“Big Love,” Mormons, Politics, and Religion
John and I have batted around the idea of commenting on the controversy over HBO’s “Big Love” program, and have decided not to say very much. I do want to make a few comments about the subject generally.
I think it is important to note that “Big Love,” which a high-level HBO executive told me was supposed to be the next “Sopranos” for HBO, is struggling, and this may be the show’s final season unless ratings improve. The same HBO executive told me personally that HBO would be sensitive to Mormon beliefs and would not confuse the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints with the many polygamous sects in the world today, many of which have historical roots in Momonism.
I guess HBO forgot those promises. HBO’s cynical effort to stir up controversy by televising what purports to be a version of the temple ceremonies of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, which are deeply sacred to committed Mormons, must be seen as what it is: a ratings ploy. By outraging Mormons and goading them to complain publicly, HBO hopes more people will watch their show.
So, in light of the inevitable attention this little flap will generate, here are a few thoughts and related links that may actually be helpful to those unfamiliar with the main issues:
1. The relationship between the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (the “Mormons”) and the fundamentalist polygamist sects is like the relationship between Catholics and Lutherans. They are part of the same faith family, but totally distinct faiths. The Roman Catholic Church has nothing to do with the modern actions and beliefs of the Lutheran Church, and vice versa. (By making the analogy, I do not intend to equate Lutherans and polygamous sects; Lutheranism is a major world religion, and a major force in history. The polygamist sects are very small, reclusive groups.)
2. As a wise man reminded me yesterday: ”If you are a Mormon, and you want to be excommunicated from the church quickly, practice polygamy. All other sins take longer.”
3. Daily Variety, of all places, publishes today a fine commentary by a Mormon reader about the entire controversy. It’s really a must-read.
What does all this have to do with politics? Well, as John and I have argued repeatedly, there is a “for whom the bell tolls” aspect to this episode: When the mainstream news and entertainment media abuse any religion in this manner, they make it harder for people of faith to be visibly active in the public square. The best thing any of our readers can do to support the principles underlying Article VI of the Constitution is not to watch “Big Love” this Sunday night, and encourage everyone they know to do the same thing.
Ironically, most Mormons don’t even have HBO – my family doesn’t – because we prefer not to have R-rated programming in our homes. So if there will be any “boycott” of this Sunday’s “Big Love” episode, it won’t be Mormons who are leading it.
Watch an ennobling movie instead. I recommend A Man for All Seasons:
Posted in Issues, News Media Bias, Religious Bigotry, Understanding Religion | 3 Comments » | 
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Jerald on 13 Mar 2009 at 2:46 pm #
It’s best to just ignore this Hollywood garbage, but it does make it difficult afterwards when you have to interact with other religious people who want you to “explain” your beliefs as depicted by Hollywood, etc., or when trying to be involved in politics because people write you off as “too loony” to be listened to.
This is just another atempt to try to cash in on the “see how weird the Mormons are” strategy. By the way, am I the only Mormon who noticed that during the primaries there were not a few anti-Romney “Evangelicals” that were using “Big Love” and the incident with the Texas polygamy group as fuel for their anti-Romney fire? (There were also several Liberals getting in on this action)
As a side note, I didn’t watch the “Da Vinci Code” either because I felt it was being insulting to the Catholic Church in particular and all of Christianity in general. Maybe I’m wrong, but I didn’t watch it…
coltakashi on 19 Mar 2009 at 1:07 pm #
Another movie readers might want to consider is “Saints and Soldiers”. It is one of the more popular films available for free download on Hulu, apparently with the 2nd highest total viewership of all movies at the site. “Saints and Soliders” was shown in theaters about 4 years ago and tells the story of a handful of US soldiers who are captured by German forces massing for the Battle of the Bulge, and then escape, trying to sneak back to Allied lines with the information they have about the coming counteroffensive. One of the soldiers, a sniper, speaks German fluently, having served as a missionary in Germany before the war. During their escape, they encounter a German soldier who was one of the people the American sniper had converted.
The movie asks the question of how people live their religious faith in the midst of the violence and enmity of war. It is an award-winning independent film with high production values and good acting.
The concept for the movie, and some of the specific incidents, are based on the filmed statements gathered in a World War II oral history project. The one incident in the film that some reviewers have called “incredible” is actually based directly on one of these accounts, an experience that could be described as miraculous.
anna on 15 Oct 2009 at 10:37 pm #
As a wise man reminded me yesterday: ”If you are a Mormon, and you want to be excommunicated from the church quickly, practice polygamy. All other sins take longer