There are books, written by authors of various and no religious affiliations, about Jesus as there are books about other religions written by Christians. But now that a Muslim has authored a book, placing Jesus in the historical context of a very volatile Judea under a brutal Roman regime, the Christian right is having a collective freak out, claiming that the supposed anti-Christian bias of his book stems from his religion. Fox jumped onboard the bandwagon with Lauren Green's question, during her interview with Reza Aslan about his new biography of Jesus, as to why a Muslim would write about Jesus. Aslan took umbrage with this and has criticized Fox on other networks. Not surprisingly, the Islam bashing Fox news is defending Green and attacking Aslan whose big sin is his denial of Jesus' divinity. That, of course, isn't the case as Aslan is merely exploring Jesus' historical context. And in any history, the faith of the author is irrelevant*. Today, on the supposed "news" show, "America Live," Shannon Bream and right wing Catholic Brent Bozell worked some primo Fox propaganda in trashing Aslan, the credibility of Muslim writers, and, drum roll please, the librul media. Sweet.

After Bream showed a piece of Lauren Green's interview with Reza Aslan, she reported that this conversation sparked "a series of attacks by the liberal media." The chyron was pure Fox propaganda in that it identified two groups that are tops on the Fox/right wing shit list while also playing to the persecuted Christian meme: "Liberal Media Attacks Fox Reporter Over Interview With Muslim Author Of "Zealot."  (See, the evil librul media is teaming up with an evil Muslim author to attack a saintly Christian reporter). She claimed that Aslan, in his book, "questions the Christian belief that [OMG] Jesus was the son of God, the very foundation of the faith."  (Cuz everybody believes that and if they don't they're heading straight to hell!!!!)

While Fox is obviously having a humongous hissy fit over this, she claimed that "the liberal media cannot contain its outrage over that question, why did you write it." (Actually, the liberal media isn't outrage at all; but perplexed about why Green would have asked a totally irrelevant question other than to push the requisite Fox anti-Islam propaganda.) Bream introduced her guest, Brent Bozell, who is a true paragon of journalistic objectivity. Just kidding, he's a total right wing partisan whose Media Research Center is a right wing operation devoted to ferreting out librul bias in the media.

The hirsute Bozell (the seventies are calling, they want their beard back!) "applauded" Lauren Green because she asked "the correct question." Given the inherent bias of this segment, Bozell's claim, that Green had "every right to ask him if he has a bias," was rich in irony. He attacked Aslan as "arrogant" and "aloof." He brayed about how Islam [OMG] doesn't believe that Jesus has a divine nature. (So I guess that Jews are prohibited from writing about Jesus?) The very Catholic Bozell accused Alsan of "not being a very good Muslim."

Bream informed the viewers that the criticism of Green started with the "very far left media" and has now made its way to mainstream media. Bozell whined about how the evil media isn't talking about how the author made the erroneous claim that "nowhere in the bible did Jesus Christ claim to be the Messiah." He accused Aslan of writing that the crucifixion was "Jesus Christ fomenting violence." (Actually, Alsan says that Jesus was crucified because the Romans viewed him as a rabble rouser who was part of the Jewish resistance to Rome; i.e. a "zealot.") Bozell's face got redder as he bloviated about all that was wrong with Aslan's commentary. He quibbled over Aslan saying that he has a degree in the history of religion which "he doesn't." (The degree is in the sociology of religion.")

Bozell continued to accuse Aslan of bias and, invoking his Catholicism, said he was offended by Aslan's comment that there is a difference between the historical Jesus and "what the Catholic Church has done to create a mythical Christ." (This is actually a common theme from many historians and religious writers because, sorry Brent, there is very little primary material about Jesus and what came after was, like what's on Fox, agenda driven.) Bream speculated that Green is "taking heat" because of the question of "whether you're allowed to prod or probe" Islam. I had to laugh when she asserted that there's a lot of "sensitivity" to Islam because that's so not Fox News. She later said that there are lots of folks in the media who like to "question the Christian faith." Bream attested to Green's journalistic commitment to "asking the right questions."

Looks like Megyn Kelly's departure from the "fair & balanced" "America Live" hasn't diminished the in your face right wing propaganda. Meet the new blonde, same as the old blonde...All I can say is Jesus Christ ;)

*The historian Bernard Lewis is Jewish and he has written, extensively, about Islam.