Getting it

To pass judgment is bad. To judge in a discerning way is good. This is what I have recently learned. Well, I suppose I knew that already, but it has been confirmed to me by various religious websites. I was looking for reasons not to be upset with the local NBC affiliate for refusing to air even a single episode of The Book of Daniel. Apparently, KBTV4 is being discerning. So, does the Bible say anything about discernment on behalf of others being bad? Hmm, I'm not getting very far with my arguments. Ironic that I am becoming agitated over the lack of support for my judgmentalism against a station for exercising judgment. Me, who supports acting from your principles and being and doing good. Can anyone say hypocrite?

But I do think it was a closed-minded decision of the station to decide on behalf of its viewers that the show is so offensive as to be harmful. I mean, it must be more offensive than The Biggest Loser (which casts aside its outvoted wieght loss participants and then follows up on their pitiful failures later) and Joey (which is just plain stupid) for the station to take such drastic action.

Okay, I do actually get it, the station's rationale and sense of doing right. They don't see Joey as harmful, fine. And The Biggest Loser harms only itself; viewers might learn something (big stress on might). The Book of Daniel presents a hugely fallible clergyman as worthy of contact with Jesus, who overlooks the man's egregious errors in judgment; some see the comedic stretching of that as disrespectful and the wrong message. I also get that the subject of Christianity is too important to the local affilliate's management to touch, both morally and financially. The untouchable nature of religion makes me uneasy. *sigh*

Why is it so wrong to have fun with cherished parts of our life? Is it not good to laugh at ourselves from time to time? Hey, here's an idea for television: Make a show based on The Life of Brian or Christopher Moore's Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal. An alternative look at the life and times of Jesus with a sense of humor built in. Neither would change my faith or beliefs; they'd just be fun.

I did my student teaching at a religious school and worked under a fabulous nun, Sister Cathy. Not having been raised religiously (funny, that) she was my first meaningful contact with clergy types. She was smart and caring and faithful. She was also irreverent and hilarious. I have a feeling that a show like The Book of Daniel would be must-see TV for Sister Cathy. Not because she would find it funny (I have a feeling the show is not as well written as it could be) but because she would want to give it a chance. She'd take the mocking of religion in stride--she too had qualms about problems in organized religion--and find some humor in the situations. She'd form a thoughtful argument for watching or not and tell her students to do the same.

This seems so right to me, to think. Think about what you do and why you do it. My current bumper sticker says "Don't believe everything you think". Is this so difficult a concept or practice to undertake? Okay, some things I don't get.

UPDATE: Apparently, NBC is removing The Book of Daniel. I suspect controversy did nothing for its ratings or uneven quality.