If you haven’t gotten the email forward from American Family Association asking you to send a letter to NBC to share your thoughts on the their upcoming new television series, consider yourself lucky.  I am not railing against the AFA, as they do great work in keeping network and movie execs in line when it comes to the smut factor.  It just seems, that every time that there is a potential threat to the national security, I get an email from them asking me to write or boycott something. If you want the email for this particular show, go to their website.  You can find it if you try hard enough.

If you are not familiar with NBC’s new show, "The Book of Daniel", it is about an Episcopal minister with the name Daniel Webster. I have not seen the pilot, but have seen ads for the show, so I can only go on what facts I find via the Internet. Apparently the show centers around this minister’s relationship with Jesus and the minister’s dysfunctional family.  Webster is hooked on prescription pain killers, one of his sons is gay, another son died from cancer, his daughter sells pot to raise money and his wife is off in her own world since the death of the son. What kicks the air out of your your gut is that the NBC execs want people to see this as a typical American family.  Where did they get off the boat? Hollywood, I suppose. Anyway, Webster sees and has conversations with a modern looking Jesus who at times is covered in blood.

What many Christians see as the big problem here is that the show is written by an open and avowed homosexual who is writing about Jesus. I am above defaming the writer of this show by calling him blasphemous, that is not for me to do. God is the only one in the eternal judging business, not me or you.  What I will call him is blazen. Being a homosexual who came out of the closet years ago, he is in fact making a statement by inserting a homosexual character into this show. Again, Hollywood would want us to believe that this family is normal, when facts and statistics show us that it isn’t.

Christians around the country will be sending in the letters to NBC directly from AFA asking them to remove the show.  I sent one to NBC asking them what their reasoning for this type of show was.  I am interested in hearing back from them, although I won’t hold my breath. The only thing that gets me with this kind of approach is that Christians rely on someone else to do what they need to be doing.

Let me share my thoughts about all of this stuff. First off, it shows that there is an interest among Americans in spiritual matters, otherwise Seventh Heaven, Joan of Arcadia, Touched By An Angel and other shows wouldn’t last more than one season. I don’t agree with the premise of the show and as a pastor, don’t like pastors being portrayed in a negative light.  Secondly, what I find very interesting here is that Christians have been given a tool to begin spiritual conversations.  WAKE UP DOGMATIC, HARD HEADED CHRISTIANS! I believe that Christians are called to defend the faith whenever and wherever they are and here is an opportunity to do something with your faith.  This show will be discussed around water coolers, beauty shops, and many places of business.  I am asking you to actually watch this show, so you can discuss the TRUTH with those who might be conned into believing that the lifestyle portrayed in this show is normal.

If you are a Christian that withdraws into your little corner of the world with Christian programming, Christian music, Christian literature, and Christian friends, you dear friend are missing the mark. While we are in the world and yet are commanded to not be a part of it, we still encounter it each and every day. Jesus wants his followers to encounter the world, but not to be led astray by it. Far too long we have been warned not to go near those sinners for they will corrupt us. Give me a break! I want to get near to them so I can encourage them.

 

I am definitely going to warn my congregation about this show: WARNING-THIS SHOW MAY OPEN UP SPIRITUAL CONVERSATIONS WITH UNBELIEVERS.

If you want more information, go to google and type in The Book of Daniel NBC.