The central theme of \u201cThe Book of Mormon\u201d\u009d is that many religious stories are silly \u201d\u201d the idea that God would plant golden plates in upstate New York. Many religious doctrines are rigid and out of touch.<\/p>\n
But religion itself can do enormous good as long as people take religious teaching metaphorically and not literally; as long as people understand that all religions ultimately preach love and service underneath their superficial particulars; as long as people practice their faiths open-mindedly and are tolerant of different beliefs….<\/p>\n
The only problem with \u201cThe Book of Mormon\u201d\u009d (you realize when thinking about it later) is that its theme is not quite true. Vague, uplifting, nondoctrinal religiosity doesn\u2019t actually last. The religions that grow, succor and motivate people to perform heroic acts of service are usually theologically rigorous, arduous in practice and definite in their convictions about what is True and False.<\/p>\n