Anyway, some background. I participate in a church youth program called Lads to Leaders. (Or, more politically correct, Leaders/Leaderettes.) It's quite a large operation. We have conventions in Tennessee, Kentucky, and Florida, with a total participation of about 12,000 people. Generally, it's a competition. There are any number of categories, ranging from memorizing scripture, to public speaking, to song leading, to various art contests. However, the one I'm usually most interested in is the puppet contest. You put on a puppet show at the convention, and get rated in various categories. Trust me, it's more fun than it may sound. We actually won our division last year. Never happened before.
Anyway, the puppet show, along with most of the rest of the competitions, has to be in accord with the theme for the year. My problem is this: the theme this year is "God and Country." What in the name of Dominar Rygel the Sixteenth of Hyneria am I supposed to do with THAT?! I mean, last year it was "Family". We just did a nice little modern prodigal son skit, with CD-burned sound effects (by yours truely), and it worked out great. But... GOD AND COUNTRY!? I've been trying to come up with something to use for that for the last four or five months, off and on, and I still have no clue whatsoever. What story could we possibly tell that would be related to that? I know, religion isn't the field of more than two of you, but a number of you write. Surely you can help me out for an idea.
I'd like it to be something that you can relate to. I don't want to use God as a character, or Satan, or an angel, or anything like that. Just humans. Something I could use as an ep of some TV sitcom/drama. How can the concept of God and Country interact with modern, everyday life?
One idea that's occured to me is to do a Twilight Zone parody. Get a puppet that looks like Rod Serling, and set the thing in some alternate universe where the government doesn't allow free practice of religion. Thing is, I can't come up with an acceptable resolution to that. I'd really like something that is related to reality somehow.
Any and all ideas will be appreciated. Thanks, all.
Because it's humans playing god. And they are, er, in a country.
On a side note, I'm confused by:
"Or, more politically correct, Leaders/Leaderettes."
There's a female form of the word leaders? Since when? Are we now going to have high school teacherettes? Are the girls from Biz now singerettes? Is Tim a manette?
"I participate in a church youth program called Lads to Leaders. (Or, more politically correct, Leaders/Leaderettes.)"
So, erm... Who decides who gets to be which? And, more to the point, who pays for the operations?
Or even better, something like the whole Lady Jane Grey deal. Those wacky Catholic & Protestant monarchists! Oh, how they make us laugh...
:::rears horse up & draws sword in true Stonewall Jackson fashion::: Flameboard HOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!
[ September 10, 2001: Message edited by: Shik ]
Why am I not surprised?
God. Country. Deep South.
"The Strom & Jesse Show."
Make them like Waldorf & Statler on "The Muppet Show," except instead of being scathingly funny to the acts, they're scathingly Christian & whine about how the "moral fiber" of the nation is being eroded away by various "bad" groups.
Potential targets include women, rock stars, blacks, Jews, Muslims, Asians, Canadians, & Communists.
[ September 10, 2001: Message edited by: Shik ]
As for the leaderettes thing, I didn't name the program, and personally, I think it's kind of dumb to create a feminine form of a neuter word, but it's not my division.
Rule #1 of show business: "KNOW YOUR AUDIENCE."
Second, this isn't the place for religion bashing, okay? He asked a favour. Either help him, comment on it, or make a funny comment about Tim's trousers. If you want to slag off religion, go to the Flameboard.
[ September 10, 2001: Message edited by: PsyLiam ]
Ten replies now and still no ideas. And I thought you people were creative! 
The only way you're going to get "God & country" to mix is to be nasty, do revisionist history, or propagandize. It's a VERY annoying combination. It usually comes down to the concept of "Our deity can kick your deity's ass, so we as a group shall finish drinking this here mead, after which we shall proceed to run over THERE & beat the SHIT out of THOSE guys."
You could try the Crusades...or...OR!! YES!
OK, here's what you do. Far future. Mankind's in space. Set up Christian refugees trying to colonize their own world. Make it all "Jewish exodus to Israel"-like.
"As for the leaderettes thing, I didn't name the program, and personally, I think it's kind of dumb to create a feminine form of a neuter word, but it's not my division."
Well, okay. But I'm more worried about the young boys who are going to walk in w/ one set of genitals, and walk out w/ another...
And we tell him to shut up for being a racist homophobic bastard.
A: She choked.
