The Three Stooges – Insight into the Divine?

 LOS ANGELES – (Disassociated Press) September 24, 2006 – Various news and media outlets have recently been reporting on a Baylor Institute for Studies of Religion research project, which was funded by the John M. Templeton Foundation and was created based on survey data collected by the Gallup Organization, which identified four different basic American perspectives on the nature of God – Authoritarian, Benevolent, Critical, or Distant – but Bartholomew J. Snead, Professor of TV and Religion at The University of Southern California, claims that not only are the perspectives outlined in the study nothing new, but they’ve been embodied in one particular cultural icon for generations.

         “Each of the four characters depicted in The Three Stooges – Moe, Larry, Curly and Shemp – represents one of the four perspectives of God identified in the study,” explains Sneed.

         The Three Stooges, who were comprised of brothers Moe, Jerome (Curly) and Sam Howard (Shemp), along with Larry Fine, made films from the 1930s through the 1950s.  During that period, brothers Jerome (Curly) and Sam (Shemp) had alternating periods as the “third stooge.”  The films have had an enduring life as television re-runs since. 

         The Baylor study identifies two of the perspectives of God – Authoritarian and Benevolent – as being interactive with the world and humanity; with the Authoritarian model wielding worldly punishment unto wrongdoers, while the Benevolent model primarily seeks to aid and benefit mankind. 

        The Distant and Critical models are considered to be non-interactive, with the Distant model being seen as merely having set the universe in motion, while the Critical model is currently non-interactive but poised to meet out punishment and reward to those deserving during a time yet to come.

         “Obviously, the character of Moe was created to represent the Authoritarian model,” Sneed continues, “being involved in the Stooges misadventures while at the same time punishing the other Stooges for their shortcomings.  Larry, of course, is the Benevolent model, trying to get the Stooges out of their predicaments in a gentler, less rash manner.           

“Curly is the Stooge who embodies the Critical model, being quite inept at helping to resolve the outrageous circumstances the Stooges find themselves in while, at the same time, threatening to bring pain to the other two - while never really doing it - and Shemp characterizes the Distant model – because he appeared in less of the episodes, so people don’t feel as connected to him.”

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