A student performance of an excerpt from Corpus Christi, a play positing Jesus Christ as a gay man, was canceled this past Friday at Tarleton State University (TSU) in Texas amid controversy and calls for censorship.And why would The Lord not speak to the Gay Community? And if this particular play is Leftist Propaganda™ what specifically is the propaganda?The performance of the excerpt, which was to be directed by TSU student John Otte, was scheduled to be held on Saturday morning as fulfillment of an assignment for an advanced directing class. Instead, Corpus Christi and three other student-directed plays, also scheduled for Saturday, were canceled by the class’s professor late Friday evening[, citing] ... “safety and security concerns for the students as well as the need to maintain an orderly academic environment.” ...
In this Holy Week, I do believe that the Lord moves in mysterious ways, that His ways are unknowable to man, and that we must trust in His ways.
When I lived in the Washington, D.C. suburbs in Maryland and went to a church on Capitol Hill, there were a number of Gay couples in the congregation. From a theological perspective, are their souls of less worth than, say, the souls of the adulterers in the congregation? Did He not die for them as He died for us?
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11 comments:
That old selective enthusiasm for the Bill of Rights rearing its ugly head again...
I don't agree they should have cancelled it, but one has to understand that presenting Christ as such is going to ruffle feathers.
Gay souls are no less valuable, tis true, but some of us view homosexuality as a sin. Love the sinner, hate the sin. I've seen adulterers, liars and the like on pews too, and they're just as welcome/valuable, but it does not condone or justify their sin before god.
To build on the previous point: if you are a Christian, and believe that the Bible teaches that homosexuality is a sin, then presenting Jesus Christ - who is, to Christians, the sinless savior - as a gay man is analogous to denying the divine nature of Christ, and presenting a false picture of who Christ was and what he represented.
Imagine the reaction you would get if you put on a play that posited that MLK was, in fact, a racist...
Um...don't the people who are offended by things like this and speak out against them fall under the protection of the bill of rights as well?
Or does the bill of rights only apply to certain "protected" classes of people?
Christians are somehow exempt from the first amendment right to speak out about things they disagree with?
I don't remember that provision in the bill of rights...I'll have to get someone to point it out to me someday.
Perhaps if the students had chosen to portray something different.
Say...a play that depicts all homosexuals as pedophiles, or even just portrays homosexuality as immoral, shameful and sinful behavior.
I'm sure that the gay community wouldn't have spoken out strongly against that and would have peacefully allowed such a production to go on, wouldn't it?
And if this particular play is Leftist Propaganda™ what specifically is the propaganda?
Probably this: "...an excerpt from Corpus Christi, a play positing Jesus Christ as a gay man..."
Only a true religious wacko would have a problem with Christ including gays among his followers. But given that Christ was supposed to be a sinless man, and homosexuality is defined in the Bible as a sin, I think a lot of Christians would have a big problem with a play that suggests Christ himself was gay.
As for the matter of "thuggery" and "questions of safety and security," well, a certain level of schadenfreude seems in order. Leftists routinely do this sort of thing to events that they disapprove of, then hide behind the First Amendment when called on their 'thuggery.'
I agree with the First Amendment argument on intellectual and legal grounds, and generally disapprove of threats unless the threatened actually deserves it, which these students didn't. However, I find it difficult to muster much sympathy in this particular case. Karma can be a real bitch at times, can't it, lads?
Would have it made a difference to you if Jesus was portrayed as a female gun grabbing, flag burning, Starbucks boycotting, Muslim pimp, little person?
Or was it just that something you except bothers someone else?
I don’t like thuggery either but I can’t complain when it’s the same game and only the cards are different.
Local perspective from me, since I live in the general area and have heard this topic bandied about at both the water cooler chatter as well as local news:
Tarleton has released several of the emails that they claimed to be "threatening". A Local talkshow host on the radio this morning read them on the air. All of them.
You would think that if the college released "threatening" emails, the emails might... Oh, I don't know... actually THREATEN something?
Nope.
The emails were obviously from upset people who didn't think it was a good thing to have a play portraying Jesus as a Gay person. Some of them declared that they wouldn't allow their kids to attend Tarleton. Some went as far as telling the Administration they should repent and ask forgiveness.
None, I repeat NONE, of the emails read on the air this morning made any threats toward the school, the playwright, or anyone else.
The Christian people in that community have every right to express themselves and their displeasure over their religion being mocked (in their eyes). One might even argue that the gay playwright may have intended to illicit outrage and shock through his art. Art often engages the public that way.
I think it just became an easy way for the School Administration to claim "security concerns" and let the issue go - when faced the prospects of loosing financial support from the alumni and local community.
Thuggery can take many different forms. Sometimes its not an angry conservative threatening to clobber a gay guy. Sometimes its lying liberals using twisted "facts" and the media as a club to beat Christians with.
That seems to be the popular sport these days.
I'm not a Christian, btw.
What if they did a play about Judas Iscariot as a gay-Goth man into BDS&M? It could happen but more likely they would pick a more central character.
Why I don't work in Theater any longer.
Glad to see an account of some "ground truth" via Paladin. I somewhat suspected that might be the case; "Lets blame those nasty ol homophobic, racist conservative threats for canceling our play"
Given the frequent incidents of Leftists shouting down conservative speakers, I think this is another case of projection on the part of the Left.
I think the souls of both of my brothers-in-law are equally valuable, though I have only one sister.
Borepatch, I find no fault with what you say, and much of what this is about would depend on just what the "Play" is all about...
But if you portray my Lord and God as a faggot, you are stepping on my stones, and even though I might back away from many fights for the sake of the world and it's environs, when you step on my Lord it's as the same as stepping on my mother, God rest her soul...
I'm not saying you are doing this, by your tolerance, but there are often principles worth fighting for, and when they trash my Savior, then they are asking for trouble with a capitol T. That's even worse than trashing my country, because that's the best of my country...and all our freedoms have their limits, when it comes down to the wire..
If this is what the "play" is all about, then you know my stand. I think followers of Christ are kicked around pretty badly these days, but a hell of a lot less than back when they were fed to the lions. It's too bad more of Christ's sheep haven't had the stones to stand like David did against Goliath, when Goliath was trashing his Lord.....
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