you understand 'the expectations of the religion on him' or anyone for that matter, HH?

One day, perhaps you'll try not to put people down, Hope. Was that your style as a teacher, pomposity?

If you don't know the answer to your own question then you fall into the category I have described.

Are you joking HH?

Hope has been everywhere, seen everything, experienced everything and knows more than anyone else on this fporum about just about everything.

Just don't, for the sake of your sanity, ask him to prove any of it.

I've had personal first hand contact with teachers throughout my professional career and have found this attitude is common place amongst teachers, well a lot of them think so, once they have their degree it's the key to all of the knowledge in the universe.

Some of them even think they know more than wot i did.

ippy

Like one of the Social workers attached ro the local Youth Court who had been out of Uni just eleven weeks! How much knowlegde of the real world can you gain in eleven weeks?

In one of her first cases she got a burglar with about 20 previous off with a warning that the next time he offended he would get a custodial sentence. She got home to find her home had been burgled - guess whose fingerprints were found at the scene?