"The Book of Daniel"

[Lil Red]

[url="http://www.billingsgazette.com/index.php?id=1&display=rednews/2006/01/06/build/nation/50-bk-daniel.inc"]http://www.billingsgazette.com/index.php?i...0-bk-daniel.inc[/url]

Two NBC affiliates refuse to air new show about Episcopal priest and troubled family
Associated Press

NEW YORK - Two television stations are refusing to broadcast a new NBC series about an Episcopal priest who abuses painkillers, has a gay son, a promiscuous straight son, a daughter who deals marijuana, and a wife who drinks too much.

Conservative Christian groups have condemned the depiction of Jesus as blasphemous, accusing the writers of portraying Christ as tolerant of sin in talks with the priest.

NBC affiliates KARK in Little Rock, Ark., and WTWO in Terre Haute, Ind., said sensitivity to viewers led them not to air "The Book of Daniel," which debuts at 8 p.m. today. In Little Rock, the WB affiliate has arranged to show the drama instead.

"If my action causes people in our community to pay more attention to what they watch on television, I have accomplished my mission," Duane Lammers, WTWO's general manager, said in a statement on his station's Web site.

The series stars Aidan Quinn as the Rev. Daniel Webster, who discusses his many troubles in regular chats with a robe-wearing, bearded Jesus. The American Family Association, in Tupelo, Miss., and Focus on the Family, the Colorado Springs group led by James Dobson, are asking supporters to lobby their local NBC affiliate to drop the show.

In a statement Thursday, NBC said, "We're confident that once audiences view this quality drama themselves, they'll appreciate this thought-provoking examination of one American family."

But the American Family Association said the series was another sign of NBC's "anti-Christian bigotry." Bill Donohue, president of the Catholic League, an anti-defamation group, called the series the "work of an embittered ex-Catholic homosexual."

The show's creator and executive producer, Jack Kenny, said he drew on the emotionally guarded family of his male partner for the series. He said his goal was to depict how "humor and grace" help a flawed man struggle with his faith and family. He said the writers never meant to mock religion or Jesus.

However, Bob Waliszewski, of Focus on the Family's teen ministries, said the show portrayed Christ as a "namby-pamby frat boy who basically winks at every sin and perversity under the sun."

"When the pastor's teen son is sexually active and having many romps with his 15-year-old girlfriend, this Jesus says, 'A kid has to be a kid,"' Waliszewski said. "I don't think NBC would have portrayed a Muslim cleric or a Buddhist monk, the Dalai Lama, in a show this way. Why? Because they know to do so would be mean-spirited and insensitive."

James Naughton, a spokesman for the Episcopal Diocese of Washington, D.C., said a California Episcopal church is advising the series.

Naughton has read scripts for eight episodes and acknowledged that viewers could take away a troubling message about people of faith, instead of a positive one about overcoming temptation. Still, he said it was "a tremendous opportunity for evangelism for Episcopalians." The Washington Diocese has started a blog to comment on the show and invite discussion.

"To me, this is good for us no matter how it comes out because if people are talking about what Episcopalians are like, it creates tremendous opportunities for us to say, 'Here's what we actually are like,"' Naughton said.

[homeschoolmom]

If it weren't for the "Jesus" character, I wouldn't have a big problem with it. I wouldn't watch it and I would still think it's mean-spirited. But since they do have a "Jesus" character, I think it's horrible and I'm glad some stations aren't airing it.

[OLAM Dad]

Is it OK that nothing they do shocks me anymore?

I wonder whether FotF and the American Family Association would have come similarily unglued had it been a Catholic negatively depicted and not an Episcopalian.

[OLAM Dad]

[quote name='homeschoolmom' date='Jan 6 2006, 11:15 AM']If it weren't for the "Jesus" character, I wouldn't have a big problem with it. I wouldn't watch it and I would still think it's mean-spirited. But since they do have a "Jesus" character, I think it's horrible and I'm glad some stations aren't airing it.
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I disagree. Any attack on Christendom should be fought, not just attacks on Jesus or the Church. After all, we are the mystical body of Christ.

[franciscanheart]

ive had questions about this show since i first saw an ad for it. im glad someone is finally speaking out about it, even if its just days before it airs. (or you know today)

[Era Might]

The problem with shows like this is not that they depict Christians in a bad light. A lot of people think they're so "edgy" when they point out sin in the Christian community, like they can shock us. We don't need you to do it; the Bible has all the juicy details already. Mel Gibson portrayed a Priest who lost his faith in "Signs". Nobody was scandalized. Why? Because it wasn't a stupid, "edgy" plot line. It was just part of the story. Give us a decent, real story, and maybe we'll watch your shows.

Edited January 6, 2006 by Era Might

[Didacus]

I don't have cable, nor satelite TV.

[franciscanheart]

[quote name='Didacus' date='Jan 6 2006, 11:44 AM']I don't have cable, nor satelite TV.
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it's airing on NBC. you dont need cable to see it.

[Didacus]

Actaully, if you don't have cable in my part of the world, you don't have ANY channel. Its part of living in a small town (pop.; 200), that is at the edge of the known world.
*grin*

[homeschoolmom]

[quote name='OLAM Dad' date='Jan 6 2006, 10:21 AM']I disagree.  Any attack on Christendom should be fought, not just attacks on Jesus or the Church.  After all, we are the mystical body of Christ.
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Well, my point was... well... I can't remember. I think depicting any Christians in a bad light mean and I would hope such a show would fail big time.

[franciscanheart]

[quote name='Didacus' date='Jan 6 2006, 11:46 AM']Actaully, if you don't have cable in my part of the world, you don't have ANY channel.  Its part of living in a small town (pop.; 200), that is at the edge of the known world.
*grin*
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right.

[Didacus]

[quote name='hugheyforlife' date='Jan 6 2006, 10:53 AM'] right.
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What is so strange about that?
We do have electricity so we count as modern right?

And here's my question;

How do you differentiate between 'realistic theatrical portrayals of christians' and 'Any attack on Christendom '?

i know of several movies that, though a priest or Catholic is portrayed is a 'bad light' remains a good movie IMHO.

[franciscanheart]

[quote name='Didacus' date='Jan 6 2006, 11:58 AM']What is so strange about that?
We do have electricity so we count as modern right?
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living in a city with about a thousand times more people than that (literally) its hard to comprehend living in such a small town -- and without the availability of even basic television stations. you count as modern for sure but its hard to comprehend such life. you have interenet connection, but no television stations. you have electricity, but no television stations. yep -- still dont get it. but cool.

[Didacus]

I don't have internet at home.

We also don't have a phone line to our house (me and my chick share the 'family cell phone').
We do have running water, but if I pee outside, the neighbors wouldn't even notice. And our backyard is more dangerous than our front yard because the traffic we see in our front street is about 1 car per day (1 neighbor) but in the back yard we have an occaional bear, skunk or other...

its a good life...

Did you ever read this thread?

[url="http://www.phatmass.com/phorum/index.php?showtopic=35362&hl=bear#"]http://www.phatmass.com/phorum/index.php?s...=35362&hl=bear#[/url]
_____

And I just have to add that WOW! It must be absolutely heart warming to have 199 999 other people living together in the same city as yourself! Where's about do you live anyways?

Edited January 6, 2006 by Didacus

[franciscanheart]

no i never did see that one being from such a big city (and living here all 19 years of my life -- rarely being thrown into real rural america) the only time i see a bear is if i go to the zoo. and the only time i see one outside of a cage... well i dont. except for that one time one climbed over the fence and ran loose in the zoo... or was that a monkey? i dont even remember. anyway... cool for those that can -- i definitely cant imagine it.