Christian protests force series about drug addict priest off air

[emad]

Nicholas Wapshott in New York
(Filed: 15/01/2006)

Several American television stations have abruptly cancelled a controversial series after thousands of Christians protested, describing the drama about a drug-addicted Anglican priest as "a slap in the face to God Almighty".

Four stations in the Midwest have refused to broadcast the show because of the protests, and staff at one Arkansas station received death threats after continuing to screen the series.

The Book of Daniel, which opened on the NBC network on January 7, is about a priest in the Episcopal Church, the American wing of the Church of England.

The Reverend Daniel Webster, played by Aidan Quinn, is addicted to prescription pain-killers, his wife drinks too many martinis, his 16-year-old daughter has been arrested for marijuana possession, he has a teenage son who is homosexual, and another who is a sex maniac.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2006/01/15/wdaniel15.xml&sSheet=/news/2006/01/15/ixworld.html

[zanne]

1. I like that show.

I've seen two episodes so far. I think it's very engaging, and there's nothing really shocking about it. As far as sex is concerned, The Drew Carey show was way more sexually explicit.

[asjr]

5. Sexually explicit is what is happening . They

obviously enjoy seeing the raping of our country. Why don't they boycott that!

[momster]

7. Protesting the Wrong Thing

The 'purity first' folks will protest "Brokeback Mountain" and this series, but where's the horrified outrage over a movie like "Hostel" which all about sex, nightmarish violence, and human destruction. Personally, I'm voting against it with my dollars but I would never say 'God doesn't want you to see it,' which is the right-wing's argument once you get past the crap. At any rate, these 'good people' are protesting 'Book of Daniel' while their children race off to see "Hostel". Which one do you think will do more psychic damage in the long run?

[TechBear_Seattle]

10. As long as it is *hetero* sex and doesn't insult the Mullahs....

Why should they care? You are making it seem like the Talibangelicals actually give a snake's fart about morality and such.

[asjr]

2. Nashville caved. I can still receive it from

my Huntsville, AL station, but who knows for how long. Death threats! How Christian of them.

[Blue_In_AK]

3. Well, thank God it's still on here...

[zalinda]

4. They probably never even saw the show

but decided it was a bad show. It's the same as when they protested "The Last Temptation of Christ". Someone says it's bad and they over react, that's one of the reasons they are called sheeple.

zalinda

[Rob H.]

6. "...staff at one Arkansas station received death threats..."

Way to turn the other cheek, fundagelical nutjobs. Jesus would be so proud. :sarcasm:

[Boojatta]

8. "slap in the face to God Almighty": drug priest or show about drug priest?

Maybe someone has established beyond doubt that no priests are addicted to drugs?

[RiseInside]

9. A Shame.....

Its a shame that we are so sensitive we cant show this. If this is a slap in the face just think what the real life antics of a lot of priests is doing. That might be considered an elbow to the face or a kick to the nuts, or something.

As a christian I feel ashamed at times because of the image put forth by a few. Not all christians are bad like this.