Saturday, June 28, 1997

Being salt in the world doesn't have to leave bad taste

By MICHAEL O'CONNOR / Abilene Reporter-News

Recent studies indicate that salt helps make food taste better because it inhibits the taste of bitter on our tongues, allowing sweeter tastes to come through.

So what?

Well, one of the things Jesus said to his disciples was that they were the salt of the world. I take that to mean that Christians are to act as seasoning agents in whatever circumstances they find themselves. Certainly one of salt's roles in the ancient world was to act as a preservative, but it also helped a lot of food taste better - including some that had gone rancid but its owners couldn't afford to throw it away.

The Southern Baptist Convention's boycott was, I am sure, an attempt to be salt in the world, in the sense that they are trying to preserve what they believe to be traditional values. Unfortunately the seasoning they have provided is more like too much salt, an overwhelming dessicant that has left the world dying for a drink.

I'm glad the Baptists have taken a stand. If Christians and Christian groups disagree with what the world about them is doing, they should say so. But other responses are needed. Boycotts have become a popular form of protest among conservative Christians, especially since other boycotts have been effective.

The American Family Association has pushed advertiser boycotts for years, going back to the time when they styled themselves as the National Federation for Decency. They have often claimed credit for changing companies' minds about sponsoring shows they have targeted as being inappropriate. Most of the time the companies deny any influence from the boycott, and measuring the impact is pretty difficult. Probably the AFA's membership did have some effect.

But a sweeter effect has come from Christians who have decided to become involved directly in the entertainment industry. More producers, directors and actors are openly identifying themselves as Christian.

Some make their impact by producing family oriented fare such as "Family Matters," "Touched by an Angel" and "Home Improvement," a show that is now part of the Disney boycott. Others influence projects they are involved in by convincing directors to tone down violence or eliminate gratuitous sexuality and profanity. And some actors have made their stand by refusing to be part of projects that violate their standards while still maintaining a relationship with the entertainers and producers behind the project.

When these entertainment producers create quality programming that is compelling and entertaining, then consumers watch the shows, and buy the tickets and videos, and purchase the albums. The companies behind the programming make a profit and become inclined to produce more such programming. One group that measures such things says family-oriented programming is up more than 600 percent over 1985. In the entertainment industry at least, carrots really do work better than sticks.

These same professionals fear that boycotts will leave a bad taste in the mouths of the entertainers they are trying to affect - bad enough that they won't be able to sell their next project.

I have heard the calls to join the Baptists in their boycott. I could do so easily enough. I watch very little TV because I work during prime programming time. I don't shop in Disney stores because their too expensive for my tastes. I'm too cheap to go to Disney World, and the Disney videos I have are for the most part unused because they were purchased for children who don't find them nearly as entertaining as they did a few years ago. So sure, sign me up for the boycott, it won't cost me anything.

But instead I think I'll support the entertainers who are trying to make a difference in the world by living their beliefs in a hostile environment. Their attempts are the kind of salt that makes life sweeter, sort of like the spoonful of sugar that helps the medicine go down mentioned in a song from a movie I promise I won't watch anymore.