ABC’s ‘Of Kings and Prophets’ Writer Defends Show: Christians Like to Watch ‘Sex on TV as Much as Anybody Else’

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ABC’s ‘Of Kings and Prophets’ Writer Defends Show: Christians Like to Watch ‘Sex on TV as Much as Anybody Else’

Christian Post Report – The ABC biblical drama “Of Kings And Prophets” premieres March 8, 2016.

After a family television watchdog scrutinized ABC’s new series “Of Kings and Prophets” last week for sexual and violent content, the production’s showrunner now argues that faith-based viewers enjoy watching sex on TV programs as much as secular viewers.

The series came under fire last week when the Parents Television Council called on 200 top television advertisers to stay away from the show because of its high propensity for sex and violence.

Chris Brancato, the writer of the new action-drama series that is based off the Old Testament book of Samuel and focuses on David’s rise to power in Israel over King Saul, has made no secrets about the fact that the biblically-inspired show will not be a program suitable for the entire family.

“From my experience, faith-based people like sex as much as anybody else,” Brancato asserted in an interview with NJ.com published Tuesday. “I don’t know that that will necessarily be an impediment. I’m hoping this show doesn’t live and die by the violence or the sex, but on the attracting and hooking into the characters.”

While the New Jersey native insinuated that the show, which debuted Tuesday night, is not suitable for younger viewers due to the graphic sex and violence depicted. He also argued that the sex and violence should not deter parents from allowing their pre-teens and teenagers from watching the program.

“We’re not going to suggest this is a ‘gather the family around’ 8 p.m. show,” Brancato said. “At the same time, I think kids who have gone to Sunday School and are above 12 or 13 or 14 years old can sit and watch it with their parents and be able to discuss the themes.”

Earlier this year during the Television Critics Association winter press tour, Brancato said “these stories are violent and sex-drenched.” He added that “we’re going to go as far as we can” and “we’ll be fighting with broadcast standards and practices.”

“You will watch a show that is tasteful but that also tells the story you can read if you want to pick up the Bible,” Brancato stated.

Although Brancato has said that the show will push the envelope when it comes to sex and violence, Brancato contends that the storyline sticks to the biblical account of David’s rise to power. However, Brancato admits that the show provides a “modern pulse” to the story.

“It’s a true-to-life story. It’s real people who existed. The Bible, as you know, it was written thousands of years ago. It was revised along the way, and there’s a lot of what we call negative space, which is to say, you have to fill in and understand character motivations,” Brancato told NJ.com. “We try to give the characters psychologically complex motivations that we believe they would have had if the men or the women who wrote the Bible took Robert McKee’s story structure class.”

Follow Samuel Smith on Twitter: @IamSamSmith

Source : Christian Post

Trump Calls Jesus on Cross ‘Loser’ in Presbyterian Church’s Easter Billboard

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Trump Calls Jesus on Cross ‘Loser’ in Presbyterian Church’s Easter Billboard

Christian Post Report – A cartoon image from March 2016 depicts Republican presidential hopeful Donald Trump looking across a scene of Jesus Christ nailed to a cross, while holding a hammer in his hand and declaring “I don’t like losers.”

A New Zealand Presbyterian church has blasted Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump with an Easter billboard depicting Trump calling Jesus a “loser” at the crucifixion.

The Community of Saint Luke in Remuera also made the point of calling out Trump’s constant depictions of himself as a “winner,” while calling others “losers,” by reminding Christians that Christ was rejected by society and died broke without any money.

“For those of us at St Luke’s, the cross is about politics. Jesus was killed – violently, publically and shamefully – because he spoke truth to power and confronted the leaders of his day about their treatment of the outcasts,” said Glynn Cardy, a minister at Saint Luke’s.

“To the Trumps of his day, and to those who see winners as having money and power, the Jesus of the Bible was a loser who associated with those rejected by society. And he died broke,” Cardy added.

“Jesus had an alternative vision of reality, however. He was a person who sided with minorities and those who were most vulnerable, and it was this that got him killed.”

The billboard in question shows Trump holding a hammer looking on at Christ nailed to the cross, saying “I don’t like losers.”

