Here are my earlier comments on the TV show
Lucifer Morningstar:
http://postflaviana.org/community/index.php?threads/lucifer-morningstar.1917/
In my estimation the show is a Gnostic slap in the face to normative Christianity, especially to the Christian Taliban literalists. Similar to what Derek Murphy said, the show speaks to the notion that Lucifer is a necessary part of the Judeo-Christian theological construct, that can only be cleanly resolved by viewing Lucifer / Satan is a metaphor, and similar to what I have recently posted regarding Hellenistic
intellectual notions of the polytheistic gods as being the same, each representing different aspects of nature and as well, representative aspects of our own individual and collective natures.
If Christians are going to complain simply because this entity is being portrayed at all, then we and they should demand that all Bibles are burnt. Why? Because they are Satanic -- for the exact same reason. If you believe that Satan literally exists, then in my book you are Satanic ... or just plain hoodwinked.
Hilariously, as Jerry mentioned, in one episode, Lucifer is outraged that Satanists claim to act in his name, in conducting such as ritual murder. As is a common thread in the show, Lucifer says that his job description (from God - his father) was to punish human acts of evil, not to make them do so. The fact that he might make deals with humans is a matter for debate, but in any case he doesn't put a gun to their head. Whether or not there might be some systematic human agency that might do so in real life is beside the point the show is making. Life is full of temptations and decisions must be made. In the Bible, Satan offers his brother the world, but Jesus refuses the deal. But Jesus has a different ironic fate (or destiny?) which he knows his father has handed to him.
Lucifer's ongoing interactions with the police detective cause him to understand that human life is rather more complicated than he had considered via his prior life. He starts his vacation in Los Angeles (a rather fitting place name irregardless of Hollywood) and somewhere in the 5 years before the show starts he buys the nightclub, engaging in a hedonistic lifestyle and prolifically using his charms on women. After all, the Bible states that God's many fallen sons found the daughters of men to be irresistible. In this course, he decided that he was never going back to his old job, and even has his wings cut off by his protective demon friend. He is now retired and enjoying the good life - as he understands it from his POV. Then circumstances force his meeting with the detective, Chloe, and he begins his evolving transformative realizations.
Another cogent episode is where Lucifer is framed for murder by a bad cop. The victim is a Christian minister who has previously seen that Lucifer is indeed Satan, but who is also one of those many Christians who blames Lucifer for humans' own errant ways. And ironically, in the Bible, it is God who explicitly claims authorship for all Evil, as it should logically be. But even though God is the author of all this, one must yet be responsible for their actions.
Related to all this, I am working on mining from such as David Fideler's
Jesus Christ, Sun of God, all the pagan Greek inputs into the Christian corpus, which Christians have ever denied -- since around the time of Constantine at least. Because, as Fideler clearly shows, the church fathers were proud to discuss these
gnostic roots that stemmed from such as Plato and Pythagoras. Here the problem is not Jews versus goys, but a conflict between an esoteric 'inner' religion that later got suppressed too deeply, and the legacy of the exoteric 'outer' church with its rigid dogma of irrational faith that falsely justifies its profitable existence.
Just watched the pilot episode of the Superman based series,
Smallville, having run 10 seasons. The series covers Clark Kent's youth, and it is loaded with Biblical themes.
For one thing, the pilot episode opens with a young Lex Luther coming across the annual high school football team initiate, hung upon a cross, with a giant S painted on his chest. His name is Jeremy Creek (JC). A meteroid lands at this time (along with Clark Kent), and the affected Jeremy is hauled off to an infirmary for 12 years before he escapes. At this later time Clark Kent becomes the initiate of the day, having been weakened by a kryptonite necklace coincidentally hung around his neck. At one point, a sullen Clark Kent is found in a cemetery, by neighbor Lana Lang, and when Clark rises to greet her he is framed by a statue's angel wings.
The regular cast is introduced in season one, with storylines involving a villain deriving power from kryptonite exposure. The one-episode villains were a plot device developed by Gough and Millar.[3] Smallville's first season primarily dealt with Clark's coming to terms with his alien origin and the revelation that his arrival on Earth was connected to the death of Lana Lang's parents.[4] After the first season the series had fewer villain-of-the-week episodes, focusing instead on individual-character story arcs and exploring Clark's origins.[5] Major storylines include Clark's discovery of his Kryptonian heritage and Lex's escalating conflict with his father, Lionel.[6] The disembodied voice of Clark's father, Jor-El, is introduced; he communicates to Clark through his spaceship, setting the stage for plots involving his role in fulfilling Clark's earthly destiny.[7] In a fourth-season arc Clark, instructed by Jor-El, searches for three Kryptonian stones which contain the knowledge of the universe and form his Fortress of Solitude.[8][9] Clark battles Brainiac in his attempts to release the Kryptonian criminal General Zod,[10] and must capture (or destroy) other escaped Phantom Zone criminals.[11] His cousin Kara arrives,[12] and Lex Luthor discovers Clark's secret.[13] The eighth season introduces Davis Bloome (Smallville's version of Doomsday), and Tess Mercer replaces the departing Lex Luthor. Justin Hartley becomes a series regular as Oliver Queen (Green Arrow) after being a recurring guest in season six.[14] In the ninth season Major Zod (Callum Blue) and other members of Zod's military group are revived (without their Kryptonian powers) by Tess Mercer,[15] and their efforts to regain their powers are the season's central conflict. The final season revolves around Clark's attempts to lose his doubts and fears and become the hero he is meant to be, while confronting his biggest challenges: the coming of Darkseid and the return of Lex Luthor.[16]
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smallville
