A Belgian radio station has apologised after a video segment showing presenters smashing statues of Jesus and the Virgin Mary drew criticism and sparked questions on respect for Christian beliefs.
The controversy centred on a January feature broadcast by Studio Brussel, a publicly funded youth radio station, during which the hosts destroyed various items on air, including Christian statues, as a part of a segment linked to “Blue Monday” – a day often related to low mood after the festive season.
The issue was raised publicly throughout the Radiodays Europe conference in Riga, Latvia, when EWTN News correspondent Colm Flynn interviewed presenters Sam De Bruyn, Eva De Roo and Dries Lenaerts in regards to the broadcast and whether or not they understood why many Christians might regard it as offensive.
Explaining the segment, De Roo said listeners had been invited to share what was causing their day especially miserable, with the presenters then smashing items on their behalf in an attempt at humour.
The idea, she suggested, was about “beating the blue out of the Monday.”
When challenged on the wrecking of Christian imagery, De Bruyn said Belgium was not a very religious country and implied the segment wouldn’t have caused major concern among the many station’s audience. He added that the items destroyed had already been damaged.
He admitted, nevertheless, that the approach would have required greater caution elsewhere, saying he would have handled such material in another way abroad.
The exchange became more pointed when the presenters were asked whether or not they would have treated symbols from Islam or Judaism in the identical way.
De Bruyn replied that doing so can be “dangerous”, while the presenters argued that their very own Catholic upbringing and familiarity with Christianity made the stunt, of their view, more acceptable.
During the conference interview, De Roo offered an apology, and the broadcaster followed with a proper apology the subsequent day acknowledging that the segment had been “misjudged” as reported by EWTN News.
According to EWTN News, the station said the video had been “intended as a humour piece,” but admitted its team had failed to understand “how sensitive religious symbols” are for many individuals.
It added that staff are expected to treat all religions with respect and said the problem was not about setting one faith against one other, but about being considerate of individuals’s beliefs.
The episode gained wider attention online, where critics questioned why Christian symbols were treated in a way the presenters themselves suggested they’d avoid with other religions.
Belgium is one among Europe’s more secular countries, with 59% of individuals saying they don’t discover with any religion.
Among those that do, Roman Catholicism stays the most important religious tradition, while Muslims account for 15% of the population.
Source: https://www.christiantoday.com/news/belgian-broadcaster-apologises-over-video-showing-destruction-of-christian-statues
