For the past decade, 'real life tv' has taken over what tv should be: entertainment. Doctor Who is one of the longest lived and last bastions where people can enjoy the show, get lost in it for a little while, and forget about the 'sins' that society is.

To me, Green is someone who takes himself too seriously. It is a show that continues with the theme 'good triumphs over evil'. It shows the powerful gifts God has given us: choice and hope. We all can choose to be better than ourselves, to lift ourselves up to a higher standard, and to better those around us.

This is what Doctor Who is about. And for these reasons, let Doctor Who be a 'messiah'. For he brings a powerful message and theme while entertaining all of us.

Kudos to you Dean Atkins and everyone else! I will be joining you in enjoying the Christmas special as well with egg nog, friends and family, and a hearty fire roaring in our living room. Another gift the Doctor brings us: a night of togetherness.

Erik M, Virginia Beach, USA

Let me do a little bit of time travel, with this quote from "Orthodoxy" (1908) by G.K.Chesterton:

"You cannot fancy a more sceptical world than that in which men doubt if there is a world*. It might certainly have reached its bankruptcy more quickly and cleanly if it had not been feebly hampered by the application of indefensible laws of blasphemy or by the absurd pretence that modern England is Christian. But it would have reached the bankruptcy anyhow. Militant atheists are still unjustly persecuted; but rather because they are an old minority than because they are a new one."

*post-post-modernism, perhaps?

Robert H. Olley, Reading, UK

I think that both Stephen and Malcolm should just forget about it because it is only a sci fi show, its not real life!

Mariyam, Dewsbury, UK

What?! I'm a Christian, and do I go around insisting everything has to be all "Godly"? No! Jeez, if you make a fuss people will only like you less... If the church wasn't so strict maybe more people would actually "go" to church.

Chloe

P.S. sounds like Stephen Green doesn't even go to church... Ever heard the phrase, "Peace be with you"? Just chill! The doctor isn't trying to be the "Messiah".

Chloe, London,

isn't it nice that Christians protect us from what we should think and what is or is not good for us. I feel so much safer, the world can rest at ease because they are here to save us from Doctor Who. With all the EVILS in the world its nice to know they are doing a bang up job in protecting us. Give me a break.

Chuck, Athens, ohio

If you don't like it, go watch the dross on ITV instead.

Dave T, Todmorden, Lancs.

muslims will be offended at the amoubnt of flesh kylie is showing. Jews don't do xmas. and really WHO CARES!

Docto who is science fiction, basically being the religious/spiritual/philosphical branch of scientific atheism. Dr Who is a fine example of foward thinking rationality, christians see this as a threat obviously, he never marries, other species have 'souls' and evolution is a fact in DW.

Anyway everyone knows The Doctor is BIGGER THAN GOD.

WWTDD?

Tosiek, london,

It's just made up - it's not real...and neither is Doctor Who!

Steve F, Cheltenham, UK

I am a born again Christian and also a mad Doctor Who to boot. I can make the distinction between my Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ who saves me from my sins and a Sci Fi show that has a great story about robots, space ships and an alien who, whilst seems everlasting will face his maker one millenium. Yes even Time Lords are mortal. In Doctor Who's defense, if you have watched all the episodes then you will see Russell T Davies has not made him totally all knowing, just almost all knowing.

Vince, Gold Coast, Australia

If Doctor Who and Jesus had a deathmatch, who would win? If you do recall correctly, it was the Doctor who thwarted the Masters plan to dominate the world using a hypnotic android called Jesus by getting him nailed to the stake, by using his sonic screwdriver to drive those nails in

The Dalek, Hades,

Jesus Freaks.

