The website WikiHow offers 11 pieces of advice on "How to Avoid Uncomfortable Conversations About Religion." These include "resist the urge to argue," "state an assertive personal policy," and "redirect the conversation." Which are useful tips—and also not too different from the actions you're supposed to take should you, on the course of an otherwise pleasant hike, encounter a bear.
Avoid the religion talk. As a social commandment, it has become cliche for a good reason: When religion is both plural and political, conversations about it can indeed become "uncomfortable." And the discomfort can translate not just to the conversation, one of the smallest mediums we have, but also to one of the most massive: the Hollywood film. With a few exceptions, among them Darren Aronofsky's Noah and Ridley Scott's upcoming Exodus: Gods and Kings, major studios have avoided religion as a topic for its big-budget films. After a period of brief investment in them, the Wall Street Journal noted of Christian-themed genre movies, the industry's enthusiasm has "faded."
Read Full Article »