Cringe-inducing, eye-rolling THE BIBLE miniseries (with Logos app open)

Over the HOLY-days I saw one of the reshowings of the cringe-inducing, "Oh my, tell me they didn't leave that out like they just did" and "Hey, that is not what Scripture teaches at all" version of THE BIBLE as lensed by Roma Downey and company.

Its got a prominent disclaimer that reads "This program is an adaptation of Bible stories that changed our world. It endeavors to stay true to the spirit of the book". (I cannot recall today whether they capitalized "The Book" but I doubt it). I also believe they should have initial-capitalized "the spirit" too.

Did anyone watch this with their Logos app open and experience the following (yes I am being deliberately...well mostly vague here):

Facts were wrong or left out.
Battles with lots of hacking of bodyparts seem to be stressed
Some things were telescoped or left out altogether.
Total shock during Jesus' Baptism scene that The Trinity doesn't get mentioned at all.
Nervous laughter (surprise) that our current President seems to have been used to portray Lucifer.
Just pick a different actor already...geepers!

This is a Logos post not a bash this dreadful attempt to live-action THE BIBLE

so I am really asking this:

When you saw this series - even for the first few minutes or hours - did you open up Logos to check things out and discover "Yup, they got it wrong, changed it, or left vital key important stuff out altogether" ????

(for the record the spirit of the show did reach me at times....despite being shocked/turned off by what was included and excluded)

My answer to my own question was my wife and I went to YouVersion of The Bible to look stuff up and even just The Internet...it was faster. Go figure.

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Comments

Deacon Steve

Are you talking about the 10 part mini-series titled "The Bible" that originally aired on the History Channel?

http://www.history.com/shows/the-bible

JoshInRI

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/555637#Comment_555637

Yes, Steve...I had to have my Logos app open to try and make sense of the mess it was (he he)

Rich DeRuiter

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/555640#Comment_555640

Yes, Steve...I had to have my Logos app open to try and make sense of the mess it was (he he)

I watched only the first part, when it first came out months ago. The part I saw included such a distortion of the story of Abraham that I could not bare to watch more. Some important parts of the Bible story were inexplicably left out, others inexplicably added.

Some told me later it got better as the series continued. I have no basis to confirm that hypothesis.

Greg

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/555640#Comment_555640

No, I didn't have Logos open when we watched it. I use Logos to learn. I use the TV to be entertained. Probably good not to confuse the two!

My family really liked the series very much. As did my pastor (which reminds me, he still has my copy!). Of course it couldn't be THE BIBLE word for word, nor did it try to be. That would be too long and too costly to make, and probably more boring then not. It told a very good story and summary of scripture in a format that met the budget of the production company and the audience they were seeking to reach. They basically told all the stories that we tell our children, and in a way that was similar and entertaining. That's important to remember when judging it, I think. I'm sure countless church plays do things very similar. In fact, my very fundy Southern Baptist church recently put on a Christmas play that told the same story and took the same sorts of liberties with scripture that you're complaining about now.

I'd almost put money on it that you'd be much more favorable towards it if a Christian company made it, and not The History Channel.

For a production by a secular company, it by far surpassed all the cheesy offerings that any Christian company has produced in the last few decades. It told the story of God's people and the work of Christ without being preachy and cringe-inducing. The only other adaptation that I think even comes close to this was Gibson's The Passion of the Christ, in my opinion.

For what it was, it was amazing and fantastic. It probably wouldn't have been half that if a Christian production company had made it. Not only would Kirk Cameron probably be Jesus ([8-)]), but the acting would be shoddy and the story too hyper-literal, as ya'll seem to wish it to be.

Robert M. Warren

I saw the first episode a few months ago and it was total dog's breakfast. I couldn't take any more agony after that.

Abraham looked like he was going out to his backyard to sacrifice Isaac and Sarah was running after him like in a bad soap opera.

And Joseph was MIA.

The running tag-line in most scenes seemed to have been "Trust God", but they forgot to "Trust God's Word". One wouldn't even need Logos to discern this stinker; a moderately alert schoolboy from a good church would do.

Deacon Steve

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/555650#Comment_555650

Thanks for the reply! I'll have to watch it.

I'm sort of old fashioned and have always enjoyed The Greatest Story Ever Told and The Ten Commandments. I realize no movie is going to capture every aspect of salvation history.

David Bailey

I neither represent History Channel nor the producers of the TV mini-series. With that said, I watched the entire series when it aired and really liked it. Sure, there were some parts that I thought could have been portrayed better. I understand why some thought it was a poor attempt to introduce the greatest stories from the Bible to as many people as possible. Considering that the initial showings brought in more than 13 million estimated viewers, I think the goal of mass exposure was successful. How many viewers were Christians and non-believers? Don’t know. However, I rather have those 13 plus million people watch The Bible episode(s) than most other shows on prime time cable TV and satellite that glorify pre-marital sex, crude jokes, “adult” language, debauchery, homosexuality, etc.

I think that most people, religious or not, are not even thinking about the character and the heart of God, the real need for redemption, and the walking dead among us. I was actually surprised that the History Channel was willing to be part of such a project, since so many people today, especially in the film, television, and media industry, scoff at the biblical stories as entertaining fiction and myths. It’s a miracle that any such project concerning the Bible, one that mentions the name of Jesus the Messiah, and one that had inputs from Christians, would be planned, implemented, and completed for public showing.

Despite the series’ shortfalls that have been pointed out, it’s a product that glorifies God and His basic message to all of us, which many of us had just celebrated this week (or will in January). If anything, if someone who had seen one or more episodes began a personal search for truth and meaning, or, decided to read the stories in the Bible (or re-kindled his/her walk with God), then I think the production was well worth the costs and time. God can take something that is weak and small and produce much fruit for His kingdom. May that be so with The Bible miniseries.

Cheers,

David

SteveHD

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/555654#Comment_555654

FWIW there is a DVD from a while back called The Gospel of John. It is word for word from the Good News Bible. Very nicely done. Not sure but I think they did other gospel books as well.

Matthew C Jones

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/555665#Comment_555665

FWIW there is a DVD from a while back called The Gospel of John. It is word for word from the Good News Bible. Very nicely done. Not sure but I think they did other gospel books as well.

I believe that is a separate production with the same name.

Paul-C

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/555675#Comment_555675

I enjoyed the mini series very much. In terms of the stories they did include, I thought the programme was well-produced, with some spectacular effects. As with most screen adaptations, it's hard to beat the book on which it was based!

If this series encourages some people to read the Bible to find out more about what they've seen, which I hope it will, it will serve a great purpose.

Bruce Dunning

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/555691#Comment_555691

I didn't see it but it sounds interesting.

Matthew C Jones

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/555720#Comment_555720

If y'all think this series was bad you need to watch the Hallmark movie on Noah's Ark.

After the rains have subsided Noah is intoxicated and dancing on the deck of the ark. Some other watercraft are floating past the ark and peddle their hardwares to Noah's wife.

I have given up on Hollywood ever getting it right when it comes to scriptural depictions.

JoshInRI

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/555769#Comment_555769

Super Tramp...the new Russell Crowe film about Noah is going to be a bust and a travesty too.

We can only imagine that the EXODUS film with Christian Bale playing Moses will be odd too.

Rosie Perera

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/556917#Comment_556917

the new Russell Crowe film about Noah is going to be a bust and a travesty too.

That's too bad. I had hoped for something good. I guess it's best to just read the original stories, instead of watching the screen adaptations! [:)]