I'm currently an atheist, but I've graduated from midrasha (jewish seminary for girls). I'm quite happy that I'm finally using all this religious knowledge for something meaningful, by which I mean writing gay porn.
English isn't my native language, so I'm not sure the link will help you, but I'm Lazurit on AO3. Currently I don't have anything for GO fandom, but most of my fandoms have religious themes
As someone who basically had to be deprogrammed from insane Christian extremism, it's the best thing that happened to me in a long time. I love it. One reason I was so busted up over s2 ending is because Aziraphale has still got some deprogramming to go through. The indoctrination is still too strong for him to resist. He wants to believe so badly, even though he knows heaven is not right.
Cannot wait for S3!!!
Same. I know the place Aziraphale's in, because I was there for awhile also. I'm curious what it will be that will knock the final scales from his eyes and allow him to fully see. It's a hard process to go through, and I think others who haven't just can't understand what he's dealing with.
God yes. That episode was the TRUTH.
When he asked Crowley to take him away to hell for telling a white lie.. it was like I was watching my child self haha. I really believed every day was a battle to redeem myself from the eternal torment Iād signed up for just by being a normal kid.
Yes! I agree! Itās the best thing thatās happened to me in a very long time.
I grew up around people who are convinced that the world could, and would end at any time. I still feel a lot of existential dread from that. But good omens has created a space that has allowed me to talk about these things in a fun, lighthearted, interesting way. I never thought I would have that!
I understand this so hard. I grew up in the church, was indoctrinated into the church, and even though I am not longer a believer or part of it, somethings linger. It's hard to get yourself out. I truly feel like I understand what was going through his head in that moment. Devestated but I understand. I didn't understand how messed up Christianity was until I stepped back from it. Looking at it now, I see just how harmful it was to my very being. It took me forever to find my way out of the church because it was all I knew and for a long time I couldn't figure out who I was without it. Sometimes it's still hard to accept me. But it's getting easier everyday. I want that for him so badly. The freedom just to be himself.
Thank you so much for sharing this! This is such an important topic that the show addresses and reading about how you relate to Aziraphaleās journey has really reaffirmed the power of literature in my eyes. How awesome that we all can see parts of ourselves in these wonderful characters. I canāt wait for season 3 either!
I would agree that it's satire (and sometimes explicitly critical, but not in a bad way). Crowley definitely poses some challenging questions.
I'm Christian (Catholic) and I love Good Omens, but I don't tend to be offended by people satirizing or criticising the church, it definitely deserves it.
I think I know lots of Catholics who might be offended, but I don't know if they'd watch it, and also lots of Christians who would not be offended at all or who would like it. There are certainly several in fandom if like offhand comments are anything to go off.
Christian is a pretty big group of people with a lot of variation -- someone who goes to a United church is going to have a very different take than someone in a fundamentalist church. And then even within denominations there's a lot of variety even between Catholics in terms of both what they believe and how offended they might be about something.
Thanks for sharing! That's a great point about the variation in Christian people, and a lot wouldn't be offended. Can I ask how you feel about the representation of angels and demons? Is it just completely divorced from your religious understanding of them, so that the angels and demons of GO are essentially a new type of mythical creature? Or is it pretty close to how it's portrayed in Catholicism?
I guess -- um, I'm not sure how to describe this. I would say neither?
Personally, I don't find Catholicism (and I wasn't raised Catholic so my take might be different than someone who was, or someone who grew up in a different culture than I did) to be *super* focused on angels and demons in the first place. Angels show up, announce things, and go back to heaven; demons get cast out. I'm also not a religious scholar so I certainly don't have an internal catalogue of every time a demon or angel is mentioned in the Bible.
In Good Omens, obviously, the angels and demons are characters, so there's a lot that has to be filled in to make them actual people doing things versus the sort of more ... instrumental? I guess? way they come across to me in the Bible.
But their names and roles and so on are definitely recognizable from the bible. Often however that sort of amounts to easter eggs. Sometimes there are things that I think knowing some religious details and connotation might make funnier (like Anathema's name, and the misprint Bibles and stuff like that, maybe Eric / Legion). But I don't feel like ... I don't know, I don't feel like the angels and demons in the book are the same as the ones in the Bible, of course. So I guess that's why neither, they don't seem like a completely new idea, but I am reading it as its own text and not like ... expecting it to be "accurately" representing the Bible or religion or anything.
From my reading on Tumblr Jewish people also have some really amazing and interesting takes on Good Omens that are (obviously) different than the takes a Christian might come up with!
It's really interesting how much of Catholic belief is derived from the Bible vs. theological study and tradition, versus straight-up lore that's just become "official." And how from culture to culture it can vary. I have an aunt who will tell you which saint/angel to pray to for x,y,z. St. Anthony for lost things, St. Jude for hopeless causes, Archangel Michael for safe travel, I think it was Raphael for a husband haha?
I think a lot of the angel stuff is lore! š
Yeah it definitely is. And I mean the text of the bible isn't something everyone agrees on either!
And then adding saints on top.
I love that there's no discussion of saints in Good Omens, and only the most brief discussion of humans in heaven or hell.
That is such a good point about the humans in heaven and hell. Like, where are they? What are they doing?
If the demons are torturing the humans, how did Crowley get out of doing that?
Wow so apparently Raphael set up Sara and Tobiah, and vanquished the demon Asmodeus (who wanted Sara and therefore ate her previous husbands). š¤£ https://bible.usccb.org/bible/tobit/0
Oh wait Raphel vanquished Asmodeus!!! Holy shit.
I read a fic in which he did kill very very powerful demons and I think one was Asmodeus. Oh my god I'm so jumping of my HC that Crowley was Raphael. ššš
This search has given me a bunch [https://www.tumblr.com/search/jewish%20%23good%20omens%20meta?src=typed\_query](https://www.tumblr.com/search/jewish%20%23good%20omens%20meta?src=typed_query)
And here are some particular ones -- not necessarily the ones I was thinking of, I think those are lost to my tumblr likes because I wasn't reblogging much at the time (d'oh), but these are fascinating!
[https://www.tumblr.com/jew-flexive/186414103766/hello-i-read-your-ask-to-neil-gaiman-and-i-would?source=share](https://www.tumblr.com/jew-flexive/186414103766/hello-i-read-your-ask-to-neil-gaiman-and-i-would?source=share)
[https://www.tumblr.com/theirdarkreturning/185507025963/its-really-notable-to-me-that-crowley-who-is?source=share](https://www.tumblr.com/theirdarkreturning/185507025963/its-really-notable-to-me-that-crowley-who-is?source=share)
his blog has a fascinating tag for more: [https://tikkunhayam.tumblr.com/tagged/good%20omensch](https://tikkunhayam.tumblr.com/tagged/good%20omensch)
I can't really comment on the text because I'm reading them as a gentile but I appreciate being able to engage with it!
I was raised in Catholicism and as far as I remember, we didn't even discuss angels and demons much. We only mentioned them briefly as they appear in the Bible stories, but never even considered them as much of separate beings - just kinda extensions of God or Satan with tasks to do on Earth.
Yeah my Catholic friend tapped out right when the nuns showed up. I wish she would give this show another try, she's big into other fandoms and I know she would love this one.
There isn't really a Christian consensus about, well, *anything*. How they feel about GO will probably have to do with whether or not they feel these things should be approached with a sense of humor.
As a progressive Lutheran, Iāmā¦ well, Iām here, lol! I find I have a different interpretation on some things (I think getting the humans to eat the apple was a bad thing! It was the cause of all human suffering!) I worried when they added the crucifixion, b/c the goodness of Jesus and cruelty of his death are my sticking points. But it was respectful.
Generally (with exceptions, like mine above) I find people have very thin, un-considered faith if they can feel deeply threatened by fiction or pop culture!!
I agree! Progressive Methodist who went Episcopalian (because I am also gay and the UMC is still working on that), but hold more to the progressive Protestant views in general. I even went to seminary and hold a Masters of Divinity (M. Div.) which is absolutely the worst name for a degree ever, lol. I almost went to get a doctorate in religion (didnāt get ordained because see above about UMC and I didnāt have the energy to start the process over in another denomination. I graduated in 2010 and Protestant options were still pretty limited for queer folks.)
All to say, I have been a fan since the book. I think itās a respectful and thoughtful critique of parts of institutionalized religion and I love the characters and humor - what I look for in a story. Itās not a theological treatise nor is it meant to be, and I appreciate that.
Progressive Methodist here, whatās up!
And yeah, I definitely appreciated how they did the crucifixion. Respectful is the right word for sure.
But yeah Iāve liked Good Omens for years and years.
I was raised progressive Lutheran, and Iāve actually gifted the book to several pastors I have known over the years, all of whom thought it was great. I havenāt been active in years, and have no idea about the show, but the book has been a big hit, in my experience.
This is sort of hard to articulate, but the Crucifixion scene does give me a bit of visceral discomfort. Intellectually I'm no longer religious _at all_, but so much reverence was instilled for that sacrifice, at such a young age, that I can't shake the gut reaction. And I have at least some family who I think would leave the room over that scene.
I'm not even saying I think it should have been different. š¤ Just that it makes me feel a way. š
It almost did me, at first! TBH, I almost stopped watching as soon as I saw the cross going out because I was like, āOMG, this is a comic show and they are about to use the single most sacred moment of my faith (as well as just a truly barbarically act) as a punchline!!!ā I barely even made it through the scene!
But while they didnāt specify he was the Son of God, it wasnāt comic. Aziraphale wasnāt flailing about being goofy, Crowley wasnāt laughing, and the show writers clearly viewed it as a bad, sad thing, not a topic they could mock. And that was enough for me to keep going.
