Can Television Take People of Faith Seriously?

By Published on September 4, 2015

Modern television shows and Christianity don’t seem to mix. Gone are the old days when, for example, Andy Griffith and Opie went to church. Today we’re treated to shows like TV Land’s Impastor, a show about a conman pretending to be a pastor, which only serves to trivialize Christianity. Many similar examples abound: Christianity was mentioned in the immensely popular show How I Met Your Mother only as the occasional butt of jokes. The Big Bang Theory’s sole Christian character, Sheldon’s mother, is played off for laughs as an ignorant bigot.

Time and time again, television shows give people of faith a bad rap. We all know the archetype. The “television Christian” is almost always portrayed as intolerant and bigoted. They are uptight and prudish (think: Ned Flanders on The Simpsons). Even when they aren’t outright villains, they are never painted as sympathetic characters. But then, last Wednesday, I flipped on the Suits summer finale and was shocked by the show’s positive depiction of Christianity.

For those of you unfamiliar with the show, Suits follows the exploits of a top tier law firm in New York City, focusing on New York’s top closer, Harvey Specter, and his brilliant protégé Mike Ross. Only there’s a catch: Mike doesn’t actually have a law degree.

 

Read the article “Can Television Take People of Faith Seriously?” on acculturated.com.

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