NBC Faces Protests Over Offensive Use Of God’s Name
A group of Christians, led by the conservative activist organization One Million Moms, is protesting NBC for allowing a contestant on the reality TV show Deal or No Deal Island to repeatedly take God’s name in vain during a recent broadcast. The group is accusing the network of showing disrespect for the Christian faith by permitting this offensive language to air without censorship, especially considering the show’s family-friendly rating.
Deal or No Deal Island, a spin-off of the original Deal or No Deal series, features contestants competing in various challenges and decision-making tasks to win cash prizes, set in a tropical island environment. While the January 23 broadcast of the show censored several other curse words, it did not censor the profane use of God’s name, which prompted complaints from One Million Moms, a division of the American Family Association. The group expressed concern that the show, rated TV-PG, could be viewed by children.
The group emphasizes that Christianity prohibits the use of God’s name in vain, citing the Ten Commandments as guidance for believers. One Million Moms argues that NBC’s decision to censor other profanities while leaving the offensive language about God untouched sends a troubling message, especially considering the show’s young audience. They are calling on NBC to apply the same level of censorship to the use of God’s name as they do to other inappropriate language, and they are urging Christians and other like-minded individuals to push for changes in the network’s programming.
The group views mocking God as deeply disrespectful and is seeking accountability from NBC. In addition to their public statement, One Million Moms has launched an online petition, which has garnered over 13,500 signatures. The petition calls for the network to take responsibility for its content and for ensuring that offensive language, including the misuse of God’s name, is not allowed in family-friendly programming.
Deal or No Deal Island is a reality competition in which contestants participate in challenges to find briefcases with hidden cash prizes, with the highest-value briefcase offering immunity. The show culminates with the last contestant playing a final round for the chance to win a major cash prize. Despite the show’s high-stakes challenges, the controversy surrounding its language choices has overshadowed the excitement for some viewers.
I do not watch Deal or No Deal or any of its spin offs, so I have no idea about what was said of this show. I have a huge problem with people saying the phrase that I suspect was being used because this phrase as a rule is not being used to give praise to God even though He is mentioned in it. If this is what was said on this show and was used the way it often is used it is taking God’s name in vain, which is prohibited by the 2nd Commandment. I think it should be bleeped out, the same as various curse words and vulgar words are bleeped out since using this phrase in this manner is comparable to cursing. We must give God the glory when using His name including that of His Son our Lord and Savior.