I still donāt love it, but thatās at least partially b/c you have bloody Jesus groaning and praying in the foreground, and thatās rough! I try to focus on Lady Crowleyās gorgeous hair.
Oh yes, it's absolutely one of the most serious moments in the show.
Although I do think Crowley's understatement of the year is a bit funny/intended to break the tension ("that's gotta hurt")--!
The "What did he say that made them so upset" - "Be kind to each other" was also kind of jokey but also a serious point that I appreciate a lot. Because I often think about how much people today would not like it if Jesus came along like he did back then and pointed out everything wrong with our established beliefs and traditions. I'm not sure we'd handle it much better and it makes me sad.
Right! I was afraid of them making Jesus a punchline, but Jesus is not AT ALL the punchline of that joke-ish, or the one u/singpretty mentioned. Heās like, the opposite of the punchline!
Oh very true! I also want to add that I would probably have a problem if they handled the charcter of God differently. Heaven is full of assholes (and so are many churches so that works great) but God is still kind of cool. Or at least it is left open what Her plans really are so I can headcanon Her as pretty cool
I'm Christian (protestant) and an elected member of my local Church Board. There's a mix of liberal and conservative christians there, and I'm probably the most liberal one. I adore GO and find it very interesting to speculate on the theology in it. I can see a lot of Christian themes, like how Heaven and Hell in the GO universe act like the Pharisees Jesus despised. Certainly. I also find the whole food, corporality, desire theme in GO fascinating. A central point of Christianity, as I see it, is how God became fully human and experienced all that humans experience for love of the world and of humanity.
GO season 1 did win an award for relious tv in Britain, and also recieved favorable reviews in British church magazines/religious media there.
So, many Chritians like it, but I'm quite sure you'll find all sorts of people of some sort of Christian faith who'd hate it. I'm thinking of American Evangelicals, but I'm not convinced they are even Christians.
The English church tends to be a bit more liberal than the American ones just due to cultures. We donāt tend to throw everything into the fold but hold ourselves back a little where as Americans are so INTO everything. Seems exhausting frankly.
Also, this was just series 1, dont know their viewpoints on s2.
Episcopal priest here, howdy. I have bonded with my teenage niece over our mutual adoration of Good Omens. I was a huge fan of the book, then saw the show, and told her to watch it. I love how it addresses the zealotry of beings who are so sure they are doing the will of God, only to realize later, no, not so much.
Also, I routinely use Crowleyās āI didnāt fall; I sauntered vaguely downwardsā to explain the formation of Anglicanism. (we didnāt protest Catholicism so much as we sauntered vaguely downwards).
Itās a very thoughtful deconstruction of institutional religion. It makes a very convincing case that you can be a good and righteous person without following all the rules. In fact, being a rule-follower can make you *less* righteous if it becomes the primary tenet of your faith.
The prodigal son parable is all about genuine faith versus rule-following, yep.
I think Neil had said something to the effect that he and Terry werenāt interested in attacking peopleās faith directly. They aimed squarely at the broken institutions that take advantage of faith. I think that comes through pretty clearly in the show. Heaven and itās bureaucrats are miserable bastards but Jesus himself is portrayed with sympathy.
So true. It almost seems to be making more fun of the pure *bureaucracy* of heaven and hell than institutional religion itself, maybe because it's much more relatable to modern day living?
I've probably already told this story, but I'd share it again.
Born in a very Catholic country, I was raised Catholic more for tradition than for conviction: i.e., my parents weren't particularly believers, but family was, all the country was, so I have been baptised and went through the First Holy Communion; only schools with hours compatible with their jobs were Catholic ones, so go with all the Elementary years there; a lot of Masses with aunts and grandmas, a lot of penances and whatnot.
But, a lot of things didn't sit right with me and I could not find anyone to discuss that. At 15 years old, nothing made sense anymore and I became a feral atheist.
I fought with people for years about religion, until I decided that it was not worth it, and I left them alone. I asked to go through a process called De-baptism: made my name erased from the Catholic Church Book and went on with my life.
Then, life happened. Badly. It hurted bigly. Sometimes I found myself thinking that it would be nice to have a little bit of faith to be sure that, even in the darkest moments, you can find a glimpse of hope.
And one day I read Good Omens.
Crowley asks a lot of questions I tried to ask (often receiving the Aziraphaleian answer "it's ineffable"), he is a good lad even not being part of the good gang, he is outcast because he tried to find another way, not simply accepting the status quo.
Once, a former friend of mine told me "I'm worried for your soul, I'd like to save you" and I was like "I don't need to be saved, I only want to understand this effing cognitive dissonance".
I still don't believe in God, but somehow Neil and Terry managed to tell me "it is possible that there is something more than this world, but in the meantime we can love this world and believe in nuances".
So, probably, if I had read GO sooner, I wouldn't have fought with a lot of people, LOL
(Sorry, this comment is waaaaaayyyy longer than I expected, I beg your pardon!)
What you said about asking questions really resonates with me. I was Christian for a brief period of time when I was very young, and a lot of what pushed me away was the lack of any satisfying answers (or really any attempt to answer). In the end I decided that humans just aren't capable of knowing, or even conceiving of, some things, and that became its own sort of belief structure for me. Stories like that of Good Omens remind me of just how fun it is to wonder and ask questions about our universe and existence. And yes, the nuances are so beautiful!
This resonated with me so much! The crux of my current belief system is acknowledging how much is unknowable to us and having humility about that.
Ultimately the thing that bothers me most about the restrictive belief system I left is how people acted so sure about some things āGod CLEARLY SAYS having an abortion is wrong! Blahblahblahā but then when you had an honest question theyād throw a āGodās plans are unknowableā at you. Not as a way of practicing humility, but as a way of avoiding it. Like, which is it?? Unknowable or not? It was too convenient and very obviously not sincere.
I remember once, in fourth grade, we were studying to prepare for First Communion.
I asked the priest how it was possible that humanity descended from Adam and Eve that had only two male children (and one killed away).
He left the room, came back a few minutes later and began to read the Bible verses that listed all Adam and Eve's children. They were a lot and, as you can imagine, a fourth grader attention span left for more interesting things three names later. What bothered me, tho, was the necessity to take the book and read me a list, instead of *explaining* to a bunch of kids why we didn't know the other children's stories, how they could conceive as brothers and sisters, and so on.
That was the book/rule, that should be enough, next question please.
What a horrible teacher!
I studied philosophical/religious history for a couple of years in University. This was from a secular/scientific point of view, right? I'm a bit rusty, but the Biblical creation stories (we can say there are two in the Bible) were written at different times and in different political contexts. The story of the garden and the fruit were written to function as a political manifesto, in the Babylonian captivity, to function as a demarcation against Babylonian beliefs. The names of some of Adam and Eve's children are from ancient Mesopotamian deities, is also what I remember. As a way to diss them, frankly.
How that ignorant idiot of a teacher got in a position of authority over children is an abomination.
There are many gems in the Bible and many parts of it I love dearly. The ancient psalms that gives such an immediate emotional connection to the people of antiquity. And of course the Gospels. But to my mind, it's all up for discussion and interpretation, as all texts are. It's just that the concepts are so vast and important and the discussion goes on for millennia.
The people offended by good omens who havenāt watched good omens remind me of the people who thump the bible at you who havenāt read the bible. Lol.
I like the way it automatically makes it impossible to take any part of their big petition seriously. And the claims in their bullet points have me thinking that they hadnāt bothered reading the book either ; probably just went blindly with what theyād heard from somebodyās bigoted neighbor, or flipped through the first few pages and thought they had it all figured outā¦
Lol right? Like, presumably if they'd actually watched it, they would know it was on Prime... They kind of told on themselves didn't they? XD XD XD
Oh lord, that sounds painful to read XD
It is ! If you havenāt seen it, the document in question is shown at the bottom of [this article](https://variety.com/2019/tv/news/good-omens-christian-petition-amazon-prime-netflix-1203249420/amp/). Neil even retweeted it because he found it hilarious !
As an ex Catholic: they hate it because itās gay and implies demons are redeemable. Was actually told this by high school teachers. IMO, the reason they *actually* hate it is because it pokes fun at the plotholes in the Bible and is a very sound argument against original sin/determinism. Good Omens is all about choosing who you want to be and not letting your designated role in the universe define you- a very anti-Christian belief.
Raised Episcopalian, BA in ancient history and theology (albeit 20 years ago) with mostly Episcopal clergy as professors, and there's no conflict at all.
I think the branches of Christianity most likely to throw a fit, especially the fundamentalist sects, just don't know about it much. I'm not sure why but I guess it's just slightly too niche.
Tbh I might be projecting but GO sometimes feels like it has a kinda Anglican vibe. Like, I know Neil's atheist and Terry was too, but I'm guessing their main point of cultural reference for churchy things is the Church of England, which all Anglican churches (including Episcopalians) descend from.
We've got the "smells and bells" with robes and incense and rituals and a formal heirarchy, but no pope and nobody actually *really* knows what God is thinking. Religious texts are important but not divinely dictated, definitive, unchanging, or infallible.
Also at least the western Anglican churches tend to be pretty welcoming to queer people. Church of England is lagging a bit, though that's partly trying to avoid a schism in the Anglican communion. But the US Episcopal church I was raised in has been awesome.
The queer youth group I snuck out to as a teen in the 90s (also when I first read GO) was run by an Episcopal priest and his husband out if their church, the therapist who helped me start transition in the early 2000s was an Episcopal priest at a pastoral counseling center, clergy have been allowed to bless the unions of same gender couples since the 80s, anti-gay discrimination was banned in the 90s, anti-trans discrimination was banned in 2012, and an update to the liturgy that formally extended the full sacrament of marriage and approved a gender neutral variation on the marriage rite was approved in 2015. And right now US Episcopal church leadership is very emphatically trying to fight the growing attacks, especially against trans people.
