Re: Saving Grace

On Aug 14, 8:01 pm, "Rich Clark" <rdclark2S...@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
<luv4n...@xxxxxxx> wrote in message

news:1187133136.211276.9190@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

I am not comfortable as a Christian with how the show makes it appear
that all paths to God are great. As a Christian I believe you can't
find that path without Christ. However, I appreciate anything that
will encourage folks to seek their creator and the one who loves them
more than they can ever imagine. As long as Jesus Christ is held in
the sacred light he deserves, I will watch the show.

This is the interesting aspect of the show, for me.

Other fantasy series -- Buffyverse, Charmed, Dresden Files, X-Files,
whatever -- largely make use of belief systems that are uncommonly held in
the US, the shows' primary market. So treating those belief systems as
fantasy elements is easy for the audience.

It's always an interesting challenge when a show attempts to use the
Judeo-Christian system as the basis for its fantasy. Sure, you get a little
of it with Hellboy or John Constantine, but even these tend to shy away from
the New Testament elements.

But nearly all of us, whether we're believers or not, are so immersed in the
symbology and subtleties of modern Christianity that creating a fantasy
series based on it has a whole different set of issues from standard
fantasies.

First among these is respect. It may be hard for many of us to tell how a
Buffy writer felt, or how much she might have known, about Wicca, but it's a
lot harder for a writer to treat Christianity lightly, or play with it
tongue-in-cheek.

Then comes the unpredictability of viewer response. Few other fantasy shows
have had to deal with a clear division in the audience between those who
feel that they're watching a fictional portrayal of reality versus those who
understand the whole thing as fantasy. How do you write in such a way as to
not offend the former while not appearing to preach to the latter?

I applaud the show simply for having the balls to make the attempt. They may
have to be more careful than I'd like in pursuing the parts of the story
that challenge the Godness of it all, but I recognize that for every one of
me there's someone like the OP who doesn't even ask that question.

(Written after seeing only the first two episodes.)

r

r

I agree making a fantasy about religion is a difficult ticket. But,
everything we watch and take in effects us one way or another.

Fantasy or not, I could never be ok with sacrilege. I don't think
fantasy or humor gives us the right to be disrespectful to any
religion. As long as the joke or the fantasy is obviously a joke and
not a smear or an underhanded jab, I can live with it. After all
comedy and imagination or intregal to an enjoyable life and good
feelings. Just like anyone if I don't like it I can walk away or turn
it off.

However, more and more I see television and the media use it as a tool
to manipulate us into a way of thinking. We have a responsibility to
disect what is put in front of us, if not for ourselves at least for
those who are innocent and gullible. Faith, no matter what your faith
is, doesn't make you small and stupid. Some would like shows that
would teach that lesson. Thanks for responding to my post.

PenPen


.

Relevant Pages

  • Re: Saving Grace
    ... Other fantasy series -- Buffyverse, Charmed, Dresden Files, X-Files, ... fantasy elements is easy for the audience. ... symbology and subtleties of modern Christianity that creating a fantasy ... Buffy writer felt, or how much she might have known, about Wicca, but it's a ...
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  • Re: Hard fantasy
    ... which the reader may well regard as fantasy. ... As Martin Kaletsch noted in passing, other religions besides ... Christianity would work here. ...
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  • Re: The One TRUE Bible
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