After posting about gay marriage a couple of weeks ago, I thought to myself, “Self, let’s stay away from controversy for a while. We shall blog about pleasant things like Christmas, humorous world happenings, and your struggles with depression and anxiety. These are safe topics which increase your readership.” Sounds reasonable, right? This was until I watched a TV clip of Jack Black dressed as Jesus Christ. Since I only saw about a 15 second teaser, I wanted to see what all the fuss was about (something to do with gay marriage–DANGER, WILL ROBINSON, DANGER!).
And I stumbled upon this…
But it only gets better. I discovered the video for which I was searching, “Prop 8: The Musical”. Prop 8 is the ammendment to the state constitution which would outlaw gay marriages in California. The video starts with a chorus of hip young folks dancing around in a circle to celebrate Obama’s election victory. Their cheer is ruined by a scary looking man dressed in black who notifies the gang that Prop 8 has passed. Then the hipsters and a group of dowdy church folks (who look like they’re going to a funeral) begin to argue (while still singing), and that’s when Jesus played by Jack Black appears on the scene.
As Jesus, Black tries to calm to church crowd by making light of the Bible. Confusing Old Testament laws with New Testament commands, Black’s speech is a misinterpreted theological nightmare. So, basically, the dawdy OLD church folks are wrong while the young, open-minded hipsters are right (and dress better, too).
Here’s a clip of “Prop 8: The Musical” featured on the Rachel Maddow show::
To watch the whole video, head on over to funnyordie.com or click here.
The thing that offends me most about this video isn’t the content itself, but Jack Black’s portrayal of Jesus as complacent to what the Bible says. He takes Scripture out of context refusing to delve into the what the law means in the historical-redemptive narrative to Christians and he doesn’t seem to understand the laws within the cultural context in which they were written. I know that Jesus being God and all can stand up to puny mortals like Jack Black, but to see Jesus, my Lord and Savior, mocked like this actually hurts. The Bible offers me words of life and it’s ripped apart with nonsensical verbiage. Plus, I dress more like the cool hipsters than the pharisaic church folks in this musical.
In discussing gay marriage here on my blog, I have tried to be respectful. Again, I said that I wasn’t against gay unions, but use of the term “marriage”. No matter how many people disagree with me, I have a right to my opinion. With that right, I guess others have the right to mock me for it. It doesn’t seem to matter that I’ve been willing to enter conversations with others about this issue (and many other “hot” issues). I’ve been labeled as a bigot who hates gay people. Why can’t we just respectfully disagree? Or try to come to some sort of compromise? I mean, are we all divived into two camps–for gay marriage and against gay marriage? Is there some sort of social civil war that I wasn’t aware of?
I have friends who feel I’m too liberal about this issue and others who fear I’m not liberal enough. I’m not even sure where to camp, much less who to camp with. Maybe people can just box me up and throw me over with the other religious zealots…perhaps that’s my “place”. Ironically, I try not to give too much creed to how the world defines me, thought we all fall into this identity trap. Through my relationship with God, I define who I am, free of political parties, social agendas, and all this other stuff that gets people all messed up.
“Prop 8: The Musical” is intended to be funny satire, yet it cuts to my heart. If I’m supposed to feel ashamed of myself for holding a viewpoint that is contrary to Jack Black and John C. Reilly’s way of thinking, I don’t. I’m ashamed of them for portraying people of God as hateful idiots and Jesus as a guy who just drops by to encourage the cool hipsters. And I wonder–is that what people really think of Christians? Is this what people really think of me? And just why is it OK to propagate these cruel stereotypes anyway?
With each question, I can’t help but throw more gasoline on the raging inferno of the gay marriage debate.
She is Beloved 
The answer is yes.
being your favorite liberal friend, i absolutely loved this video. really loved. i think it is right on.
I’ve rarely found Jack Black to be all that funny, so never seeing another movie with him in it and his idiot actor pals, will be no scarifice at all.
I find it very interesting how certian groups in this country simply use the courts to get things done and show little respect to the political system we have established.
The whole thing really irks me.
Personally, I don’t think government should be involved in marriage – gay or straight. It’s shouldn’t be the business of our government in the first place.
I would allow gays to marry, however, if the majority of my State voted against it, then the process has decided and that’s that.
But it’s not. Instead of using the process of democracy, this group will run crying to the Courts.