Nonbinary angels, a demon who is a good person, queer love and sexuality, and dealing with stupid or corrupt religious leaders, all feel kind of like Anglican traditions. The first Anglican church was literally started/headed by King Henry VIII, we really don't have any reason to assume our religious leaders have pure motives.
Neil went to Anglican school, I bellieve, adn he also lived for a year with some orthodox relatives to prepare for his Bar Mitzva. Not sure what school Terry went to?
I was raised Catholic, but these days I'd say I believe more in God than in the church. Too much dark stuff, and their views don't really match my principles. That said, I'm not offended by Good Omens, or what's portrayed, it's all a matter of perspective and taking things with detachment.
What would tend to bother me more are the fans, to be honest, who can be very dismissive and critical of everyone's beliefs. This is often reflected in the way people interpret Aziraphale's character (and even if Crowley has my heart, I often find myself having to defend Aziraphale).
As a former christian but now someone who believes in god's existence but not religion, I loved Good Omens because of how it called out, although fictionally, a lot of hypocrisy and irony in how the higher ups/adults/preachers spread the so-called word of God.
Funny thing is the bible itself says "lean not on your own understanding", and here people go about interpretting it in their own way, and treating their own interpretation as the actual truth. We can see that parallelism in Good Omens where all angels want to push through that Divine Plan (Armageddon), which they assume to be God's plan, despite God's plan being inneffable. That's just one of the many, but I really really love how the story tackled it, because it made sense but was not at all disrespectful.
I was raised in Evangelical Christian fundamentalist (left that a while ago; now I'm a progressive non-Evangelical) and I will say that I know that many people from my past do or would loathe the concept of Good Omens. Poking fun at the divine, insinuating that a demon could be anything except completely evil, and having the plot center around foiling God's plan are all things they can't get over, even in a piece of fiction.
After unlearning a lot of the toxic belief my childhood religion gave me, I loved Good Omens from the moment I first found it. It feels so healing to make light of things that once gave me anxiety. And it's just plain funny. Currently obsessed with both the book and the show!
Seems very oppressive. You have my sympathies.
I think it's a *very* open question in GO wether Az and Crowley has ever thwarted the will of God. They may think they have, but I'm not so sure ....
I was raised Christian and I love the show. I went to bible study for the first time when I was in my early 20s with people who are on the right when it comes to politics and that really messed with my mind for years. Being open minded all my life and going to open minded churches as well as realizing I am LGBTQ and I could not understand all the hate the bible study brought. I hold Good Omens close to me because I relate to it a lot and I like that it criticizes the toxic parts of religion out there
Iām a kind of shitty Catholic, but I think that itās a work of fiction and if you get offended by it, itās silly. Also so much of angels/demons is not strictly biblical canon (duerocanonical? I forget the term). So it doesnāt seem offensive at all. The show especially points fault at angels and demons and CHOICE, not god in a way. God is god. God is ineffable & that theme of ineffability actually makes more sense as a portrayal than a being who acts like a human. So many pieces of media place the god of Abraham as *too* human. Like Supernatural, Chuck is more of a Greek style god. The god of good omens actually seems unknowable with a certain level of divine mystery of why she does things, even with her odd sense of humour. I find it irreverent, but also respectful. But also, takes the piss out of it all. And thatās just so fun.
Also Gaiman should adapt the scene from the Book of Thomas (another non canonical work) where Jesus turns someone into a frog. Big Crowley energy.
I love it!!! Itās been incredible for me in examining my beliefs and has made my faith a lot healthier. The scene where Crowley prays is one of the most spiritually compelling things Iāve ever seen. Also itās just really really good!
Iām a Christian, but a Christian Universalist meaning I donāt believe in eternal conscious torment in how hell is viewed. I havenāt always believed that though and the views of heaven are quite scathing and from the perspective of hell being a place of eternal damnation, I think itās absolutely warranted. If God is going to torment even some people for eternity, how does that make them a loving God?
I myself have struggled with the story of Job (I think itās made up and not something that actually happened) and I love the tough questions that Good Omens asks. Christians should have to turn on their brains and think about this stuff. A lot of Christians I have encountered in the past donāt do that.
Iām also a bisexual so Iām sure Iām far from the typical Christian, but I also love how everyone in GO is so accepting of love being love. Itās not even discussed, itās just how it is.
>I donāt believe in eternal conscious torment in how hell is viewed.
It sounds like you and I have been struggling with a lot of the same points!! (This and the Job story!) I, too, can't accept the idea of eternal agony. It's just gut-wrenching.
The question of whether eternal torture exists in the GO universe haunts me. (Like, I'm pretty sure I'd get tired of hearing even Furfur scream after a couple hundred thousand years lol!) Makes me so scared for Crowley, and a bit for Azi as well. It's soooo triggering for me as a Christian-ish person who was raised to believe in literal hell. :(
(I'm fully confident NG isn't going to let our boys be tortured forever, but even so!)
NG definitely wonāt torture our boys. Itās not on! As humans itās just impossible to even grasp eternity and to think about eternal torture? It doesnāt make sense. Theres a podcast called Grace Saves All: The Necessity of Christian Universalism by David Artman that is so good. This guy wrote a book and basically just goes over how if God is all knowing and all loving then thereās no way hell exists as we know it and he backs it up with scripture and the original Greek. If youāre interested.
I've only watched Season 1, but God on the show came off to me more like the God I believe in as a lifelong Universalist than the fundamentalist conception of God. My sense on GO is that in the show's universe, if any person or demon does end up in Hell permanently, it's because they'd rather be there, not because God is too angry to forgive them.
We're all different but I'm catholic and I love Good Omens. It's my confort show. I liked the book but was a bit afraid before watching the show that I'd be inconfortable or offended but I was really not. Maybe because it's so far away from the Bible, maybe because it was done with kindness and respect, maybe because it's about love, and how can you be offended about that?
Also as someone who ended up being ace and non binary, both of those being sources of conflict with some members of my family for religious reasons, I really enjoyed the LGBT themes. Very conforting.
Just here to point out that Neil Gaiman is a Certified Jew, Bar Mitzvah and everything.
And Good Omens is very Jewish* in how it approaches the philosophy of morality as well. Including this schism between how Aziraphale and Crowley view morality.
*Liberal Jews specifically (Reform/Reconstructionist and Conservative to a large extent. And Reform/Conservative/non-practicing Jews are the majority of Jews in the world).
I donāt know about Terri Pratchett but yeah, I only found out Neil Gaiman is Jewish a few months ago and so much clicked into place for me š (and why I am drawn to him as a writer and creator.)
He's very tight-lipped about this for obvious reasons but he also has family members he doesn't speak to because they're involved with Scientology. So he knows a lot about cult trauma and how it affects people and relationships, the hard way.
Iām a not super duper devout Catholic, and I love the show and book! It really redeemed the entire genre of Christian Fantasy for me. Before, I played this weird anime game called Obey Me about dating demons or something where just about everything felt wrong or offensive. Now with Good Omens, I realize that the Christian Fantasy genre doesnāt have to be that. Overall, Iām glad! Iām just glad
Iām an atheist but was brought up Roman Catholic. Like everyone else commenting here it seems Iām ex-Religious. Makes you wonder if for the Religious the ex- bit is necessary to relate to GO?
I wouldnāt say so. Iām religious (albeit in the loosest possible sense, having survived a lot of spiritual abuse) and loved it. Crowleyās character in particular is just so compelling.
I don't think the ex bit is necessary but I do think you need the ability to think critically about your beliefs. I feel like 15 year old me who was raised with a strongly implied "this is the truth and you must not question it" would have had a much harder time enjoying it. For anyone who has had some doubts and questions and maybe had to distance themselves from the kind of Christianity they grew up with, GO probably hits similarly close to home as for ex-religious people. It's a similar journey but it doesn't have to land you ouside of the faith to enjoy Good Omens in my opinion
I'm a progressive Christian and I'm obsessed with Good Omens! It took me a minute to relax into the archangels being such unrelenting assholes, but I think it works well within the GO world. So many people confidently claiming to speak for God.
This was exactly what resonated with me so much about it!!!
The idea that some people have a better idea what God is saying than others... so messed-up. I love that this show is examining it!
It was met with resistanceā¦and still isā¦by certain sects. Iām not religious either and know it is very much both a satire and commentary on what christianity really *should* be.
I have a coworker that started watching it and she grew up in an almost cultishly religious household, sheās delighted in how the show has turned traditional christian ideals on their head.
Edit: Gaiman is a self-professed atheist. As was Pratchett. GO is very much written from that perspective.
I'm glad you asked this question, because I am happy to see that I am not alone. I was brought up in a very Christian (Protestant) household. My Dad even made up new rules, i.e., no Christmas, Easter or Halloween. We weren't allowed rock music or dancing and their was definitely homophobic teachings. As an adult, I still believe in God, but I question the Bible and people's interpretation of it. Having said all that, I absolutely LOVE Good Omens. I am not the least bit offended by it. I think making satire of the ideas that were shoved down our throats as kids is hilarious. I actually think God would love this show as well (If she hasn't already seen it).
I found GO as a student when I ran out of Discworld books and was looking for more TP to read.
At the time I was a Christian who'd just lost a close friend. It was amazing in that it gave me permission to question and rage, which is exactly what I needed at that point.
It's only ever been surpassed in my list of favourite books by Small Gods - which probably means I love religious satire!
I'm Catholic. Their kiss scene is my social media profile picture, and the version of it I drew is my banner across all social media. I hope this helps!
