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Many television shows are based on god or religious themes, and was wondering if any of my fellow nonbelievers watch shows like

Touched by an angel
Highway to heaven
Little house on the parrire
Supernatural (thought I'd throw in a modern show)?

And if not, why not? Maybe an antithiest wouldnt watch....

sellinger 7 July 16
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4

Nope. They make me nauseated to begin with. I was always amazed by lunchroom conversation the day after "Touched by an Angel"; a huge number of people seemed to think that the episodes were based in fact, and no amount of trying to explain the concept of fiction got through to them.

I'm always surprised when someone I know be rather intelligent believes in angels.

3

Preacher on AMC is the best. Very weird, dark, and funny. You have to watch it from the first episodes or you will never figure it out.

My thoughts exactly. Deliciously sacrilegious and pretty badass.

@Brian1138 Ain't it though. ☺?

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I find them too trite / predictable / simplistic.

I watched Little House on the Prairie as a child / teen because it was all there was to watch sometimes on the 5 broadcast channels we could pull in out in the sticks. Even in my religious daze I couldn't stomach Touched by an Angel though.

On the other hand it's almost traumatic to watch some of the darker stuff on TV. My wife and I soldiered through two seasons of The Handmaid's Tale and the label I came up with for it is "suffering porn". Judging from the reviews others have of that show, if they don't move the story arc along to relieve some of that tension, a lot of people won't make it through season 3. It will just consist of the heroine stupidly sleepwalking into one obvious trap after another. It's irritating because the production values and quality are high, but the desire to make money means many of these shows run about 2 more seasons than the concept can support.

I mention The Handmaid's Tale because it shows the dangers of religion rather than the syrupy sappy fantasy religion wants to portray itself through. But it's not escapist entertainment for sure, especially not in the age of Trump and the unholy alliance between him and the religious right. Hits too close to home ...

2

watch preacher and lucifer good shows

weeman Level 7 July 16, 2018

Haven't seen Preacher, tho I heard some good reviews. I place Lucifer sort of in the same category of Constantine (or even Dogma) where a myth is being explored, rather than a serious religious take.

@phxbillcee Forgot about Constantine. Liked it, but did it even last a full season?

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I was disappointed by the cancellation of Lucifer, but at the same time, it felt like the show'd run it's course some time back.

The shows you mention were a little too heavy on the saccharine for my tastes.

Hypoglycemia to order!

Yea Lucifer was excellent, didn't turn me evil either

1

Little House? I haven't watched it in years but I don't think of that as being specifically religious like Touched by an Angel or Highway to Heaven.

It was just as religious as "The Waltons," which had a lot of God in it.

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I do not watch shows where gods, angels. or devils are part of the main theme. Life is just too short to waste time on such drivel.

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I don't watch tv but if I did I wouldn't watch the first 3 you mentioned. I've seen them in the past and thought they were annoying at best and cultish at worst

Wow! No TV at all? What do you with your time? I'd go crazy without TV. ?

@sellinger I read a lot LOL

If you think that's weird, I live in Utah You wouldn't believe what they teach their children. It's straight out of a Steven King novel.

1

"Bad Touched By an Angel" never got off the ground, unfortunately...
;=8)

?I wonder why, not really haha. someone else in this thread alluded to something like this ?

1

Thankfully I don't watch T.V anymore lol. I do admit to watching Supernatural when it first aired over here...cos it was cool. The older shows...not on your life. I went down the river fishing, hunting and being a larrikin, as always, instead. My little sisters used to watch them all the time lol. I was a Dr Who fan when I was younger, or maybe a show called U.F.O back in the day too.

Otherwise it was cartoons like Scooby Doo...I guess that could be seen as a cartoon in Supernaturals ilk lol.

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I've watched and enjoyed these shows in varying degrees.
Little House was a good "wholesome" show with religious overtones, but I suspect that it, at lease somewhat accurately, represents that time period. The church was a central part of the community. I liked that show growing up. It didn't make me want to believe in god.
Have watched Touched by and Angle and Highway to Heaven, okay as filler TV, never planned to go watch them. Again, didn't make me believe in god, anymore than watching Shrek made me believe in Ogres or talking donkeys.
I'm a HUGE fan of Supernatural. Pretty sure it's not a "Church Sanctioned Show". Sure, there are religious elements, but they poke holes and make fun of it too. Again, I still don't believe in Vampires, Wendigos, Demons or Angles.
Watching Star Trek, doesn't make you suddenly believe in Klingons.
FIction is fiction regardless of what inspired it.

scurry Level 9 July 16, 2018

Your thinking is more in tune with mine, But this I suppose is family fare and why anybody thinks its preferable to start children out on this particular slant on morality is beyond me!

