Recently I was challenged about why Eagle TV would permit news coverage of the Dalai Lama’s visit to Mongolia. The Dalai Lama is considered to be the leader of Tibetan Buddhism, a faith that is contrary to Christianity.

The challenge came from Christians both inside and outside of Eagle TV. Since Eagle TV is owned by a Christian organization, since Eagle TV advocates the Gospel of Jesus Christ through strategic Christian programming, and since its manager (me) is a Christian, some people have been surprised, even shocked that I would allow coverage of the Dalai Lama’s visit to the Mongolia. Why, I was asked, would I allow Eagle TV news to cover the activities of the Dalai Lama’s visit to Mongolia?

I didn’t allow it. I ordered it.

There are several reasons why Eagle TV as a Christian-owned news organization must provide fair and balanced coverage for the visit the Dalai Lama. First and foremost, the Dalai Lama is a major religious and political figure in the world. Just as the Pope is the leader of the world’s Catholics, the Dalai Lama is the leader of Tibetan Buddhism. Add to the fact that he has a long and controversial political history regarding the freedom of Tibet. For a news organization not to cover the visit of such a major world figure would be tantamount to abandoning the principles of journalism that have made Eagle TV the most respected and trusted news organization in the country. How I, as the manager of Eagle TV, and as a Christian may feel about the Dalai Lama’s spiritual role in the world is not part of the equation. The Dalai Lama’s high religious and political standing requires proper news coverage.

Second, as a news organization that stands for the advocacy of freedom and democracy for all people, not to cover the Dalai Lama would be a mistake. The Chinese government regards the Dalai Lama as a threat. Anyone, religious figure or not, who can raise the ire of Chinese communists and live, or stay out of prison to keep doing it merits attention.

Third, even though Eagle TV is Christian owned and airs Christian programs that does not mean that the news must therefore be controlled only by Christians and have only a Christian agenda. News is not evangelism. Doing so would violate the trust and respect of the community of viewers. Organizationally Eagle TV is an advocate for Christianity. We do not advocate for Buddhism, Shamanism, Mormonism, or other religions. Nor do we play commercials or sell program time for such interests. However, that does not mean that such groups cannot be covered by the news. The news is a community service for the whole community. Simply producing news stories does not equal advocacy. Therefore the Buddhist community must be served in their interest through Eagle TV news as much as any other. This does not mean our organization sympathizes with Buddhism (though some of our staff do), nor does it mean that I personally sympathize with Buddhism (I don’t). It simply means that a major religious/political figure has come to Mongolia in something nearly equal to a state visit. We cannot refuse to cover it and still call ourselves a serious journalistic organization.

Because of our Christian roots a few of our staff wondered if Eagle TV would be allowed to cover the Dalai Lama’s visit. In fact these non-Christian staff automatically assumed that they would not be allowed to cover it. How wrong they were! Of course this tells you something about the mentality in Mongolia regarding the news – it is often still controlled and contrived, with one exception.

Eagle TV does not participate in that kind of journalism.

When the crew assigned to cover the Dalai Lama’s arrival showed up at the airport they were confronted by journalists from other media: “Why are you here? Eagle TV is Christian!” Their answer was simply, “Of course we are here. This is news.”

Though the three reasons above are sufficient enough for our Christian-owned organization to provide independent and balanced news coverage of the Dalai Lama’s visit, I would also like to add a personal (though not “official” reason).

Christianity has nothing to fear from Buddhism or the Dalai Lama. There are some people (I think in the minority), who would like us to control the speech of our non-Christian staff (like some sort of Christian Communist Party) in such a way as to force them to advocate for Christianity. Some (in the minority), want Eagle TV to only air positive stories about Christianity and only negative stories about other faith movements like Buddhism – or simply not cover them at all. These opinions, while well intentioned as advocacy for the truth of the Bible, are in error.

Every testimony of history demonstrates that Christianity thrives at its best when it is confronted with competition – especially open competition! The truth of Jesus’ identity and his work on the cross for the forgiveness of sins does not lose its importance or impact simply because a competing faith is given what amounts to a miniscule amount of legitimate news time. In fact Christianity gains greater importance and greater impact as its truth can be openly compared to Buddhism, or atheism, or any other philosophy. “Come let us reason together,” the Lord said to an unbelieving Israel in Isaiah 1:18. If Christianity has something to fear over a simple visit of a competing religious leader for a period of one week, then Christianity would not deserve our attention. If we regard our faith as so fragile and shakable that we must quell the competing speech of those close to us then perhaps our faith really is fragile, and shakable.

But that doesn’t describe the Christianity or the Jesus that I know. Jesus is described in the Bible as the “cornerstone” (Luke 20:17-18) of the church. The church is said to be made of “living stones” (I Peter 2:4-10). Confidence in the person and work of Christ is a firm foundation. These things do not sound to me like a shakable faith afraid of a little competition. Indeed, modern scholars agree. According to Walter Sundberg, history teacher at Luther Northwestern Theological Seminary, “Monopoly is as bad for church growth as it is for the commercial economy.” (1)

The older I become in my walk with Christ the more I think that for the church to remain healthy and strong we should seek out active engagement with competing faiths. Why not invite a Muslim Imam to join your pastor in the pulpit for a frank debate about the Bible? In fact, why not invite a Buddhist lama onto your TV station for an open discussion with a Christian pastor about the nature of God? Can everyone handle such discussions? Certainly not, properly qualified people on both sides of such a debate would need to be engaged. But I am convinced that far more good will come from a loving engagement with the competition than any misguided attempt we might make to stifle our friends who disagree with Jesus. And certainly a 3-minute news story won’t crack the foundations of Christianity or those who truly have confidence in Christ. In fact they will only be more emboldened to engage the competition for the hearts and minds of the masses.

Isn’t that our job as Christians in the first place? And as a Christian-led news organization shouldn’t we be open to such transparent debates, even about our own faith?