Saturday, April 18, 1998

Jots and tittles from the world of religion

By Tom Schaefer / Knight Ridder Newspapers

The countdown is on for the final episode of "Seinfeld," one of the most popular television programs in years.

Before a record number of us huddle in front of our home entertainment "altars" to watch it on May 14, let's examine the values this show and others like it present. (By the way, I am a "Seinfeld" fan, though I don't endorse many of the values of the characters.)

M.S. Mason, a critic with the Christian Science Monitor, asks: Is there anything good (in the Platonic sense) that's worth watching on situation comedies? Her answer: "While most sitcoms are as far removed from the genuine issues of human intimacy as daytime TV is from art, a few do try to incorporate humane values."

Her "A" list of comedies ("Ally McBeal," "Spin City," "3rd Rock From the Sun," "Just Shoot Me" and "Suddenly Susan") have an aspect to them that "effectively skewers the mores of our time," she says. "They may dress every episode in the usual round of innuendoes and one-liners, but with under-the-surface jokes, something more is going on."

She includes three other programs ("Dharma and Greg," "Mad About You" and "Home Improvement") that she says are "clever comedies about love and marriage that mock the very human frailties of their characters without trivializing their affections."

All on this list, she contends, present a strong belief in marriage and a basic respect for morality.

Then there's her "B" list, which includes "Friends," "Veronica's Closet," "Fired Up" - and I would add to her list "Seinfeld." These focus on instant sexual gratification and have plots promoting the idea that "heartbreak isn't very serious."

"Perhaps the most troubling thing about sitcom sex," writes Mason, "is that none of these characters questions whether all this bed-hopping is healthy or wise, let alone moral."

Although shows with married couples have their faults, Mason says, at least most of these "A" list shows tend to uphold a belief in the value of marriage.

Regardless of your favorite sitcom, it's important to identify the values a show presents, especially if you have children. Without such discernment, you may be buying in to TV's watered-down values -- hook, line and "Seinfeld."

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Signboard on the lawn outside a church last weekend in the Kansas City area: "Coming Soon: Easter. Based on a true story."

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What does the class of 2001 say about its future?

We'll start by providing some context to understanding the class's beliefs and attitudes. (After all, you can't tell the players without a historical scorecard.)

These young adults have grown up with no memory of the Vietnam War or Watergate, but they've lived in the shadow of the baby boomers who for the past 30 years have dominated the cultural and social landscape.

They are the last of the so-called Generation X-ers, and they are taking a somewhat different tack on issues from their predecessors, the boomers.

According to a survey by Louis Harris and Associates, members of the class of 2001 care about making money (business ranks first on their choice of college majors), but only 3 percent of them feel that money buys happiness.

Most are optimistic about their future (78 percent say "I am sure that someday I will get to where I want to be").

When it comes to religion, almost nine out of 10 believe in God (89 percent), and 74 percent believe in life after death.

But when asked about how they spend a typical week, few of them indicate any time spent in religious activities, despite the fact that 57 percent say they attend religious services. (Did they forget what they do on Sunday, or was it merely an hour at church and out the door till next Sunday?)

Granted, one class doth not a generation make. Still, you have to wonder: Will this be the class -- the generation? -- that sparks renewed interest in organized religion? Will these young people forgo the experimental brands of spirituality made popular by the boomers and instead seek more traditional outlets for their beliefs?

As commentators, cultural critics and TV announcers like to say: Stayed tuned to see what happens.

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Speaking of church signboards, which I was doing earlier, I offer a friendly suggestion or two on the subject to religious leaders.

First, please include the times of your services on your board. Many churches put everything else on it but those.

Second, make the signs readable from the street. I'm amazed that churches expect people in cars speeding by to read letters no taller than 1 inch.

Signboards are not meant to be speed reading tests. They're spiritual advertisements, for God's sake. (I use the ending expression with reverential intent.)

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(Tom Schaefer writes about religion and ethics for the Wichita (Kan.) Eagle. Write to him at the Wichita Eagle, P.O. Box 820, Wichita, KS 67201, or send e-mail to tschaefer(at)wichitaeagle.com )

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(c) 1998, The Wichita Eagle (Wichita, Kan.).

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