{"id":31854,"date":"2024-01-18T16:21:00","date_gmt":"2024-01-18T21:21:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/idolchatter\/?p=31854"},"modified":"2024-01-18T16:21:00","modified_gmt":"2024-01-18T21:21:00","slug":"reacher-star-alan-ritchson-responds-to-critics-shares-bible-lesson","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/idolchatter\/2024\/01\/reacher-star-alan-ritchson-responds-to-critics-shares-bible-lesson.html","title":{"rendered":"‘Reacher’ Star Alan Ritchson Responds to Critics, Shares Bible Lesson"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Actor and outspoken Christian Alan Ritchson recently shared a message about people who criticize him for playing in secular projects like his hit show \u201cReacher.\u201d He released a YouTube video stating that he loves playing Reacher and telling the story, highlighting that his character offers a unique opportunity to explore values and ethics.<\/p>\n

Ritchson said, \u201cI love playing a character who creates a kind of moral ambiguity that we should struggle against as we consider whether or not what he\u2019s doing is good all the time or morally right. I think that kind of thing is fun and fascinating, and I think escaping to that world as an audience; hopefully, it\u2019s as enjoyable for you as it is for me to help bring it to life.\u201d The \u201cFast X\u201d star went on to address how he often faces critique for being a Christian who plays such a complex character.<\/p>\n

He said, \u201cSupposed Christians especially criticize me for playing Reacher. As if the only TV that should exist is seeing people silently folding their hands in the pew of a church. I mean, what kind of stories are we supposed to tell?\u201d Ritchson pointed to the many complex stories told in the Bible: journeys replete with characters who are anything but perfect.<\/p>\n

In the Old and New Testaments, the actor said one can easily see \u201ca thousand years of an infinitely holy God holding tension with human beings as he tells the story of who he is, reveals who he is through an imperfect people.\u201d And Ritchson didn\u2019t stop there. He added that the Bible is filled with \u201cmiracles and magic,\u201d with the Lord being totally unafraid to \u201ctell the story of who he is through less than morally ambiguous characters, through pure evil sometimes.\u201d In the end, he said it\u2019s \u201claughable\u201d to critique him for not solely playing saintly characters.<\/p>\n