Oh gee, not Glee

Time magazine has an article called The Gospel of Glee: Is it Anti-Christian? I read it out of curiosity after seeing somebody’s tweet. I thought it is odd that anyone would think this hard-for-me-to-understand musical comedy, would be anti-Christian. Don’t get me wrong. I’ve seen almost every episode. In my household it has a near cult-like hold over my wife and son. I don’t get it. In fact, I find myself saying wtf, over and over again as I watch it. But hey, I’m a middle-aged man, the show is not written for me.

Is Glee anti-religious? I don’t think so. Instead, it keeps hammering on social issues like teen pregnancy, infidelity, gay rights, and drug use in an over the top and in your face parade of musical sop. I laugh hard at most scenes right up until the pillow hits my head, if I don’t stop a book soon follow. Still, Christians are too sensitive. They expect a Christian character to act like a idealized Christian instead of a hormone controlled teen. The real issue here is the girl said she was going to keep the baby and take responsibility for her mistake, not matter what it costs her (Pay no attention to her entrapping the wrong father).

It is easy to see his point, if you look at the specifics. In his view, Glee portrays Christians as phonies and hypocrites. He observed that the only self-identified Christian is the shiny blond Quinn, cheerleading president of the celibacy club, who is pregnant by one classmate but pretending the father is another. (To make matters more complicated, in a heartbreaking scene, she begs her parents' forgiveness; in righteous fury, they throw her out of the house.)

Read more: The Gospel of Glee: Is It Anti-Christian?

As I recall it, the celibacy club was full of Christians practicing the skills it takes to avoid teen sex.  One fell. It happens all the time. Does the youth pastor who objects to Glee not understand this reality or does he want all Christians to seem Christ like? I don’t get it.

I can see the truth of Glee in my son’s eyes. These kids are geeks like me. They suffer like me. The fear like me. So what if he learns that the downside of teen sex is teen parenting or that taking drugs can make you act crazy or that children with sexual identity problems have a hard time of it at home and at school. Heh, at least he’s not a drama geek. Those kids are the worst. And… I found the AV club comforting back in the day.

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