Is The Bee on an evangelical crusade?
Is there a particular reason for the new Christian focus found in the Bee? Despite Saturday's life section being mostly taken up by the "Faith and Values" that appears insufficient given recent biases seen in the paper. The main picture on the Local section (8/25) was on Promise Keepers, with there being an article earlier in the week on the coming convention. Why was this not in Faith and Values? Then, the main story emblazoned on the front page today, Sunday no less, (8/26) is "Paintball for Jesus"! Notably, just a side blurb below the fold about Greece burning. I find this over focus on religious stories, particularly evangelical Christian activities, disturbing and causes me to question the Bee's biases. My renewal form came yesterday. Perhaps I need to rethink about which paper I sit down with.
L. G. Kelsey
Fresno
I don't think you were the only reader startled to see "JESUS" in 108-point type on Sunday's front page. But it's not part of any religious agenda here at The Bee. The story was a light-hearted look at an offbeat controversy in Mariposa over a proposal to allow ministry-sponsored paintball games on county land, and nothing more.
The timing of the story, overlapping with the weekend's Promise Keepers coverage, was purely a coincidence. Promise Keepers is a regular event that would merit coverage no matter what the subject because it draws huge crowds.
As for our regular Saturday Faith & Values page: as a regular reader, I'm sure you know that we cover all faiths, including some that have only a small presence in the Valley. in recent weeks, for example, the focus of our Saturday page has included a Buddhist festival, an Islamic family camp in the Sierra and a new Unitarian church in Fresno. One of the great things about life in the Valley is the range of faiths that thrive here. We will continue to reflect that diversity in our pages.
