At 7:16 this morning on Good Morning America, Dan Harris reported on the upcoming Papal Mass from Nationals Park in Washington. "This is a brand new ballpark opened just two and a half weeks ago and this morning it's been transformed into a giant outdoor church. Behind me, in the outfield, there is a 75-foot-high altar."
A 75-foot-high altar? Does that mean the Pope would have to say Mass on 75-foot-high stilts? Clearly, there was a 75-foot-high stage, but the altar was its usual human-friendly height. (Photo by MRC's Michelle Humphrey.) It's frightening that ABC is putting Dan Harris on the religion beat, and he doesn't know whan an "altar" is.
Webster's defines it: "In the Christian church, a construction of stone, wood, or other material for the celebration of the Holy Eucharist; the communion table." This is a massive blooper to anyone who attends a church with an altar.
Isn't there a minor league that ABC can demote Dan Harris to, so he can devote a few weeks to his game, learn a little research, do a little reporter rehab?
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No offensive intended, Mr. Graham.
April 17, 2008 - 18:22 ET by UphillBut isn't this nitpicking?
Re: Nitpicking?
April 17, 2008 - 20:06 ET by Tim GrahamIt is one word in a brief report. But I think it betrays an ignorance that's embarrassing. It's like describing a ten-foot yarmulke.
Actually, and especially as
April 17, 2008 - 18:31 ET by Col SmokeActually, and especially as one who serves in a "church with an altar," the Altar refers to the whole area at the eastern end of the church temple in an Eastern Orthodox Church. To the Orthodox, what you call an altar, is correctly the Holy Table. In many cases, the Altar could indeed be 75+ feet tall.
So, I don't really think this is such a major blooper, more a minor slip of the tongue.
Mecca - the pilgrimage around the ..altar?
April 17, 2008 - 19:26 ET by Gary HallWhat the MSM would never do.
Good Morning America:
Altar - Kaaba? Whatever. See, no problem.
Isn't that the Borg ship from
April 18, 2008 - 08:19 ET by YahooWatcherStar Trek?
Yeah, this didn't strike me
April 17, 2008 - 19:42 ET by sublight68Yeah, this didn't strike me as a major faux-pas. More along the lines of incorrectly saying someone stood behind a podium as opposed to a lectern.
Overreacting much?
April 17, 2008 - 19:43 ET by SupermanCome on, Tim. There is plenty of other stuff to call the media on besides this little trivial thing.
Comeon, guys, granted it's
April 17, 2008 - 19:58 ET by motherbeltComeon, guys, granted it's not the end of the world, but what's wrong
with poking a little fun at one of the media, (who generally think they are smarter than the rest of us), when he makes a silly mistake?
delete double
April 17, 2008 - 19:54 ET by motherbeltdelete double
I'm Beginning To Think We've Lost Our Minds
April 17, 2008 - 21:16 ET by BourbeauIs this it? Is this the best we can focus on, in the course of a report; a reporter misspoke regarding the size of the stage vs. the altar? It's the same on other sites. They look for every misspoken word or gesture, by the media or the politicians and turn it into a "gotcha moment". We act like we never made a mistake in our lives. Then they turn around and pump it up with overblown headlines - "Huge Blooper From ABC's . . . ", and the stampede starts. A Huge Blooper? Really? This political season has brought out the worst in the internet media, making every story, the story and, more often than not, at the expense of missing the real story.
So, this site is about media bias.
April 17, 2008 - 21:22 ET by Free StinkerSo, this site is about media bias.
This particular post is more about a reporter's incompetance.
If you have a big problem with that, I'm sure you can find another website more to your liking.
I mean seriously, what did you think Newsbusters was doing here?
Pledge to not support RINOs ever again!
Media Bias?
April 18, 2008 - 07:34 ET by BourbeauNot at all; but nor is it a "huge blooper"; he misspoke, pure and simple. To suggest that "This is a massive blooper to anyone who attends a church with an altar." is a bit overdone. I have not seen this story anywhere else but here; I haven't heard of anyone express any outrage at the reporter's mistake. My point was simply that this particular story was a bit exaggerated in terms of it's magnitude of importance to the christians, or the church. Oh, and I like Newsbusters just the way it is; thank you.
There are correct terms - use them please.
April 18, 2008 - 09:50 ET by Ole_SargeIt's called a "baldachinum"--> or loose translation, "a canopy." when used indoors and is often a perment structure. A temporary canopy is sometimes placed over an altar in or outside the church. The framework on which such a canopy is erected is called the "altar-herse", a word probably derived from hearse, a frame covered with cloth.
The "altar:" is the actual table-like structure that is on the "predella" on which the celebrant stands (the series of steps that elevate the altar.)
This is a waste of time
April 19, 2008 - 03:15 ET by goldwaterfanSo what? The structure was 75 ft high! The altar was inside it! The guy misspoke, that was it. 99.9% of people in this country would say it the same way. There was no bias there. Quit being such an elitist, Tim.....