HBO, Mormons square off over airing of sacred rite
Is there no such thing as privacy anymore?
"HBO on Tuesday defended its plans to depict a sacred Mormon temple ceremony in an upcoming episode of `Big Love.' The drama about a Utah polygamous family will show an endowment ceremony Sunday. HBO said it did not intend to be disrespectful of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and apologized. . But the ceremony is an important part of the `Big Love' story line, HBO said. .
On Monday, Mormon church leaders criticized HBO for its decision to include the ceremony and said airing the material shows the insensitivity of the network's writers, producers and executives."
Source
A huge, huge problem in America today is we no longer seem to respect peoples and religions differences. We no longer seem to care about God in any way.
ReplyDeleteJust like I don't care about the tooth fairy, the easter bunny and Santa Claus.
ReplyDeleteMormons are fair game but they won't touch the Islamofacists with a fifty foot pole. Somethings wrong about that.
ReplyDeleteBTW, how did HBO, with all their equipment, lights, and staff, get access to the church in the first place? But hey, this is Amerika, where profits and ratings come before religion and God. Unless of course, you're a Mooselamb!
ReplyDelete"Is there no such thing as privacy anymore?"
ReplyDelete---Mormonism is not a private religion, they send missionaries, they advertise on TV and they get involved in political causes.
Besides, if you're doing a TV series about mormon polygamists, you have to show their religious lives as well.
The article said: "Members take a vow not to discuss the rituals outside temple walls, although details of the ceremonies are widely available on the Internet."
How interesting? I'm always suspicious of religions that require vows of secrecy. What are they trying to hide?
The HBO show is not about Mormons at all, but about a Hollywood version of "Mormon Fundamentalists" which would be considered apostates from the Mormon perspective. They do not have access to Mormon temples, so HBO is lying when they say it is a part of their religion.
ReplyDeleteMormon temple rites are not secret, they are sacred, similar to not publishing Catholic sacraments or confessionals.
My guess is that HBO will base their version on the Godmakers video which is a total misrepresentation of Mormon temple rites.
Mormons want to invade everyone else's privacy (uninvited on doorsteps) and pour their considerable wealth into political causes they support - BUT don't want any intrusion into their own "privacy" - what hypo's!
ReplyDeleteYou do not have to invite a Mormon if they are on your doorstep and they are a kind, hard working people, so stop claiming they are invaviding your privacy by sending out missionaries, that is BS.
ReplyDeleteMormons coming to your door is exactly like email spam.
ReplyDeleteMormons are kind, but they are also subject to scrutiny as are any members of a convert-seeking church.
ReplyDeleteThat's the price you pay when you're weird and seek converts. Learn from the Amish of Pennsylvania, they have rites that I find abhorrent but because they keep themselves apart and seek no converts, nobody gives a damn.
The mormon rituals however, are already exposed online, publishing them is no different than publishing anything the scientologists secrets.
"similar to not publishing Catholic sacraments or confessionals."
---Confessionals are different, they are between a person and a priest. Sacraments have been published, movies like Godfather III have portrayed the Vatican members electing a Pope.
What HBO is doing is no different than any movie ever made about Opus Dei.
So because Jews do not seek converts they do not deserve scrutiny? (I am Jewish but it is a good question)
ReplyDeleteThey, above all, should be scrutinized.
ReplyDeleteAbove all? Interesting opinion, I prefer to think all people should be scrutinized equally
ReplyDelete"Mormons want to invade everyone else's privacy "
ReplyDeleteUtterly wrong. They never force their way into anyone's home, unlike television 'reporters'.
They're friendly, considerate, hardworking people. I've talked with more than a few of their missionaries and never once did they try to force me into adopting their religion, all they ever wanted was to spread understanding of it so I could make up my own mind.
"BTW, how did HBO, with all their equipment, lights, and staff, get access to the church in the first place? "
They didn't, they took some loony idea of what such a temple (not church) looks like and what goes on there, built a movie set and hired some actors. Their representation is about as accurate as the 9/11 conspiracy theorists' representation of what the Evil American government did to crash airliners into the WTC.
"So because Jews do not seek converts they do not deserve scrutiny?"
ReplyDelete---Jews have been getting scrutiny since the beginning of time. They don't have secret prayer meetings and secret rituals. If you go to a circumsition or visit the Lubavitchers, you won't be turned away.
"Their representation is about as accurate as the 9/11 conspiracy theorists' representation of what the Evil American government did to crash airliners into the WTC."
ReplyDelete---It's free speech, it doesn't have to be 100% accurate, no movie is 100% accurate, even reality TV is not that real. If the mormons don't like it, they can issue a statement or describe their secret ritual in detail.
Frankly, I'd think they'd be happy with the publicity, maybe it will make people go online and discover the real rituals.
Either way, it's funny how religions that seek publicity such as Mormonism and Scientology get bitchy when that publicity exposes something they'd rather hide.
All religions should be scrutinized. Snake oil salesmen, the whole lot of them.
ReplyDelete"All religions should be scrutinized. Snake oil salesmen, the whole lot of them."
ReplyDelete---You don't need to generalize so much, there are plenty of nutty secular groups as well. The environmental movement is far more dangerous than any religion, scrutinize them first.
As a member of the Church I would be happier if HBO and the producers of Big Love had chosen not to show something which I and other members consider sacred.
ReplyDeleteThat said, since they have chosen not to respect our wishes not to have something sacred displayed to public scrutiny I, for one, will do nothing about it (except perhaps not watch). The temple ceremony is widely available to anyone who knows how to use Google. It may not be 100% accurate but that isn't the point.
I am pretty sure that they knew it would be offensive and chose to do it anyway as they are free to do.
Likewise, I am free to complain, protest, write letters, lobby the various entities involved and ultimately withhold my support.
"Bobby" said: The environmental movement is far more dangerous than any religion, scrutinize them first.
ReplyDeletePlease provide evidence that supports this outrageous claim. References, please.
"Bobby" said: The environmental movement is far more dangerous than any religion, scrutinize them first.
ReplyDelete"Please provide evidence that supports this outrageous claim. References, please."
Very well, our own FBI ranks ecoterrorism as our #1 domestic threat.
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,343768,00.html
Here's another article from the Anti Defamation League.
http://www.adl.org/learn/ext_us/Ecoterrorism.asp?LEARN_Cat=Extremism&LEARN_SubCat=Extremism_in_America&xpicked=4&item=eco
Think about it, as pissed off as the mormons are by what HBO did, I don't think they're going to be sending letter bombs, or burning the corporate offices of HBO, or vandalizing the cars of the actors in that TV show.
But if you work at a laboratory, if you perform experiments on animals, if you own a ski resort, if you have a Hummer dealership, if you engage in any activity that the environazis find objectionable, they will come after you, your wife, your family and your business.
Environmental movement is not equal to Ecoterrorism. Period. (except in the delusional minds of the right wing wackaloons).
ReplyDeleteThe enviromental movement is dangerous, they got DDT banned, which cost lives. They care more about dirt, and bugs and animals then human lives.
ReplyDelete