The Book of Mormon Musical

[Cowboy_Pete]

im sorry but this may sound a little bit jesus freak, but does anyone think that watching south park could be a sin? im just wondering because there is alot of humor at the expense of other people, they have said some pretty cruel things, let me know because im not sure what to think

Only if you consider sin to be something that’s spiritually damaging to you.

Like I said, I’ve always enjoyed the gentle South Park spoofs of Mormons. But last night, the new South Park episode really hit me with a double whammy. Like most South Park episodes (Seinfeld used to use the same comedy formula), the episode focused on two different things:

1. It mocked parents whose children suffered serious brain injury after a vaccine.
2. It mocked people who felt that the world had turned to ****, and discovered that drinking alcohol made it seem normal again.

I’ve always enjoyed a good joke at my own expense, and laughed myself silly. But today, I got thinking about it, and I didn’t feel so good. I was crying so hard I had to pull over, and got to my AA meeting half an hour late.

I almost didn’t make it at all.

Maybe I shouldn’t watch South Park anymore.

 

[mdisse]

im sorry man, i guess i never really thought of it that way. i hope you didnt go back to drinking because of that. trust me the world isnt **** if you find your calling. theres alot of happy people out there & if they can pull it off then so can you! and plus this world is only a temporary place where we’re suppose to live & learn so that when our time on this earth is up, we can live the perfect life that God has prepared for us in the next & perminent world.

 

[londontheatrefa]

I have seen the Book of Mormon a number of times, and although it may not be suited to everyone’s tastes, it is actually rather enlightening. Yes, past the curse words and the insults on God, the message about religion is quite endearing. Many will hate the show however. Did you see it is coming to London [thebookofmormonmusical.co.uk/]](http://www.thebookofmormonmusical.co.uk/]) I wonder what reception it will get there…

 

[yellowbird]

Ressurecting this old thread because I recently saw this musical in Chicago.

I love musicals and am willing to overlook what others might consider questionable content for the sake of art, and its importance to the story. I was emotionally moved by Spring Awakening and Next to Normal, so I am no prude. BUT BOM the Musical was pure trash IMO. The lyrics were horrid - so unbelievably raunchy. The F word at least 75 times - for an entire song it was directed at God, with choreography that included all onstage repeatedly gesturing their middle finger to Him. A running joke was about having sex with babies, and frogs. (not kidding - got lots of laughs) Another word that most consider the most vulgar - moreso than even the F word was used several times. Toward the end of the show, the male characters came onstage with grossly exaggerated males organs attached to themselves and deomonstrated how God wants Mormons to F - a lot - sorry, their words. The “Jesus” character danced with them.

Disgusting.

If this is what the “BEST” musical this century (according to many critics) looks like, I’m sickened by what our society has become.

 

[Skenned]

I’m sorry but most of the replies miss the point.

I saw the Book of Mormon musical. It is not only offensive but blasphemous. It is not only offensive to the Mormon religion (no religion should be mocked, I’m pretty sure the church’s teaching says we should not mock other religions but instruct others in the truth), but it also mocks the idea of a relationship with God. The opening song lyric is something to the effect “$&ck you God” and “flipping God off”. It also has themes where sex is depicted in modern cultural terms and homosexuality is natural and good. There are many sexual innuendo and crude jokes about sexuality. There is a dance with men wearing erect penises chasing woman and dancing as in orgies.

If people think this play is just about Mormonism they could not be more wrong. This play is about how modern culture is superior and people who follow a religious tenet are stupid and hypocritical. The play depicts the protagonist who lies and makes up stories that fool the primitive native Africans into joining the Mormon religion. The primitive natives are smarter than the Mormons because they didn’t believe the made up stories anyway, they just liked the Mormons because they became friends with them and stood up with them in their fight against the warlords.

The play resolves by everybody realizing that it is humanism that brings salvation, not belief in a higher power, or Mormonism, and everybody sings kumbayah and lives happily ever after in peace and harmony. It posits that it is humanistic values that is mankinds salvation.

To sum it up, the play is offensive, it is crude, it is blasphemous, it denigrates God and religions teachings in general, there are no moral standards except a warped sense of friendship, and it reflects the relativism of modern cultural values.

Not only that, I am surprised by this forum’s answers.

 

[John_Lazarus]

You realize, this thread is four-and-a-half years old.

 

[Skenned]

John L

Yes. Thank you for your concern. I did realize the thread was dated. But I considered that 1) it is a thread about the character and quality of the musical the Book of Mormon, 2) the musical is still running, and 3) I just saw it in June 2017.

Most of the comments except for the last before mine, actually described it as a musical a Catholic could watch with little reservation or even trying to parse the musical’s moral attributes…as if there was some difficulty in apprehending its intent or moral viewpoint…really? Quite frankly I was surprised and disappointed by some of the responses. The musical is garbage…a testament to what our sad and radically secular humanistic culture comes up with as art (and the responses are also indicative of how the Church in America and Europe have been influenced by the culture at large. Now there’s a topic for discussion.)

My real purpose was that even if outdated, I could hopefully avert someone making the mistake I did of spending hundreds of dollars watching a piece of excrement dressed up as art (how ironic I can’t use slang to accurately describe it).

 

[porthos11]

I saw it, but would not bother to repeat it if I don’t have to.

The blasphemous song took me by shock and surprise, and while I must admit to some really funny parts of the play, I find that kind of blasphemous humour to be way below the belt. It’s not an “artist” worth his salt who needs to resort to blasphemy and cursing to come up with a work of “art”.