Blasphemous Show Depicts God-Hating Cannibal Pastor
By Movieguide® Staff
The first season of TBS’ new show MIRACLE WORKERS: OREGON TRAIL starring Daniel Radcliffe as a pastor of pilgrims on the Oregon trail, already dove into disturbing anti-Christian, God-hating content.
“The latest installment of the anthology series that started out by letting us know loud and clear how they felt about God and the Bible has made a mockery out of a reverend who has been falling from grace further and further with each passing episode, starting with him calling God a ‘sick son of a b*tch’ right from the first episode and ending with him becoming a God-hating cannibal. They also threw in a few jabs at Trump voters just because they can,” NewsBusters reported.
In one episode called “Over the Mountain,” Reverend Ezekiel has an adulterous affair and tries to hide it by calling it “Bible study.”
“These have been the happiest days of my life. It’s so strange, I know the Bible says what we’re doing is a sin, but everything about it feels so right,” Reverend Ezekiel says at one point. “I just can’t shake the feeling we’re gonna be punished somehow.”
According to Newsbusters, a series of “plagues” hit the group of travelers until Reverend Ezekiel repents.
“Zeke does begin to feel pangs of guilt, however, as bad things keep happening to the group, such as a lightning bolt striking down their lead ox on a sunny, clear day. After several other calamities occur, a nearby cliff starts to crumble and rocks begin flying towards everyone. As they take cover, Zeke shouts out a confession and repents to God and the rocks stop falling,” NewsBusters reported. “Zeke is relieved, but the group turns on him, especially his wife, when they learn of what he’s done. Todd takes his wife Prudence captive and plans to hold her hostage until she falls back in love with him. But at least Zeke repented, right? Wrong. The disasters and misfortunes continue to happen even after Zeke’s confession. Rather than trusting in God’s divine will as most reverends would do, Zeke decides God has abandoned him and doesn’t care about His creation.”
In the show’s latest episode, Reverend Ezekiel encourages and partakes in cannibalism.
“God doesn’t care what you do. Nothing matters. In fact, may I? Bon appétit,” Reverend Ezekiel says before eating part of the dead man’s leg.
The show openly mocks Christianity, and the one character that does have morals is portrayed as “uptight, judgmental, and hateful.”
The series is yet another reason to pray for Hollywood, use media discernment, and support projects that uphold the Good, the True, and the Beautiful.
Movieguide® Founder Dr. Ted Baehr highlights the importance of a Christian worldview in his book, The Culture-Wise Family.
The entertainment industry is moving from broadcast and cable with channels and schedules to digital streaming. Not only will God know everything you watch but so too will entertainment distributors. This means you can change the world all the more quickly with your entertainment choices. Avoid the bad and less bad will be made. Choose the good and more good will be made. You can help drive the redemption of the entertainment industry.
For now, however, there’s still a massive onslaught of godless entertainment. Given few positive options, it will take determination and perseverance to choose only the good. This will improve.
With the remarkable success of some wonderful movies and television programs, the demand for creative, talented, well trained Christian filmmakers and visual artists will increase.
Hollywood is likely to suffer more Harvey Weinstein like exposures, but we pray that the church will play a more loving role in the redemption of Hollywood.
What is true now, and will never change, is that Jesus Christ is Lord. We hope that more and more of those in Hollywood will choose to board the train headed toward producing more of Heaven on earth.
For shows like MIRACLE WORKERS: OREGON TRAIL, Baehr suggests that families use their views to support biblical entertainment, not anti-Christian content:
Today you stand in the great entertainment train terminal. There are some trains headed to pornography, violence and just disbelief. There are other trains headed toward more of the kingdom of Heaven on earth. At the ticket booth, you get to purchase tickets for yourself and your family.
If you buy tickets to the good, the true and the beautiful, you help leave a better world for your children and grandchildren. If you look at the crowds boarding the trains to vulgarity, violence and illicit sex and get curious, you may wind up on a train you regret boarding. As country singer Josh Turner crooned in his classic country gospel song about 20 years ago, that’s a “long black train.” You can run down the aisle back toward the station, you can even get off the train in the middle of a movie or show, but you bought the ticket. You voted for more Hell on earth.
Whatever choice you make, or have made, God loves you. He’s in the redemption business. He wants you on the right train. He wants more of the right trains in the station. He wants lots of the right trains offered in your local theaters and on your streaming service.
At any moment, you can reject the bad and choose the good. At any moment, you can help make a difference in Hollywood, not just with good choices, but by supporting efforts like those of the Christian Film & Television Commission® to encourage many more wonderful entertainment choices for the whole world.
Now more than ever we’re bombarded by darkness in media, movies, and TV. Movieguide® has fought back for almost 40 years, working within Hollywood to propel uplifting and positive content. We’re proud to say we’ve collaborated with some of the top industry players to influence and redeem entertainment for Jesus. Still, the most influential person in Hollywood is you. The viewer.
What you listen to, watch, and read has power. Movieguide® wants to give you the resources to empower the good and the beautiful. But we can’t do it alone. We need your support.
You can make a difference with as little as $7. It takes only a moment. If you can, consider supporting our ministry with a monthly gift. Thank you.
Movieguide® is a 501c3 and all donations are tax deductible.
Now more than ever we’re bombarded by darkness in media, movies, and TV. Movieguide® has fought back for almost 40 years, working within Hollywood to propel uplifting and positive content. We’re proud to say we’ve collaborated with some of the top industry players to influence and redeem entertainment for Jesus. Still, the most influential person in Hollywood is you. The viewer.
What you listen to, watch, and read has power. Movieguide® wants to give you the resources to empower the good and the beautiful. But we can’t do it alone. We need your support.
You can make a difference with as little as $7. It takes only a moment. If you can, consider supporting our ministry with a monthly gift. Thank you.
Movieguide® is a 501c3 and all donations are tax deductible.
