Callers besiege TV-3 over religion-themed show's debut (Book of Daniel)

[Thom Little]

Cleveland's WKYC Channel 3 reported receiving an outcry of protests from potential viewers on Friday before any of them had seen the opening episode of "The Book of Daniel," which aired at 9 p.m.

Terry Moir, the station's program director, said that by four hours before the show's launch, Channel 3 had "received several hundred calls and e-mails."

Callers objected to everything from the depiction of the priest to the show's inclusion of homosexual themes. And they expressed an expectation "that it will be a mocking depiction of Christ and man's rela tionship with God," Moir said.

Nationwide, four NBC affiliates refused to air the series. Fueling the tempest, conservative Christian groups declared the depiction of Jesus blasphemous and tolerant of sin in talks with the priest, played by actor Aidan Quinn.



http://www.cleveland.com/news/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/cuyahoga/1136647811261350.xml&coll=2

[AnnInLa]

1. Please see this thread....you may find it interesting....from Louisiana

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=364&topic_id=74797&mesg_id=74797

[ladjf]

2. When is America going to learn that the religious right wing

is mentally ill and is trying to spread their sickness to the rest of us?

[catmother]

3. i saw it and i liked it -- of course i'm not a christian. nt

[FreedomAngel82]

24. I'm a Christian and I liked it a lot

I'm going to keep watching. :)

[catmother]

31. me too. glad you didn't find it offensive. nt

[SPKrazy]

39. I missed it! Watched "Injustice" which must be on at the same time

"book of daniel" sounds good

[peekaloo]

4. "blind faith" in a nutshell.

:eyes:

[davidinalameda]

5. I don't understand how anyone could consider the depiction as blasphemous

I watched--I've seen better and I've seen worse

I'm just wondering how much of this was a coordinated campaign by the RW fundies

[Greyhound]

10. about all of it...

I watched as much as I could take. Looks like the same old drek in a dog collar to me.

[CatholicEdHead]

14. They want a vengeful, not forgiving depicition

[FreedomAngel82]

25. And not someone who is your friend

They had the Jesus character like I've always imagined him. Your friend and someone you could easily talk to who would understand. They didn't like it probably because of the gay son who the preacher wasn't yelling at and didn't send him to hell and all this other crap. They're too OT. And for the record the OT isn't where Christianity is. That's the NT where things aren't smiting like that.

[CatholicEdHead]

38. The OT is also spun

There are many moderate things in the OT/Jewish Torah. Take the Jubily year, that every 12 or 15 year years (forget which), that all property and land is broken up among the people.

They cherry pick the OT as much as the NT (which is usually Paul over Gospels).

[notadmblnd]

15. I'm wondering if anyone has heard any word from the nutbags today?

I haven't read anything about their reactions after the airing.

I watched it, wasn't particulrly impressed wasn't bad, wasn't good. Found myself wondering what was up with "The Wild West" type of ending the acts (freezing the screenshot in stained glass).

[catmother]

32. i love stained glass so i liked that. nt

[notadmblnd]

40. Really? I was expecting to see James West and his sidekick

Artemus at every break. silly, I know.. but it's what it reminded me of.

[janx]

37. You can bet on it. n/t

[rodeodance]

6. people like this should shut up and let people decide for themselves.

[FreedomAngel82]

26. I always thought they wanted LESS government

:shrug: So now the government can tell me what I can and can't watch for myself? Whenever something like this happens I remind them we have freewill. God loved and trust's me enough to make my own choices and to deal with the consequences. So why don't they? Why do they hate freewill? Of course they say they don't and than there's that word "but."

[DBoon]

7. So they have declared a fatwa

and the show's director has to go into hiding?

[xchrom]

8. while i admire the guy in louisiana --

there's a huge swath of folk who will never get to see the show -- the religous right has unilaterally decided for the people in their areas what they should watch.

now that might be ok with a majority of citizens in that area -- but i bet it's not for every one.

and that's disturbing because those viewers will be subject and supporting{?} with their pocket books the decisions of the christian right.

i.e. if they buy the same products that were aired on '''book'' -- who's to know how much they disapprove?

the station managers don't care if they object -- not airing it fits with their world view.

so there's vry little in the way of positve action people can take to show they don't like the mind control of others.

[FreedomAngel82]

27. They're stepping on my rights

And the person who did the show's rights of the first amendment. I've always been brought up with this quote. I don't know where it came from but it stays with me in decisions on positions I have which is: "your rights end where my nose begins." There's thousands of channels and things to do. Watch something else, read a book, spend time with your family, go out around town and do something.

[catmother]

34. that's what i say about smokers "your rights. ..........."nt

[BlueCaliDem]

9. I saw it. I liked it...and I AM a Christian--n/t

[helderheid]

11. I thought it was as truly Christian (not hypochristian) as you could get

and I loved it!

