Date: Thu, 5 Dec 96 10:51:30 -0600 (CST)
From: Buster <jmaroon1-AT-mail.airmail.net>
Subject: Re: Never Again...


At 09:21 PM 12/4/96 -0500, Joe Dunfee wrote:
>>That said, I don't think that censorship is outside the bounds of this list.
>>Having been a victim of censorship as a puppeteer (and probably the reason I
>>feel so strongly about it), I think it highly relevent.  I even have a
>>friend who has changed his entire routine to satisfy the censors, just so he
>>could get work, because schools are now so gun-shy of the the religious
>>right.
>
>>--Jim Maroon
>
> It is interesting hearing from your point of view. I would clearly be
>labeled as being from the "religious right". 

You can claim that label for yourself if you want, but I won't use it on
you.  I rarely place that label on individuals, and was instead referring to
a general movement.

And the friend to whom I was referring in the above is as devout a Christian
as I have ever known.  His programs reflect it to the point of being almost
preachy.

>I commonly hear a similar
>discussions from fellow christian performers... that they must censor their
>shows because of the "secular humanists" in the schools. From our point of
>view, the dogmatic materalism of the schools is hostile to christianity.

That's a good point, Joe, but see, that is because of the flip side of the
First Amendment.  The freedom of religion includes the right to freedom from
religion.  And it is important in a society that is predominantly Christian
that minority faiths be protected in our state institutions.  I'm quite
certain you don't want performers who happen to be Muslims or Hindu or
Satanists to be proselytizing in your schools with their performances.

As to secularism, that implies an absence of religion, and that is how
state-run institutions should be run.  Humanism is debatable.  As a
Christian humanist, I don't see our schools as reflecting humanism at all.

> But in recient years I think things have loosened a bit both ways. It seems
>that the school system has adopted the official view that homosexuality is
>Ok and that sex in general is OK outside of marrage (as long as you are
>"mature" enough).

One of the mistakes made by schools is that an absence of religion is
necessarily a lack of moral teaching, and that is where they have
historically failed.  They are just plain wrong about this, and they are
just now starting to learn about that.  That would account for their
changing attitude.  You and your friends may not be able to preach religion
in schools, but there is no reason why you can't present programs with good
moral values in them, that teach children to be good, honest and friendly
people.

--Jim Maroon
The Storytelling Home Page    http://members.aol.com/storypage



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