"Bibleman quotes chapter and verse to help real kids deal with real problems." How true these words ring, since I can't even count the number of times supervillains used mad science to make me doubt my faith in God when I was a kid. That quote actually exemplifies perfectly the problem I see with most of Bibleman's audience: they're just looking at the surface of this program.
Samuraiguy hit the nail on the head. This show is absolutely ludicrous in how it tries to entice kids into forming a bond with God. Most of the people touting this show's merits see a superhero fighting in the name of Our Lord (and I'm a Christian myself, so I'm not bagging on this because I'm against Bibleman's religion) and not how stupid and hypocritical the series is. In two shows, Lead Us Not Into Temptation and A Light in the Darkness, Bibleman tells us we need to work together and have fellowship with other Christians so we can resist temptation and other forms of evil better. Then in Jesus Our Savior, he totally throws those lessons out the window and goes out to fight his most powerful enemy yet ALL ALONE. And he had both of his sidekicks by that point and gave no reason whatsoever for leaving them behind besides it being in the script. Now that I think about it Bibleman did something similar in the Fear episode, where he doesn't tell his sidekick and supposed best friend about problems he's having. Just in general, he'll lecture the victimized kid du jour on how God loves them and forgives their sins no matter what, but as soon as a villain shows up he goes off on them about how people like them always get their just desserts.
I find the problem with many of the lessons the show tries to teach is basically what I said at the top; the villain will use his diabolical invention to make Bibleman feel pride or doubt or anger or distrust toward his teammates, but Bibleman never overcomes these negative feelings through prayer, faith or fellowship. He finds out that one of his enemies was behind it and the problem of his misbehavior and all of its consequences goes away, and that's why I find this whole program so laughable. Bibleman is supposed to be just a human at heart and so vulnerable to the same temptations as the rest of us, but unlike the rest of us he never has to resolve any problems that arise because of being angry or proud or dishonest. In the real world, these result in diminished trust between people or distancing of loved ones, and those are "real problems" "real kids" have to deal with as a result of the temptations Bibleman tries to teach us about. If Bibleman and his posse are supposed to be role models who go through the same temptations to sin as the kids they try to reach, they should be put in situations where their misbehavior is their fault, not the Prince of Pride's or Wacky Protester's, and have to face up to what they did, not just go, "Holy inane plot devices, Bibleman! El Furioso is behind you being an asshole the last few days! You're totally blameless!" The villains are supposed to embody the concepts of fear, wrath, pride, or thinking for yourself, but that approach costs the show all of its impact because a person was behind the Bible Team's sins, and they never have to answer for what they do because they were just being manipulated. And come on, what kind of role model hides in the bushes and spies on young boys? Watch Conquering the Wrath of Rage if you don't believe me.
And lastly, if you want to tell people how to live, you should pick one tone and stick with it. Bibleman takes every opportunity to make its villains look goofy and non-threatening, and altogether doesn't take itself very seriously with numerous self-referencing jokes, yet constantly turns around and tries to tell its viewers how to live in God's way and other serious issues. It was probably done to make the show kid-friendly. Instead it suggests that the creators don't know what they're doing.
In the end, Bibleman is little more than the Captain Planet of Christianity: he presents a worthwhile message, and many people who see it buy into it, but delivers it in an extremely unbalanced manner far fewer acknowledge because it's a superhero teaching what are ostensibly positive beliefs to kids. I know I've just made myself look like a complete lunatic, but better than that someone who wants a video to raise their kids.
