Faith Skewered

There aren't a lot of positive portrayals of Christianity on TV. That's something believers have come to expect. Most of the time Christian characters are marginalized or the butt of a joke. But ABC has taken this a step further with it's new show, "GCB."

Of course the show is based on a book by Kim Gatlin called "Good Christian.... (well it starts with a B and rhymes with hitches)." Hence the "GCB" moniker. It was developed for TV by Darren Star ("Beverly Hills 90210," "Sex in the City") and serves as a prime-time soap opera. It's set in the ultra religious area of Texas, so you expect some passing references to church and the Christian faith. You also get all that you'd expect from this kind of soap opera.

But it's the way that church and Christianity is portrayed that is the most frustrating and unsettling. In the world of "GCB," church isn't a place to gather to worship God. It's a place to gather to hear the latest gossip, network with potential business partners, and to gain the upper hand on social rivals. Sure, this probably happens in actual churches, but this show seems to go out of its way to make sure the audience understands that's the point of church.

What's interesting with "GCB" is that one of its stars, Kristen Chenoweth, is a self-professed Christian, who has said her faith is very important to her. When asked about the negative portrayal of Christians on the show, she said she didn't believe it was mocking Christianity or the faith.

It's true that, through one lens, you could say the show is actually mocking hypocrisy, and the hypocrisy that is most blatant in those that claim to be pious and holy. That's certainly true, but it's such a thinly veiled subtext of the show, that likely that's not the message that comes through to the casual viewer.

Instead, through two episodes, what they've seen is that you can use songs during services to send a pointed social message at those in the audience that have fallen short, you can use public prayers to shame and embarrass social rivals, and Scripture is useful to gain the upper hand in arguments, and can be a powerful weapon to justify all sorts of behavior.

Of course, as faith followers we know none of that should be true. But to those that are prone to believe such things, "GCB" is more than entertainment, it's confirmation that the church is full of nothing but double standards and hypocrisy.