While it is inarguable that religion has always played an important role in shaping history and society, it has gained new attention in recent years in the press, particularly in a post-9/11 world.
Although the First Amendment allows for religious discourse and coverage in the United States, the precedence of separation of church and state and the often very personal nature of religion itself have stigmatized the focus on religion in journalism.
In such a religiously diverse nation as the United States, many feel that freedom of expression does not entirely apply to the sensitive topic of religion. As a result, how the media handles the varied institutions of religion has often created much controversy, particularly since it can be difficult to find an acceptable line between upholding freedom of speech and respecting and defending what many people deem to be sacred.
On Saturday, the Boise Center of Boston College and Eastern Nazarene College sponsored a conference titled "Blasphemy, Free Speech and Journalistic Ethics," which addressed such issues. The conference included a keynote address by Charles Haynes, senior scholar at the First Amendment Center, and two panel discussions.
The first, titled "Religious Perspectives on Blasphemy and Free Expression," consisted of scholars representing different religions, and the second "Journalistic Ethics in Religion Coverage," was comprised of a panel of journalists.
Haynes began the conference by discussing the history and importance of freedom of expression in the United States and its relation to the freedom of religion in his address "The Lively Experiment: Why Religious Freedom Requires the Right to Offend." Referring to Roger William's foundation of Rhode Island as a haven for religious tolerance, Haynes explained that this necessitated a need for freedom of expression.
"Freedom of expression and religion were joined at the hip at birth and remain inseparable today," said Haynes.
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