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152 Born-agains and mainstream believers

also interesting that here, as with many other points in the interview where
they talk about their strategies for dealing with media, they do not obvi-
ously or self-consciously refer to religion or to values or ideas derived from
their “born-again” faith as normative tools for addressing problems of the
media.
We should really not expect any individual family to be fully representa-
tive of an “ideal type” labeled “born-again believer.” The Millikens,
though, like many of the interview families that fit in that category, actu-
ally resist some received stereotypes of what that label should mean in
terms of values or behaviors. Lynn, for example, argues against the
notion that her religion, or any religion, should be seen as determinative of
practice.

I think there’s a difference between religion and a relationship with
God. That’s how I personally feel. You can go to church, you can have
your religion, you can do your thing, but there’s a big difference
between religion and relationship with the Lord.

This is typical of born-again individualism. The powerful, voluble edge of
the religious or spiritual experience is the relationship one has with God
and Jesus, not with an organized group or body. Religious institutions,
histories, or doctrines do not intervene or mediate the religious or spiritual
experience. For example, Lynn expresses this independence from authori-
tative structures in one key area: her attitudes about sex education for her
children. While she might be seen as more liberal than other parents, she’s
talked openly with her children about sex, and used a video produced by
the Evangelical organization Focus on the Family that is pretty explicit
about childbirth. She reports this in such a way that it is clear she sees
herself differentiated from other, more conservative parents in this way.
The explicit or implicit notion that those who call themselves “born
again” might be expected to look to clerical or institutional authority for
signals on social values clearly does not apply to Lynn or Jay, who see
themselves charting their own course vis-à-vis the broader culture.
What about the media in their lives? Like many of our Evangelical or
born-again informants, the Millikens make a clear distinction between
secular media and religious media, and they are not particularly attracted to
the latter. When asked about media that would relate to their faith, Jay says:

Jay: Actually, we try not to watch... TBN, is that what it’s called?
Interviewer: Trinity Broadcasting Network?
Jay: There’s a little too much hocus-pocus on that channel.

While Lynn admits to a bit more openness to religious programs such as
Trinity Broadcasting Network and Benny Hinn, she is cautious.