I suppose that it’s inevitable that with all the coverage of Druids, Stonehenge, and the Summer Solstice, some journalist, somewhere, would have to make a Spinal Tap “Stonehenge” reference. However, I wasn’t expecting it from the newest member of the Get Religion team’s first post.

“The AP reporter goes on to discuss the mystery surrounding Stonehenge. Is it an ancient burial ground or the temple of some sun-worshipping society? And how in the world did its creators ever relocate from up to 150 miles away those several-ton stones that dwarf the stage props in “This is Spinal Tap!” … All I know about Druids comes from Spaceballs, but I’m pretty sure the troubles of the Druish Princess Vespa has little to do with what went on at Stonehenge Sunday.”

I normally wouldn’t even mention such tired (attempted) funny-making, but it just didn’t seem to add up to what Brad Greenberg (a Christian with a culturally Jewish background) says he believes about what being on the “Godbeat” means.

“Once considered a backwater of journalism, the Godbeat feels to me quite chosen, home to immensely important and interesting news. Religion, after all, is the rubric through which each person uniquely sees the world. Science, education, politics, entertainment — it regularly serves as an undercurrent in these fields. (That was, in fact, part of my pitch at The Sun three years ago when they were looking for a reporter for the newly created position and I was eager to get out of Rialto.) The religion angle also is occasionally relevant when trying to understand peoples’ beliefs in God, their perspectives on the life hereafter and that which gives every day meaning. Think of the God beat as the Jerusalem of journalism. Seriously.”

If religion reporting is so important, you’d think a little reading about modern Druidry before posting wouldn’t be completely amiss. When you lead off with a picture from Spinal Tap, with references to that film and to Spaceballs, it gives me the impression that modern Pagan religions aren’t even worth the minimal time and effort to quickly visit Wikipedia. It leaves me with the notion that any future reporting on modern Paganism from that journalist will be unserious and under-researched. The irony of a site that critiques religion reporting committing the journalistic equivalant to an unforced error is somewhat heady. Then again, maybe he’ll quote Life of Brian when he next reports on Christianity for the sake of consistency.

Tags: Brad Greenberg, Druidism, Druidry, Get Religion, journalism, Religion