@MichaelCooley2 Ya, I hear ya. I get it. But letting any kid watch any type of show without some sort of guidance is a little irresponsible. Even if it's not 100% watching with them. Knowing what your kids are watching and what the message is, is part of parenting. But these shows aren't preaching death to non-believers. They're no different from a fairytale, or Bugs Bunny & the Coyote, or Shrek.

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No, I find most of them, & admittedly most TV fare in general, shallow & inane. I do enjoy some "horror" or Sci-Fi themed shows, even "Agents of Shield", for a kick, but I'm not a fan of being preached at, even the thumb-fingered attempts at subtlety that some of these shows use.

1

I can not tolerate commercial TV of any stripe and just do not watch any of it. Commercials suck big time.

I wonder could you be missing out. TV has gone onto a new level in recent years with ideas that really make you think. Dexter, Breaking Bad, The Walking Dead etc. These programs have characters in them as complex as any in novels, perhaps even in literature.

@brentan Thank you for your opinion and your response. All you say about the programs you listed may be true, but they are for entertainment purposes only. If you feel that you need to be entertained, by all means continue.

@jlynn37 I do like to be entertained but I have a feeling we might have more in common than meets the eye. What do you like to spend time doing?

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I saw Touched By An Angel once and thought it was neither adult nor children's TV. Can't remember it now but I remember the title. I get Little House On The Praire mixed up with The Waltons so don't know about that one?

1

I loved Little House on the Prairie and The Waltons. These 'holy' shows are a little bit like ordinary TV stories where the bad guys lose out and the good guys win - all in the space of an hour! We all know that the law doesn't always win and good guys certainly didn't always win out on the prairie but it's nice to pretend for a bit.

But what about American Gods? Wow, that was a whole different proposition! And what is an atheist to make of the deification of the things we worship in modern society - sex, money, power? Semantics, or could there be more to it than that? I wonder what Neil Gaiman thought!

That's a good point you make in your first paragraph, that's why I watch, to see the bad guys put down.

I haven’t seen American Gods but it is one of my favorite books (along with Good Omens- isn’t it awesome that it takes two atheists to write an amazing book that is about biblical themes?)

American Gods is of a totally different order!

I loved "American Gods" it only had 6 or 8 episodes. I'll watch anything with Ian McShane!

1

I do not watch these types of show for the very reason I am a non-believer - they are trying to indoctrinate the general public into believing in a god or gods (depending on the sect of religion you choose). I also find the stories weak and less than interesting. I would rather watch a PBS British series, science fiction or action show on the tube.

OK so would you watch supergirl, the flash, black lightning or any other superhero TV show or movie? I watch them all and it ain't making me believer ?

@sellinger Actually, I do not. I rather stick to PBS, The Big Bang Theory, and Young Sheldon. LOL

0

I'll watch stuff with religious things cause it's fictional, just like Spider-Man, Rick and Marty, etc. But I do love Hellboy, Yu Yu Hakusho, and Dragon Ball, they're full of religious themes.

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i hate all of those shows. i mean really, really hate them. they're badly done and preachy and they make disgusting assumptions.

i prefer joan of arcadia!

and yes, i am an atheist.

g

p.s. i called touched "molested by an angel." someone mentioned the waltons. yep i liked that one, still would if it were on. it's HUMAN. i don't mind shows about religious people. i mind shows that preach, and that assume i am of the same religion (if any).

0

Things are changing:
1 Preacher
2 Impastor
3 Lucifer
4 Angel from hell
.
.

Coming out soon, "god friended me". I've seen that advertised recently and yes im gonna check it out

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"House" was an Atheist.

Yes he is

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I like Supernatural but I lost track at all the Sam and Dean resurrections. I like watching the X-Files too.

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I used to enjoy watching all of those TV shows but don't think I'd feel the same way today.

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You forgot "The Waltons." My mother STILL watches "Touched," "Highway," and "Little House." I absolutely can't stand that shit. She also watches "The Cosby Show," over and over. Denial is not a river in Egypt.

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My parents used to watch "Touched" and "Highway" and I would go find something to read.

0

Well I don't . It just seems so silly. I don't believe anybody should look at the world in that matter. They're setting themselves up for exploitation and endangering real people ,I guess that we are all real,But it only encourages santa claus thinking!

You've never met a Southern Baptist, have you? Their world has more magic than "Harry Potter."

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