Great title Dave!

As a Mormon, talking to other Mormons, we were not too worried about the display of the ceremony because it is plastered all over the internet and nobody gets it right, no matter how sensitive they are being.
We were more concerned with “should” HBO be offensive to any group by causing unnecessary anxiety over sacred issues. Who’s next? Shall we portray anyone’s intimate belief without caring if it is upsetting? That’s the society we live in today?
For them to continue after much pleading from the LDS members, it goes to show that the motivations were to strike back after Prop 8 and to dirty the waters for civility. In my opinion, they have lost more credibility and more future support. This brought them back about 4 years in their plight for gay marriage to be sanctioned.

The Big Love episode has now come and gone, and the unseemly media attack on Mormonism continues.
Watching Big Love, one would think that Latter-Saints collectively and individually do not have a single laudable quality. As portrayed on HBO, they spend their waking hours either conniving for power or condemning as many people as they can. This cartoonish portrayal may at times be entertaining. However, it is not a reflection of reality.
To be sure, since the LDS Church is made of people, you will find occasional examples of unsavory personality traits (as is the case with Catholics and protestants and Muslims and Hindus and agnostics and atheists). However, as a people, Latter-Day Saints are unusually committed to service to others, i.e., visiting the widow and lonely and hungry, and this defining quality is never even hinted at on Big Love.
As a people, the average Mormon is making a genuine, daily effort to serve God with all of their might, heart, mind and strength; to serve their fellow man; and to obey Christ’s call to follow Him. Any portrayal that ignores these defining qualities is propaganda for a cause other than the truth.

I liked Orson Scott Card’s comments at NRO on this issue:
http://article.nationalreview.com/?q=MmJmZDFiYmVkOTdlYjVmZmNiMzhhODEwYmYzMTRlMzg=&w=MA==
I see the escalating anti-Mormonism of “Big Love” as inevitable, given the homosexual agenda behind this trashy soap opera: It’s about generating sympathy for “alternative” marriage arrangements. Of course “real” Mormons will be portrayed unfavorably.
The advance “apology” for offending LDS sensibilities was no more sincere than Tom Hanks’ earlier “apology” (through his publicist) calling Mormons “un-American” for our support for Proposition 8.
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,482266,00.html
I don’t subscribe to HBO and did not see the episode, but I did join with thousands of other Latter-day Saints who responded via the Internet to spread a positive message, such as the YouTube video “Why Mormons Build Temples.”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-x_-TQivCx8
hthalljr’gmail’com

LDS Commentator,
That is a very good and accurate observation. As far as I have seen, there is little or nothing of the Church’s three-fold mission about the show. It is nothing more than another useless soap opera that appears to be used to harm rather than enlighten.

Last (Your Name) comment was mine.

The show was just trying to create controversy and bump its ratings. It is sad that the script is so soap operaesc and seems to have an identity disorder. Who are they really talking about Mormons or Fundamental Polygamists anyway?

As much as I try to cling to the hope that people are decent, it becomes increasingly hard. I honestly don’t know how the HBO people sleep at night.

Big Love is an innovative show, and religion mixed w/entertainment always creates controversy.
The ritual is no different than other religious rituals. It was tastefully done. For non LDS, it shows a world seldom seen. The church might do well to embrace all that’s good and exercise tolerance, rather than turn off people who might be fascinated by this religion. After all, it’s HBO, and they push the envelope all the time. The show doesn’t accuse the church of being corrupt; they show a polygamist accusing the church of corruption.
It’s a show about a plural marriage trying to blend in with modern LDS community. Of course there are going to be LDS elements in it.
Big Love is the first show of its kind ever. Imagine all the flack the Catholic or Muslim religion has received!

Hi,
I’m afraid the airing of a temple ceremony is errant. It disrespects the sacred beliefs of temple defilement.. by those who are not ready to make the promises which are contained therein.
Why don’t we disrespect no church’s beliefs. It is not right!!! It is a very hurtful thing, to a member of any one religion, when their beliefs are disrespected. They also believe the other people are transgressing,too.
Please Understand.
Thanks,
Lisa
I do not wish to argue..only to state facts, and these are the facts…and now I’m through:)

I’m confused as to how tastefully showing the ceremonies is disrespectful. This coming from people who knowingly baptise Holocaust victims and other religions without their consent or knowledge????

