You all seen this article yet? It's making the rounds on my LDS friends facebook wall. The author makes a case against Parker & Stone for not "getting it" and creating an atmosphere of intolerance for the Mormons. He says,

"I am no Mormon, but I have witnessed bigotry and ignorance directed against this American community. The LDS Church is placed in the difficult position of seeing their most sacred beliefs mocked in a nation that murdered their prophet in a shameful lynching. Broadway has given aid and comfort to the mob of ignorant folk who know nothing of modern Mormonism outside of their prejudices."

Ummm....yea, Joseph Smith was murdered in a "shameful lynching". Sounds like he might not "BE" an actual Mormon, but he's full on apologetic. No one, not involved in that church somehow, would write like that about Smith.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/on-faith/post/amos-and-andy-and-the-book-of-mormon/2011/06/15/AGRlHPWH_blog.html

I did read it, and a similar one from The Economist. Here's what I think is going on:

The Republicans have discovered that their best candidate is a Mormon, so they have to sell Mormonism to support their favored candidate. If they don't, they might end up with a nutcase like Palin or a weaker contender.

The real question is, what will happen after the primaries? Will the Democrats dare take the gloves off and point out the racist history of Mormonism? I sure hope someone does!

And another good question is, what will be the media's treatment if Romney were actually elected (though I'm betting Obama wins again). My bet is that bad press for tscc would slowly increase over time, and it would end up being more unpopular than ever.

I think you're right. I'm hoping, if it's a preliminary love song for the GOP candidates, it's pathetic. I sincerely hope you're right and the opposing candidates will bring up the history of LDS inc and how Huntsman and Romney's ancestors fit into it all.

I have no doubt Obama will win again - especially given the current GOP crop. As much as I'd like to see Ron Paul win, he's not going to garner enough support from the GOP backers. But I'm sure this new fascination with TSCC will turn into a backlash - especially with all the racial/prejudicial crap built into it.

To compare Amos and Andy where a person doesn't choose their race, to Mormonism, which is a choice isn't fair.

I wonder if he would "standing" so strong if rather than a musical about the BOM, it had been about Scientology and thetans and all the weird beliefs associated with that. Would he care that their beliefs were being mocked?

Or if instead of being about Mormon missionaries in Africa it had been about Hari Krishnas handing out flowers in airports. Would he stand with them?

To me that is a comically inappropriate comparison considering the Mormons were some of the biggest racists around and one of the last outposts of discrimination toward blacks.

Using anything about blacks to complain is only going to make people think, "what goes around, comes around." Of all the people who deserve (in a karma kind of way) a turn to get treated like Amos and Andy stereotypes, it's the Mormons.

I agree that Mormonism has to be made to look good for political motives right now. Will the victim card help? Will people have sympathy for Mormons? We'll see.

Any religion can become the picked on minority at any time. You'd think we humans would remember this when we have the advantage of being in the majority but we often don't.

Besides, the point made above that religion is a choice and race is not is another reason the article is inappropriate.