“‘The Chosen’ Under Fire for Apparent Reference to The Book of Mormon.”

Here’s a quaint little story that caught my attention:  “‘The Chosen’ Under Fire for Apparent Reference to The Book of Mormon.”

Now, I’m not even sure that there is an actual reference there to the Book of Mormon.  If there is, it’s merely a passing one, very slight, probably accidental, and pretty harmless.  Or, anyhow, so it seems to me.  But also, assuming that it really exists (if only for the sake of discussion), I don’t see much purpose or much benefit or harm to it.  Who cares?  If it’s really some sort of Latter-day Saint alien invasion, it doesn’t strike me as a very significant or effective one.  Again, who cares?  What amuses me, though, is how indignant some folks become.  Denunciations of The Chosen as heretical?  Calls to boycott it?  The zeal among some people to sniff out deviationism strikes me as really quite weird.

Good grief.

It’s time, I think, to roll a favorite joke out yet again.  It’s apparently by the American comedian, actor, writer, and director Philip Soltanec, who goes under the stage name of Emo Philips, but I’ve modified it very, very slightly for stylistic reasons:

Once I saw this guy on a bridge about to jump.

I said, “Don’t do it!”

He said, “Nobody loves me.”

I said, “God loves you. Do you believe in God?”

He said, “Yes.”

I said, “Are you a Christian or a Jew?”

He said, “A Christian.”

I said, “Me, too! Protestant or Catholic?”

He said, “Protestant.”

I said, “Me, too! What denomination?”

He said, “Baptist.”

I said, “Me, too! Northern Baptist or Southern Baptist?”

He said, “Northern Baptist.”

I said, “Me, too! Northern Conservative Baptist or Northern Liberal Baptist?”

He said, “Northern Conservative Baptist.”

I said, “Me, too! Northern Conservative Baptist Great Lakes Region, or Northern Conservative Baptist Eastern Region?”

He said, “Northern Conservative Baptist Great Lakes Region.”

I said, “Me, too!  Northern Conservative Baptist Great Lakes Region Council of 1879, or Northern Conservative Baptist Great Lakes Region Council of 1912?”

He said, “Northern Conservative Baptist Great Lakes Region Council of 1912.”

“Die, heretic!” I screamed.  And I pushed him off the bridge.

I’m also reminded of Parson Thwackum in Henry Fielding’s classic 1749 novel The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling:  “When I mention religion,” declares Parson Thwackum, “I mean the Christian religion; and not only the Christian religion, but the Protestant religion; and not only the Protestant religion, but the Church of England.”

Posted from Marco Island, Florida