Should An Atheist Be In A Jesus Musical?
An outspoken atheist, Tim Minchin, an Australian musician and comedian, has bewildered some folks because of his decision to appear in a production of “Jesus Christ Superstar.” They needn’t be bewildered. First, he’s playing Judas not Jesus. Second, a lot of Christian believers don’t like the musical’s take on Christ anyway: turning him into a “mere” superstar. So why criticize Minchin? Third, plenty of rationalist, non-religious people throughout history have admired Jesus and many of his teachings. Minchin is merely one more of them. I’d be more inclined to criticize him for participating in the show itself, but then I’m not a fan of this particular musical. I much prefer its eventual Lloyd Webber successor, “Evita.”
