Should Tiger turn to Jesus?

What a way to begin the New Year. There sat Mr. wOw, innocently watching a Fox News roundtable discussion of various weighty matters – and Tiger Woods.

The perpetually dour Brit Hume offered the opinion that the philosophy Tiger follows – Buddhism – won’t lead the golfer to the salvation he must find. Hume suggested that only through Christianity will Tiger redeem himself.

Honestly, for one terrifying moment Mr. wOw thought he’d had a stroke. This couldn’t have happened, not even on Fox. But it did. And although Hume’s fellow panelists looked a bit taken aback – even the loathsome ever-smirking Bill Kristol – nobody reminded Brit that this was a news program, not the 700 Club.

In the first place, since Tiger’s mother is from Thailand, it’s likely that Buddhism is what he was raised with; it’s not some fad religion requiring red strings tied around the wrist. In the second place, who is Brit Hume to assume that Tiger doesn’t get the proper solace from Buddhism? How about if Tiger was a Christian and somebody up and suggested the only way to get right with himself was to become a Jew? Or an atheist?

Hume is no longer a newsman, per se. He retired from Fox in 2008, but is distressingly omnipresent as an “analyst.” So I figure complaints about Hume’s on-air proselytizing will be headed off with the reasoning that he’s around now to only give opinions, and turning Tiger to Jesus is just … well, his opinion.

It’s Mr. wOw’s opinion that Hume should never again set foot in the Fox studio, but that would require that anybody at Fox be enlightened enough to see a difference between secular and religious discourse. And that the latter has no place on a “fair and balanced” news program. You can bet Sean “I’m a Christian!” Hannity and Laura “See My Crucifix!” Ingram will be defending Hume vigorously from the heathens who think he should keep his holy advice to himself. What – does Hume think there are no Christian adulterers? He owes 500 million Buddhists an apology. And Tina Turner too, the world’s most glam Buddhist.

Before he suggests anybody else embrace the tenants of Christianity, Mr. Hume ought to be certain he knows what they are himself. Mr. wOw came across an old Loretta Young show a few weeks ago, about a dying woman who visits the holy shrine at Lourdes. We got more out of that than a hundred Brit Humes scooping out condescending homilies in wildly inappropriate circumstances.

Mr. wOw, baptized a Catholic, doesn’t know what’s what, religion-wise. He knows plenty of terrific Catholics, who pray he can avoid hell. And he does enjoy sitting quietly in church. (Although Mr. wOw must say, watching the Pope conduct Christmas Mass from St. Peter’s surrounded by mountains of gold left him a bit queasy.)

Faith can be a great comfort, of that Mr. wOw is certain. I envy those who have a pure faith unmarked by self-righteousness. Self-righteousness speed-dials to intolerance. Intolerance has left us with such gentle nods to Jesus as The Crusades and The Spanish Inquisition.

But, that’s just Mr. wOw’s opinion, Rev. Hume.