The Compromise Between Faith and Reality

[Totenkindly]

This thought was triggered by reading this Yahoo news story today -- where one of the young actors on "Two and a Half Men" is acting in a contradictory manner regarding his involvement on a show he thinks is "doing the work of the devil".

'Two and a Half Men' star begs viewers to stop watching his 'filth' of a show

Was "Two and a Half Men" teen star Angus T. Jones so turned off by the recent storyline that had his character Jake Harper making out with Miley Cyrus that he's now biting the hand that feeds him by trashing the series he's starred on for the last decade?

No, it goes much deeper than that. Not only has the 19-year-old called his series "filth" in a new interview, but he also begs viewers to stop watching "Two and a Half Men" and talks about how being on the show goes against his religious beliefs...

"If you watch 'Two and a Half Men,' please stop watching 'Two and a Half Men.' I don't want to be on it. Please stop watching it. Please stop filling your head with filth.

Jones also talks in the video about how [his show] does the work of the devil. "A lot of people don't like to think about how deceptive the enemy is," Jones says. "He's been doing this for a lot longer than any of us have been around. There's no playing around when it comes to eternity....

"It's very weird being on a television show, especially now that I'm trying to walk with God, because my television show has nothing to do with God and doesn't want anything to do with God," Jones said... He said that he had considered not continuing his role, but "it's a strange position that I'm put in … I'm under contract for another year, so it's not too much of a decision on my part. … I know God has me there for a reason for another year."

....A representative for Jones, who is reportedly paid between $300,000 and $350,000 per episode for "Two and a Half Men," has not responded to Yahoo! TV's request for comment.

http://tv.yahoo.com/news/-two-and-a...watching-his--filth--of-a-show-212823396.html

Is there a way to analyze this behavior in a coherent way, to reconcile it? Or how would things have to be changed in order for it to be consistent? Currently, it's "God's will" he's on the show and he claims he believes God has a plan, so why would he want to derail God's plan by dissing his show if he has decided to stay on it? Or if he quit the show while thinking it is God's plan, how would he reconcile that with it being "GOd's plan?"

The money only complicates it. I think one of the show creators commented on how it would be easier to take seriously if he would stop taking his paycheck. For comparison, I'm at the high-end of the tech industry (although not in a leadership position), and it would still take me 4-5 years to make what he makes for one episode of this show. And compared to the salaries of the cross-section of audience for his show?

What kind of stances would be consistent in this case?

 

[Aquarelle]

I heard about this on the radio this morning, and find it fascinating. I have no answers though; I'll be interested to hear what people's thoughts are.

 

[Anew Leaf]

I find the whole thing very strange.

If he has this Moment of Faith, fine... to each our own.

But if he actually wants to make a difference then:

1- Leave the show in a respectful manner. If asked about it, I think it is less judgemental to be like "This isn't working for me for faith reasons" than "AMGS ITS A TOOL OF THE DEVIL."
2- Donate money you made from this enterprise to a charity, start a charity, just something other than banking it.

I just can't take this kind of attention getting scheme seriously, and it annoys me that once again the idea of God is being used as some kind of magic voodoo shield.

 

[cafe]

I find the whole thing very strange.

If he has this Moment of Faith, fine... to each our own.

But if he actually wants to make a difference then:

1- Leave the show in a respectful manner. If asked about it, I think it is less judgemental to be like "This isn't working for me for faith reasons" than "AMGS ITS A TOOL OF THE DEVIL."
2- Donate money you made from this enterprise to a charity, start a charity, just something other than banking it.

I just can't take this kind of attention getting scheme seriously, and it annoys me that once again the idea of God is being used as some kind of magic voodoo shield.

This.

Sorry, bro, two masters. There's stuff about that in The Book.

 

[Beorn]

Damn it. Why do we always get the lamest actors on our team? Kirk Cameron, Steve Baldwin, and now this kid? Great. I hope he's saving his money because the next and only job he'll get will be Tribulation Force 5: Two and a Half Anti-Christs.

 

[Totenkindly]

To be kinder to "the kid," he started the show when he was 11 before he probably converted, and he's only 19 now and probably ended up in a position he did not expect to be in -- converted to a religious belief where his actual career and income is opposed to it in his opinion, and he has a contract that he would have to actively break... which, as a kid, he probably still hasn't realized he can do that if he's willing to pay the price.

So his behavior reminds me of the reactions of religious friends I had in college who converted later in their teens and went really into the faith. His opinions might be strong, but he is also really kind of a 'baby' in the faith and still figuring out how to reconcile it. His convictions are stronger than his actual resilience and ability to run the race.

I think an adult with more experience would likely either not say anything publicly, or they would break contract and risk their career and pay the losses if they felt they could no longer endorse being on the show.