Cardy argued that Trump’s stances on Muslims, Mexicans and women are offensive to Christianity, and noted that the ad will stay up throughout the Church’s Lenten and Easter season.

Trump, the current GOP frontrunner, has insisted that he is a Christian and part of the Presbyterian denomination on a number of occasions.

He has called various people “losers” throughout his business and campaigns career, including his election rivals, such as former Florida governor Jeb Bush, who has since dropped out.

Trump has been called out by fellow Republicans for some of his most controversial comments, such as suggesting that Arizona Senator John McCain is not a war hero “because he was captured” and spent five years as a prisoner of war in Vietnam.

Bush and former Texas Governor Rick Perry both spoke out against Trump’s suggestion, with the former writing:

“Enough with the slanderous attacks. @SenJohnMcCain and all our veterans – particularly POWs have earned our respect and admiration.”

Trump later defended his remarks by stating that he was trying to give credit to other soldiers who served well in the war but were not captured, and are eventually forgotten.

It is not the first time Trump has seemingly been targeted by a Presbyterian church, as he attended a church service in Iowa in January where the preacher gave a sermon about taking care of Syrian and Mexican migrants.

“Jesus is teaching us today that he has come for those who are outside of the church,” said the Rev. Dr. Pamela Saturnia of Muscataine’s First Presbyterian Churchat.

Saturnia called for healing and acceptance for “those who are the most unloved, the most discriminated against, the most forgotten in our community and in our world.”

After the service, Trump admitted that part of the sermon may have indeed been aimed at him.

“I don’t know if that was aimed at me … perhaps,” he said.

Source : Christian Post

Christians Like to Watch ‘Sex on TV as Much as Anybody Else,’ ABC’s ‘Of Kings and Prophets’ Writer Claims

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Christians Like to Watch ‘Sex on TV as Much as Anybody Else,’ ABC’s ‘Of Kings and Prophets’ Writer Claims

Christian Post Report – The ABC biblical drama “Of Kings And Prophets” premieres March 8, 2016.

After a family television watchdog scrutinized ABC’s new series “Of Kings and Prophets” last week for sexual and violent content, the production’s showrunner now argues that faith-based viewers enjoy watching sex on TV programs as much as secular viewers.

The series came under fire last week when the Parents Television Council called on 200 top television advertisers to stay away from the show because of its high propensity for sex and violence.

Chris Brancato, the writer of the new action-drama series that is based off the Old Testament book of Samuel and focuses on David’s rise to power in Israel over King Saul, has made no secrets about the fact that the biblically-inspired show will not be a program suitable for the entire family.

“From my experience, faith-based people like sex as much as anybody else,” Brancato asserted in an interview with NJ.com published Tuesday. “I don’t know that that will necessarily be an impediment. I’m hoping this show doesn’t live and die by the violence or the sex, but on the attracting and hooking into the characters.”

While the New Jersey native insinuated that the show, which debuted Tuesday night, is not suitable for younger viewers due to the graphic sex and violence depicted. He also argued that the sex and violence should not deter parents from allowing their pre-teens and teenagers from watching the program.

“We’re not going to suggest this is a ‘gather the family around’ 8 p.m. show,” Brancato said. “At the same time, I think kids who have gone to Sunday School and are above 12 or 13 or 14 years old can sit and watch it with their parents and be able to discuss the themes.”

Earlier this year during the Television Critics Association winter press tour, Brancato said “these stories are violent and sex-drenched.” He added that “we’re going to go as far as we can” and “we’ll be fighting with broadcast standards and practices.”

“You will watch a show that is tasteful but that also tells the story you can read if you want to pick up the Bible,” Brancato stated.

Although Brancato has said that the show will push the envelope when it comes to sex and violence, Brancato contends that the storyline sticks to the biblical account of David’s rise to power. However, Brancato admits that the show provides a “modern pulse” to the story.

“It’s a true-to-life story. It’s real people who existed. The Bible, as you know, it was written thousands of years ago. It was revised along the way, and there’s a lot of what we call negative space, which is to say, you have to fill in and understand character motivations,” Brancato told NJ.com. “We try to give the characters psychologically complex motivations that we believe they would have had if the men or the women who wrote the Bible took Robert McKee’s story structure class.”

Source : Christian Post