fajrdrako | John Barrowman and God... (Reply)

One of the things I blearily watched in the past few days was the British TV show Heaven and Earth, a BBC show in which celebrities discuss their views on religion. John Barrowman was the guest.

Rather to my surprise, he's Christian, and spoke rather clearly on what that means to him. I was surprised because I am always a little surprised when anyone is Christian - though I shouldn't be so naive about it. I was Christian once, so long ago I've almost forgotten what it was like.

Barrowman attends church, but he didn't say how regularly, or which church - I rather assumed Scots Presbyterian, simply through stereotyping, or because that's the background of my own family. This wasn't the kind of show that puts celebrities on the spot by pushing them to justify their faith, thank goodness. Barrowman talked about how his Christianity was not a religion of bigotry and he believes that God created him gay, and it was his role to be the best person he could be whatever his orientation. He said that his parents actually changed their church because of bigotry - presumably homophobia - from the pulpit. Charmingly, at the end, the interviewer congratulated him on his civil partnership with Scott, and mentioned the kilt he wore for the ceremony. She asked if Scott would wear a kilt any time soon. "I had enough trouble getting him into a suit," said Barrowman. "Besides, I'm the one with the good calves."

Asked about whether he wanted to have children (as had been reported), Barrowman said yes, but Scott wasn't so sure and he wouldn't do it unless and until Scott was sure. He also didn't want to become a parent just to have the child raised by a nanny, and his career is going so well these days, and he's so happy with it, he doesn't at present want to change his life so radically.

In my irrepressibly curious way I wanted to ask a bunch of other questions, not justify-your-faith kinds of questions, but questions about what Barrowman thinks about his work and his role on Doctor Who and Torchwood. I share the Russell T. Davies' brand of humanism in my beliefs, one of the reasons I love both shows so much, so I wanted to ask him about that: how do you feel, then, when Captain Jack says religion is merely superstition in a random universe? How do you feel about Torchwood's repeated assertions that there is no life after death? How do you feel about Captain Jack being surrounded with specifically Christian symbolism that depicts him as Jesus? ... I have no idea how Barrowman would answer these questions, but I am sure his answers would be both sensible and intelligent, and I'd love to hear them. Perhaps it is touching too close to Doctor Who-related subjects that the BBC (and Davies) do not discuss out loud. The parameters of what they discuss in public (in contrast to what they do not) are interesting in themselves.