As this story says (video at the link) this is the single most cringe-worthy interview ever.
The author here, Reza Aslan, has been interviewed extensively on C-Span’s Booknotes, PBS’ News Hour, the BBC and dozens of other outlets. So why not FOX? This is why – and lesson learned. Don’t bother next time Reza, unless you’re game for providing the rest of us with something to fill in the time while Jon Stewart is away.
Fox News anchor Lauren Green* had religious scholar Reza Aslan on her FoxNews.com show Friday to talk about Zealot: The Life and Times of Jesus of Nazareth, his book that has been stirring up some online controversy recently. And right off the bat, Green gets to what is important: “You’re a Muslim, so why did you write a book about the founder of Christianity?” Aslan seemed a little flabbergasted: “Well, to be clear, I am a scholar of religions with four degrees, including one in the New Testament, and fluency in biblical Greek, who has been studying the origins of Christianity for two decades, who also just happens to be a Muslim.”*
But Green just wouldn’t let it go: “It still begs the question though, why would you be interested in the founder of Christianity?” Aslan then starts talking to Green slowly, as if she were a child: “Because it’s my job as an academic. I am a professor of religion, including the New Testament. That’s what I do for a living, actually.” But Green insisted, accusing him of failing to “disclose” that he’s a Muslim and at one point asking him about a stupefying claim on whether a Muslim writing a book on Jesus isn’t sort of like a Democrat writing a book on former president Ronald Reagan.
Dear god (by which I mean the one of the Hebrews, Christians and Muslims. That one.)
*And she’s not even blonde!
You can have wealth concentrated in the hands of a few, or democracy. But you cannot have both.
Whatever Works 
Jon Stewart should hire you…
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I wonder if she might have gotten it if he had asked if she’d have been similarly puzzled by a book about, say, Buddha by a Christian author, or about Judaism by a Hindu?
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You think she reads books?????
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Just another of the many shit heads, that pollute Fox Noise…
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The worst is when they cut for commercials during my NFL games and one these geniuses comes on the screen. Talk about a come down from the sporting spectacle. Well, at least there are the cheerleaders. 😉 🙂
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Did Green use the ‘it was the producer in my earpiece defense?’
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That’s Chris Matthews’ line james. But at least he complains about it when he says it.
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Ahhh,, I just realized I read your comment wrong . . . you mean she’s now blaming it on her producer. Classy. (Matthews complains on air when he gets the earpiece nudge)
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Mr. Aslan is a scholar in religions. A professional news reader (with a graduate degree in journalism, no less) doesn’t seem to understand the meaning of the phrase “to beg the question.” Yet this hackneyed stereotype (former beauty queen turned TV news reader) incorrectly uses the phrase in questioning the religion expertise of a professor of religion at a major university.
Interesting…
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Drives me crazy when I see or hear that phrase used the way Green (mis)uses it here–and it’s happening more and more all the time…
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desertscope – at Fox, ignorance sells. And ‘begs the question’ is not in the vocabulary of their viewers.
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I find it to be a valid question in the same way I would find it so if the tables were turned or if I, also a religious scholar (if one counts degrees as opposed to occupation), were to write such a book even though I’m a member of one of the faiths commonly lumped into the Pagan label.
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jonolan – if the tables were turned? Of course they have been turned. Religious scholars of all religions have been writing about religions – their own and others forever.
She wasn’t asking a smarter question like “would you tell me Reza, what drew you to write this particular book”. She was expressing incredulity that a Muslim would or could write such a book. Stupid. Very stupid.
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I’m sure the exchange cost him many books sales to the Fox viewership. (Do they even read?)
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Yeah, must have hurt big time sted.
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the questioning was off base and shows a lack of brains…..
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Hey james, maybe not so much ‘off base’ as ‘playing to the base’. That’s what their audience wants to hear.
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than the talking heads STILL have a lack of brains….
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But isn’t Jesus and the testaments included in Islam also? He’s a part of the muslim faith as a prophet I think… but on sketchy grounds here….
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You’re right mac. Islam uses the Hebrew Old Testament and the Muslim Koran, which is kind of like their New Testament (I don’t think they include the Christian ‘new’ in their holy books but I could be wrong). They do however honor Jesus as a major prophet and see his words as corresponding well with Mohammed’s.
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Made me cringe to read about this. I’m sure it was fine with FOX viewers. The ones I know sure as heck aren’t going to watch or read any other point of view.
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Which is exactly why Fox feels free to toss this nonsense around marylee. Their audience isn’t going to challenge them; their audience is going to jump aboard the usual outrage train.
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People who watch Fox must be really stupid. I bet they think this book shows Jesus and Christianity in a negative light.
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Maybe you’ll read it for us Alan and let us know.
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