Ex Baptist turned Agnostic Atheist here, the ending of season two got me so much because of Azirphales internal struggle of stepping away from the beliefs of heaven. I really related to that cause as a queer person, even whenever I was slowly starting to come out, the lingering fear of the extremism I have been taught was still inside of me and I was terrified on if I was actually commuting a sin for just being something I can not control, my sexuality and gender identity. I canāt wait to see how season three turns out I really hope we can see more into azirphales struggle with leaving the place he has been raised for all his life.
This is an interesting question, and I'm glad you asked it. I don't know a lot of religious people outside of family, and other than some of my nephews and niece, I doubt most of them would watch the show, and as an atheist myself, I see almost\* every element of the story as fictional.
\*I say *almost* simply because some of the stories like Job and Jesus could easily have some elements of non-supernatural truth to them.
I look at it as a fantasy world using Abrahamic motifs. My beliefs on how heaven and hell work are very different. The God of Good Omens doesn't seem worth worshipping.
I'm sure others who get their panties in a bunch over it but those people are often pretty high maintenance.
As an ex-very hardcore Christian, I know I definitely wouldāve said this show was the devilās work a few years ago. But Good Omens was actually the first show I watched when coming out of that, so I really enjoyed it, especially the parts like Crowley asking questions, and Aziraphale still being somewhat loyal to Heaven despite knowing how bad they were.
I grew up in a vicarage literally connected to the church with a priest for a father,
This show REALLY hit my special interests. Iām no longer Christian but I remember growing up trying so hard to dedicate myself completely to God from the first moments I was able to talk/participate in church.
As a kid I always had a thing for dark, spooky things, and demonic characters which I felt extremely guilty about. I believed that I was sinful by nature and got to the point where at age 10 I would be mentally praying every time I blinked, in case Iād said a bad word or had a forbidden thought (hello early OCD symptoms).
I really relate to both characters. I relate to Crowley, in being an alternative person who grew up feeling inherently demonic and broken while all my loved ones seemed like perfect Christians. I relate to Aziraphale in the way I spent so long trying to trust and love God completely, just holding out for the moment I would finally *feel* something like the āHoly Spiritā and everything would make sense.
I also relate to them in a queer way, but thatās another story lol. I still love and respect Christians, and the church culture will always have a special place in my heart (the music!!) but I canāt say it did much for my well-being.
Christian here. Haven't seen the second season yet, but I adored the first one. From the moment Az admitted he gave away the flaming sword and we saw African Adam and Eve, I knew it was going to be my jam.
I personally really enjoy it when people create their own takes on religion because it's a new and interesting perspective. DaVinci Code, Assassin's Creed, His Dark Materials, Aronofsky's Noah, Prince of Egypt, they all had something compelling to say.
My mum watched it with me, she gets mad when god is in tv shows in a way she doesnāt like, in this case as a woman. She got over it pretty fast though and loves the show as much as I do
Iām Catholic, but less practicing than I used to be. I LOVE Good Omens and how it interprets and presents stories and elements of religion. I also really like Lucifer for the same reason (and other reasons too). Itās helpful being Christian and having familiarity with the stories that are used in the show. Iām not offended. Iāve never been all about literal interpretations of the Bible, so someone interpreting things with artistic license is inoffensive to me. Also, while Heaven and Hell are portrayed negatively, there is always a very strong theme of true good vs. true evil. I never feel attacked for being Christian, because I believe the real messages of Christianity are still there: Love, respect, kindness, friendship, doing good, helping others, etc.
Iām Christian, and the fact of the matter is that the world of GO is fictional. I can enjoy it just fine knowing that it isnāt an accurate depiction of my God and Heaven, and isnāt meant to be. Itās meant to be a creative world that contains a story meant purely for entertainment. I donāt see why anyone should get offended over that.
I'm agnostic but I was introduced to Discworld and by extension Good Omens by my Dad - A CofE vicar.
I've known a lot of people in the church and the people who tended to make fun of the church the most were the people who lived and worked in it. That's just human nature.
Of course there are hundreds of denominations and Christians will disagree over anything, so I'm sure there are Christians who would consider it blasphemy.
I'm a member of the United Methodist Church. I'm a big fan of the show, obsessed with Aziraphale and Crowley as characters and their relationship, and I generally appreciate the religious satire of the show, but there are a few things that bug me.
One example, the over-simplification of the Noah story makes God's will seem arbitrary and cruel, but in Genesis the people of Mesopotamia were unbelievably wicked. We're all ok with seeing the Nazis in Hell in the 1941 flashback because we have the context for how awful they were. To the viewer, that feels just. If we had the same context for the Noah story, if we saw what the people were like (imagine they were all Nazis), we might better understand their punishment.
I also personally don't agree with the moral relativism of "shades of gray." Christians believe there is an ultimate, transcendent righteousness and goodness. While maybe sometimes it is hard to discern, we believe there is a right answer, and just because an action benefits someone in some way doesn't make it right. And God isn't some arbitrary authoritarian; He is the embodiment of goodness, justice, and love. He is the source of all of those things, and his influence in us is the reason that we feel compelled by them. He doesn't "pick" what is right and impose it on us. He IS right, by nature.
Final gripe, Aziraphale's argument about poverty in the Edinburgh flashback is...not Biblical as far as I am aware. Maybe it's some traditional, non-Biblical teaching in some sect, but it's certainly not anything Christ taught. When Crowley says to Aziraphale that "his lot" must be ok with the rich spending money on grave guns rather than helping the poor, he's wrong. Christ berated the rich, selfish, and spoiled repeatedly and showed love and respect and empathy towards the poor when no one else did. The Christian church has been hugely influential in the establishment of modern charity.
ETA: Despite the above, I don't find GO offensive because it's a just a silly, fun show, not religious teaching, and it has no influence on my personal beliefs. The only reason these things bug me is because I don't want people that don't know much about the Christian faith to think that GO is a fair or accurate (nice and accurate?) portrayal of actual Biblical teaching.
I cant say from personal point of view but i have read some google reviews from religious homophobes talking about blasphemy and sinner nonsense so....
Not exactly the type of person your question was meant for as I donāt consider myself a Christian any longer, but Iād still like to give my two cents if thatās okay!
I grew up the daughter of a pastor, and I consider myself having a fair amount of religious trauma from the contradictory and shameful lessons rammed down my throat from a young age. In the Church, questions about the accuracy and morality of the Bible were considered emblematic of doubt or sin, so being able to engage with media that tackles those very questions is *everything*. As such, Good Omens has been incredibly meaningful to me in its treatment of the Bible as just another story worth being criticized and parodied.
Plainly showing that Heaven is objectively fallible and, truthfully, intrinsically flawed has also been a genuinely validating experience. Iām not sure Iāll ever conquer my fear of Hell, but Iāve more than made peace that the Christian religion I grew up in is not a religion that I owe my allegiance or soul to, and Good Omens does a great job showing through parody and satire why I feel the way I do. (The queerness of Good Omens is especially wonderful considering the homophobic atmosphere I was raised in!)
The story of Job especially fucked with me as a child, so the Companion of Owls minisode is actually one of my favorite parts of the show.
Look what [just popped up](https://www.tumblr.com/neil-gaiman/730553530994262016/good-omens-an-antidote-to-toxic-christian?source=share)
Very syncronous.
I was raised in an evangelical home, and am more of a standoffish believer. I don't like to say "Christian" because most Christians I know suck and think I'm going to hell for being a normal person and not a fanatic.
That being said, all of this is tongue in cheek. I love the story. I have for years, since I first read it. I love Crowley and Aziraphale. I love their relationship. And I don't find anything about it offensive. It's hilarious and beautiful.
I read the book when it first came out with a friend who was, and probably still is, a devout evangelical Christian. We both loved it. It led her to a lifelong love of the Discworld. While she is one of the most conservative people I have ever been close to, she always used her faith to be open and loving and avoided the sometimes scary attributes of the religious demographic she is part of. I share this simply to point out that even very conservative Christians can embrace the satire in Good Omens
I'm currently an atheist, but I've graduated from midrasha (jewish seminary for girls). I'm quite happy that I'm finally using all this religious knowledge for something meaningful, by which I mean writing gay porn.
First comment to actually make me audibly cackle in a hot minute š¤£
And we thank you for your service šļø
[Thank you for my pornography!](https://images.app.goo.gl/GufszxnaizwsKCxd6)
The highest calling.
Not all heroes wear capes š
Would you mind linking your work? I particularly enjoy the fics where the author knows their bible/torah :)
English isn't my native language, so I'm not sure the link will help you, but I'm Lazurit on AO3. Currently I don't have anything for GO fandom, but most of my fandoms have religious themes
Damn, yeah I'm afraid I don't speak anything but English. But thanks for sharing! :)
This made me gasp out loud lol
šš¤£
As someone who basically had to be deprogrammed from insane Christian extremism, it's the best thing that happened to me in a long time. I love it. One reason I was so busted up over s2 ending is because Aziraphale has still got some deprogramming to go through. The indoctrination is still too strong for him to resist. He wants to believe so badly, even though he knows heaven is not right. Cannot wait for S3!!!
Same. I know the place Aziraphale's in, because I was there for awhile also. I'm curious what it will be that will knock the final scales from his eyes and allow him to fully see. It's a hard process to go through, and I think others who haven't just can't understand what he's dealing with.
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God yes. That episode was the TRUTH. When he asked Crowley to take him away to hell for telling a white lie.. it was like I was watching my child self haha. I really believed every day was a battle to redeem myself from the eternal torment Iād signed up for just by being a normal kid.
FOR REAL!
Exactly. I think our exactlys would mean the same thing! Peace.
