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I found this interview on Fox News quite interesting as regards what happens when people inconveniently don't fit the labels we try to place on them :)

In it, the news anchor tries to attack a Muslim scholar who wrote about Jesus, the implication being that a person of one religion should not dare to have an interest in another ...but the pigeon-holing attempt doesn't go quite as planned :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AQhMllQ-ODw&feature=player_embedded


Further information:

'Most embarrassing Fox News interview ever' sends Reza Aslan's biography of Jesus to number 1 in the Amazon book charts

A car crash television interview during which a Fox News host asked the author of a new biography about Jesus, why he, as a Muslim, feels able to write about the Christian Messiah, has had an unexpectedly positive outcome - with sales of the author's book increasing by 35 per cent in just two days.

The excruciating 10-minute interview, during which broadcaster Lauren Green was left with egg on her face after she tried to pin down respected scholar Reza Aslan, who just happens to be Muslim, on why he felt capable of writing a book about the life of Jesus, went viral at the weekend after it was posted on Buzzfeed.

Ms Green asks: “You’re a Muslim, so why did you write a book about the founder of Christianity?”

To which a visibly surprised Mr Aslan responds: “I am a scholar of religions with four degrees, including one in the New Testament, and fluency in biblical Greek, who has been studying the origins of Christianity for two decades, who also just happens to be a Muslim.”


EDIT - Full version of interview

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4lkWngd2hZ4

Reza Aslan Tells Piers Morgan He Was 'Embarrassed' During Painfully Awkward Fox Interview

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vYluVdT50Ro

asked 01 Aug '13, 12:48

Stingray's gravatar image

Stingray
93.6k22130369

edited 05 Aug '13, 03:21

When she makes this "uh huh" sound in between his comments, I can almost feel here saying "fit into my belief system now or fuck off terrorist!" :). I find it always hilarious to see people like her suffering from stubbornness in the name of being confident and "righteous" :).

(01 Aug '13, 13:33) releaser99

Would you be a good reporter if you knew lots of people were upset and considered a book contravercial but avoided any questions that were on those peoples minds? She did her job and let him speak and clarify himself and his book. I believe her questions to him put a lot of worries of those people to rest. Both did a good job.

(01 Aug '13, 22:44) Wade Casaldi

The thing is in time this is not worth getting upset over. This is not worth Reza getting upset, not worth these Christians getting upset. I'm a Christian and don't feel upset, anyone that wants the truth turns to the Bible itself. Do I feel this will replace the Bible? No that won't happen any more than the book "The Christian Conspiracy (The greatest story ever sold)" has harmed Christianity. It hasn't and it is much older. Things come along shake things up then fade away

(02 Aug '13, 21:28) Wade Casaldi

On the bright side. It looked like a nice day in LA

(14 Aug '13, 03:55) ursixx

@Stingray Wow! Thanks for the full interview. After seeing the full interview, this is unintentionally hilarious. Now your point is clear. Agreed, she wasn't hearing him at all.

(19 Aug '13, 17:19) Wade Casaldi

.....pwned

(25 Aug '13, 22:09) ikaruss21
showing 1 of 6 show 5 more comments

Fox News people are so cute when they say stuff and things. Christ wasn't the founder of the Christian religion. You can't even say with any kind of certainty Christ would condone any part of the 'Christian' religion. Christianity also doesn't have exclusivity on Christ's teachings, at all, and even if they did I guarantee you he wouldn't want it that way. He pops up in other religions for a reason. The real Messiah has been teaching his (the same) message since the dawn of time and can do so in the language of any religion or culture, because it transcends those things.

link

answered 04 Aug '13, 22:55

Snow's gravatar image

Snow
6.3k117108

This is why when I see books or videos that say Christianity is a rip off of the Horus myth, I am not offended. It even strengthens my faith that Jesus's story has existed since who knows ancient time. It just gives more proof in my book.

(04 Aug '13, 23:23) Wade Casaldi

Stingray....thankyou for highlighting this. The so called christian world often needs to hide its head in shame!! Im ashamed of my old religion, it was a pile of prejudices. And I hope I can finally shake off the remnants of it.

I hope we all do.

link

answered 01 Aug '13, 14:50

Monty%20Riviera's gravatar image

Monty Riviera
14.3k11148

If you want to compare Christian tolerance to Muslim tolerance, look up Salman Rushdie. I don't hear any Christians demanding this guy's head be cut off. Or you could look up the guy that made a comic about Mohammed, again with the demand for his head!

