'Living Biblically' recap: New sitcom walks a fine line with viewers

Looks stupid - wouldn’t watch

I watched the first episode. I wasted 30 minutes of my life. About as funny as a rubber crutch. A poor attempt at mockery.

Your assertion that the show is, “a poor attempt at mockery” is interesting. I have zero interest in watching the show, but I’ve read several interviews with the producer, and he continuously insists that the show won’t mock faith. To be fair, he may define “mocking faith” differently than us, but is he wrong? Does the show mock faith?

While reading the interviews, I’ve operated under the assumption that the producer and I would disagree on what it looks like to mock faith.

From the description, it looks like a theologically inept, confuses attempt to live out laws the producers, writers and directors don’t understand. It sounds like it was inspired by Rachel Held Evans’ silly book.

What I noticed is that they add their laugh track at every attempt the main character tries to apply the Bible to his life. In every instance I recollect his attempts are ridiculous: throwing a stone at his adulterous co-worker, wearing a suit of only one fabric, etc.

Tyler is right, this TV show sounds as silly as RHE’s silly book. Sadly, like RHE’s book, that silliness will probably produce much rotten fruit in the hearts of those who are seeking an excuse to serve themselves and not the Sovereign Creator of the universe.

It’s obvious to me that the purpose of the show is mock the idea of someone “living their life by what the Bible says. It is also obvious that RHE must have sold them the rights to her book knowing what they’d do.

No one “living biblically” would attempt to apply any of the Law to today’s life since that era is passed. The whole concept (as with RHE) is flawed. To live biblically is to not follow the Law of Moses.

Regarding John’s comment, it strikes me that if one is seriously asking the question of how one ought to apply the various Torah laws without asking the questions Paul answers in Romans and Galatians, one is implicitly taking something of a pre-Talmudic Jewish position that will be seen as something of mockery of Christianity—simply by the similarity to the constant rejoinder “do you shave the corners of your beard?” when one tries to apply Bible truth to one’s life.

And then you get that laugh track Ron mentions, and the subtext becomes a lot clearer. Yes, it is something of a deal of mockery.

Here’s a bit of information for those who did not see the program and those who might not have a sense of humor.

This is a situation COMEDY that is produced by an industry that is not known for its fair treatment of Christianity.

The show portrays a guy who attempts to live his life by the Bible. The shows writers have evidently decided that that means, for the most part, obeying Old Testament laws. The worst was the main character’s declaration that he would find it difficult to adhere to abstaining from sexual relations with his wife when she was menstruating. Is that enough?

Like Ron, I tried to watch a little of it when I happened across it the other night, but I only made it 5 minutes before I shut it off. It was even dumber than the previews suggested.

I appreciate your bravery, but please don’t think you need to risk watching that drivel just for the team. :^)

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Isaiah+20&version=ESV

“at that time the Lord spoke by Isaiah the son of Amoz, saying, ‘Go, and loose the sackcloth from your waist and take off your sandals from your feet,’ and he did so, walking naked and barefoot.”

“at that time the Lord spoke by Isaiah the son of Amoz, saying, ‘Go, and loose the sackcloth from your waist and take off your sandals from your feet,’ and he did so, walking naked and barefoot.”

That’s episode 4.