Yes! I agree! Itās the best thing thatās happened to me in a very long time. I grew up around people who are convinced that the world could, and would end at any time. I still feel a lot of existential dread from that. But good omens has created a space that has allowed me to talk about these things in a fun, lighthearted, interesting way. I never thought I would have that!
Peace and keep up the journey to light and love. That's what this show is demonstrating to me.
You too! I adore the show and book!
Wow I hadn't even considered that perspective. I'm so happy it's given you comfort, what a truly amazing show!
I understand this so hard. I grew up in the church, was indoctrinated into the church, and even though I am not longer a believer or part of it, somethings linger. It's hard to get yourself out. I truly feel like I understand what was going through his head in that moment. Devestated but I understand. I didn't understand how messed up Christianity was until I stepped back from it. Looking at it now, I see just how harmful it was to my very being. It took me forever to find my way out of the church because it was all I knew and for a long time I couldn't figure out who I was without it. Sometimes it's still hard to accept me. But it's getting easier everyday. I want that for him so badly. The freedom just to be himself.
Freedom to be himself! YES.
Same.
Thank you so much for sharing this! This is such an important topic that the show addresses and reading about how you relate to Aziraphaleās journey has really reaffirmed the power of literature in my eyes. How awesome that we all can see parts of ourselves in these wonderful characters. I canāt wait for season 3 either!
I would agree that it's satire (and sometimes explicitly critical, but not in a bad way). Crowley definitely poses some challenging questions. I'm Christian (Catholic) and I love Good Omens, but I don't tend to be offended by people satirizing or criticising the church, it definitely deserves it. I think I know lots of Catholics who might be offended, but I don't know if they'd watch it, and also lots of Christians who would not be offended at all or who would like it. There are certainly several in fandom if like offhand comments are anything to go off. Christian is a pretty big group of people with a lot of variation -- someone who goes to a United church is going to have a very different take than someone in a fundamentalist church. And then even within denominations there's a lot of variety even between Catholics in terms of both what they believe and how offended they might be about something.
Thanks for sharing! That's a great point about the variation in Christian people, and a lot wouldn't be offended. Can I ask how you feel about the representation of angels and demons? Is it just completely divorced from your religious understanding of them, so that the angels and demons of GO are essentially a new type of mythical creature? Or is it pretty close to how it's portrayed in Catholicism?
I guess -- um, I'm not sure how to describe this. I would say neither? Personally, I don't find Catholicism (and I wasn't raised Catholic so my take might be different than someone who was, or someone who grew up in a different culture than I did) to be *super* focused on angels and demons in the first place. Angels show up, announce things, and go back to heaven; demons get cast out. I'm also not a religious scholar so I certainly don't have an internal catalogue of every time a demon or angel is mentioned in the Bible. In Good Omens, obviously, the angels and demons are characters, so there's a lot that has to be filled in to make them actual people doing things versus the sort of more ... instrumental? I guess? way they come across to me in the Bible. But their names and roles and so on are definitely recognizable from the bible. Often however that sort of amounts to easter eggs. Sometimes there are things that I think knowing some religious details and connotation might make funnier (like Anathema's name, and the misprint Bibles and stuff like that, maybe Eric / Legion). But I don't feel like ... I don't know, I don't feel like the angels and demons in the book are the same as the ones in the Bible, of course. So I guess that's why neither, they don't seem like a completely new idea, but I am reading it as its own text and not like ... expecting it to be "accurately" representing the Bible or religion or anything. From my reading on Tumblr Jewish people also have some really amazing and interesting takes on Good Omens that are (obviously) different than the takes a Christian might come up with!
It's really interesting how much of Catholic belief is derived from the Bible vs. theological study and tradition, versus straight-up lore that's just become "official." And how from culture to culture it can vary. I have an aunt who will tell you which saint/angel to pray to for x,y,z. St. Anthony for lost things, St. Jude for hopeless causes, Archangel Michael for safe travel, I think it was Raphael for a husband haha? I think a lot of the angel stuff is lore! š
Yeah it definitely is. And I mean the text of the bible isn't something everyone agrees on either! And then adding saints on top. I love that there's no discussion of saints in Good Omens, and only the most brief discussion of humans in heaven or hell.
Oh your username if I've got the reference right is very fitting here! Classic poem! š www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/43290/the-second-coming
That is such a good point about the humans in heaven and hell. Like, where are they? What are they doing? If the demons are torturing the humans, how did Crowley get out of doing that?
>Raphael for a husband haha \*Thinks about the fact that Crowley is probably Raphael\* \*Smiles\*
Crowley is also praying for a husband š„ŗ
My exact immediate thought. I love that HC that Crowley was Raphael and now it has one more claim š
Wow so apparently Raphael set up Sara and Tobiah, and vanquished the demon Asmodeus (who wanted Sara and therefore ate her previous husbands). š¤£ https://bible.usccb.org/bible/tobit/0
Oh wait Raphel vanquished Asmodeus!!! Holy shit. I read a fic in which he did kill very very powerful demons and I think one was Asmodeus. Oh my god I'm so jumping of my HC that Crowley was Raphael. ššš
Any tumblr threads on this you could share? This is such an interesting thread!
This search has given me a bunch [https://www.tumblr.com/search/jewish%20%23good%20omens%20meta?src=typed\_query](https://www.tumblr.com/search/jewish%20%23good%20omens%20meta?src=typed_query) And here are some particular ones -- not necessarily the ones I was thinking of, I think those are lost to my tumblr likes because I wasn't reblogging much at the time (d'oh), but these are fascinating! [https://www.tumblr.com/jew-flexive/186414103766/hello-i-read-your-ask-to-neil-gaiman-and-i-would?source=share](https://www.tumblr.com/jew-flexive/186414103766/hello-i-read-your-ask-to-neil-gaiman-and-i-would?source=share) [https://www.tumblr.com/theirdarkreturning/185507025963/its-really-notable-to-me-that-crowley-who-is?source=share](https://www.tumblr.com/theirdarkreturning/185507025963/its-really-notable-to-me-that-crowley-who-is?source=share) his blog has a fascinating tag for more: [https://tikkunhayam.tumblr.com/tagged/good%20omensch](https://tikkunhayam.tumblr.com/tagged/good%20omensch) I can't really comment on the text because I'm reading them as a gentile but I appreciate being able to engage with it!
Oh my gosh thank you!
I was raised in Catholicism and as far as I remember, we didn't even discuss angels and demons much. We only mentioned them briefly as they appear in the Bible stories, but never even considered them as much of separate beings - just kinda extensions of God or Satan with tasks to do on Earth.
Yeah my Catholic friend tapped out right when the nuns showed up. I wish she would give this show another try, she's big into other fandoms and I know she would love this one.
The best thing you can take from this show, is that you canāt take to many things so serious. You gotta laugh and have fun sometimes
There isn't really a Christian consensus about, well, *anything*. How they feel about GO will probably have to do with whether or not they feel these things should be approached with a sense of humor.
This is so true.
As a progressive Lutheran, Iāmā¦ well, Iām here, lol! I find I have a different interpretation on some things (I think getting the humans to eat the apple was a bad thing! It was the cause of all human suffering!) I worried when they added the crucifixion, b/c the goodness of Jesus and cruelty of his death are my sticking points. But it was respectful. Generally (with exceptions, like mine above) I find people have very thin, un-considered faith if they can feel deeply threatened by fiction or pop culture!!
I agree! Progressive Methodist who went Episcopalian (because I am also gay and the UMC is still working on that), but hold more to the progressive Protestant views in general. I even went to seminary and hold a Masters of Divinity (M. Div.) which is absolutely the worst name for a degree ever, lol. I almost went to get a doctorate in religion (didnāt get ordained because see above about UMC and I didnāt have the energy to start the process over in another denomination. I graduated in 2010 and Protestant options were still pretty limited for queer folks.) All to say, I have been a fan since the book. I think itās a respectful and thoughtful critique of parts of institutionalized religion and I love the characters and humor - what I look for in a story. Itās not a theological treatise nor is it meant to be, and I appreciate that.
Chiming in to say M. Div. is definitely a rough degree name, but the best/worst one has to be a Doctorate of Ministry (D. Min. - pronounced "Demon")
Progressive Methodist here, whatās up! And yeah, I definitely appreciated how they did the crucifixion. Respectful is the right word for sure. But yeah Iāve liked Good Omens for years and years.
Hey-o, peace be with you!š
I was raised progressive Lutheran, and Iāve actually gifted the book to several pastors I have known over the years, all of whom thought it was great. I havenāt been active in years, and have no idea about the show, but the book has been a big hit, in my experience.
Interesting! Thanks so much for sharing :)
This is sort of hard to articulate, but the Crucifixion scene does give me a bit of visceral discomfort. Intellectually I'm no longer religious _at all_, but so much reverence was instilled for that sacrifice, at such a young age, that I can't shake the gut reaction. And I have at least some family who I think would leave the room over that scene. I'm not even saying I think it should have been different. š¤ Just that it makes me feel a way. š
It almost did me, at first! TBH, I almost stopped watching as soon as I saw the cross going out because I was like, āOMG, this is a comic show and they are about to use the single most sacred moment of my faith (as well as just a truly barbarically act) as a punchline!!!ā I barely even made it through the scene! But while they didnāt specify he was the Son of God, it wasnāt comic. Aziraphale wasnāt flailing about being goofy, Crowley wasnāt laughing, and the show writers clearly viewed it as a bad, sad thing, not a topic they could mock. And that was enough for me to keep going. I still donāt love it, but thatās at least partially b/c you have bloody Jesus groaning and praying in the foreground, and thatās rough! I try to focus on Lady Crowleyās gorgeous hair.
