The Real Book of Daniel

By Chris Carpenter
CBN.com Program Director

CBN.com - Let me see if I have my facts straight on NBC’s new series “The Book of Daniel”. An Episcopal minister (Daniel Webster) has a gay son, a pot smoking daughter who has been arrested for dealing the drug and an adopted child from China who is sexually active and makes fun of his Asian heritage. Daniel’s wife has a severe drinking problem, his contractor brother in law has pilfered more than three million dollars from the church, and he has a Catholic priest friend with mob ties. Oh and did I mention Daniel has frequent conversations with Jesus Christ, who often rides shotgun with him in the car. Those are just a few of the highlights.

So what is the problem? Everything that’s what.

The new program that premiered on Friday night has already drawn the ire of four local NBC affiliates who have refused to air it due to its controversial and sometimes blasphemous content. In perhaps one of the best spin doctoring performances in years, an NBC spokesperson made a special point to say that the four affiliates represented less than one percent of the 230 affiliates nationwide.

Well, golly gee, I guess that makes everything alright. Less than one percent refused to air it before it even premiered. All I can say is that I hope her calculator is ready this week.

According to the Indianapolis Star, WTHR-TV received over 1,000 emails and phone calls complaining about the series causing Program Director Rod Porter to note his station had never received a response that heavy.

Here at CBN.com, we began receiving a fairly steady flow of emails several weeks ago from people concerned about what they were hearing about “The Book of Daniel”. I didn’t find this to be a strange occurrence but what I did find peculiar was that NBC had not sent a preview copy to our entertainment producer. Usually, when any type of new show even hints at religion the networks are eager to have us review it. Such was the case with Amy Grant’s ill fated “Three Wishes” program. We had preview copy in hand months before it aired. But not with “The Book of Daniel”. We should have known.

I must admit the concept for this show is a good one. Being a minister’s son I realize that just because my family lives in the parsonage does not mean we live in some sort of idealized fantasy world of faith where nothing ever goes wrong. We encounter and deal with many of the same challenging, sometimes heartbreaking issues that our neighbors do.

Where “The Book of Daniel” takes a wrong turn is that his entire family, including Daniel himself, gives into temptation in one form or another … and easily. This is unrealistic to say the least. I say unrealistic because any family firmly rooted in Scripture at least knows right from wrong. It appears the entire Webster family, Daniel being no exception, can’t seem to figure out the finer points of the Ten Commandments.

What could make “The Book of Daniel” a great program is seeing Daniel deal with many of his problems by taking them on with a Christ-like approach. What Saint Francis of Assisi said in the twelfth century can certainly be applied here: “Preach the Gospel at all times and when necessary use words.” Instead, all I can decipher from this venomous lowest common denominator approach to television programming is a shameless ploy by NBC to dig themselves out of the proverbial ratings cellar. There is a much better way to do this. Quality beats crassness every time.

Another facet of “The Book of Daniel” that I can agree on is that Daniel talks to Jesus regularly and is not afraid to share his innermost thoughts with him. This steady and forthright dialogue is what we should all aspire to as Christians. What I object to is Christ’s shaggy portrayal as a hippie therapist in long robes. Furthermore, I honestly believe the Lord would offer more than a lime Lifesaver if one of his children had fallen into drug addiction.

While we celebrate the recent cinematic triumphs of “The Passion of the Christ”, “Chronicles of Narnia”, and the soon to be released “End of the Spear”, it is my desire that the television industry would take note. Admittedly, Hollywood has long been a vehicle for demonized thought but at least they are paying attention to films of faith when they realize there is money to be made. Sadly, NBC is not the same network that once championed family series like “The Cosby Show”, “Little House on the Prairie”, and “Family Ties”. With “The Book of Daniel” it seems the network with plume is content to sink into a cesspool of secularized thought.

What about the real book of Daniel? Does it bear any semblance to its television namesake? The answer is a resounding no. The purpose of this great book of the Old Testament is to show how God is in control of heaven and earth, directing the forces of nature, the destiny of nations, and the care of His people.

Daniel 2:22 says “He reveals deep and secret things; He knows what is in the darkness, and light dwells with Him.”

Simply put, we are in darkness without God. He illuminates our minds with wisdom. He elevates our thoughts to a higher plane and sets our spirits above circumstances. Who can know the mind of God unless He walks in the Light?

This is an important lesson for Daniel Webster and his family to learn. The only answer to all of life’s problems is to run toward the light not away from it.

Portions contained within this article from the Transformer Study Bible.

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