Drag Show Mass "Will Be Addressed." Nothing Yet



A drag show created and performed on the campus of the Un. of Nebraska was criticized by the local Neuman Center priest, some Catholic Students and another local Catholic clergy or two. It was created as a gay/trans right project incorporating academic and religious study of gay discrimination.  

The University President apologized to those who were offended by the word "Mass" in the work's title. He promised to take the matter seriously and see that such offensive performances are not done on the campus. To this end, he promised to refer the issue to a panel of community and academic leaders who would develop a policy which would be used in the future to decide what material could be presented.

The esteemed panel was to have started its work by the end of summer. The link author inquired around campus as to what has happened to esteemed panel project. He found no one who would say anything has happened or the any such work is under way. There seems to be no such discussion going on or any  coming. Perhaps we can speculate as to why this idea has gone nowhere.

My guess is that some calls were made to notable people the President expected would lift the responsibility from him of deciding what is presented on his campus. There were no takers is my additional guess. Why would any busy person want to sit through hours of arguments between opposing views, each of which have large constituencies? Then, the decision with your name on it would lose friends, relatives and customers. "Thanks for asking but I'll have to take a pass" likely would have been the most common answer. 

The better approach of the President would have been, "This event was offensive to many on our campus and in our community. The best reaction for anyone who is offended is to not attend." 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Ancient God, Bel (Baal), the Main Character in an Ancient Play

Image
In a British museum is a preserved stone tablet from Babylon. It dates to about 2,000 BCE. Someone labored patiently to inscribe an entire passion play featuring the god Bel. I reiterate this is a stone tablet, not a recopied papyrus. The play begins with the god Bel arrested by soldiers and taken off the stage. He reappears at a trial in the Hall of Judgement. Bel is innocent but is sentenced to death. In the next scene Bel is accosted by a mob. He is despised and rejected. The actor playing Bel is then taken by guard to a hilltop in a sacred grove. Two criminals are taken with him. One of these is released. The the audience then leaves the theater and follows the actor Bel and his guards to the top of a hill where the death scene is enacted by hanging from a tree. The audience returns to the theater for the dramatic final scenes. The dead Bel is stripped and prepared for burial. On a theatrical hill to the side of the stage is a tomb where the body is placed. A stone is rolle...
Read more

What Was the "Argument" in the Election

Image
I hate to add my blog to the piles of blogs and pundits analyzing and pondering the meaning of the just passed election. But that's what I feel like doing today. I've always like Senator Ted Cruz's summary of politics. He once said, "First, win the argument. Then, win the election." I think there is a way of applying that to anti abortion Catholics and Protestants. The link talks of Catholics who now feel they have no political home because Republicans let them down with Trump but they remain against abortion rights. Taking Cruz's win-the-argument thesis, I'd call the past election about an argument between two groups. One group's argument was, "Trump's a jerk." The other's argument was, "Abortion is wrong." The group, "Trump's a jerk," won the argument and then the election.  While one can argue the election, or any election, it about more complex issues, I believe in the end elections hinge on very simple ar...
Read more

Time to Forget the Christian Nation Thing

Image
While women are forbidden from being priests/preachers in some branches of Christianity thank goodness they are not forbidden from writing and lecturing about Christianity. A great article about the "Christian nation" notion shows us the U.S. is not a Christian nation and hopefully never will be. It is written by a woman with nerve and was published on a very Christian site, Christian Post.  Among the pilgrims were a few that wanted to establish a utopian Christian society. Some of their brethren stayed behind in Europe hoping the push aside worldly forces there and bring sinners to God. Today, whether it is the anti abortion, anti gay/trans, anti immigration or the put prayer back in schools branch there are those who want a version of what some pilgrims wanted, a utopian Christian society. The pilgrims were disappointed. Today's Christian utopians will be also. Here is why. The children of pilgrims did not believe the same things as their parents. Parents were roundly d...
Read more