Dane, Toronto,

its just a tv show, people work hard to make sure the show doesn't upset anyone but people always find something to pick at.

beckii, birmingham, england

It is odd to find myself siding with a Christian protest group, but Davies' Doctor=Jesus equation is getting weird now and I too wish it would go away. Lately the new series' torrent of meaningless biblical allusions culminated in bizarre fusion between the stories of Christ and Tinkerbell as the population of the earth BELIEVED the Doctor into a floaty, sparkly apotheosis, in which he flew across a room with arms outstretched and exclaimed "I forgive you!" Meanwhile, in the spin-off Torchwood, Jack saved the world in a climax of cruciform agony, was "dead" for three days, and then resurrected.

What is all this supposed to mean? It can't be a celebration of saviour-like human qualities, since the Doctor is an alien. Is there any purpose beyond providing an illusion of depth? I fear not. Davies is supposed to be an atheist, but anyone who is this incapable of getting Christianity out of his head, even when telling an unrelated story, possibly needs a nice chat with a kindly vicar.

S., Tunbridge Wells, Kent

Doctor Who is a GREAT family show, but is just that a TV show. I live in Canada where most shows are violent and not
for family viewing. Why would any one want to distroy such a wonderful time.
The family I watch Dr Who with have been through terrible events and this weekly get together has helped the little ones
escape for just awhile...after all is that what entertianment should be. Just a 50 minute vacation

Jenny, Saint John New Brunswick
Canada

Jenny Hewett, Saint John , Canada

i am a christian myself and i don't find it affensive. its a T.V show for goodness sake. have pity on the writers, they have been writing for months on en and all we do is protest about there work, how sad is that. if this is what lifee is about then we all need new lifes, alien lifes. one with the doctor?messiah might be good!

emoil, Halifax,

Happy solstice, everyone.

Blob, Aberdeen, Scotland

I think somebody's having a bad case of messiah envy!

If Doctor Who met Jesus in a fight, you know who would win? Nobody! They're both fictional characters.

Get over yourself, Green.

Mike O'Risal, Worcester, MA, USA

'slightly different from real life'

Nothing that happens in the bible actually happens in real life! And if anything ever came close it would be denyed, and any 'messiah' would be cut up and called and idiot. Idiots like Stephen should stop walking round with their eyes closed. Its a kids show about a man that saves the world using friendship and optimism just like Harry Potter, the themes are good ones. If it wasn't for things like that keeping the themes alive no kids who weren't forced by the church would learn them.

Ryan, London, UK

Stephen Green should be ashamed of himself - we'd still be slaves of the Master if the Doctor hadn't reversed time. Those of us that had faith back then know who our true saviour is.

Edward Greyhaven, London, UK

"The Doctor would have to do a lot more than the usual prancing around to be a messiah . He has to save people from their sins"

A Messiah only appears in the scriptures of one religion, and there he only saves people from Assyrians and/or Romans, not from their sins. Are you sure this David Green is even a Christian?

Ian Kemmish, Biggleswade, UK

As a priest who works with young people in the Diocese of Llandaff I know what I will be doing on Christmas night: settling down to watch the Doctor Who Christmas special and thoroughly enjoying it! Why is Stephen Green so shocked that the Doctor is portrayed as a Messianic figure? He has come to save the world, hasn't he?! Maybe someone needs to remind him that the Doctor is a piece of (Science) Fiction! - where the belief system is, well, slightly different from real life!

Fr Dean Atkins, Cardiff, UK

Dr Who isn't the messiah? And you tell me this just before Christmas? Heartless :-(

Alicia, London,

Since when was one man's opinion that of groups... Not just <i>a</i> group, but groups, plural?

Caroline O'Connell, Wexford, Ireland

Ian Davies is absolutely right: Green is perfectly entitled to his opinion, but there is no need to amplify his 'loud' voice into something it isn't.

The article talks of 'Christian groups', but mentions only Christian Voice: who are the others?

zeno, Glasgow,

This isn't the view of 'Christian groups' it's the view of one Christian, Stephen Green, arrested for spreading hate mail and literally laughed out of court by the judge last month for trying to prosecute the BBC with blasphemy.

Instead of giving him the oxygen of publicity, how about investigating who funds his organisation, and what they hope to gain from it?

Ian Davies, Cardiff, UK