Gimmeabreak

According to CNN, NBC has edited all non-historical references to God and the bible out of the Veggie Tales they air.

Fercryinoutloud.

This is what NBC has to say:

"VeggieTales" is the award-winning 3-D animated series that teaches values like honesty, kindness and forgiveness in a delightfully wacky way. The series follows the hilarious adventures of Bob the Tomato, Larry the Cucumber and a bushel full of their vegetable friends as they learn important life lessons. Each episode includes infectious "Silly Songs," usually sung by Larry the Cucumber, that help reinforce the values-based message. Since then, over 50 million DVD/VHS units have been sold, along with 7 million audio CD's and 10 million books."

But even the tagline "God made you special and He loves you very much" had to go.

As quoted at Townhall.com

"So, saying 'F--- you' is protected First Amendment speech on NBC but not 'God bless you."

Also on Townhall.com

"The cartoon's creator, Phil Vischer, posted on his personal Web log the news of NBC's increasing creative stranglehold. "At first we were told everything was 'OK' except the Bible verse at the end. Frankly, that news (never) really surprised me, because, heck, we're talking about NBC here. (Would they allow) God on Saturday morning? It didn't seem likely."

But it grew worse than that edict, Vischer reported: "Since we've started actually producing the episodes, though, NBC has gotten a little more restrictive." How so? He said, "We're having to do a little more editing." How much? So much so that Vischer implied that the God talk is landing on the cutting-room floor. Now, he's merely hoping that people will "maybe wander into Wal-Mart and buy a video with all the God still in."

My kids were HUGE fans of veggie tales when they were smaller. We had them all and watched them til they wore out.

I will be the first to admit that they were traditionally conservative evangelical and that I didn't always jive with them in their approach. But they are kids shows, not meant to teach deep theology but meant to entertain.

I never expected Veggie Tales to teach faith to my kids. I just loved the fact that I could buy one and stick it in the player without having to pre-screen it and never had to worry about what my kids would see. You could say this is true about many other kids shows (Blues Clues for instance) but the Veggie Tales were different in that my kids did usually learn something they didn't know about the bible and ended up asking hubby and I follow-up questions about them.

I guess on the one hand, we could certainly feel like this is a milestone for the "religious right". I understand that it's seen as a positive thing for kids to be exposed to Veggie Tales values, even without the God...but in my opinion to take God out of these cartoons is like taking the chocolate out of a Hershey bar. It can't be done and still have it be what it is supposed to be.

Veggie Tales holds no secret about the religion they portray. There is no ambiguity about it. If NBC wanted a spiritually ambiguous show, they should have looked elsewhere. To modify a show like Veggie Tales to suit their broadcast policies is ridiculous.

That's just my $.02. Feel free to disagree.