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I'm sitting here making phone calls, messing around on my computer and watching TV. Right now it's National Geographic and the program is about gold mining.
Just a minute ago, a text block comes up on the TV screen and says something like, "Martin Luther thought mining for metals was against his religion." Then another block comes up and says "The first commandment is Have no other gods before me."
WTH? NatGeo is proselytising now???
Last edited by JoanD'Arc; 12-02-2013 at 01:57 PM..
I agree. I first noticed the trend on the History channel. And "news" programs as well. I just won't listen to CBN or CNN...
I used to really enjoy NatGeo, but like you, have been sadly disappointed.
Totally agree with both of you.
No offence guys but I've been living here 2 years and I still don't understand how to trawl through the rubbish on TV to get at the good stuff, especially where science programming is concerned.
Morgan Freemans 'Through the Wormhole' thing tends to be fairly good, but even then I switched on only a few days ago to find myself watching an entire program devoted to concepts of god in the brain .
It actually turned out to be fairly interesting but I'd rather science shows stuck to science. I don't want the Higgs Bosun to be referred to as the God Particle and so on.
No wonder Americans can't seem to break free of religion if this is what you have to deal with.
I've given up - I can't seem to navigate it. My husband has fudged my computer so that I can tune in to god-free legit science, nature and history programming from British TV. I probably shouldn't give advice on this but look into ip addresses - that's all I'm saying.... (sorry to sound like a broken record but that's the way it is) I have also taken to ordering DVD series and watching them instead.
Any advice on how to tune in to better programming here would be much appreciated. Maybe I'm looking in the wrong place?
Totally agree with both of you.
No offence guys but I've been living here 2 years and I still don't understand how to trawl through the rubbish on TV to get at the good stuff, especially where science programming is concerned.
Morgan Freemans 'Through the Wormhole' thing tends to be fairly good, but even then I switched on only a few days ago to find myself watching an entire program devoted to concepts of god in the brain .
It actually turned out to be fairly interesting but I'd rather science shows stuck to science. I don't want the Higgs Bosun to be referred to as the God Particle and so on.
No wonder Americans can't seem to break free of religion if this is what you have to deal with.
I've given up - I can't seem to navigate it. My husband has fudged my computer so that I can tune in to god-free legit science, nature and history programming from British TV. I probably shouldn't give advice on this but look into ip addresses - that's all I'm saying.... (sorry to sound like a broken record but that's the way it is) I have also taken to ordering DVD series and watching them instead.
Any advice on how to tune in to better programming here would be much appreciated. Maybe I'm looking in the wrong place?
Hi. I like the Wormhole series as well. Lots of good things to think about and I can almost understand a lot of it!!!
Actually, as far as I can see, the Higgs-Boson is not called the god particle much at all any more, but maybe it's my selective viewing of science programs that is the cause of that!
I also hate it when science programs veer off into religion, and I have a theory about it that has to do with power and control... maybe that's another thread!!
So here's another idea: I spend just as much or more time looking at videos on YouTube as I do the telly. Seems to be a habit of late, but considering the junk that's on TV it makes more sense. Sometimes when I'm working at my desk I will turn on the weather channel just to have a "live" connection to the outside world. Then the ipad comes out and I mute the TV.
So what can you tell us about your ip comment? Not sure I understand how that would help???
I have basic basic and don't get those channels. I get a bunch I never watch but the OTA reception here is questionable and I'm addicted to HandG...
But I was watching Science, on a free month, and they had a whole set of Ancient Astronat shows where they always *had* to have some space aliens do it for them. One was about a place conventional science offically has no explanation for, where these steel grade pieces where fit so precisely no equiptment existing back when they were made could make them. It was interesting. The rest followed a pattern. First we get how the people of the time lived. Then we get how the conventional explanation can be dismissed, then they bring on the aliens. Then they say how could they have made this or why would they without saying a word about why archeologicsts believe they might have.
The one about Viking/scandanavian religion and what if they really came to earth has to be the low point. Yes, maybe as a representative of ideas you can look at Thor and company and how it influenced the believers, but some flaky idea like these gods were space aliens???? On SCIENCE?????
