THE BOOK OF MORMON

Finally, the Broadway success has arrived in Los Angeles.  I saw it and I liked it. Besides, with a Mormon running for the Republican ticket, the Mormon religion is getting a lot of attention. This farce helps to debunk the "sect" label of Mormonism and underscores the absurdities that are the backbone of every religion. The jokes never cross the line of disrespect and do not venture into the more tumultuous waters as Bill Maher or Christopher Hitchens do, with relish. 

Contrary to what happens in America, the religious narrative no longer appeals to Western Europe.  True, Western Europeans have become generally disconnected from religion.  Hence they tend to look with bewilderment at the proliferation of churches and God talk in the US. The same goes mutatis mutandis for the Muslims in Europe, who are more often seen as Huns than believers.  Paradoxically perhaps, the religious diversity which in America goes from the vulgar to the morally respectful might also help the Muslims to integrate better. The United States is a society which has not thrown God under the bus, while in Europe it is becoming gauche to mention God.  Churches are empty when not transformed into restaurants.  Parishes disappear because of "lack of service" and the Pope laments about the fading Christendom in his close realm.  Other forms of devotion which flourish in the United States and elsewhere also find few followers on the other side of the Atlantic, where God is almost becoming an unspoken word.

The "Book of Mormon" success story is the more remarkable given the socio-cultural American fabric, where mega-churches, sects and "Christian fatwas" abound and where the cross sits comfortably in between silicone Hollywood breasts, underscoring Hitchens' dictum:  "god is not great"   ...Hence there is room.

Meanwhile, God will continue to bless America (with what?) and the mint will remain the "In God We Trust" currency of Stuart Mill's descendants. As long as there is time for comedy all this becomes more palatable. The neo-cons will lament yet again about the war against Christmas, which looms larger in their little minds than the wars in Afghanistan and elsewhere.  True, I doubt that the European encyclopedists ever occupied a prominent role in their upbringing, as was the case with the founders of the Republic.  The belated sexual outrage following the scandals in church, boy scouts and the outings or bullying of gays and minorities risk also to be short-lived, contrary to what happened in Europe, where similar situations accelerated the decomposition of the corpse.

It might sound strange to attach importance to a Broadway play but there is "a play within the play."  There is trenchant humor and wit in this comedy of errors. The public stays, cheers and ends up applauding what is in fact an indictment of the religious machine in general.  Religion per se is not on trial here.  One deals more with Gogol's dead souls than with arithmetic of believers.  Spectators leave the show, after having enjoyed two hours, feeling liberated from dogma and ridiculous theology. The winners are reason, humor, and also outrage after realizing that we have been fed for too long with toxic fairy tales.  In the end we arrive at Pascal's cynical conclusion:  "If you believe in God, and there is a God, you win.  If you believe in him and you are wrong, so what?"   I think Pascal's "wager" would make for a good show as well.