I almost stood up and cheered when I read this piece - how glorious! How spot-on! How incisive! I'm not even a Christian myself and I celebrate this voice that I *dearly want to believe* represents the majority of Christians in this country. Preacher Gordon, I salute your efforts to take back your religion from the crazed Pat Robertsons of the world, and to fight those who choose to herd all Christians into one fort. True men and women of God (no matter what religion) have the power to illuminate the truth within our hearts and minds - thanks for showing us just what that can look like. =)

Great piece... if I wasn't an atheist, I'd like to join your church.

I'd only add: It's true that the networks do not care about what religious people think of the show: all they want is to make money.

But also true is:The religious people don't really take it personally; they just pretend they do. They are making just as big of a PR campain as the networks. They don't take it personally, they just cry wolf to manipulate the masses of sheep (sadly, very easy to do, one of the many reasons I am not religious is that tendency to OBEY your pastor) and to accumulate chits for buying their way on another issue. PUt them on the defensive now and when they want Janet jackson fined millions for a slobby seamstress, everyone is quick to do as they say.

As an Episcopal priest (and we are usually called priests, not ministers), I, too, really wanted to like "The Book of Daniel." There were minor annoyances that probably only bothered other Episcopalians. (If you're going to set a series within the Episcopal church get the terminology and rituals rights). But those things can be overlooked. What can't be overlooked is the bad writing and preposterous plot. Yes, clergy families are not immune from the problems other families face. Yes, clergy women and men have their share of human foibles. But why burden this family with every problem in the book? This is not reality, this is an over the top soap opera. And the Jesus gimmick is not morally offensive. It's just stupid. Years ago there was briefly a religious drama on called "Nothing Sacred." It was excellent. "The Book of Daniel" is so far just insipid.

The Rev. Patricia Templeton

If only...Mr. Atkinson had a big, rich, powerful patron to help him get his view out. If only...the bulk of Christians in this country had not forgotten how to think for themselves. If only...prideful, 'look how Christian I am!" people like James Dobson and Pat Robertson were not seen as the spokesmen for the rest of us sane Christians. If only....

I think the review of this show is kind of harsh considering we've only seen the pilot. Yes, the writers jumped in with both feet, and in two hours established enough issues to last several seasons. But my guess is in the future all these issues will be played out on various episodes.

I think what needs to be made clear to the protestors is that the Jesus is not meant to be the real Jesus, but Webster's idea of him. Don't a lot of Christians imagine what Jesus would do or say when they have a difficult decision to make?

I am a regular reader of "Real Live Preacher" and want to thank you for giving him a voice at Salon.com and will look forward to further submissions.

And, as he does on a regular basis on his blog, he has nailed the essence of what is going on. In this case with the show "The Book of Daniel." As a pastor, I have had a couple of folks email me about the efforts to get this show cancelled for all the reasons he enumerates in his opinion piece.

I try all the time, with limited success, to encourage folks to "get a grip" and realize that everything in the secular world is not a blatant attack on Christianity.

I just joined Salon and hope to read more of just this kind of journalism. It feeds my soul!

liberalpreacher

Although "The Book of Daniel" contained some pretty cliche' characters and plot directions- it did succeed in sending one message to the many Christians who avoided the boycott and watched on Friday night regardless: Clergy are people too- and romanticizing their existence or placing unreal expectations upon their lives (see "Seventh Heaven") full of sugar-coated wholesome goodness is simply ignorant.

Whereas that other show about a clergy family found on the WB serves as a soothing balm to the wounds within the church, "The Book of Daniel" rips off the band-aid and exposes the churches' problems to the rest of the world. Is this good? That's for each Christian church to decide for themselves- but pretending these problems don't exist within our given institutions embodies the very hypocrisy that so many non-Christians trumpet day after day.

If any good can come from this program, it will be that the most balanced and 'normal' character on the show seems in fact to be the gay son. I'm hopeful that the plot for his character will direct him towards seminary and the problems that even progressive churches like the ECUSA have with gay people. Then the show will in theory create an actual positive change within these institutions, intended or not by NBC.

I too really wanted to like the show, but hadn't read any of the reviews or anything to realize that it was meant to be an over-the-top comic soap opera primetime drama. So my husband and I got through about half of the show, increasingly amazed at how ridiculous it all was, until I realized, of course, they're trying for a "Desperate Housewives" sort of thing, except:

1. Their writing is really bad

2. It's not funny

We too decided that that the son who is gay and adopted is by far the most interesting and likeable character. Give him his OWN show and jettison the rest of them.

After wasting 2 hours on that drivel, frankly, the best thing that has come out of this all? Seeing the review here on Salon, and going over to read "Real Life Preacher's Blog" which is now in my list of blogs to read regularly.

I'm about a polar opposite to a Texas Southern Baptist as you can get (a NY born, former Catholic, now Unitarian Universalist ultra liberal in DC who lived in Texas for a few years and HATED it beyond all measure) but I think Real Life Preacher is my new hero. Somebody give HIM a TV show, because the evangelical/Talibaptists/fundamentalist/born-again/wingnuts need to be hearing what THIS guy has to say!!!!!! And maybe if there were more voice likes his, and less like Pat Robertson and Jerry Falwell, we wouldn't be having the red state/blue state cultural and religious wars and mutual disgust.

Salon, please make REAL LIFE PREACHER a regular at Salon!!!