Geez, another stereotype reinforced... RE: Rising Stars+religion

[B5JMS Poster]

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From: gboybama at mindspring.com (Greg Sirmon)
Date: 4 Apr 2000 17:21:28 -0600
Lines: 23

jmsatb5 at aol.com (Jms at B5) wrote:

>>All of which goes to show that if you're catching it equally from both sides
>>for being partisan, you're probably on the right track. :->
>>
>
>Absolutely.  
>
> jms
>

All of which was utterly not my point.  There is no question that most
religious leaders get paid little and are presumably well meaning in
their job.  And there is no question that BY FAR the great majority of
religious figures shown in entertainment (and especially in comics)
are patently evil antagonists.  Why the disparity?

I don't know, but it sure makes for one very tired, old, boring plot
device.

-Greg
gboybama at mindspring.com


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From: jmsatb5 at aol.com (Jms at B5)
Date: 4 Apr 2000 23:21:42 -0600
Lines: 46

>There is no question that most
>religious leaders get paid little and are presumably well meaning in
>their job.  And there is no question that BY FAR the great majority of
>religious figures shown in entertainment (and especially in comics)
>are patently evil antagonists.  Why the disparity?

To quote (sort of) Mark Twain...that is a good and noble question.  The only
thing wrong with it is that it ain't so."

You say above that THE GREAT MAJORITY of religious figures in entertainment are
patently evil antagonists.

Not true.  

Especially not true in TV.  This is one of those tropes that gets repeated by
people but which in fact doesn't have a shred of truth to it.

In TV series, there have been many religious characters all the way back to the
Flying Nun to the more contemporary Father Dowling Mysteries, that have been
strong, positive charcters.  The networks are TERRIFIED of offending in this
area.  Believe me, I've seen it first hand.  On Murder, She Wrote all the
religious characters who appeared when I was involved were positive characters,
and I'm pretty sure that was the case throughout.

I'm only aware of the XFiles and Millennium where that diverged.  

What you say simply isn't true.  It's said and repeated because the Christian
right *must* believe that it is constantly being persecuted, even though they
hold the cards in most areas, so this kind of nonsense is drummed up.

If I'm wrong...show me your work.  Give me specifics on the hordes of marauding
priests, nuns and ministers seen in network TV.  

 jms

(jmsatb5 at aol.com)
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