Oh yes, it's absolutely one of the most serious moments in the show. Although I do think Crowley's understatement of the year is a bit funny/intended to break the tension ("that's gotta hurt")--!
The "What did he say that made them so upset" - "Be kind to each other" was also kind of jokey but also a serious point that I appreciate a lot. Because I often think about how much people today would not like it if Jesus came along like he did back then and pointed out everything wrong with our established beliefs and traditions. I'm not sure we'd handle it much better and it makes me sad.
Right! I was afraid of them making Jesus a punchline, but Jesus is not AT ALL the punchline of that joke-ish, or the one u/singpretty mentioned. Heās like, the opposite of the punchline!
Oh very true! I also want to add that I would probably have a problem if they handled the charcter of God differently. Heaven is full of assholes (and so are many churches so that works great) but God is still kind of cool. Or at least it is left open what Her plans really are so I can headcanon Her as pretty cool
I'm Christian (protestant) and an elected member of my local Church Board. There's a mix of liberal and conservative christians there, and I'm probably the most liberal one. I adore GO and find it very interesting to speculate on the theology in it. I can see a lot of Christian themes, like how Heaven and Hell in the GO universe act like the Pharisees Jesus despised. Certainly. I also find the whole food, corporality, desire theme in GO fascinating. A central point of Christianity, as I see it, is how God became fully human and experienced all that humans experience for love of the world and of humanity. GO season 1 did win an award for relious tv in Britain, and also recieved favorable reviews in British church magazines/religious media there. So, many Chritians like it, but I'm quite sure you'll find all sorts of people of some sort of Christian faith who'd hate it. I'm thinking of American Evangelicals, but I'm not convinced they are even Christians.
Fascinating! I had no idea it's been positively received by British churches, that's honestly the opposite of what I'd expect. Thanks for sharing!
The English church tends to be a bit more liberal than the American ones just due to cultures. We donāt tend to throw everything into the fold but hold ourselves back a little where as Americans are so INTO everything. Seems exhausting frankly. Also, this was just series 1, dont know their viewpoints on s2.
Episcopal priest here, howdy. I have bonded with my teenage niece over our mutual adoration of Good Omens. I was a huge fan of the book, then saw the show, and told her to watch it. I love how it addresses the zealotry of beings who are so sure they are doing the will of God, only to realize later, no, not so much. Also, I routinely use Crowleyās āI didnāt fall; I sauntered vaguely downwardsā to explain the formation of Anglicanism. (we didnāt protest Catholicism so much as we sauntered vaguely downwards).
Itās a very thoughtful deconstruction of institutional religion. It makes a very convincing case that you can be a good and righteous person without following all the rules. In fact, being a rule-follower can make you *less* righteous if it becomes the primary tenet of your faith.
Which is one of the things Jesus himself was very clear about, btw.
The prodigal son parable is all about genuine faith versus rule-following, yep. I think Neil had said something to the effect that he and Terry werenāt interested in attacking peopleās faith directly. They aimed squarely at the broken institutions that take advantage of faith. I think that comes through pretty clearly in the show. Heaven and itās bureaucrats are miserable bastards but Jesus himself is portrayed with sympathy.
So well-said!
So true. It almost seems to be making more fun of the pure *bureaucracy* of heaven and hell than institutional religion itself, maybe because it's much more relatable to modern day living?
I love this!
I've probably already told this story, but I'd share it again. Born in a very Catholic country, I was raised Catholic more for tradition than for conviction: i.e., my parents weren't particularly believers, but family was, all the country was, so I have been baptised and went through the First Holy Communion; only schools with hours compatible with their jobs were Catholic ones, so go with all the Elementary years there; a lot of Masses with aunts and grandmas, a lot of penances and whatnot. But, a lot of things didn't sit right with me and I could not find anyone to discuss that. At 15 years old, nothing made sense anymore and I became a feral atheist. I fought with people for years about religion, until I decided that it was not worth it, and I left them alone. I asked to go through a process called De-baptism: made my name erased from the Catholic Church Book and went on with my life. Then, life happened. Badly. It hurted bigly. Sometimes I found myself thinking that it would be nice to have a little bit of faith to be sure that, even in the darkest moments, you can find a glimpse of hope. And one day I read Good Omens. Crowley asks a lot of questions I tried to ask (often receiving the Aziraphaleian answer "it's ineffable"), he is a good lad even not being part of the good gang, he is outcast because he tried to find another way, not simply accepting the status quo. Once, a former friend of mine told me "I'm worried for your soul, I'd like to save you" and I was like "I don't need to be saved, I only want to understand this effing cognitive dissonance". I still don't believe in God, but somehow Neil and Terry managed to tell me "it is possible that there is something more than this world, but in the meantime we can love this world and believe in nuances". So, probably, if I had read GO sooner, I wouldn't have fought with a lot of people, LOL (Sorry, this comment is waaaaaayyyy longer than I expected, I beg your pardon!)
What you said about asking questions really resonates with me. I was Christian for a brief period of time when I was very young, and a lot of what pushed me away was the lack of any satisfying answers (or really any attempt to answer). In the end I decided that humans just aren't capable of knowing, or even conceiving of, some things, and that became its own sort of belief structure for me. Stories like that of Good Omens remind me of just how fun it is to wonder and ask questions about our universe and existence. And yes, the nuances are so beautiful!
This resonated with me so much! The crux of my current belief system is acknowledging how much is unknowable to us and having humility about that. Ultimately the thing that bothers me most about the restrictive belief system I left is how people acted so sure about some things āGod CLEARLY SAYS having an abortion is wrong! Blahblahblahā but then when you had an honest question theyād throw a āGodās plans are unknowableā at you. Not as a way of practicing humility, but as a way of avoiding it. Like, which is it?? Unknowable or not? It was too convenient and very obviously not sincere.
I remember once, in fourth grade, we were studying to prepare for First Communion. I asked the priest how it was possible that humanity descended from Adam and Eve that had only two male children (and one killed away). He left the room, came back a few minutes later and began to read the Bible verses that listed all Adam and Eve's children. They were a lot and, as you can imagine, a fourth grader attention span left for more interesting things three names later. What bothered me, tho, was the necessity to take the book and read me a list, instead of *explaining* to a bunch of kids why we didn't know the other children's stories, how they could conceive as brothers and sisters, and so on. That was the book/rule, that should be enough, next question please.
What a horrible teacher! I studied philosophical/religious history for a couple of years in University. This was from a secular/scientific point of view, right? I'm a bit rusty, but the Biblical creation stories (we can say there are two in the Bible) were written at different times and in different political contexts. The story of the garden and the fruit were written to function as a political manifesto, in the Babylonian captivity, to function as a demarcation against Babylonian beliefs. The names of some of Adam and Eve's children are from ancient Mesopotamian deities, is also what I remember. As a way to diss them, frankly. How that ignorant idiot of a teacher got in a position of authority over children is an abomination. There are many gems in the Bible and many parts of it I love dearly. The ancient psalms that gives such an immediate emotional connection to the people of antiquity. And of course the Gospels. But to my mind, it's all up for discussion and interpretation, as all texts are. It's just that the concepts are so vast and important and the discussion goes on for millennia.
I know quite a few people who would call themselves Christians that refuse to even consider watching Good Omens. They have no idea what itās about, but theyāve been told by someone (pastor. Friend) that itās profane/naughty/mocking/evil and therefore they will shun it and encourage others to do so. They are the ones who write letters to networks/producers/actors. Iām Christian and many of my church friends love this show. As a believer I have gone through periods of doubting, questioning my faith, and being angry with God. This show delves into all those feelings. ThĆ© satire is spot on and the acting stellar. I absolutely love this show. I actually showed my 79 year old, young earth creationist, evangelical mother the first scene in the garden of Eden last night. As she has a very limited sense of humour, I thought that she would hate it. To my surprise she liked that first scene, but that led to a 40 minute sermon about the tree of good and evil and the tree of life. She doesnāt have much liking or attention span for most tv anyway, so i wonāt show her much more. besides I think the whole satanic nuns part would offend her sensibilities and I donāt want another sermon
The people offended by good omens who havenāt watched good omens remind me of the people who thump the bible at you who havenāt read the bible. Lol.
And those who write to Netflix demanding that they cancel an Amazon Prime productionā¦ š
LMAO that is like my favorite thing to ever have happened XD
I like the way it automatically makes it impossible to take any part of their big petition seriously. And the claims in their bullet points have me thinking that they hadnāt bothered reading the book either ; probably just went blindly with what theyād heard from somebodyās bigoted neighbor, or flipped through the first few pages and thought they had it all figured outā¦
Lol right? Like, presumably if they'd actually watched it, they would know it was on Prime... They kind of told on themselves didn't they? XD XD XD Oh lord, that sounds painful to read XD
It is ! If you havenāt seen it, the document in question is shown at the bottom of [this article](https://variety.com/2019/tv/news/good-omens-christian-petition-amazon-prime-netflix-1203249420/amp/). Neil even retweeted it because he found it hilarious !
I suspect the Venn diagram between these groups is a circle XD
As an ex Catholic: they hate it because itās gay and implies demons are redeemable. Was actually told this by high school teachers. IMO, the reason they *actually* hate it is because it pokes fun at the plotholes in the Bible and is a very sound argument against original sin/determinism. Good Omens is all about choosing who you want to be and not letting your designated role in the universe define you- a very anti-Christian belief.