[Casandra]

12. Great Show!

I saw it from start to finish. Frankly, I spent more time laughing with this show than I do with any situation comedy. Loved it! I can't think of one area that wasn't completely paradied, exploited and 'dealt with'. This had the potenial to offend just about every walk of life (for those that nurture their prejudices) Somehow as I was watching this, I managed to visualize some Freeper with bugged out eyes and open gasping mouths, in shock.. made me laugh even harder!

What we've got with this show is 'REAL LIFE' all in one small hour. Amazing idea for this sure to be 'hit'!

[Little Star]

13. I heard on Olberman last night.........

Some evangelical lady saying that the show The Book of Daniel will be (paraphrasing) some lenient forgiving Christ who allows every sinner to go to heaven. She was appalled at the idea of a forgiving Christ as opposed to a vengeful Christ. A guest minister on the show named Joan of Arcadia and Touched by an Angel as two shows that already showed a forgiving Christ and no one had a problem with them. Keith said something like not to forget the very popular movie with George Burns "OH God".

[catmother]

35. isn't christ supposed to be forgiving? isn't that what christianity

is about?

[Blue_In_AK]

16. I watched this last night

and enjoyed it very much. Pastor Dan obviously is a caring and compassionate man, and Jesus seems to be quite like the one I learned about in my childhood. I don't see where the outrage comes from.

[FreedomAngel82]

28. He was a good dad too

[seabeyond]

17. he dies for our sins and they are pissed that jesus is tolerant

of our sins in the show. if that isnt flat out stupid. jesus knows we sin and love us anyway. and they are bothered. they would rather see jesus smite us for our failure

[sallyseven]

18. Tell me that they are not nuts.

I hope that they go down with the rest of the deranged repuks

[seabeyond]

19. they are confused. they are so very confused. they are not nuts

they are being conditioned and programmed. it doesnt make sense to them, i know it doesnt. i talk to too many of them. i talk about christ. i know christ. they know christ. when i talk about christ and then what we walk, they see the hypocrisy. this is probably the time they pray harder, and go to their church more, and cling on tighter, because for them, in questioning their leader, in questioning what they are being fed as a good christian, is for many a questioning of faith. but they are wrong. they dont understand how free in faith they will be if they let go of their leader, and just listen to the christ within. they are jsut afraid. and confused. this is the goal of their leaders.

[AZBlue]

21. Don't forget that he also says he talks to all of us, we just don't listen

And, he has a sense of humor. Blasphemous!

I loved it. I'm not only Christian but also Episcopalian. No offense here!!

[Blue_In_AK]

29. That's straight out of the Bible

Having ears but not hearing and eyes but not seeing. I thought that was a very appropriate thing for "Jesus" to say to the pastor.

[seabeyond]

30. i agree with you both. and how he stopped talking to his father

some time ago.

i think this program is going ot be so good for so many that has been confused but know better. it is a fragile strength the religious right has. tey have gained their numbers in fear and intimidation and smitting. that is not a healthy way of gaining a following. they will always have a core, but that wont be the larger group

[Stevepol]

20. Same thing happened in Wichita KS, except there was a strong reaction

the other direction and the show ended up airing after all.

http://www.kansas.com/mld/kansas/entertainment/13571172.htm

[chat_noir]

36. Wichita Eagle editorial

KSNW RIGHT TO LET VIEWERS SEE IT

KSNW, Channel 3, deserves praise for thinking better of its decision to pull the two-hour premiere of NBC's "The Book of Daniel" from its Friday night lineup. Officials will make a decision about continuing the series once viewer comments come in.
That's the preferred way to handle a controversial show -- by paying attention to reaction from people who've actually seen it, rather than preventing everyone from seeing it.

Starring Aidan Quinn, "The Book of Daniel" is about the dysfunctional family of an Episcopal priest. Many viewers last night probably thought the show was junk, like 95 percent of what's on television. (The Washington Post called it a "mean-spirited, unholy mess.")

But KSNW was right to let all its viewers decide for themselves, via their common sense and remote controls. Instead, it nearly let about 300 people, urged on by the Mississippi-based American Family Association, decide for all of us that we shouldn't be able to see the show.

Does this small group really know what the more than 550,000 people in this television market want to watch? Or that the majority of Kansans will be offended by "The Book of Daniel"? The top shows in the local Nielsen ratings routinely are the icky "CSI" and the naughty "Desperate Housewives."

Most thinking people can agree that what passes for TV entertainment these days is at odds with the values we're trying to pass along to our children. But the best way to fight back is by turning it off in droves and influencing the market accordingly.

When a channel lets itself be bullied by an orchestrated campaign into pulling a program before it even airs, it tells viewers they can't be trusted to make their own choices of what to watch.

http://www.kansas.com/mld/kansas/entertainment/13568170.htm

[kevinbgoode]

22. BEFORE they had even seen the program. . .

can we say "sheeple?" These are the crackpot losers who follow America's televangelista revolutionaries.

[FreedomAngel82]

23. Did any of them actually watch the show?

From what they talk about and from what I saw I don't think so.

[SammyWinstonJack]

33. Because this is what's really important, right?

:banghead: Priorities and all. :banghead: