Book of Mormon musical

My friend posted this article on her facebook.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/on-faith/post/amos-and-andy-and-the-book-of-mormon/2011/06/15/AGRlHPWH_blog.html

There was some disagreement on her wall about what was said in the article. Here's what I responded.

I listened to the songs and wholeheartedly agree with the article and feel grateful that someone would say this. The play is funny and does have some commentary that we as mormons would do good to correct in ourselves. Overall however, there is no commentary in the play that makes you think or question. It only leaves you with the message of 'what fools.' There are themes and questions that people both in and outside of religion all face that this musical absolutely failed to address, rather it widened the gap and misunderstanding between the two groups.

In john lennon's Imagine, it asks us to imagine a world without religion, what a peaceful world it would be. I say this too completely misses the mark. It is not religion, but rather difference that causes conflict. And you try to take away differences within people, you lose everything that's beautiful about life. This is the same failure the BoM musical makes. Rather than address how we try to cope with the differences that are bound to cause conflict, it demonized, it simplified, it stereotyped, it hated.

I'm learning more and more that things are not so certain, that things are a lot more grey, and beautiful because of it. It is clear that both the conservative religious as well as the audience of this musical would rather things be only black and white. For there only to be right and wrong, unable to deal with ambiguity. To fit things into neat little boxes where you are either evil or a saint. I cannot support this.