Oh,it's hilarious.
http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/fulk2.html
[ September 11, 2001: Message edited by: G.K Nimrod ]
Well, I finally came up with a story idea. It is as follows:
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A young man is in prison, there to await arraignment. He tells his parents that he has no idea why he's there, that he didn't do it, and that he plans to plead "not guilty". He insists to his fellow prisoner the same things. His GF visits him. We discover that she was apparently involved in the same crime that he was, when he promises not to rat on her. So he does know what he's done, but we still don't. They get into an argument over whether he should plead "not guilty", because, she says, if he knows he commited a crime, he should tell the truth. He questions what good it could possibly do for him to go to prison. She leaves, though not angrily. The boy thinks. About what she's said.
Eventually, the time comes for his arraignment. As he's leaving the cell, he finally tells his friend what he is in prison for: he's a Christian. He says that he has to tell the truth, because it's the right thing to do. He goes before the judge, and pleads guilty, to everyone's (or no one's) surprise. When he's taken back to his cell, the prisoner asks him what happened that he's back so soon. Our boy tells the prisoner what happened, and why he did what he did, even though he doesn't understand why he's in prison. The prisoner asks the boy to teach him about "this Christ guy". Boy complies. Fade to exit.
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Now, there is no comedy in this plot AT ALL, which is a first for our group. Straight-out drama. Even though our group's comedy usually comes in the mannerisms and dress of the puppets themselves, I think that humor of any kind might be out of place in a script like this. Keep in mind, of course, that this is a bare-bones outline. I have some detail in mind. For one, you never see the other prisoner. He's on the other side of the cell wall. I thought it'd be an interesting effect to make one character a disembodied voice. The plot lends itself to simplicity: no scenery changes in mid-skit, no complex sound effects, nothing. Personally, I like it. Thanks, guys. I couldn't have done it without you.
Any thoughts? Comments? Suggestions?
quote:
As he's leaving the cell, he finally tells his friend what he is in prison for: he's a Christian.
Well, given the persecution Muslims are going through following what happened in New York, people might wonder "where the fuck are Christians persecuted? Why does he feel the need to illustrate Christian persecutions when Muslims are being persecuted for having the same religion as the alleged WTC/Pentagon terrorists?"
Just a thought.
Considering that this skit won't be performed for the judges for another eight months, I doubt that whatever relatively minor amount of persecution that's going on will still be going on then.
people might wonder "where the fuck are Christians persecuted?"
China. Half the middle-east. And was it Pakistan or Afganistan that was holding some Christians for execution? Heck, even this board isn't much fun at times, let me tell you. This world is not nearly as tolerant as you may think.
Why does he feel the need to illustrate Christian persecutions
That's not the entire purpose of the skit. It's also intended to get people to think about the verse that says you have to obey the law, insofar as it doesn't conflict with God's law.
quote:
I doubt that whatever relatively minor amount of persecution that's going on will still be going on then.
I'd hardly call them "minor" amounts of persecution.
Mosques are being vandalized. An Indian Hindu was shot and killed either Saturday or Sunday. Many stores owned by people of Middle East descent recieving hundreds of death threats. A Subway franchie down the road from me has been closed since Tuesday: the owner is from the Middle East. My friend on the Balt. Country Police Department (same one I did the ride along with) said they recieved two-hundred death threats by noon on Tuesday alone. Somehow, I'd be surprised if they're the only ones.
quote:
China. Half the middle-east. And was it Pakistan or Afganistan that was holding some Christians for execution? Heck, even this board isn't much fun at times, let me tell you. This world is not nearly as tolerant as you may think.
I don't think they were holding them for executions because they were Christians, but because they were going around supplying arms to their enemies. There's a difference. And maybe if Christians hadn't gone around trying to convert native populations (and often using force to subjegate before or after), people wouldn't feel so hostile towards Christians. The Muslim religion, for one, preaches that Jews and Christians are to be tolerated as faiths which worship the same God as Muslims ... just worship him the wrong way.
quote:
That's not the entire purpose of the skit. It's also intended to get people to think about the verse that says you have to obey the law, insofar as it doesn't conflict with God's law.
Explain. Because it sounds to me the only reason he is in jail is because he's a Christian.
Under normal circumstances, such activities would earn the participants a trip to Mars. But as I have (as of yet) not been granted the power to send people to Mars, I'll have to stick to the next best thing.
Omega, feel free to open a new thread in the Lounge devoted to your project.