Actor Alan Ritchson argued in a recent podcast appearance that Christians obey God’s commands because “heaven is coming” to Earth.
Ritchson, best known for his role in Amazon Prime’s Reacher series, had been discussing the topic of religion with late-night host Bill Maher, during which Maher said that Christianity became popular because its message was that “it gets good in the afterlife.” Maher noted how some have argued this is not a good message because it tells humans “the strong don’t win.” Ritchson agreed, arguing that the actual message of Christianity is that God’s kingdom is coming to Earth and that “our restoration” will occur on Earth.
“So if you’re truly following the way of Christianity, you will be a good steward of this place because this is where heaven is,” Ritchson said on Maher’s Club Random podcast.
Maher, an atheist, then joked that the podcast episode Ritchson was featured in would “f***ing explode on the internet” if Ritchson converted him to Christianity by the end of it. Ritchson laughed at Maher’s joke, adding that what he wants in life is “less vitriol” in the world and for the Christian community not to “make monsters and outliers of others.”
Ritchson, who has referred to himself as a Christian in the past, responded to criticism he has faced that a Christian should not be starring in the Reacher television series earlier this year. The show, which is an action thriller series about a retired military police officer fighting to clear his name from the law, features a main character who is “morally ambiguous,” which Ritchson argued is similar to many characters from the Bible.
“So I think it’s laughable when people criticize me for playing characters that are not, like, saintly,” Ritchson said in the YouTube video. “That’s not my job, and I don’t think God cares about only telling those kinds of stories.”
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Ritchson also expressed gratitude for the Reacher series becoming very popular, as it gives him a platform to share his faith with people who do not think about religion often.
Beyond Reacher, Ritchson recently starred in the faith-based film Ordinary Angels, in which he plays the widowed father of two daughters, one of whom is seriously sick and in need of a liver transplant. The film, which was released in theaters on Feb. 23 and earned an A+ CinemaScore, also stars two-time Academy Award winner Hilary Swank, who plays a struggling hairdresser from Kentucky who helps Ritchson’s character.
