tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6765396600533116084.post3297061655921601475..comments2023-06-30T09:41:37.461-04:00Comments on My Daily Slog Blog: The Book of Mormon Musical and Thoughts about IntoleranceKristen McKendryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16747439425828324212noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6765396600533116084.post-15507752412578244782014-12-01T13:14:05.773-05:002014-12-01T13:14:05.773-05:00That is a tough one. I have had individual convers...That is a tough one. I have had individual conversations with friends (mostly online) when they have been insensitive about our faith in different ways, and for the most part it has been productive and enlightening to us both. I've rarely taken such a public stance. But I don't believe that Christ's statement to "turn the other cheek" meant we cower or stay idle while His name is trampled. I need to stand as a better witness.<br /><br />The one time I really took a stance (well, wrote a letter) was when the HBO series "Big Love" was advertising that it was going to air elements of the temple ceremony on an upcoming episode. I felt sick at the thought. I know a lot of people wrote letters to them. I read an op-ed by a prominent Rabbi stating how disheartened he was to see this happening to another faith. I took the approach of writing to the writers of the show. At the time I was teaching an advanced writing class for students majoring in the arts and humanities (lots of theater and music majors, as well as visual artists). I told them how I often assigned the students to find and respond to professional writing samples of the assignments we were working on (artist statements, proposals, resumes, etc.). I then told them the area I was having difficulty finding samples for or even any decent instruction for my young artists was how to take the sacred of one culture and turn it into the profane. I wondered if the writers of the show could give me any tips of how to so thoroughly trample on the sacred beliefs of a religion or culture while also marketing it to their projected audience. Did they have any tips on desecrating ancient native burial grounds? Perhaps they might offer a lesson for me to give my students on how to mock the religious attire of a particular sect or minority group? I just couldn't find any decent literature or instruction on these matters in all my research for teaching writing to young artists, but these writers had seemed to have mastered the art of offense so completely, I would be indebted to them for such professional guidance. (The computer I was using at the time has since crashed, so I don't have a copy of the actual letter, but that's the gist). Their page assured me that they read every correspondence. I never did hear back, but it sure was cathartic to write.Annalisahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06098685809475565754noreply@blogger.com