Monday, 31 March 2008 01:42 pm
(no subject)
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deckardcanineToday's news tidbit:
19.2: The percentage of Muslims in the world, according to a report in the Vatican newspaper on Sunday. The Vatican's Monsignor Vittorio Formenti said Islam has become the world's most popular religion, surpassing Roman Catholicism, to which 17.4 percent of the world subscribes.
There are similar statements in many other news sources.
Why does it bother me? Because I don't think the comparison is expressed fairly: They're playing fast and loose with the word "religion." I see Roman Catholicism as a denomination of Christianity, which still has more reported adherents than Islam. And it's not like Islam doesn't have denominations within it. Sunni and Shi'a leap to mind.
Here's what it could mean:
1. Monsignor Formenti is naive or forgetful of Islam.
2. There was an error in a translation that lots of news outlets rely on.
3. News outlets independently made the mistake in paraphrase because they don't know Islam.
4. They don't count Roman Catholicism as Christianity (a view taken more often by Protestants than by anyone else).
5. They're subtly attempting to stir up controversy.
6. They don't think the distinction between a denomination and a religion matters.
7. I'm the one who's got it wrong, or at least I'm making much too big a deal of it.
19.2: The percentage of Muslims in the world, according to a report in the Vatican newspaper on Sunday. The Vatican's Monsignor Vittorio Formenti said Islam has become the world's most popular religion, surpassing Roman Catholicism, to which 17.4 percent of the world subscribes.
There are similar statements in many other news sources.
Why does it bother me? Because I don't think the comparison is expressed fairly: They're playing fast and loose with the word "religion." I see Roman Catholicism as a denomination of Christianity, which still has more reported adherents than Islam. And it's not like Islam doesn't have denominations within it. Sunni and Shi'a leap to mind.
Here's what it could mean:
1. Monsignor Formenti is naive or forgetful of Islam.
2. There was an error in a translation that lots of news outlets rely on.
3. News outlets independently made the mistake in paraphrase because they don't know Islam.
4. They don't count Roman Catholicism as Christianity (a view taken more often by Protestants than by anyone else).
5. They're subtly attempting to stir up controversy.
6. They don't think the distinction between a denomination and a religion matters.
7. I'm the one who's got it wrong, or at least I'm making much too big a deal of it.
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no subject
your list is fairly through but...