The new NBC show entitled “Book of Daniel” gives one more reason to make character education a top priority: the war against immorality just encountered another foe.
This show counteracts your efforts to build character in yourself or in those for whom you have responsibility. It is contemptuous of character education, presenting immoral role models for the young people you teach. It is blatantly intolerant, in the midst of your efforts to teach tolerance.
Let me share the content of an e-mail letter we sent to NBC’s Chairman, Mr. Bob Wright.
“This is to inform you that we have taken a stand against NBC until such time as the Book of Daniel Show is cancelled, and no longer airs any episodes on NBC channels. We are doing this for two reasons.
1. This show, while claiming to celebrate diversity, is highly intolerant of true Christians and their beliefs. In a way that you would never dare employ to portray Islam beliefs, you make a mockery of Christian beliefs. Then, adding insult upon insult, your network claims, “The Book of Daniel is a serious drama about Christian people and the Christian faith.” Not so! It would seem that you and your network have employed very shoddy, amateurish research to reach such a conclusion. The people portrayed are absolutely not Christians, no matter what cloaks are given them to wear. Christians walk a clear, well-defined road in their journey through life, and that road is very different from the one walked by the show’s characters. It would not be difficult for your researchers to learn this, had they been instructed to do so. It would seem that intolerance for Christianity is the goal, and I object. I have been a Christian for more than forty years, and I can tell you for a fact that this show is not a drama about Christians and their faith – a faith that demands total obedience to every word of the Holy Bible, which includes refraining from any attempt to portray Jesus Christ.
2. The Book of Daniel Show not only lacks tolerance, but is also guilty of presenting very poor role models of character. Character, by definition, is moral excellence, and I think you must agree that the people portrayed in this show are not exhibiting moral excellence. Rather than set before our young people role models of such excellence to which they can aspire, the show offers them role models from the category of dysfunctional and immoral. Rather than give them examples of people who live by the courage of their convictions, you give them people who fly in the face of what ought to be their convictions. You portray irresponsibility instead of responsibility; lack of respect in place of respect; and a total lack of self-control. Those are just a few of many character traits for which this show demonstrates disdain. This is shameful, to say the least.
“Since the show is intolerant of Christians and disdains moral excellence, we will take an active stand against NBC, in our daily BLOG and elsewhere, until you exercise the moral courage to remove this program totally from all current and future schedules. We look forward to that day.”
To read more about this show’s antagonism to character education, click this link.
That’s the view from my chair. What’s your view?