Beyond our ability.

Dear editor,

I was intrigued by Wendy Beard's notion ("Secular media starting to see religion not as a threat," November letters). As a daily newspaper editor and an Anglo-Lutheran Franciscan, I am thoroughly familiar with the argument that religion has long been relegated to the back pages (when it has been covered at all), except when there has been a sexual issue worth blowing ,out of proportion.

I would contend, however, that the main problem for the media continues to be that nobody can honestly speak for spiritual people, either at the global level or at the house-church level. There are individual voices and there are small groups of people who can sometimes manage to momentarily agree on some matter of doctrine, but in general, Christians, Muslims and Buddhists are all over the board in their beliefs, and anybody who claims to speak authoritatively for all is looking to have his or her peace of mind thoroughly disturbed.

This is an obstacle for all the media (including the pulpit) and for most it is a matter of considerable frustration. But since media organizations are loaded with people who are spiritual, it is absurd to interpret this frustration as hostility or indifference. It is simply that there are some vital subjects that are truly beyond any mass medium's ability to cover adequately. Religion will always be one of them.

Rolf Pedanam

Guelph, Ont.