Every year about this time, my theater puts on a program of one-act plays. The plays are submitted from all over the country and the theater board decides which ones they want to perform. The plays are judged by a jury and the audience also gets to pick their favorites. This year one of the selections was a "children's musical" about the Vietnam-era antiwar protests, written by a woman who, with her late husband, founded the Community Theater.
Personally, I thought it poorly written (and rewritten and rewritten and rewritten) even though my sympathies at that time were very much with the antiwar movement. For one thing, if I recall correctly, this was not something that elementary school children (the ones cast in the play) cared much about, then or now (and they certainly don't now!). The ones who were most active were those of draft age (18 and up). By the time that I was in high school (1970's) the whole protest scene was beginning to fizzle out. So I never participated in any protests, nor did I know anyone who did. Yet the kids that were cast in this play were supposed to be playing high school students. Well, rehearsals were a disaster. They didn't care about the material and the songs that my generation sang with such vigor they mumbled their way through. As I said, I LIVED through that era, I thought it exciting even though I was too young to participate, and to see these young people turn it into something dull and boring was amost more than I could bear. It was pretty painful to watch. Come on, show some SPIRIT here!
Ok, we make it through to opening night and the night after that and somehow survived the full run. Now I had invited my friends from church without thinking to warn them about this play. Sunday morning I get accosted by one of them, a big burly fellow I've written about before. To say he did not like the children's play is an understatement. He was insulted. I tried to tell him I did not have any say in the production--if I had, the number would have been cut. That did not satisfy him. He went on and on about politics and liberals and Democrats and so on and so forth. So when Pastor made his remark about Satan and science I was already in a pissy mood. But that was not all. I found out at the theater when I went to audition for another upcoming play that someone had written nasty comments on their ballot about the children's musical. I said "Oh, dear. I know exactly who that was and I am very sorry for it." I am also very glad that he and the playwright did not meet because I do believe it could have led to violence.
Now it is one thing to have strong political beliefs but it is another thing entirely to put them on a pedestal so that they become an idol. What this man did was inexcusably RUDE in my way of thinking. It was rude to me, it was rude to my fellow actors, it was rude to the playwright (who is a dear sweet woman and I do hope she did not see any of them). It was just plain rude. All he had to do was mark on the ballot, I did not like this play. Period. But to go out of his way like that . . .
But you know, I am not surprised. After all, I had been going to that church slightly over two years and I don't recall any sermons about doing unto others as you would have them do unto you. Instead I heard little digs against evolutionists and atheists and secular humanists, winding up with the implication that these people believe the way they do because they have been blinded by Satan. Not because they have examined the evidence and thought for themselves and this is the conclusion they have come to as a result, but because Satan has deceived them. I have heard Pastor repeatedly make derogatory statements about those who object to evangelizing: "Our culture says that it is not popular to tell people there is only one way to heaven." Well, telling someone they are under the spell of Satan or going to Hell is pretty damn rude in my opinion, especially when you have no evidence to back it up except an ancient book. I have not heard him say anything about respecting others' feelings (except as a snide remark) or being tactful. No! If you are not his kind of Christian you don't count. There's no obligation to respect you or to hear your side. And this is where this man is coming from. When we are right and you are wrong rudeness is not only all right, it is morally obligated.
I was watching the movie "Bully" the other night and it struck me that most of its stories concerned kids who were from "Bible Belt" regions. I don't know enough about the filmmakers' intentions to know whether this was deliberate or just these were the areas where people were willing to talk to them. But I wonder if any surveys have been conducted to find out if bullying is more prevalent in regions that are more conservatively religious. It would be very interesting to find out if there is a link.
Personally, I thought it poorly written (and rewritten and rewritten and rewritten) even though my sympathies at that time were very much with the antiwar movement. For one thing, if I recall correctly, this was not something that elementary school children (the ones cast in the play) cared much about, then or now (and they certainly don't now!). The ones who were most active were those of draft age (18 and up). By the time that I was in high school (1970's) the whole protest scene was beginning to fizzle out. So I never participated in any protests, nor did I know anyone who did. Yet the kids that were cast in this play were supposed to be playing high school students. Well, rehearsals were a disaster. They didn't care about the material and the songs that my generation sang with such vigor they mumbled their way through. As I said, I LIVED through that era, I thought it exciting even though I was too young to participate, and to see these young people turn it into something dull and boring was amost more than I could bear. It was pretty painful to watch. Come on, show some SPIRIT here!
Ok, we make it through to opening night and the night after that and somehow survived the full run. Now I had invited my friends from church without thinking to warn them about this play. Sunday morning I get accosted by one of them, a big burly fellow I've written about before. To say he did not like the children's play is an understatement. He was insulted. I tried to tell him I did not have any say in the production--if I had, the number would have been cut. That did not satisfy him. He went on and on about politics and liberals and Democrats and so on and so forth. So when Pastor made his remark about Satan and science I was already in a pissy mood. But that was not all. I found out at the theater when I went to audition for another upcoming play that someone had written nasty comments on their ballot about the children's musical. I said "Oh, dear. I know exactly who that was and I am very sorry for it." I am also very glad that he and the playwright did not meet because I do believe it could have led to violence.
Now it is one thing to have strong political beliefs but it is another thing entirely to put them on a pedestal so that they become an idol. What this man did was inexcusably RUDE in my way of thinking. It was rude to me, it was rude to my fellow actors, it was rude to the playwright (who is a dear sweet woman and I do hope she did not see any of them). It was just plain rude. All he had to do was mark on the ballot, I did not like this play. Period. But to go out of his way like that . . .
But you know, I am not surprised. After all, I had been going to that church slightly over two years and I don't recall any sermons about doing unto others as you would have them do unto you. Instead I heard little digs against evolutionists and atheists and secular humanists, winding up with the implication that these people believe the way they do because they have been blinded by Satan. Not because they have examined the evidence and thought for themselves and this is the conclusion they have come to as a result, but because Satan has deceived them. I have heard Pastor repeatedly make derogatory statements about those who object to evangelizing: "Our culture says that it is not popular to tell people there is only one way to heaven." Well, telling someone they are under the spell of Satan or going to Hell is pretty damn rude in my opinion, especially when you have no evidence to back it up except an ancient book. I have not heard him say anything about respecting others' feelings (except as a snide remark) or being tactful. No! If you are not his kind of Christian you don't count. There's no obligation to respect you or to hear your side. And this is where this man is coming from. When we are right and you are wrong rudeness is not only all right, it is morally obligated.
I was watching the movie "Bully" the other night and it struck me that most of its stories concerned kids who were from "Bible Belt" regions. I don't know enough about the filmmakers' intentions to know whether this was deliberate or just these were the areas where people were willing to talk to them. But I wonder if any surveys have been conducted to find out if bullying is more prevalent in regions that are more conservatively religious. It would be very interesting to find out if there is a link.