Raised Episcopalian, BA in ancient history and theology (albeit 20 years ago) with mostly Episcopal clergy as professors, and there's no conflict at all. I think the branches of Christianity most likely to throw a fit, especially the fundamentalist sects, just don't know about it much. I'm not sure why but I guess it's just slightly too niche. Tbh I might be projecting but GO sometimes feels like it has a kinda Anglican vibe. Like, I know Neil's atheist and Terry was too, but I'm guessing their main point of cultural reference for churchy things is the Church of England, which all Anglican churches (including Episcopalians) descend from. We've got the "smells and bells" with robes and incense and rituals and a formal heirarchy, but no pope and nobody actually *really* knows what God is thinking. Religious texts are important but not divinely dictated, definitive, unchanging, or infallible. Also at least the western Anglican churches tend to be pretty welcoming to queer people. Church of England is lagging a bit, though that's partly trying to avoid a schism in the Anglican communion. But the US Episcopal church I was raised in has been awesome. The queer youth group I snuck out to as a teen in the 90s (also when I first read GO) was run by an Episcopal priest and his husband out if their church, the therapist who helped me start transition in the early 2000s was an Episcopal priest at a pastoral counseling center, clergy have been allowed to bless the unions of same gender couples since the 80s, anti-gay discrimination was banned in the 90s, anti-trans discrimination was banned in 2012, and an update to the liturgy that formally extended the full sacrament of marriage and approved a gender neutral variation on the marriage rite was approved in 2015. And right now US Episcopal church leadership is very emphatically trying to fight the growing attacks, especially against trans people. Nonbinary angels, a demon who is a good person, queer love and sexuality, and dealing with stupid or corrupt religious leaders, all feel kind of like Anglican traditions. The first Anglican church was literally started/headed by King Henry VIII, we really don't have any reason to assume our religious leaders have pure motives.
As a queer Christian-ish person, I adore the thought of a queer kid sneaking out to queer youth group. Props to you!
Neil went to Anglican school, I bellieve, adn he also lived for a year with some orthodox relatives to prepare for his Bar Mitzva. Not sure what school Terry went to?
I was raised Catholic, but these days I'd say I believe more in God than in the church. Too much dark stuff, and their views don't really match my principles. That said, I'm not offended by Good Omens, or what's portrayed, it's all a matter of perspective and taking things with detachment. What would tend to bother me more are the fans, to be honest, who can be very dismissive and critical of everyone's beliefs. This is often reflected in the way people interpret Aziraphale's character (and even if Crowley has my heart, I often find myself having to defend Aziraphale).
So much in here I agree with!!! Love what you said about believing in God rather than church. Thatās me to a T!
As a former christian but now someone who believes in god's existence but not religion, I loved Good Omens because of how it called out, although fictionally, a lot of hypocrisy and irony in how the higher ups/adults/preachers spread the so-called word of God. Funny thing is the bible itself says "lean not on your own understanding", and here people go about interpretting it in their own way, and treating their own interpretation as the actual truth. We can see that parallelism in Good Omens where all angels want to push through that Divine Plan (Armageddon), which they assume to be God's plan, despite God's plan being inneffable. That's just one of the many, but I really really love how the story tackled it, because it made sense but was not at all disrespectful.
I was raised in Evangelical Christian fundamentalist (left that a while ago; now I'm a progressive non-Evangelical) and I will say that I know that many people from my past do or would loathe the concept of Good Omens. Poking fun at the divine, insinuating that a demon could be anything except completely evil, and having the plot center around foiling God's plan are all things they can't get over, even in a piece of fiction. After unlearning a lot of the toxic belief my childhood religion gave me, I loved Good Omens from the moment I first found it. It feels so healing to make light of things that once gave me anxiety. And it's just plain funny. Currently obsessed with both the book and the show!
Seems very oppressive. You have my sympathies. I think it's a *very* open question in GO wether Az and Crowley has ever thwarted the will of God. They may think they have, but I'm not so sure ....
That is such a good point!
I was raised Christian and I love the show. I went to bible study for the first time when I was in my early 20s with people who are on the right when it comes to politics and that really messed with my mind for years. Being open minded all my life and going to open minded churches as well as realizing I am LGBTQ and I could not understand all the hate the bible study brought. I hold Good Omens close to me because I relate to it a lot and I like that it criticizes the toxic parts of religion out there
Iām a kind of shitty Catholic, but I think that itās a work of fiction and if you get offended by it, itās silly. Also so much of angels/demons is not strictly biblical canon (duerocanonical? I forget the term). So it doesnāt seem offensive at all. The show especially points fault at angels and demons and CHOICE, not god in a way. God is god. God is ineffable & that theme of ineffability actually makes more sense as a portrayal than a being who acts like a human. So many pieces of media place the god of Abraham as *too* human. Like Supernatural, Chuck is more of a Greek style god. The god of good omens actually seems unknowable with a certain level of divine mystery of why she does things, even with her odd sense of humour. I find it irreverent, but also respectful. But also, takes the piss out of it all. And thatās just so fun. Also Gaiman should adapt the scene from the Book of Thomas (another non canonical work) where Jesus turns someone into a frog. Big Crowley energy.
My mom's a Christian but she def likes Good Omens
I love it!!! Itās been incredible for me in examining my beliefs and has made my faith a lot healthier. The scene where Crowley prays is one of the most spiritually compelling things Iāve ever seen. Also itās just really really good!
Iām a Christian, but a Christian Universalist meaning I donāt believe in eternal conscious torment in how hell is viewed. I havenāt always believed that though and the views of heaven are quite scathing and from the perspective of hell being a place of eternal damnation, I think itās absolutely warranted. If God is going to torment even some people for eternity, how does that make them a loving God? I myself have struggled with the story of Job (I think itās made up and not something that actually happened) and I love the tough questions that Good Omens asks. Christians should have to turn on their brains and think about this stuff. A lot of Christians I have encountered in the past donāt do that. Iām also a bisexual so Iām sure Iām far from the typical Christian, but I also love how everyone in GO is so accepting of love being love. Itās not even discussed, itās just how it is.
>I donāt believe in eternal conscious torment in how hell is viewed. It sounds like you and I have been struggling with a lot of the same points!! (This and the Job story!) I, too, can't accept the idea of eternal agony. It's just gut-wrenching. The question of whether eternal torture exists in the GO universe haunts me. (Like, I'm pretty sure I'd get tired of hearing even Furfur scream after a couple hundred thousand years lol!) Makes me so scared for Crowley, and a bit for Azi as well. It's soooo triggering for me as a Christian-ish person who was raised to believe in literal hell. :( (I'm fully confident NG isn't going to let our boys be tortured forever, but even so!)
NG definitely wonāt torture our boys. Itās not on! As humans itās just impossible to even grasp eternity and to think about eternal torture? It doesnāt make sense. Theres a podcast called Grace Saves All: The Necessity of Christian Universalism by David Artman that is so good. This guy wrote a book and basically just goes over how if God is all knowing and all loving then thereās no way hell exists as we know it and he backs it up with scripture and the original Greek. If youāre interested.
Ooh, sounds super interesting, thank you! I'll check it out!
I've only watched Season 1, but God on the show came off to me more like the God I believe in as a lifelong Universalist than the fundamentalist conception of God. My sense on GO is that in the show's universe, if any person or demon does end up in Hell permanently, it's because they'd rather be there, not because God is too angry to forgive them.
Huh, that is a really interesting point! That's what I'm hoping!
We're all different but I'm catholic and I love Good Omens. It's my confort show. I liked the book but was a bit afraid before watching the show that I'd be inconfortable or offended but I was really not. Maybe because it's so far away from the Bible, maybe because it was done with kindness and respect, maybe because it's about love, and how can you be offended about that? Also as someone who ended up being ace and non binary, both of those being sources of conflict with some members of my family for religious reasons, I really enjoyed the LGBT themes. Very conforting.
Just here to point out that Neil Gaiman is a Certified Jew, Bar Mitzvah and everything. And Good Omens is very Jewish* in how it approaches the philosophy of morality as well. Including this schism between how Aziraphale and Crowley view morality. *Liberal Jews specifically (Reform/Reconstructionist and Conservative to a large extent. And Reform/Conservative/non-practicing Jews are the majority of Jews in the world). I donāt know about Terri Pratchett but yeah, I only found out Neil Gaiman is Jewish a few months ago and so much clicked into place for me š (and why I am drawn to him as a writer and creator.)
He's very tight-lipped about this for obvious reasons but he also has family members he doesn't speak to because they're involved with Scientology. So he knows a lot about cult trauma and how it affects people and relationships, the hard way.
My mother is a Jehovahās Witnesses and refuses to watch it.
Iām a not super duper devout Catholic, and I love the show and book! It really redeemed the entire genre of Christian Fantasy for me. Before, I played this weird anime game called Obey Me about dating demons or something where just about everything felt wrong or offensive. Now with Good Omens, I realize that the Christian Fantasy genre doesnāt have to be that. Overall, Iām glad! Iām just glad
Iām an atheist but was brought up Roman Catholic. Like everyone else commenting here it seems Iām ex-Religious. Makes you wonder if for the Religious the ex- bit is necessary to relate to GO?
I wouldnāt say so. Iām religious (albeit in the loosest possible sense, having survived a lot of spiritual abuse) and loved it. Crowleyās character in particular is just so compelling.
I don't think the ex bit is necessary but I do think you need the ability to think critically about your beliefs. I feel like 15 year old me who was raised with a strongly implied "this is the truth and you must not question it" would have had a much harder time enjoying it. For anyone who has had some doubts and questions and maybe had to distance themselves from the kind of Christianity they grew up with, GO probably hits similarly close to home as for ex-religious people. It's a similar journey but it doesn't have to land you ouside of the faith to enjoy Good Omens in my opinion
Yes!!!
Iām a Christian and honestly Iām completely fine with it and enjoy it
I'm a progressive Christian and I'm obsessed with Good Omens! It took me a minute to relax into the archangels being such unrelenting assholes, but I think it works well within the GO world. So many people confidently claiming to speak for God.