HBO’s “Big Love” rears its ugly, un-American, head with their deliberate, disrespectful, and distorted TV show’s agenda to undermine, mock, disregard, and insult members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons) and their most sacred religious practices. Tom Hanks, “Big Love” Executive Producer, has come up with his own twisted version of “jumping the shark” by his not-so-subtle vendetta-driven affront on the Mormon faith (see article http://www.lonsberry.com/writings.cfm?story=2585&go=4), a shallow and hate-filled approach to gain attention for the TV show by insolence.
Even as the bigoted views of Tom Hanks’ team try their “Big Lie” by blurring the distinction between their non-Mormon polygamist characters and pseudo-Mormon stereotypes in their storylines, real Americans understand the standard of accountability associated with the rights of freedom of religion and the real responsibility to exhibit respect and regard for other citizens beliefs and practices.
Certainly Mormons are offended when their most sacred practices are misrepresented or presented without context or understanding. Clearly, members of the church will continue to speak out (by way of legal, social and economical means) and request actions of all Americans against such blatant bigotry in the name of mock-entertainment.
Perhaps, one day, the intolerant practices of Tom Hanks, and his team of exploiters will see the error of their un-American ways and take the advice that George Washington gave to Benedict Arnold, “Avoid all disrespect to or contempt of the religion of the country and its ceremonies.” (George Washington’s letter to Benedict Arnold, Sep. 14, 1775)
Some LDS Temple Resources: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7tGuM_P1_7I&feature=PlayList&p=8DF84EB9BE8345BD&index=0&playnext=1
http://www.mormon.org/
http://www.fairlds.org/
http://www.lonsberry.com/writings.cfm?story=2585&go=4

I’ve never seen “Big Love” till the segment with the endowment ceremony. For that, HBO accomplished their goal to increase the audience.
I suppose as a Mormon, one would be offended as those things held sacred by them are blasphemed–i.e., taken out of the temple. As a person not of the Mormon faith, there is no understanding of blasphemy as there is no common understanding of the sacred. However, HBO–I feel–did show reverence for the subject and helped the viewer understand the sacredness of the experience and faith through Barb’s eyes. This closeness was then contrasted with the violence of Barb’s excommunication. Was the endowment scene necessary? Of course not, but it was effective from both an artistic and commercial perspective.

I dunno… I’ve got several different angles on this.
After a huge crisis of faith, I was baptized into the LDS church at age 20; but lapsed pretty quick. I will say that the LDS folk in Kearney, NE, where I was, were incredibly nice and genuine.
I’m also a fan of BIG LOVE. My brother lives in rural Missouri and says there are Mormon and Christian Fundamentalist purists practicing polygamy. Actually, I don’t have a problem with polygamy. I think marriage, the way it’s practiced now, is a pretty new phenomena in human history. I’m not interested in polygamy personally though; my wife is all the great women I need.
I’ve been involved in two fraternal organizations and understand the desire to keep ritual intimate and sacred. Never should ritual be profaned so as to profane that to which ritual points.
All that said, I feel for the average LDS member. I understand to a degree that what goes on in the temple stays in the temple.
Still, hierarchical institutions, especially infallible religious ones, are responsible for some heinous things in human history. As I understand it, LDS leaders have even apologized for the behavior of past church leaders. If the LDS church wants to avoid some of the excesses of, say, the Catholic Church… well, it might be a good thing for ‘em to have their feet put to the fire now and again.
Finally, I have a lesbian sister. I feel just as upset about Prop 8 as some LDS folk seem to feel about this BIG LOVE show. Still, I’m genuinely sympathetic to LDS folks over this issue.

Brenda,
“As much as I try to cling to the hope that people are decent …”
What Mormons and the LDS Church did with Prop 8 was in no way “decent”.
Stew in it.

Your Name,
What, in your world you don’t want religious people to be involved in politics? Prop 8 was offered to give the citizens of CA a say in the matter. So I guess everyone can have their say except Mormons?