Because the "old Jesus" is so uncool and out-of-date

(I speak as a fool.)

Apparently the world isn't scary enough with Jan Crouch's hair on the loose. NBC feels compelled to inflict a new religious show on a jaded, clueless American public.

It's about a committed Christian pastor, who regularly preaches Christ-centered sermons from the Hebrew and Greek Scriptures. Though a flawed man, he is a fully-realized, compassionate, principled, sympathetic character who consistently seeks to live out his Biblical faith. The series will show him in a series of gritty, realistic situations, putting to practice his faith in Christ amid a hostile society.

Hahahaha, had you going! As if! I get the impression these Hollywood folks have never personally known even one practicing Christian, judging by their inability to create one for a show.

No, it's about one of the two kinds of good clergymen Hollywood knows: total apostates, and "conflicted" clergy. Since this one is a "conflicted Episcopalian priest," he may be the Daily Double.

I can see the suits coming up with this idea now. They're in a smoke-filled... er, brie-filled backroom, scratching their heads, at a loss.

Suddenly one jumps up. "I know what to do!" Heads raise wearily. "We've lost the 'Left Behind' fundies, and the 'Passion' Roman Catholics, right?" Expressions do not change. "Well, we can get them both in one show! We'll call it 'The Book of Daniel,' and get the Bible-thumpers. Only... only Daniel will be some priest's name, not the Bible book. He'll be a cool priest, you know, with questions and issues and all, not some fire-and-brimstone theocrat. And we'll have Jesus talk to him." Looking at the alarmed faces, he hastily adds, "Well, not that Jesus. He'll be a cool, contemporary, modern-day Jesus... so we don't lose our current demographic."

And so the perennial cycle repeats. Not content with a Bible they don't believe, understand, nor practice, religious types bury it under additional books and doctrines that end up replacing the word of God with the traditions of men (Mormons, Roman Catholics), and the irreligious just make it up entirely, and/or concoct wild tales to distract interest from it (Passover Plot, da Vinci Code).

Anything but just deal with what's there.

You know, on reflection, that last sentence could summarize our generation.