Who is still speaking?

But, as Dana Scully once asked her priest:  what if nobody is listening?

I get that news coverage prefers conflict to victory.  Bleeds leads, success bores.  But here's the thing: I still come across arguments that Christians should "speak up" against the reactionary, conservative, resistant to change Christians who always get in front of a camera or a microphone.

Yeah, it's the fault of those Christians who aren't reactionary conservatives that their message doesn't get out.

If you've heard of the United Church of Christ, it's probably because you read this blog regularly enough.  Probably had no idea the UCC had a Coalition for LGBT concerns.  Or that the UCC passed a resolution on homosexuals and the law in 1969, and has been a steady advocate for equality for gays and lesbians since that time.  It might be news to go to a UCC congregation that is "open and affirming" and ask how they feel about the Obergefell decision.

But NPR decided to talk to a Baptist church where they are sure to dislike the decision.

I don't know who made that choice.  I like John Burnett, but maybe he thought this was a good editorial choice.  Maybe a producer lined it up and told him to go there with his recorder.  I don't know.  But finding a church that rejoiced in this decision, from a denomination that has supported his change for decades, would have been a chance to open a door on something other than the standard news narrative that all "Christians" oppose gay marriage or any other controversial social issue, and the only Christians who don't are gay pastors and "gay" churches and they are the fringiest of the fringe and, de facto if not de jure (but as much the latter as the former) not "really" Christian.  Because everybody in America knows the "real" Christians agree with Rick Scarborough (either one; the nut in Nacogdoches, or the long since silent "king maker" and former best-selling author) and the American Council of Bishops, and "liberal" Christians are neither real Americans nor Christians.

Besides, interviewing people about how happy they are is only a good story for about 24 hours.  And then we have to go back to hearing from the discontented and the malcontents and the ones who simply don't like whatever just happened.  Unless they happen to be members of a "liberal" denomination, and then we don't ever care what they have to say.

And it's their fault nobody knows what they think or have to say.  Right?