They do have some really good shows too, and I don't get to watch it often but a free weekend once in a while is thus a treat.
I find myself watching PBS more and more of late. I'd love to find a way to watch more of the BBC stuff without waiting for them to pick it up.
But I was watching Science, on a free month, and they had a whole set of Ancient Astronat shows where they always *had* to have some space aliens do it for them. One was about a place conventional science offically has no explanation for, where these steel grade pieces where fit so precisely no equiptment existing back when they were made could make them. It was interesting. The rest followed a pattern. First we get how the people of the time lived. Then we get how the conventional explanation can be dismissed, then they bring on the aliens. Then they say how could they have made this or why would they without saying a word about why archeologicsts believe they might have...
I agree! It's crazy what will pass for a science program these days.
I'm particularly offended by the notion that people are or were so stupid that pulling off an amazing structure or whatever MUST have been way out of their abilities!! Of course, the "aliens" had to be "gods" in their eyes.
What's up with the alien stories, anyway? Oh, oh. New thread coming up!!!
Hi. I like the Wormhole series as well. Lots of good things to think about and I can almost understand a lot of it!!!
Actually, as far as I can see, the Higgs-Boson is not called the god particle much at all any more, but maybe it's my selective viewing of science programs that is the cause of that!
I also hate it when science programs veer off into religion, and I have a theory about it that has to do with power and control... maybe that's another thread!!
So here's another idea: I spend just as much or more time looking at videos on YouTube as I do the telly. Seems to be a habit of late, but considering the junk that's on TV it makes more sense. Sometimes when I'm working at my desk I will turn on the weather channel just to have a "live" connection to the outside world. Then the ipad comes out and I mute the TV.
So what can you tell us about your ip comment? Not sure I understand how that would help???
So the reason the BBC is still able to produce such excellent quality programming is because of the unique way it has always been funded.
Every household in the UK has to pay a licence fee if they own a TV. (Technically the licence fee only counts if you only watch and listen to BBC broadcasting but in reality everyone has to pay it.) It's around 145 pounds per household which generates about 5 billion a year. What this means is the BBC gets to make up-to-date high quality broadcasting on TV and radio and you also get to watch it advert-free. You can also download bbciplayer shows currently broadcast. Obviously if you live outside the UK they don't want you watching what you aren't paying for so if you go to the bbciplayer website you just get this message:
"Currently BBC iPlayer TV programmes are available to play in the UK only"
However, there is a way around it but if I told you I'd have to kill you (or I might DM you instead ).
In fact most of the programmes eventually do end up on YouTube but usually after a significant enough amount of time has elapsed for you to have forgotten or not known about it in the first place. Some of them are released on DVD and some of them are shown here.
Cruithne, thank you for the valuable information! I'm sure you improved the lives of many people today!!
One might think that if there are British citizens living in the US for a while, that they would be able to access the BBCiviewer, but I guess that's not how it works.
I do love my country, but there are ways in which some EU countries surpass us. I think as a country, the US is in its teenage years and we have a bit to learn yet.
On the dvds: I feel your pain. But there are some channels that upload current info, such as Richard Dawkins' Freedom From Religion Foundation. It's worth a cruise around YouTube to find these things.
Just a minute ago, a text block comes up on the TV screen and says something like, "Martin Luther thought mining for metals was against his religion." Then another block comes up and says "The first commandment is Have no other gods before me."
WTH? NatGeo is proselytising now???
I don't see this as proselytizing. It's just that annoying habit that shows have these days of plunking "interesting" little factoids on the screen that distract from the presentation of the story. Do you seriously think they were suggesting that gold mining = idolatry? Mentioning it in that context suggests they think it's quaint and silly, actually.
What the first commandment says is simply conveying a fact. Not an endorsement. It was explaining why Luther thought mining for metals was against his religion. What he actually decried was dowsing for metals, BTW; he felt it constituted "occultism".
I don't think we help our credibility by getting our knickers in a twist about this. Commenting about something involving religion scarcely constitutes proof that the commenter is a believer, much less that they have an agenda to convince you of their belief. Particularly in this context.
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