Is it annoyingly religious? - Hand of God (2014) Discussion

Not at all, it's done in a very neutral way.

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You call this neutral?????

Virtually every religious person on this show is horrible. It's far more anti-religious than pro-religious.

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[–] julia-solovjova 9 years ago

They were sinners, not saints.

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[–] puschit-1 8 years ago

Isn't everyone in this show "horrible"? Many do have affairs, take drugs, are corrupt, sell their body and whatnot. Some are christians, many never say anything about their faith so they could be atheists or whatever.
I'll say this is a rather realistic way to portrait humans in general, regardless of their religion. In fact I don't see many "horrible" characters here, they all show empathy, affectin and love in one way or another, they all have good reasons for their actions. Even our drug addicted con artist reverend isn't that bad, admitting to his own sins, standing up for that poor homeless chap that KD was beating up. KD, in turn, was convinced he did the right thing and did you remember how he cared for the grass he sowed?

This is actuall one of the strong points of this show, the characters are HUMAN with edges and shades of grey instead of onedimensional protagonist/antagonist.

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[–] countingdown7 7 years ago

Drugs are not a moral failing. In fact, religion is a drug in itself.

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[–] justinethyme 9 years ago

No, it's not that kind of show at all. Actually, pretty far from it.

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[–] eddie_willers 9 years ago

Yes, yes....its just like that.

Don't watch it.

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[–] 9 years ago

[deleted]

[–] pacscistaff 9 years ago

I fast forwarded through some of the most obvious hypocrital chatter, but if you stick with it through the end, there will be a good payoff.

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[–] unknown_soul278 9 years ago

This is about a strict but corrupt judge who goes of the deep end and becomes a delusional fanatic and funds a storefront charlatan. Then he releases a violent criminal who is also a religious fanatic and has him going around killing people the judge believes are connected to his daughter-in-law's rape and his son's attempted suicide. He knows who they are because his visions from God lead him to them.

That's pretty far from pandering to Christians. Most mainstream Christians would find this highly offensive but the outcast Christians aren't bothered by it.

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[–] queenoftheuniverse1 9 years ago

I am three episodes in and so far it is NOTHING like that. In fact, there is very little religious content at all. There are references to God, there is a slimy con artist type preacher who seems to be on the fence between good and bad (he seems like he is trying to turn his life around but he is DEFINITELY not a pious character -- he is very flawed), and the main character played by Ron Perlman thinks he has been given a divine task from God but he is confused about why he is doing what he believes he is supposed to do but not getting the desired results.

I don't think this show has much to do with religion at all in a positive light (as in a show that might pander to Christians/Catholics) but is actually almost anti Christian to me in that way. Anyone who considers themselves to be Christians would probably be offended by the way the Ron Perlman character is handling his new found "religion", the portrayal of the preacher who is obviously still sinning and the ex-con who is seeking redemption but is floundering for direction.

It is definitely not what you might expect from the synopsis given. I am enjoying it quite a lot so far and I don't really care for those types of shows you described either.

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[–] unknown_soul278 9 years ago

I'm not offended by it at all; I think it's a really good show. Most mainstream Christians would be offended because they are told they should be or they are insecure in their own faith. We are outcast Christians and we aren't easily offended by the words or actions of others. What others do or say has no effect on our personal faith and that is what matters. Everyone is entitled to their own beliefs. I find other religions very interesting and I enjoy learning about them. It doesn't change my own faith and I am not going to try to change theirs, but I like to know what others believe, why, how things are celebrated, mourning rituals, etc. I don't think anyone can fully understand the human race, good and/or evil, but the more you know about their differences and similarities the more you can understand. Religion is a big part of the human experience and it's sad that more people can't sit down and have a calm, rational discussion about it with the intention to learn and nothing else.

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[–] Dawn-36 9 years ago

Thank you for the calm, rational perspective you added to this discussion. It is refreshing. And rare, to say the least.

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[–] unknown_soul278 9 years ago

Not as rare as you might think. There are a lot of outcasts but we tend to keep to ourselves; we aren't welcome in most churches. Mainstreams think their way is the only way and everyone else is going to hell. I'm not sure I really believe in hell or at least the way they see it. There is so much pain and suffering in life that I can't believe a loving God would allow even more after death. At times I pity them for their insecurities and inability to find their own path on their own terms. One of the very few things that can offend me is people assuming all Christians are mainstream and it just isn't true.

My desire to know about other religions/beliefs also stems from the curse of the bibliophile. I hear or read something that looks interesting and I always want to know more. I grew up in a house full of books and while my first love was and is horror I will read anything that catches my interest. I learned to read earlier than most kids and am fortunate to have a mother who always strongly encouraged it.

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[–] surangaf 8 years ago

well, what can one say about anyone displaying that much hate (in multiple comments here) towards ill defined group called "mainstream Christians" and their alleged beliefs(ie "their way is the only way and everyone else is going to hell", which church is that? biggest dictionary defined mainstream church,Roman Catholic church, certainly does not say that. look it up! )?
a prime example of an insecure individual with prejudices born of ignorance and intolerance. perhaps a born idiot, with inability to think rationally.

be free to wallow in your prejudiced hate towards Christians, in the company of other anti-Christian haters, regardless of your ignorance of Christian beliefs.

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[–] julia-solovjova 8 years ago

Well, its not the "mainstream" church depicted in this show. Its the opposite -- shady individuals establishing religious communities for profit, preying on the vulnerable, and practising strange beliefs.

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[–] daath93 9 years ago

I love unintentionally condescending insults.

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[–] harley-cross 9 years ago

YES!!! Within minutes of watching Holy Water rains down upon your head and your sins are washed away.

Seriously, though, this program deals with religion in a way which I found quite unique. Give it a shot.

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[–] pacscistaff 9 years ago

Just finished the last episode. It definitely leaves it open for a season 2. Bit of a cliffhanger there. The creator of the series must have really wanted to explore the seedy side of Skid Row type churches and the people who are like fish in a frying pan falling into the fire or a spider/fly kind of scenario.
I guess we'll have to wait another year to see what happens next.

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