This past year of anti-Christian hate on television has been overwhelming. The faithful have been called "right-wing ding dongs," "idiots," "suckers," "mental," and "stupid people" for their belief in God. The Bible didn't remain unscathed either, it was called "male revisionist history" and said to need an "upgrade" like an iPhone. And, of course, there was a lot of sexualization of religious themes.
This Holy Week, take a look at the worst tv shows for Christians since last Easter.
‘The Simpsons’ Mocks Christians as 'Right-Wing Ding Dongs'
During the 2020 Lenten season, Fox's animated classic The Simpsons took it upon itself to mock Christians, especially Catholics. The Mayor of Springfield welcomes the crowd to the Christian Pride Parade that Christian character Ned Flanders put on and says, “You right-wing ding dongs will keep me in office forever.” In the parade, there was also a float with an “Innocent Priest” tossing out rosary beads and the parade ends with a pair of hands coming together to pray.
Disgusting Fox Drama 'Star' Has ‘Pope’ Sexually Grinding on Dancers
Fox’s Star finale last year ended with a music award ceremony. To start the awards show was a sacrilegious music performance: singer Lil Dini was shirtless with a bunch of crucifixes hanging from his neck, performing alongside a giant light-up cross and a likeness of himself cloaked with a halo behind his head, as if he were a saint. Rapper Rashad was dressed up like the pope. There was even a choir dressed in white. And then there are the back-up dancers. What little clothing they did have on made them look like nuns as they suggestively moved, gyrated, and shook their behinds around the stage and on Rashad.
Fox's 'Family Guy' Calls Religious Believers 'Stupid People,' 'Idiots'
The Family Guy creator Seth MacFarlane is no stranger to attacks against Christians. A November episode had Lois taking Chris and Meg to a Christian family camp after the children got in trouble at school. When she finally pulled them out, Lois told Meg that religion is "basically for stupid people like Chris. So to summarize, religion for you and me? No good. But for idiots like Chris? Perfect."
'Young Sheldon' Bashes Christians: 'Mental' to 'Talk to Invisible Man in the Sky'
In CBS's Young Sheldon third season premiere, Sheldon's mother was worried about his mental stability due to the fact that one of his mentors, whom he resembled quite closely on an intellectual level, had been sent to a psychiatric hospital for mental insanity. Sheldon was highly insulted that his mother thought he might have mental problems: "You talk to an invisible man in the sky who grants wishes. If anyone's mental, it's you."
'Empire' Proudly 'Denounces' Church and 'Christian Values'
On Fox's Empire, after facing backlash for being pro-life, singer Tiana got an offer to headline at a Christian festival. Although the sponsoring church supported her pro-life beliefs, the pastor encouraged her to use the festival to renounce her “past mistakes” like sex out of wedlock and supporting same-sex marriage, which Tiana didn't like. She still performed and even appeared to dress modestly for the occasion, but soon removed her clothing to perform a provocative song in a skintight suit in front of a church congregation. Her bosses were at first horrified, but quickly bounced back when they found Tiana was "trending" for “denouncing the Church and its Christian values.” They celebrated that Tiana was officially “back.”
'The New Pope' Agrees to 'Upgrade Bible' to Scrap 'Pointless Taboo' of Gay Marriage
When Pope John Paul III (John Malkovich) had a meeting with actress Sharon Stone, Stone offered advice to the Pope about “upgrading” the Bible to the modern age, more specifically regarding the "pointless taboo" of gay marriage. The Pope dismissed this initially, but this moment was considered a “small step” in the right direction for a "brave, revolutionary" pope in the future. By the end he announced he was "in favor of marriage for priests both gay and straight."
Hulu Anthology Series 'Into the Dark' Calls Bible ‘Male Revisionist History’
September's monthly horror episode of Into the Dark took place during a Christian father-daughter Purity Retreat. Because the event involved religious faith, family connections, and girls not having sex before marriage, it was treated as out-of-touch and creepy from the start. Jo was rebellious against the whole affair and encouraged her half sister as well as their bunkmates to sneak out of the camp one night. On their way out, she told the others about the demon Lilith and said the Bible is “male revisionist history.”
‘The Handmaid’s Tale:’ Baptism Just Being 'Sanctified By Holier-Than-Thou Child Molesters’
We already know that Hulu’s The Handmaid’s Tale takes place during a future theocratic dictatorship where women are treated like cattle, child brides are legal and men use Scripture to beat their wives. One flashback specifically trashed Catholic priests when June (Elizabeth Moss) remembered the time she had her first newborn daughter baptized in a church years ago. Being a feminist, June's mother made clear she opposed the baptism and didn’t want her granddaughter to be "sanctified by a bunch of holier-than-thou child molesters.”
'Preacher:' Anyone Who Believes in God an 'Idiot' and 'Sucker'
In AMC's regularly blasphemous series Preacher, a vampire named Cassidy told a group of observant Jews a story about a Catholic mother who lost her husband and all her sons, but “she still loved God, because she was an idiot, she was a sucker, as are all of you!”
Dishonorable Mention: HBO
Along with The New Pope, HBO had a number of series denigrate Christianity. The Righteous Gemstones series about a televangelist family featured nudity and used the f-word 41 times while taking the Lord’s name in vain 28 times in the show's premiere episode. His Dark Materials is based on the books by noted atheist Philip Pullman, this latest adaptation continued the story’s usual controversy of despising Christianity and the Church and making them the bad guys. The sex-obsessed series The Deuce had a woman moaning a bungled version of the Lord's Prayer during a porn shoot. Even Big Little Lies randomly had a young boy say, "God is a douchebag."
Despite all this, have a blessed Good Friday and Easter, everyone!
