Oof, religion. Sure it's given us some great things, such as the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, Gaudi's Spanish churches, Mother Theresa, and holidays where we get to eat lots of delicious pie. On the other hand though, it's driven plenty of families apart for reasons that shouldn't matter, such as politics and sexuality.
Instead of trying to understand where Tony's coming from, his parents—particularly his mom—set out to convert him. Tony's parents's religion centers around the idea of salvation, but true salvation for Tony in Boy Meets Boy occurs when his friends show up at the door and take him to the dance.
Questions About Religion
- Is it true that religions are "all the same at a certain point" like Paul says? In what ways are they different?
- Are there any religions that are okay with gay people?
- Would Tony have come out sooner, like Paul, if his parents hadn't been religious? How long did he have to hide the fact that he was gay, and what does having to hide like that do to a gay kid?
Chew on This
Tony's parents's fervent prayers upon finding out he's gay may be to God, but they're also to Tony. His parents wouldn't pray so loudly if some part of them didn't want to guilt him into being straight.
Levithan never mentions religion as it relates to any of the other characters, so Tony's parents seem to be an anomaly, at least in their hometown. So not only has Levithan imagined a world in which being gay is a nonissue, but also a world in which nonbelievers are the majority. In doing so, he hasn't given religion a fair shake.