Brit Hume, Tiger Woods and Buddha

My colleague Brit Hume has aroused the ire of some secularists, as well as some Buddhists, by advising Tiger Woods to seek redemption through Christianity in place of his mother's religion, Buddhism. Said Hume about Woods: "He's said to be a Buddhist. I don't think that faith offers the kind of forgiveness and redemption that is offered by the Christian faith. So my message to Tiger would be, 'Tiger, turn your faith — turn to the Christian faith and you can make a total recovery and be a great example to the world.'"

Almost immediately, the far left began mocking Hume as a religious fanatic. Some of the comments directed at him were as hateful as anything directed toward Woods.

Let's look at what happened. According to Buddhist journalist Barbara Hoetsu O'Brien, Hume is correct about Buddhism. That faith does not offer forgiveness and redemption the way Christianity does. That's because Buddhism has no concept of sin.

On my TV program, I asked Hume whether he was proselytizing, as he is a devout Christian. He said no and put forth that he was just offering Woods some advice he might consider. Thus, the question becomes: What is Hume's sin? Why are people like Washington Post critic Tom Shales and "The Daily Show's" Jon Stewart going after him?

The answer, I believe, lies in the explosive nature of right and wrong, good and evil; and in the unease some Americans feel when a religious conviction they don't hold is displayed before them.

Nancy Spagnolo of Bethany, Conn., e-mailed me shortly after I interviewed Hume: "Religion is such a deeply personal issue, and it is wrong to discuss what another person should believe.

That's not a bad point. I'm sure Hume had noble intentions when he addressed the golfer publicly, but it was a deeply personal assessment of Woods' predicament. We are all sinners. How many of us want to be told how to achieve forgiveness in a public forum?

That being said, Hume has a perfect right to espouse what he believes is a healing tonic. The forgiveness Christianity offers has helped millions of human beings throughout history. The world would be a better place if every person on earth understood the basic philosophy of Jesus. Hume was simply exercising his free speech rights, and the fact that he is paid well to do so speaks to his intellect and insight.

Antireligious sentiment is currently chic in America. You see it displayed in the media almost every day. Brit Hume sent some advice to Tiger Woods. He did so meaning well. Woods is free to take it or leave it. There was no harm in this.

Veteran TV news anchor Bill O'Reilly is host of the Fox News show "The O'Reilly Factor" and author of the book "Who's Looking Out For You?" To find out more about Bill O'Reilly, and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate web page at www.creators.com. This column originates on the Web site www.billoreilly.com.

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