In Defense of Joss Whedon by Jonah Goldberg

Thursday 18 May 2006, by Webmaster

I think this reader makes some fine points. And from everything I’ve read or seen by or about the guy, I think Whedon ranks very high on my dudes I’d like to have a beer with list. This reader may be right about the availability of some "religious" themes in Angel and Buffy, but they are to be found entirely in the subtext. The text, is quite a different matter. Positive images of organized religion were nearly entirely absent from both Buffy and Angel. There weren’t that many negative ones, either. But there were more. Witchhunts and inquisitions were occassional themes. Caleb was jarringly anti-religious (though brilliantly acted and written). And, the willfull refusal to weigh-in on the existence of the Biblical God vexed me considering how many other lowercas-g gods there were, not to mention hell dimensions, demons and the like there were out there. The use of the "higher powers" seemed a deliberate smack at both monotheism and organized religion. Anyway, I could go on - maybe over beers some day! - but back to work I go. Oh, I almost forgot. From a reader:

Jonah,

I’m following your conversation about voodoo atheists with a lot of interest. However, I would like to make a point about Joss Whedon. You know he has a lot of skepticism towards organized religion. This is certainly true. He considers himself, if I remember correctly, a fairly firm agnostic. However, he differs from a lot of the people you are listing in that he is one of those rare birds who while skeptical is not antagonistic. He has Christians as writers on his various shows, and shows a huge interest not just in vague self-empowerment sorts of spirituality but also very clear expositions of classical religious themes. I consider Angel, for instance, the most Christian show ever on television.

There is one even better illustration of Whedon’s almost support for religion, despite his personal beliefs. Firefly. On this show, set 500 years in the future, one of the most brilliant sci-fi shows ever, there is the character of Shepherd Book. The religion is somewhat vague at first but as the series continued it became quite clear Shepherd Book was a Christian, albeit a future variety. What sci-fi show ever has religion part of the daily lives and has included a Christian pastor as a supporting character? Every other sci-fi show drifts into that voodoo atheism you mention. Not Firefly. Which is why, among other reasons, it was so brilliant. Whedon put together a show that understood humanity, and Americans.

Whedon may be skeptical but he’s put on television more episodes supporting religion than anyone else. Neither 7th Heaven nor Touched by an Angel were nearly as intelligently and respectfully religious as Whedon’s work.

Please don’t lump him in with the rest.

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3 Forum messages

In Defense of Joss Whedon by Jonah Goldberg
19 May 2006 06:25, by Chiron

I wonder whether or not Jonah Goldberg is aware that for some, "the willful refusal to weigh in on the existence of the Biblical God" on BTVS is a distinct plus. Not all of us subscribe to the Judeo/Christian belief system. Why should a fantasy show be expected to present "positive images of organized religion"? I consider myself part Buddhist and part Wiccan .... and yes, Wicca is a religion. Tibetian Buddhism, although not the ’brand’ of Buddhism I follow, is quite organized in the U.S. But I’m fairly certain that the author of this article was not referring to any system outside the Judeo/Christian tradition when he referred to ’organized religion’. Mostly, I firmly believe that ’Joss is God’. :=)
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In Defense of Joss Whedon by Jonah Goldberg
19 May 2006 11:56, by Kat

Hello Chiron - nice to see you back again, I’ve missed your intelligent comments. I think that the key to the appeal of Whedon’s word is it is infused with a strong sense of morality which not specifically religious but can be compatable with a religious belief - concepts such as dutiful and selfless sacrifice and forgiveness of past acts however horredous are very much part of both Whedonverse and the Christian mythology whilst his portrayal of gods is very ambivalent. I think that any one sensible with a strong religious credo could see that anything that tries to use fiction to educate morally and show the world as it is is a force for good even if the mythology isn’t totally compatable with theirs. To use the Firefly analogy Book is a member of a Christian organisation, Inara is portrayed as a Buddhist and we are encouraged to indentify with both characters and see them as good people with a strong sense of duty. Both the Christian and Buddhist religions are shown to be strongly represented within Fireflyverse eching with mix of English and Chinese influences on the society.
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In Defense of Joss Whedon by Jonah Goldberg
22 May 2006 12:23, by Chiron

I do believe that Buffy (the series) was deepy infused with spiritual themes. You could make a case that the strongest underlying theme of the entire series is that of the fall into evil, atonement, forgiveness and redemption. My problem is not with Joss or the Whedonverse creative people, it is with Jonah Goldberg’s statement about "The wilfull refusal to weigh in on the existence of the Biblical God." If I said I was teed off at the willful refusal to weigh in on the existence of the Buddah as an enlightened being, it would be just as narrow and exclusionary. I loved the way spirituality was represented in the Whedonverse shows. There is an unspoken acknowledgement that the majority of Americans are Christian (Joyce’s funeral, for instance) without anything judgmental or preachy, along with the acknowledgement that the patriarchal element of Christianity, in the wrong hands, can be twisted into something sinister & evil (Caleb), along side the portrayal of Wicca as something inherently positive & affirming of the female aspect of spirituality .... but again, something that can be twisted and misused. So my problem was totally with Jonah Goldberg’s statement, not with anything in the Whedonverse shows.

Kat/Cat?? :)

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