Here are some responses to yesterday's post regarding the "Faith Off" Simpsons episode, which aired Sunday evening:
I saw it and thought it was just wonderful!! It was done tactfully, but truthfully. Bart was no worse than Benny Hinn. Lee Deitz, Ph.D.
I think this show has a lot of meaning for both Traditional Religionists and Freethinkers. The main meaning (for me) is that people respond to the entertaining methods of the revivalist. Also in this session of "The Simpsons", we discover that Bart has 'the Power'... so we see the common person having power in their otherwise powerless life. The movie "The Apostle" describes revivalist methods also. I don't think humanist movements are going to be popular successes until they somehow do the same thing. I think of the success of Ingersoll's speeches: people went for entertainment, for "renewal," for support. I don't see this happening now, but I wish it would.
A clue in the show was the Traditional Church down the road... the minister there trying to do "Michael Row the Boat Ashore" with an electric guitar. Won't work. Need new songs.
Definitely need new songs in the humanist arena, secular and otherwise. More dancing in the aisles. I'm ready for it.
Jeff
The following is a suggestion from David B. Higgenbottom for recruiting young people into humanism. I pass it along with his permission:
"A problem that humanists share with Friends (Quakers) is the lack of music. The churches which are growing are those with the best music, rock and roll and country/western, to attract young people.
"The Chrystal Cathedral does a great job with its music, re-writing the words to old hymns, guest musicans, visiting choirs, etc. Robert Schuler is too long-winded like most preachers.
"If you get someone to re-write the Hallujeh chorus or Onward Humanist Soldiers, etc, and advertise a free concert with commercials limited to five minutes or less, interspersed with audience participation in singing familiar tunes with new words, you can get free publicity from radio stations, television stations and newspapers.
"Some Gershwin songs like _It Ain't Necessary So_ don't need any re-writing, and humanists don't have to limit their music to any one style or era."
N.W.Smith Humanists of Sarasota Bay Area
the webmaster disagrees with this statement that Matt Groenig is a believer. the webmaster has read in several places that Matt Groenig is an atheist/agnostic. i suspect that "he was only kidding." part was their to keep the network censors from being pissed off.
Matt Groenig, head writer for The Simpsons, is a believer. Whenever he scoffs at religion, there is always a "happy ending," i.e., everyone is left knowing that "he was only kidding." He's a big tease!
Charlotte Poe