Posted on 01/08/2006 10:58:09 AM PST by Dane
Local News
“The Book of Thomas”
By TOM DAVIS Tribune Managing Editor Saturday, January 07, 2006
The NBC show "The Book of Daniel," which portrays an Episcopal priest with a multitude of faults, was creating controversy long before it finally aired last night.
The drama, which was created by an admitted homosexual, troubles me for a couple of reasons.
First of all, I am tired of there being few shows on television that my three kids and I can sit down and watch together.
If the network executives had an ounce of sense, perhaps they would remember the level of ratings that "The Cosby Show" and "The Wonder Years" drew.
The good part of this situation is the fact that it allows me to watch more hockey. Sports are about the only type of programming offered now that isn't glamorizing sex, drugs, and murder.
Secondly, the Episcopal Church, one in which I am a confirmed member, is in desperate need of direction, as well as a marketing manager.
Over the past decade, a faction of the Church has not only taken a liberal slant, some parishes have jumped off of a left-wing cliff.
Perhaps someone in the Northeast or West Coast has advised it that homosexual bishops are fine and dandy, but here in Middle America, it's not quite appropriate.
Now comes "The Book of Daniel."
Aiden Quinn plays a drug-addicted priest, whose sons are gay and/or promiscuous, whose daughter deals pot and whose wife is an alcoholic.
What? The dog isn't shooting heroin?
This may be the most dysfunctional family in America. No wonder Jesus is visiting it.
A spokesman for the Episcopal Diocese of Washington, D.C. told the Associated Press that the controversy is "a tremendous opportunity" because it gets people talking about the Church. Maybe in some places the belief that there is no such thing as bad publicity is prevalent, but I think it is a stretch to say this will be a positive thing.
Unless Quinn's character, Father Daniel Webster, over the course of the show rights the ship and steers his family out of this moral quagmire, something I highly doubt the writers let happen, the Church needs to distance itself from this subject as far as possible.
I am not suggesting the Church turn a blind eye to sins. They occur daily. They have always occurred daily. They always will occur daily. However, I wouldn't be calling the painting of our institution in such a light "a tremendous opportunity."
I am sure that Jesus would not condone me wishing an ill fate on anything or anyone, but here is hoping two weeks from now no one is speaking of the show and it eventually fades away.
Tom Davis was confirmed into the Grace Episcopal Church in Muncie by Bishop Edward W. Jones of the Indianapolis Diocese and is the managing editor of the Peru Tribune
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If you do watch TV with the kids I found it helps to talk about the story afterwards. You can offer your own critique of the show and point out where your values differ. Or if you see something you like you can point that out, too. Get the kids thinking at a young age and they'll be able to hold their own later in life.
[I am tired of there being few shows on television that my three kids and I can sit down and watch together.]
Just do what my family did. Turn off the television...permanently.
I promise that after you make it through the withdrawal phase and your brain starts to work at full speed again, you will never miss it and you will discover just how many other things there are to do in life when you're not staring at the idiot box.
I turned off network TV in 1984. Haven't missed a moment of it.
If I watch anything on TV it is The History Channel, Animal Planet or Fox News.
It is doubtful that Hollyweird will experience any sort of transformation in the foresseable future and reverse its current trend of perverting and corrupting everything it produces.
That's why the wife and I watch less TV than ever before and go to no movies. We already know that they are garbage before we shell out our hard-earned cash.
Hollyweird is already experiencing hard times and, IMO, times are about to get much harder. More and more people are rejecting their perversions and either turning the TV off entirely, or watching old movies. Attendance at movies is plummeting and Hollyweird seems to be oblivious to it all; witness "Brokback Mountain".
The fact is that Hollyweird is broken; likely caused by too much in-breeding. For nearly a quarter of a century, now, Hollyweird has, essentially, rejected the insertion of badly needed new blood from the outside. Its lack of imagination has caused it to recycle scripts and shows instead of being able to develop new, fresh ideas.
Frankly, the sooner that Hollyweird moves to France, the better it will be for America.
We don't go to R rated movies, so that automatically excludes Brokeback Mountain. Most PG-13 movies aren't good either since they used to be considered R. I recommend 'Walk the Line' about Johnny Cash.
Haven't missed it.
Three-four extra hours per day staring at FR on the monitor!
You bring up a good point, but what I dont understand is if the media keeps going down, there must be some people out there somewhere who still like it because it isnt dead yet. I mean, they have been broken for at least since Vietnam and how long does it take? What is keeping the lies going?
As long as there is a segment of the market which votes for politicians selling cradle to grave government care, there will be a market for their cheerleaders in the press.
I know it. And that is what is so sad about the whole thing. People actually wanting to be fed garbage on purpose. I pretty much stopped watching TV when I went to the Naval Academy. When I came home for leave, I was absolutely stunned at what my parents were looking at on TV. And we had very strict rules about what was "ok" on the TV due to our faith (Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints). I mean, this was just regular TV, not cable and I couldnt believe some of the vile crap on there. My wife and I have pretty much given up on it. We only watch DVDs, the old Star Trek, Spongebob, the occasional movie, but nothing over PG-13 and not even many of those. I loved the Terminator movies, but I wont be playing them in my home now that I have kids. It just isn't worth it.
Perhaps we should view "The Book of Daniel" show that all of us are sinners. No one is perfect, no not one. God loves us inspite of our sins. Only He can save us. We just need to confess our sin to Him, repent our sin by changing our ways, invite the Lord Jesus Christ into our hearts to become a new person, perfect in the eyes of the Father.
I'll bet Daniel Webster, an ancestor of mine, is turning over in his grave by this slur on his name.
Incidentally, I refuse to watch this show, along with 99% of all TV. Trash in trash out.
Incidentally, I refuse to watch "The Book of Daniel" along with 99% of all TV shows. Trash in trash out.
Yeh. Honestly, I think its a funny show, but there was one episode which was really pushing it and I refuse to watch that one again. I can see where they could get that impression from on that episode. For the most part, I think it is harmless. At least with DVDs you have that choice and you dont have to worry about the commercials.
You gotta be friggin kidding me. Is this a joke?
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