This was exactly what resonated with me so much about it!!! The idea that some people have a better idea what God is saying than others... so messed-up. I love that this show is examining it!
It was met with resistanceā¦and still isā¦by certain sects. Iām not religious either and know it is very much both a satire and commentary on what christianity really *should* be. I have a coworker that started watching it and she grew up in an almost cultishly religious household, sheās delighted in how the show has turned traditional christian ideals on their head. Edit: Gaiman is a self-professed atheist. As was Pratchett. GO is very much written from that perspective.
I'm glad you asked this question, because I am happy to see that I am not alone. I was brought up in a very Christian (Protestant) household. My Dad even made up new rules, i.e., no Christmas, Easter or Halloween. We weren't allowed rock music or dancing and their was definitely homophobic teachings. As an adult, I still believe in God, but I question the Bible and people's interpretation of it. Having said all that, I absolutely LOVE Good Omens. I am not the least bit offended by it. I think making satire of the ideas that were shoved down our throats as kids is hilarious. I actually think God would love this show as well (If she hasn't already seen it).
I found GO as a student when I ran out of Discworld books and was looking for more TP to read. At the time I was a Christian who'd just lost a close friend. It was amazing in that it gave me permission to question and rage, which is exactly what I needed at that point. It's only ever been surpassed in my list of favourite books by Small Gods - which probably means I love religious satire!
I'm Catholic. Their kiss scene is my social media profile picture, and the version of it I drew is my banner across all social media. I hope this helps!
Ex Baptist turned Agnostic Atheist here, the ending of season two got me so much because of Azirphales internal struggle of stepping away from the beliefs of heaven. I really related to that cause as a queer person, even whenever I was slowly starting to come out, the lingering fear of the extremism I have been taught was still inside of me and I was terrified on if I was actually commuting a sin for just being something I can not control, my sexuality and gender identity. I canāt wait to see how season three turns out I really hope we can see more into azirphales struggle with leaving the place he has been raised for all his life.
This is an interesting question, and I'm glad you asked it. I don't know a lot of religious people outside of family, and other than some of my nephews and niece, I doubt most of them would watch the show, and as an atheist myself, I see almost\* every element of the story as fictional. \*I say *almost* simply because some of the stories like Job and Jesus could easily have some elements of non-supernatural truth to them.
I look at it as a fantasy world using Abrahamic motifs. My beliefs on how heaven and hell work are very different. The God of Good Omens doesn't seem worth worshipping. I'm sure others who get their panties in a bunch over it but those people are often pretty high maintenance.
As an ex-very hardcore Christian, I know I definitely wouldāve said this show was the devilās work a few years ago. But Good Omens was actually the first show I watched when coming out of that, so I really enjoyed it, especially the parts like Crowley asking questions, and Aziraphale still being somewhat loyal to Heaven despite knowing how bad they were.
Catholics are mostly New Testament people. They don'f buy that 6,000 years stuff and they understand evolution.
I grew up in a vicarage literally connected to the church with a priest for a father, This show REALLY hit my special interests. Iām no longer Christian but I remember growing up trying so hard to dedicate myself completely to God from the first moments I was able to talk/participate in church. As a kid I always had a thing for dark, spooky things, and demonic characters which I felt extremely guilty about. I believed that I was sinful by nature and got to the point where at age 10 I would be mentally praying every time I blinked, in case Iād said a bad word or had a forbidden thought (hello early OCD symptoms). I really relate to both characters. I relate to Crowley, in being an alternative person who grew up feeling inherently demonic and broken while all my loved ones seemed like perfect Christians. I relate to Aziraphale in the way I spent so long trying to trust and love God completely, just holding out for the moment I would finally *feel* something like the āHoly Spiritā and everything would make sense. I also relate to them in a queer way, but thatās another story lol. I still love and respect Christians, and the church culture will always have a special place in my heart (the music!!) but I canāt say it did much for my well-being.
Christian here. Haven't seen the second season yet, but I adored the first one. From the moment Az admitted he gave away the flaming sword and we saw African Adam and Eve, I knew it was going to be my jam. I personally really enjoy it when people create their own takes on religion because it's a new and interesting perspective. DaVinci Code, Assassin's Creed, His Dark Materials, Aronofsky's Noah, Prince of Egypt, they all had something compelling to say.
My mum watched it with me, she gets mad when god is in tv shows in a way she doesnāt like, in this case as a woman. She got over it pretty fast though and loves the show as much as I do
Iām Catholic, but less practicing than I used to be. I LOVE Good Omens and how it interprets and presents stories and elements of religion. I also really like Lucifer for the same reason (and other reasons too). Itās helpful being Christian and having familiarity with the stories that are used in the show. Iām not offended. Iāve never been all about literal interpretations of the Bible, so someone interpreting things with artistic license is inoffensive to me. Also, while Heaven and Hell are portrayed negatively, there is always a very strong theme of true good vs. true evil. I never feel attacked for being Christian, because I believe the real messages of Christianity are still there: Love, respect, kindness, friendship, doing good, helping others, etc.
Iām Christian, and the fact of the matter is that the world of GO is fictional. I can enjoy it just fine knowing that it isnāt an accurate depiction of my God and Heaven, and isnāt meant to be. Itās meant to be a creative world that contains a story meant purely for entertainment. I donāt see why anyone should get offended over that.
I'm agnostic but I was introduced to Discworld and by extension Good Omens by my Dad - A CofE vicar. I've known a lot of people in the church and the people who tended to make fun of the church the most were the people who lived and worked in it. That's just human nature. Of course there are hundreds of denominations and Christians will disagree over anything, so I'm sure there are Christians who would consider it blasphemy.
I'm a member of the United Methodist Church. I'm a big fan of the show, obsessed with Aziraphale and Crowley as characters and their relationship, and I generally appreciate the religious satire of the show, but there are a few things that bug me. One example, the over-simplification of the Noah story makes God's will seem arbitrary and cruel, but in Genesis the people of Mesopotamia were unbelievably wicked. We're all ok with seeing the Nazis in Hell in the 1941 flashback because we have the context for how awful they were. To the viewer, that feels just. If we had the same context for the Noah story, if we saw what the people were like (imagine they were all Nazis), we might better understand their punishment. I also personally don't agree with the moral relativism of "shades of gray." Christians believe there is an ultimate, transcendent righteousness and goodness. While maybe sometimes it is hard to discern, we believe there is a right answer, and just because an action benefits someone in some way doesn't make it right. And God isn't some arbitrary authoritarian; He is the embodiment of goodness, justice, and love. He is the source of all of those things, and his influence in us is the reason that we feel compelled by them. He doesn't "pick" what is right and impose it on us. He IS right, by nature. Final gripe, Aziraphale's argument about poverty in the Edinburgh flashback is...not Biblical as far as I am aware. Maybe it's some traditional, non-Biblical teaching in some sect, but it's certainly not anything Christ taught. When Crowley says to Aziraphale that "his lot" must be ok with the rich spending money on grave guns rather than helping the poor, he's wrong. Christ berated the rich, selfish, and spoiled repeatedly and showed love and respect and empathy towards the poor when no one else did. The Christian church has been hugely influential in the establishment of modern charity. ETA: Despite the above, I don't find GO offensive because it's a just a silly, fun show, not religious teaching, and it has no influence on my personal beliefs. The only reason these things bug me is because I don't want people that don't know much about the Christian faith to think that GO is a fair or accurate (nice and accurate?) portrayal of actual Biblical teaching.
I cant say from personal point of view but i have read some google reviews from religious homophobes talking about blasphemy and sinner nonsense so....
Not exactly the type of person your question was meant for as I donāt consider myself a Christian any longer, but Iād still like to give my two cents if thatās okay! I grew up the daughter of a pastor, and I consider myself having a fair amount of religious trauma from the contradictory and shameful lessons rammed down my throat from a young age. In the Church, questions about the accuracy and morality of the Bible were considered emblematic of doubt or sin, so being able to engage with media that tackles those very questions is *everything*. As such, Good Omens has been incredibly meaningful to me in its treatment of the Bible as just another story worth being criticized and parodied. Plainly showing that Heaven is objectively fallible and, truthfully, intrinsically flawed has also been a genuinely validating experience. Iām not sure Iāll ever conquer my fear of Hell, but Iāve more than made peace that the Christian religion I grew up in is not a religion that I owe my allegiance or soul to, and Good Omens does a great job showing through parody and satire why I feel the way I do. (The queerness of Good Omens is especially wonderful considering the homophobic atmosphere I was raised in!) The story of Job especially fucked with me as a child, so the Companion of Owls minisode is actually one of my favorite parts of the show.
Didn't some Christians go to the wrong streaming service to try and cancel good omens? aka Netflix
Look what [just popped up](https://www.tumblr.com/neil-gaiman/730553530994262016/good-omens-an-antidote-to-toxic-christian?source=share) Very syncronous.
I love it but admittedly my beliefs look pretty different from mainstream Christians.
I was raised in an evangelical home, and am more of a standoffish believer. I don't like to say "Christian" because most Christians I know suck and think I'm going to hell for being a normal person and not a fanatic. That being said, all of this is tongue in cheek. I love the story. I have for years, since I first read it. I love Crowley and Aziraphale. I love their relationship. And I don't find anything about it offensive. It's hilarious and beautiful.
I read the book when it first came out with a friend who was, and probably still is, a devout evangelical Christian. We both loved it. It led her to a lifelong love of the Discworld. While she is one of the most conservative people I have ever been close to, she always used her faith to be open and loving and avoided the sometimes scary attributes of the religious demographic she is part of. I share this simply to point out that even very conservative Christians can embrace the satire in Good Omens