Actor Rainn Wilson recently criticized what he believes is an anti-Christian bias in Hollywood after an episode of the HBO series “The Last of Us” featured a villainous character using Bible verses.
From his Twitter account, Wilson suggested that the episode followed a predictable formula by making the character a villain. He asked if it was possible for a Bible-reading preacher to be portrayed in a positive light.
I do think there is an anti-Christian bias in Hollywood. As soon as the David character in “The Last of Us”
started reading from the Bible I knew that he was going to be a horrific villain. Could there be a Bible-reading preacher on a show who is actually loving and kind?— RainnWilson (@rainnwilson) March 11, 2023
Other commentators agreed with Wilson and pointed out that this situation was far from unique. Daniel Garza of the LIBRE Initiative commented that the defamation of Christianity has become a tired cliche in movies and TV series, meant to undermine faith and position the secular-minded as the only ones with altruistic intentions.
Defamation of Christianity has become the most unoriginal and tired cliches in movie/TV series storylines.
It’s prevalence is much more than a bias against an entire people, it is meant to undermine faith and position the secular-minded as only ones with altruistic intentions. https://t.co/Ka6gWRdraD
— Daniel Garza (@danielggarza) March 12, 2023
New Christendom Press CEO Eric Conn added that this problem can be traced back to Mr. Collins in Jane Austen’s “Pride and Prejudice,” in which the preacher man is nearly always portrayed in a negative light.
Goes back to Mr. Collins in Austen’s “Pride & Prejudice.” The preacher man is nearly always portrayed in a negative light. Also true of Hollywood today. https://t.co/kUxsIfm6Pc
— Eric Conn (@Eric_Conn) March 12, 2023
Evie Magazine founder Brittany Martinez also noted that this trope was all too familiar. She said “As SOON as the pastor started reading from the Bible I knew he was going to be awful. I was like ‘watch that guy be David the creepy cannibal from the video game.’ And then it was David. Shocked. Surprised. Never seen it before. He wasn’t a pastor in the video game.”
Recording artist Sean Feucht wrote that the anti-Christian bias in Hollywood had been known for a long time. Christian writer Eric Stetzer added that making Christians the bad guy in a show has become the norm.
Wilson is known for promoting left-wing issues on his Twitter account. In November, he announced plans to change his name to Rainnfall Heat Wave Extreme Winter Wilson in order to raise awareness of climate change. However, he later claimed that Twitter wouldn’t let him change his name due to Elon Musk’s new policies.