Damn it. Why do we always get the lamest actors on our team? Kirk Cameron, Steve Baldwin, and now this kid? Great. I hope he's saving his money because the next and only job he'll get will be Tribulation Force 5: Two and a Half Anti-Christs.

Well, you have Mel Gibson too !!!

Uh... Oh. Sorry.

 

[Beorn]

Well, you have Mel Gibson too !!!

Uh... Oh. Sorry.

That's the catholic team. They got other winners, too, like snooki.

 

[Beorn]

As an example of a more mature Christian who does TV comedies I give you Tony Hale (aka Buster Bluth from Arrested Development).

So are you connecting with the material on a Christian level?

I don’t really go there initially. I kind of go for the entertainment and I like the material, and then maybe think about the spiritual ramifications more afterward. When people ask me about my faith, when they ask how can you be a Christian in Hollywood? I honestly don’t see how people don’t have a spiritual foundation in Hollywood. Because there’s just so much uncertainty in Hollywood. And to know that someone is in control of my life, that I have a Father taking care of me, gives me so much peace when things are so chaotic. If it’s all dependent on me, I’d be completely crazy. Cause then you’d just be basing everything on chance. And the business is so random already. I’d go crazy.

It’s somewhat known that you’re a Christian. Do people put pressure on you to be more vocal about your faith?

I don’t necessarily feel pressure. Maybe if I was doing Left Behinds or something. But after the material I’ve done, I’ve lost a lot of the Christian audience. They don’t even think I’m going the right path. Which I kind of prefer. If they want to make that call, that’s their prerogative, but it doesn’t bother me. If anything, I enjoy having the discussions. If somebody wants to talk about it, I love talking about it. But I can’t be in control of what people’s thoughts are about my being in the business and my material. Cause it’s so unique for each person. There’s a market for people that want to do the Christian films, and I think that’s great. I think that’s great for them. I really do, because it’s all so individual.

http://www.mbird.com/2009/07/tony-hale-controls-world-mockingbird/

 

[chickpea]

i mean.. i agree that the show is filth but probably for completely different reasons than him. i feel that his opinion's pretty pointless as long as he's still cashing his paychecks. he apparently is worth 20 million. filth pays.

 

[Totenkindly]

That's the catholic team. They got other winners, too, like snooki.

OMG. I'm so sorry... honestly.

 

[UniqueMixture]

Is there a way to analyze this behavior in a coherent way, to reconcile it? Or how would things have to be changed in order for it to be consistent?

Resentment against mummy and daddy for turning him into a child actor?

 

[SilkRoad]

This.

Sorry, bro, two masters. There's stuff about that in The Book.

What [MENTION=13402]Saturned[/MENTION] said, and this.

It just doesn't make any sense the way he puts it. "This show is filth, and a tool of the devil, but I'm going to finish out the contract, because that's God's will and plan for me." Sorry, any way you look at it - as person of faith or of no faith, I'd say - that makes no sense. It just makes him look greedy and hypocritical. If he really has these strong convictions about the show, he should just leave it now.

 

[garbage]

The last time one of the main actors on this show became so outspoken and contrarian, they gave his character a gritty, offscreen death. Then again, Robert Pattinson set a huge precedent for hating on one's own major franchise and cash cow--so maybe it'll be shrugged off.

But could he leave his contract, even if he wanted to? He could make an absolutely moral stand to the point of, say, ruining the rest of his life or his career or going to jail or what have you--I have no idea what the consequences of breaching contract would be--but I doubt that many of us would go nearly that far for our own convictions.. especially at an age where one's still trying to find one's convictions.

 

[Pseudo]

I heard about this. I also heard he was having alcohol and drug problems which caused him to reevaluate his life and turn more to his faith. He's still young, dealin with a lot of money and publicity and probably pressure from agents, family, employers ect. I heard this was something he said before talking to producers so I'm guessing it was sort of I calculated and off the cuff.

I agree that continuing to accept money for something you find "filthy" while public ally denouncing it seems hypocritical but I'm guess he's a bit overwhelmed at the moment.

Other people might go through the same crisis of not believing they are doing wrong things but also scared to drastically change their lives to follow something a lot of other people might not understand. But those people get away with saying this stuff because they aren't saying it to the press.

 

[Lark]

See this a real damn problem if you believe in predestination, now I've read the discourse on free will between Erasmus and Luther and solidly believe that Erasmus won the day in that debate, also he comes of as the more modern thinker in a positive sense of that word, its rational and logical what he says about free will, its supported by scriptures too, although he gives a good explanation as to why he wouldnt rely on scripture in the way that Luther does.

Calvin too took the error even further, God is a moral monster if you accept predestination as posited by either Luther or Calvin, as Erasmus said, and that was exploited by the atheists who were sort of the "protestants protestants".

So, I do not necessarily believe that appearing in that show is part of God's plan for that guy, perhaps acting is, perhaps getting the word out is, I dont know that guy could only know that himself, through discernment and private conscience.

