God in America

It has been a week since PBS aired its six-hour documentary "God in America". I thought it was a balanced and academic look at religion in America. Others have noted tahat it was really about religious freedom in America rather than God. I agree with that assessment, too.

I wish the show had done two things:

1. Devoted a whole two hours to the topic specifically from 2000-2010;
2. Devoted 1-2 hours on Islam in America.

I think having a total of 10 hours would have provided a solid beginning in understanding religious freedom in the States.

Also, the program mentioned many examples of "separation of church and state" issues but spent liitle time discussing whether the First Ammendment and the separation of church and state are the same or different perspectives. It was just assumed that the two refer to the same principle. This is a discussion that runs through our contemporary society and will continue as long as we have our Constitution.

I also liked that PBS did not drag out the old theological warhorses, but had younger (and in my experience unheard of) theologians. It was refreshing to hear their perspectives and expertise and added to the quality of the show.