Last Friday I actually watched an episode of "The Book of Daniel" the controversial program about an Episcopal priest and his dysfunctional family. In the show this priest is addicted to drugs, he has a son who is gay, a sister in law who is a lesbian, his wife has a horrid, antagonistic relationship with her mother and he has just hired a construction firm run by the mob to build a school at the church he pastors. Many people have been offended by the portrayal of Jesus, whom the priest can see and interact with on a physical level. I personally found him to be funny. At one point he asks Daniel (the priest) "Aren't you going to take a pill? Somebody said something mean to you." Sometimes I think that is exactly the reaction Jesus has to us. We claim to follow Him and rely solely upon Him, but when we are attacked or when something bad happens to us how often do we turn to our own personal crutches?
To me the really sad thing about the show was how accurate its portrayal of liberal Christianity seemed. They have taken the acceptance of all people into the church and twisted it into the acceptance and even tolerance of all practices, no matter how sinful. They have gone from looking the other way when what they considered to be a small sin occurred to embracing all practices and not calling them sin, even in cases where the practice is clearly prohibited by scripture. This is what saddens me about "The Book of Daniel". Not that it is such a horrible portrayal of what Christianity is supposed to be (which it most definitely is), but that it is such an accurate portrayal of what mahy modern American churches have become.
Anyone else have any comments on the show or the state of the American church?
5 comments:
Hey Rob,
I agree. I didn't see it last week, but Robert and I watched the 2 hr. premiere. I have to say that I loved Jesus in the show. He was hilarious first of all, but He identified sin clearly as such---He extended grace, but still got the point across that sin breaks His heart. Very interesting.
The family is over the top. In your description, you forgot the fact that the mom is an alcoholic, the adopted son is having sex with minors, and the daughter sells pot. I hated in the first episode when the priest is doing premarital counseling to a couple living together and he asks how things are in the bedroom--just assumed they were sleeping together and it was okay. In the end, they decide not to get married and just live together. Jesus gives the priest a big sarcastic thumbs up. Ugh!! But that scenario is all to true, esp. in non-evangelical churches.
I think the problems and struggles portrayed are very real, however, I don't know of a single family with THAT much dysfunction rolled into one. I do think it may open some doors at work for me to talk with co-workers who have seen it about what real faith is. We'll see...
Pam
Pam,
You're right, I left out quite a bit of the dysfunction. I honestly just could not remember it all. I'm sure the writers meant the family to be a caricature of what many families have become today. Unfortunately I have met some families that come pretty close to this level of dysfunction.
I do like Jesus in the show. Many would think me blasphemous and in earlier times I would probably have been burned at the stake for making this statement, but I am convinced that God has a sense of humor. I mean, look at the platypus. If that doesn't prove that God can yuck it up with the best of them, what does?
I have been a pastor Bible teacher for more years that most have been born. What you see is another attempt to show christians as having no sense of the rightness or wrongness of our faith. And it's popular to beat up on those who can't or don't fight back. Christianity is a big money maker (so they think) but don't show it in a good light you might loose your place at the devils table! As far as American Churches go they need to get out from under the rug and speak out for christ again like the 1st church did. Paul, Peter James John and the rest. I know I do and not as a pastor. I speak to people shoping and pray in aisles of Wal-Mart I dare them to stop me! Church folk need to stop being afraid to witness. Christ wasn't
Based on what I saw and read about the show I didn't watch it. From your description I would agree with you about the portrayal of Jesus. Although I think he'd treat our failings with a bit less humor.
Read an interesting take on a lebral blog that, even though the show was not widely watched, its cancellation was due to the fabled conservative, Christian conspiracy.
By the way, good luck on the chaplaincy. I've been in the USAF for nearly 18 years.
James @ Right Face!
The cancellation has to do with a cowardly network getting cold feet and not promoting the show properly or giving it a decent time slot.
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