Moving on to Part 2 of the real-life soap opera ... what's the reaction to the "Outer Darkness" Big Love episode that aired Sunday night? Time's TV guy says this:
Part of the controversy over depicting the ceremony, whose details the LDS church prefers to keep among its own members, has to do with how the ceremony is received by outsiders .... As an outsider, ... I don't believe the ceremony qua ceremony changed my perception of the Mormon faith one way or another. It was definitely unusual, but that's religion: I'm the product of two religious traditions, in one of which somebody changes bread into someone's body and feeds it to you, in the other of which someone ritually blows into a ram's horn. It's all relative, no?
A Get Religion journalist posted a response as well:
I just finished watching this season's second to last episode of HBO's Big Love soap opera, and I believe there may be another hidden reason that the show makes Mormons uneasy. Much of the media's attention has been on the fact that this episode portrayed a scene in a Mormon temple, however, the show did have one line that caught me: the main character expressly claimed that the Mormon church was just as corrupt as the show's main antagonists who are practicing polygamy and generally in trouble with the law.
This theme has underlined the entire season of the show. Without giving away the details of the show, it is fair to say that the Mormon Church is not portrayed favorably.
Note that neither of these commentators is LDS. The bottom line seems to be: (1) that "the scene" doesn't create a negative reaction in non-LDS viewers; and (2) the impression that some Mormon viewers have that the series unfairly portrays Mormons in a negative light has some objective basis.
The most interesting discussions are to be found on the following threads at LDS group blogs (the links are to specific posts discussing the Big Love episode):
Note: General comments and discussion welcome. But generic anti-LDS comments of the sort that some folks feel compelled to post from time to time at any LDS site will be removed, as will detailed discussion of LDS temple ceremonies (please visit other sites that welcome such discussion).
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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?
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