BBB 24: Christians in reality rekindle debate about the program among believers

Year in and year out, and Big Brother continues to be a kind of taboo within Christian churches. As the editions go by, however, more and more participants profess their faith during confinement — and the subject takes on new forms.

An excerpt from Psalm 23, one of the most popular in Brazil, was recited by one of the participants in the euphoria of celebrating his stay in the game, and is now broadcast on the reality show’s official media.

“The Lord is my shepherd and I shall not want. Lying down makes me in green pastures. Guide me gently to still waters and refresh my soul. Guide me along the paths of justice, for the love of Your name”, recited the Bahian Davi , 21, after Michel’s elimination, in the penultimate Paredão.

Beatriz, 23, said the same prayer when she was looking for the strength to stay in the endurance test on February 9, shortly before being surpassed by Lucas. From the beginning, Bia and Davi sing hymns of gospel praise and dance to the sound of funk, piseiro, axé and forró hits.

They are not the only Christians to combine these behaviors on or off the reality show, but the practice is criticized by conservative sectors of Christianity. In the first two decades of the 2000s, religious leaders discouraged believers from following the reality show due to this and other behaviors seen on the program.

In 2004, for example, priest Léo from Minas Gerais gave a sermon based on a text from Sheet about the cancellation of BBB in Arab countries. The priest linked to the Catholic Charismatic Renewal, a group that shares similarities with evangelical practices, said that the vote to eliminate it violates Christian principles.

“What is the great catechesis that Big Brother teaches? That you, to win in life, have to, little by little, eliminate people. See if it’s not the devil who is there?”, he preached.

Pastor Silas Malafaia, 65, also echoed the criticism. More than once he stated that believers who watch the program should convert. The evangelical leader even published on Twitter, now X, an opinion about the participants in the 16th edition of the Globo reality show, eight years ago.

“Heroes of what? Immorality, naughtiness, destruction of moral values, a shame!”, he posted.

The stature of these leaders and their access to the media contributed to the construction of a taboo for believers of different generations. The expansion of social networks has led to other opinions fueling the debate.

“I was born in 1997 within an evangelical context. This understanding [sobre o BBB] it was more common in my childhood, around 2007, 2008. I remember pastors putting the program in this sin box. It also had profanity inappropriate for children”, says Luciana Petersen.

At 26 years old, Luciana is general director of the Novas Narrativas Evangélicas project and follows BBB 24. According to her, other perspectives on entertainment are appearing in Christian environments.

Petersen told F5 that reality is interesting to distract yourself and reflect on humanity. “I don’t know if they should, but evangelicals can certainly watch the program. I even recorded a podcast on this topic,” he said.

The content has been available since February 18th on the Rádio Novas podcast. Luciana also reflects in the episode on the reality show Casamento à Cegas and monogamy. “Coming to see beauty in raw humanity is perhaps one of Jesus’ greatest teachings,” she said.

The director believes in various ways of being an evangelical person and says that BBB has shown growth by increasing the number of participants in this faith.

“Gil do Vigor was a character who revealed to the general public the possibility of being gay and Christian,” he said. For her, the former participant’s phrase “I’m a queer, a bandit, a bitch and an evangelical” is a reflection of the plurality of this faith.

Jacira Santanna, 56, is Gil’s mother. To F5 she said that her son’s participation in BBB 21 was authentic. “He showed who he really is and what he believes. He always talked about Christ and to this day he participates and lives within the church. That’s how I raised him,” she said.

Dona Jacira currently declares herself agnostic and resigned, a term that describes people who signed a letter to release themselves from institutional duties with a Christian institution.

“I taught my children to respect all religions and to have freedom. My mother was a Candomblé fan all her life and I think it’s beautiful,” he said. She took the moment to lament the episodes of religious intolerance suffered by Fred Nicácio, on BBB 23.