I dont believe that he's hypocritical or not worth listening to or shouldnt take a position on the moral messages in the show because he's paid to perform, its an imperfect world and its not possible therefore to be a perfect witness, Thomas Aquinas made arguments against communism in property on this basis, I'm more of a communist than him but I understand what he was meaning.

 

[Rasofy]

Kids aren't meant to be exposed to religion. Some of them end up taking it seriously.

 

[Lightyear]

To be kinder to "the kid," he started the show when he was 11 before he probably converted, and he's only 19 now and probably ended up in a position he did not expect to be in -- converted to a religious belief where his actual career and income is opposed to it in his opinion, and he has a contract that he would have to actively break... which, as a kid, he probably still hasn't realized he can do that if he's willing to pay the price.

So his behavior reminds me of the reactions of religious friends I had in college who converted later in their teens and went really into the faith. His opinions might be strong, but he is also really kind of a 'baby' in the faith and still figuring out how to reconcile it. His convictions are stronger than his actual resilience and ability to run the race.

I think an adult with more experience would likely either not say anything publicly, or they would break contract and risk their career and pay the losses if they felt they could no longer endorse being on the show.

This.

When I was 19 and a newly converted Christian I went through the same superfundamentalist phase. But I didn't have the press in my face recording everything I said. He is young, he is confused, there is pressure from agents, parents etc. I feel sorry for him more than anything and hope things work out.

 

[Totenkindly]

The last time one of the main actors on this show became so outspoken and contrarian, they gave his character a gritty, offscreen death. Then again, Robert Pattinson set a huge precedent for hating on one's own major franchise and cash cow--so maybe it'll be shrugged off.

But could he leave his contract, even if he wanted to? He could make an absolutely moral stand to the point of, say, ruining the rest of his life or his career or going to jail or what have you--I have no idea what the consequences of breaching contract would be--but I doubt that many of us would go nearly that far for our own convictions.. especially at an age where one's still trying to find one's convictions.

I don't know what his contract says, but I assume there is standard boilerplate out there for actors on tv shows?

I did a little Googling and came up with a general assessment of what can happen when one breaks a contract:

If a person breaks a contract he/she will be liable for all monetary damages that reasonably flow from the breach. This is strictly a civil liability. There are no criminal penalties involved in breaching a contract per se.

In addition to being liable for monetary damages, the person breaching will lose all rights to enforce the contract against the other party in the event that it becomes desirable to reinstate the contract.

Further, in certain circumstance, the other party can go to court to force the breaching party to perform what is required under the terms of the contract whether he/she wants to or not.

Certain exceptions to the rule on responsibility for damages exist. A contract for personal services may be breached and the other party simply has no obligation to pay the person breaching the contract. The breaching party cannot be forced to perform the services under the contract mainly because the Thirteenth Amendment to the US Constitution abolished slavery and involuntary servitude.

Here's a statement with overviews of a bunch of legal cases, including a few acting ones, and the outcomes:
http://www.law.nyu.edu/ecm_dlv2/gro...iation/documents/documents/ecm_pro_063763.pdf

But I think the gist probably is that (1) he might have to pay damages, aside from losing the pay from whatever episodes he did not perform and (2) it could dissuade other shows from hiring him because he's a risk. Those are the two major things I can imagine.

But honestly, as I said, the kid is making $350K an episode at age 19. I've been working in my field for 20 years with a college education and it would take me 4-5 years to make that. (Just think -- after three episodes at this point in his career, he is a millionaire.... and he is *19*.) Regardless of what he does, he's definitely NOT going to be hurting for money compared with any 19-year-old kid who was never on a TV show; and he's probably going to make many times over what I'LL be making in a life time, and I've got a decent career. SO I don't see money as a risk; I see his career as a risk; but I've never watched the show, so I don't even know if this kid has any acting skills and a career ahead of him with TV/movies.

 

[miss fortune]

wow... that's like saying "this food is awful!" and continuing eating it anyways... one of those things that makes you think "wow... I'm really dealing with a BRIGHT one here!"

if he really felt that against it I'm sure that he wouldn't accept the money that he's paid for doing "the devil's work"... it's not like he doesn't have plenty of money as it is... he could probably even find some way out of his contract if he really feels that strongly

I'm not particularly religious (agnostic) but to continue being paid $300k + per episode for something that he believes is evil seems kind of hypocritical to me in a way...

 

[Lark]

This.

When I was 19 and a newly converted Christian I went through the same superfundamentalist phase. But I didn't have the press in my face recording everything I said. He is young, he is confused, there is pressure from agents, parents etc. I feel sorry for him more than anything and hope things work out.

Ha! I never experienced the zeal of the converted but I do think that he's just young and the media attention will be unfair to him, the christians will think he's bad press, the athiestic liberals will make him a fool or hypocrite.