Tuesday, November 24, 2015

If you're like me, then...

...you get just a little impatient when they show preview after preview after preview at your local theater. Just show the damn movie already!

There's an article in the Times this morning, "Church of England Defends Ad Refused by Movie Theaters," that you can be absolutely sure will find its way into our presidential race. (Who do you think will be the first Republican to bring this up, Mike Huckabee? Ted Cruz? Donald Trump?)

From the piece (my emphasis):

Showing Christians in public and private prayer, an advertisement produced for Britain’s main church was designed to promote a moment of contemplation among moviegoers as they settled down to watch a pre-Christmas blockbuster.

Instead, it has provoked a ferocious debate over the role of religion in an increasingly secular Britain.

Based on the Lord’s Prayer, the 60-second commercial, which was to be shown before “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” when it opens next month, has been refused screen time in most of Britain’s movie theaters.

The decision to reject the advertisement has been criticized by the Church of England, which commissioned it. The church said it was “bewildered” by the move and claimed it could have a “chilling effect” on free speech.

But campaigners for a secular society argued that if the advertisement were shown, other religious groups might by law gain the right to have their material distributed in the same way.

Can't you just hear the Republicans going on and on about a "War on Christianity"? Oy.

But I think I have a solution: Show the ad. That's right, and if other religions want equal time, give it to them. I can just imagine: first the Lord's Prayer, then a Jewish blessing, then something from the Koran, then Hindu, then Buddhist, then Wiccan, then . . . Just show the damn movie already!

That'll teach 'em.

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