Who, along with the pastor, deserves a share of the blame?

Below is a comment I received via e-mail about my first post. I reproduce it here because it makes several interesting points, one of which involves the press' role in the current controversy.

"Timely and thought provoking. Once again, this situation highlights differences in Western and Eastern understandings of the power of words, especially revealed Word, and the part they play in the lives of people West and East. It takes a long time to break through rigid, often shallow, positions held by people who can't or won't make the distinctions—or try to understand the other's position. A facile press doesn't help the situation much. "News" people seem totally unequipped to understand the intricacies of religious fundamentalisms. We aren't served well by too many people. You, however, have written with care and dispassionate facility. Many thanks."

Although I am no doubt in the minority (in terms of feeling that Pastor Jones made a bad decision but is not necessarily a bad man) I hope more people, like my correspondent, see that there are other responsible parties besides the pastor. The point of my first entry was that the focus seems to be entirely on Jones' intolerance, as if it is the only problem, when the magnitude of intolerance which is characterizing the response to it, is so much greater. The unspoken attitude is that the death threats, the demonstrations--all of it--are entirely Jones' responsibility. All the blame is focused on him for provoking it, without any attention towards the fact that the response has been beyond disproportionate and incredibly 'intolerant.'

The other question which isn't being asked enough is, 'has the press been responsible in this matter?' and the answer is clearly no. Pastor Jones and his tiny church announced this campaign back in July; I remember reading about it. For two months, then, this has been in the works without attracting much notice even in the U.S., never mind around the world.

Had the press not decided to fan this tiny ember into a flame as 9/11 approaches, we wouldn't be seeing the extremity of reaction we're seeing now. But, it's in their interest, if no one else's. Pastor Jones, as lightning rod, makes a convenient scapegoat.