(01 Aug '13, 21:08) Wade Casaldi
1

You were obviously surrounded by the wrong Christians...

(01 Aug '13, 23:45) Jaianniah
1

Regarding the Rushdie thing, you are correct in that that specific example doesn't apply, but you could find many others. For instance, I don't see Muslims pulling innocent Catholics off the street and torturing them to death, yet that was the norm for Protestant death squads in Northern Ireland until a few years ago. Every creed has its peculiar hang ups and extremists. I think the deficiency of that interviewer is that she saw him as a "Muslim" instead of as an individual human being.

(02 Aug '13, 01:58) lozenge123

I do see your point, but on balance over the last thousand years in this reality ive come to my own conclusion that the Christian religion has caused more harm than the Muslim one. Read about the crusades. But actually I feel BOTH religions are irrelevant and harmful. But I also realise one mans meat is another mans poison. To each his own. I still like my old christian friends and my new Muslim one! I just cant stand their religions.

(02 Aug '13, 02:01) Monty Riviera
1

Wouldn't it be kind of unfair to grill a Protestant author over whether he had the "right" or credentials to write a book about religion and Christianity, by referencing what Protestant death squads did in NI? I have a couple of Muslim friends, quite liberal actually, who detest the Wahabbis and extremists and would laugh derisively at the notion of assassinating Rushdie. Isn't it interesting how vehemently people hold fast to their labels? Many would rather die than let go of them, and many do.

(02 Aug '13, 02:10) lozenge123
1

@Monty Rivera - "The so called christian world often needs to hide its head in shame!!" Only if that individual has something to be ashamed about.

(02 Aug '13, 02:28) lozenge123
2

@Monty Riviera - "But actually I feel BOTH religions are irrelevant and harmful...I just cant stand their religions." Which religion do you mean? A Traditionalist Sedevacantist Catholic is quite a far cry from an Episcopal (who allow female and gay/lesbian priests), as well as an Amish. Yet all are Christians. What about a Wahhabi (Osama bin Laden's religion) verus an Ahmadiyya Muslim, or a Sufi mystic? Can you really lump these diverse groups and individuals under the same label?

(02 Aug '13, 13:47) lozenge123
1

Yes I can lozenge123, I do lump them all into one group...and yes I hate organised religion. But not the souls who are in it. Thanks for giving me the opportunity to clarify that.

(02 Aug '13, 14:39) Monty Riviera
showing 2 of 8 show 6 more comments

Update after watching the full interview, no she didn't do a good job. I can clearly see why Reza was embarrassed. At least he didn't lose control bursting into laughter at how poor this interview was going.

The below is retracted except for Reza's good job comment. Actually considering how this interview went he did an amazing job in spite of the interview. LOL

The way I see it is, she is a reporter doing her job. She is asking the tough questions on many people's minds. I don't see her interview as an attack although the tone of the man seemed defensive. I do feel he did a good job in answering the questions. Both did a good job I thought.

He made it clear that his book counters Muslim belief about Jesus as much as Christian belief. So it is not a Christian or Muslim view that the book is written from, but his view.

link

answered 01 Aug '13, 14:10

Wade%20Casaldi's gravatar image

Wade Casaldi
36.9k428102

edited 19 Aug '13, 17:30

2

"So it is not a Christian or Muslim view that the book is written from, but his view." Well said, and the same could be said for all books, interviews, etc. All of us are individuals and can not pretend to speak for all-encompassing labels such as Christian, Muslim, Conservative, Liberal, etc.. When we start believing that is the moment we start electing or worshipping corrupt psychopaths, and slandering or persecuting people of worth.

(02 Aug '13, 02:24) lozenge123
1

Exactly how I saw this interview (full version). This is not an attack. You get asked 'harder' questions from a journalist, and unless you are new to this, it isn't an attack. It's called journalism. With that said, he does come across a bit defensive, but the journalist comes across a bit ignorant and repeats that ad nauseum.

If you'd like to see an attack, wait til I publish my book, "how to draw an accurate picture of Muhammad (PBUH)" and go on Islamic friendly media to discuss that book.

(12 Aug '13, 12:43) Jman
1

@Jman agreed, she asked the hard question, he answered. Next question! She was a bit like a broken record. Pierce Morgan did a much better job but he didn't have to ask the hard question. But I believe had he had to, he would have heard Reza the first time and moved on to other interesting questions.

(12 Aug '13, 21:48) Wade Casaldi
showing 2 of 3 show 1 more comments
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