That didn’t take long.
Just yesterday, I wrote a post — “All megachurches are not alike: NYTimes noted Howard-Browne arrest, but didn't leave it at that” — that opened with a plea for reporters to be more careful when making sweeping, simplistic statements about niche groups in the public square.
I was discussing the wave of news about the small number of megachurch pastors who are rebelling against “shelter in place” orders — by continuing to hold face-to-face gatherings instead of asking their members to stay off and watch digital, streaming versions of the services. This important and valid topic was yet another chance for reporters to be tempted to say that “evangelicals” (or even megachurch evangelicals) were doing this or that horrible thing, instead of attempting to get inside this complex phenomenon and report hard, nuanced facts. Then I added:
You also see this equation play out with “Catholic voters,” “Jews and Israel,” “New Yorkers,” “Democrats” (and “Republicans”) and lots of other niches in public life. … Making blanket statements of that kind — about evangelicals, Jews, journalists or any other group — requires either (a) massive amounts of solid reporting or some combination of (b) ego and/or (c) hatred.
Frequently, journalists need to carefully look at the evidence and add words such as “most,” “some” or even “a few.” They may need to limit their judgmental statements to certain zip codes or subgroups of a larger whole. …
Yes, take New Yorkers, for example.
There are many different kinds of New Yorkers (at least, that has been my experience). New York isn’t Dallas, for sure, but it is a very different place than the simplistic New York City that dwells in the fever dreams of way too many right-wingers.
This brings me to a hot topic on Twitter, as summarized by a new Religion News Service report with this headline: “Franklin Graham on his Central Park field hospital: ‘We don’t discriminate. Period.’ “
It’s a good thing — as you can see in that headline — that the RNS team let Graham speak his piece about the controversy that is swirling about those emergency hospital tents that his Samaritan’s Purse relief agency has brought to one of New York City’s most iconic locations. Nevertheless, read this overture carefully:
It was a culture clash waiting to happen.
Almost as soon as Samaritan’s Purse assembled a 68-bed field hospital in Central Park’s famed East Meadow, New Yorkers sounded the alarm about the evangelical humanitarian relief organization headed by Franklin Graham.
Pointing to the conservative Christian organization's statement of faith, which all its health care specialists are expected to sign, they wondered if LGBTQ patients would be treated equally.
Really now? “New Yorkers” spoke as one on this topic? There is no need to add a bit of nuance to that statement? Let me say it again: That’s the kind of thing that New York bashing right-wingers would say about people who live in that complex alpha city.
Obviously, there were blue-check-mark New Yorkers — politicos in particular — who spoke out against Graham, who is a conservative Protestant who tends to use a rhetorical baseball bat in many circumstances in which a fly swatter would do. However, Graham has also spent most of his life organizing efforts to send relief teams into some of the world’s most dangerous locations to treat anyone who needs help (including Muslims and members of other world religions).
This RNS report did a good job of letting him respond:
Graham, a vocal opponent of same-sex marriage and a fierce supporter of President Donald Trump, immediately set out to clarify the matter. Although all Samaritan’s Purse heath care workers (doctors, nurses, pharmacists, lab technicians) must sign the statement, he told Religion News Service: “We don’t discriminate against anybody we help.”
“We provide our services to everyone regardless of race, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation. We don’t discriminate. Period.”
The field hospital housed in a series of white tents is intended as a Christian mission. The idea is to treat overflow patients from Mount Sinai Hospital as it grapples with a surge of coronavirus cases. The prestigious medical center on Fifth Avenue and 98th Street does not have oversight over the field hospital.
Mayor Bill de Blasio, readers learned, said he “would send people over … to monitor the Central Park hospital.” New York Attorney General Letitia James added: “We will remain vigilant to ensure discrimination does not occur at this — or any other — facility.”
So what was missing? Frankly, I wanted to know (I realize that this would several paragraphs) something about the reactions of other New York City religious leaders — left and right.
Outsiders may not know that there are many vital and growing evangelical churches in New York City, along with prominent Catholic and liberal Protestant flocks. And what about the city’s diverse Jewish population? I think a few reaction quotes would, in this case, be complex and interesting.
Like I said, New York City is a complex place. Yes, the secular voices are strong. But there is no one “New Yorker” point of view, when it comes to religious and moral issues.
So let me end by reminding readers, and journalists who are not familiar with it, about this website: A Journey Through NYC Religions.
Editor Tony Carnes and his team already have a short piece online describing the nuts and bolts of this Samaritan’s Purse operation. Here is a key passage or two:
The heart of Central Park is Bethesda Fountain, which was built to commemorate the healing power of Jesus at the Pool of Bethesda in Israel. Frederic Law Olmsted, the park’s designer, hoped that the park would provide spiritual refreshment to urban masses from their travails. Now, a Christian ministry is realizing the symbolism in the 21st Century by erecting a critical care hospital at the park’s 97th Street Transverse and Fifth Avenue.
The field hospital is being built by a partnership between the Jewish Mt. Sinai Hospital, the NYC government and Franklin Graham’s evangelical Christian group Samaritan’s Purse. The facility will take in patients from the Mount Sinai Health System. … Perhaps, this effort will create a healing effect on the public square so that people of different faiths, private enterprise, and the government can come together, respecting each other’s differences, while working for the public good.
Mt. Sinai’s Center of Spirituality and Health is run by psychiatrist Deborah Marin. She observes that “patients do use their faith to combat illness. … Those who have faith tend to be more resilient.”
The report noted that the facility will “consist of 14 tents, 68 patient beds and 10 ventilators, as well as X-ray equipment and a pharmacy.” This team has already worked in this kind of environment, including a coronavirus unit in Italy and work during the Ebola crisis in Africa.
Now, try to spot the potential controversy in this passage:
David Beidel of New Hope Community Church of Staten Island expressed relief that he and other church groups could find a way to help in this crisis. ”It’s been frustrating seeing our city in crisis and not knowing what to do. The medical professionals are exhibiting a level of heroism that is awe inspiring. We were honored to help them and those suffering with COVID-19 in this small way.“
Samaritan’s Purse medical personnel use the twenty seconds while they wash their hands to pray for each of their patients by name.
You know there are a few people (in newsrooms and elsewhere) asking: Are those whispered or silent prayers an exercise of free speech or a violation of the separation of church and, well, life?
Stay tuned. It’s safe to say that this story isn’t over, yet.