Sunday, September 25, 2011
Blasphemy and The Book of Mormon
The highly anticipated Broadway show The Book of Mormon opened on March 24th and has been selling out shows ever since. Before its debut late March, the musical received some negative publicity – with people claiming that the play was “blasphemous” and “boundary pushing.” The play’s masterminds – Trey Parker and Matt Stone – were the reason for most of these accusations. Parker and Stone are the creators of South Park, a popular American animated sitcom often accused of offending various religious practices and beliefs.
After its opening show in March, The Book of Mormon received rave reviews, and did not stir the pot as much as many had anticipated. Rather than viciously mocking the Mormon faith, the musical used subtle and witty humor to take a closer look into the Mormon religion. This, in turn, has furthered conversation about religion, faith and what it means to be religious in society today. According to the show's page on broadway.com:
The Book of Mormon follows two young missionaries who are sent to Uganda to try to convert citizens to the Mormon religion… Upon their arrival in Africa, Elders Price and Cunningham learn that in a society plagued by AIDS, poverty and violence, a successful mission may not be as easy as they expected.
The show humorously assesses the Mormon faith by showing viewers what it’s like to be a Mormon living in society.
In her article for The Huffington Post, Silpa Kovvali assesses the boundary-pushing of The Book of Mormon. After viewing the show, she concludes that although the play does touch on some sensitive religious topics, it does not blatantly cross any serious lines. She said she was “entertained, not insulted” by the boundary-pushing of The Book of Mormon. She believes that the show poses tough questions that require complicated answers, and that there is no holy book “malleable or sophisticated enough” to provide these answers. Kovvali understands that a satirical musical cannot be a primary source for religious truth and understanding. The questions that religious faiths pose are too complex to be answered in a 3 hour musical. That being said, Kovvali appreciates the questions that The Book of Mormon suggests. She says:
How can someone armed solely with his scripture claim to know the best way to earthly salvation? Isn't it cruel in its recklessness to promote the notion that serious problems can be solved through religious belief, which after all can't fill empty stomachs or exterminate the maggots in one's scrotum?
For Kovvali, The Book of Mormon “humanized a religious minority that is often subject to mean-spirited parody and immature, unclever humor…” Instead of blatant name-calling and offensive religious slurs, Trey Parker and Matt Stone cleverly poked fun the Mormon religion, and showed their audience how it can often be tough to strictly abide to a particular faith such and Mormonism.
As we have seen in class, the concept of blasphemy is tricky to deal with from a legal perspective. The potential controversy that surrounded The Book of Mormon before its debut reminds us that religious topics are frequently debated once an issue gets the attention of the public. It also poses many questions involving the Constitution and the ever-evolving relationship that exists between church and state in the United States. Questions for discussion include: 1. Had The Book of Mormon been more blasphemous and offensive, should it have been allowed on Broadway? 2. Where do we draw the line legally with cases involving blasphemy today? Should a line exist at all? 3. Do the victims of blasphemy deserve a say when their faith is directly offended? 4. Should we allow complete freedom of speech regarding blasphemy cases, or should we protect the rights of those offended?
In my opinion, The Book of Mormon has had a positive effect on the often uncomfortable conversation that occurs between people of different faiths. There will always be controversy when people express what they believe in. What Trey Parker and Matt Stone have shown us is that, if done in the right way, we can all express our particular religious preferences without any legal conflict or controversy. Of course, blatant acts of blasphemy should still be reprimanded, but I believe that in order to promote religious freedom and tolerance, there needs to be communication between those of different faiths. The Book of Mormon, in my opinion, provides us with a wonderful way to communicate. The irony around the concept of blasphemy and The Book of Mormon is that three of the most controversial figures in entertainment today have created a show that, rather than being distasteful and offensive, promotes a civilized discussion regarding faith and religion in America, and proves that religion need not be a topic of such controversy in our country today.
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