If the audacious amount of gory violence and bloody sex in “True Blood” doesn’t do it for you, what about malevolent vampire “Christians?”
Apparently “True Blood” vampires have a sacred text, and HBO writers admitted it’s a slanderous take on the Bible and separation of church and state. A faction of vampires called the “Sanguinistas” functioned as a demeaning allegory for traditional Christians, as they literally interpret the vampire “bible” and believe humans only exist as blood-bags.
Entertainment Weekly reported, “There are, however, fundamentalist vampires who believe in a literal translation of the vampire bible – the Original Testament that predates the Old or New – which says that before God created Adam and Eve, he created Lilith. Like God, Lilith was a vampire, and Adam and Eve, like all humans, were created with the sole purpose of being food.”
The episode also included a vicious take on the Christian sacrament of communion when Roman, Guardian of the vampire Authority, (played by “Law and Order’s” Christopher Meloni) had the vampire chancellors drink his blood from a chalice, chanting Lilith was “The first, the last, and the eternal.” The demonic chant could be seen as a gory mockery of the Christian holy trinity.
“True Blood” producer Alan Ball told The Wrap that Rick Santorum inspired Meloni’s “deranged theocrat” character.
“What’s terrifying is how many people agree with him [Rick Santorum],” Ball said, “Chris Meloni comes in, he is the guardian of the blood. Supposedly they have a vial of blood of the first vampire – like a Catholic icon. The governing body of vampires is like the Catholic church plus the Supreme Court for vampires.”
HBO delights in disparaging conservative political figures in their original series. “Game of Thrones” producers came under fire for beheading former president George W. Bush in the show’s first season finale, and Alan Ball has happily confirmed he believes conservatives and vampires are the same.
Other attacks on religion and Christianity were scattered throughout the episode, as seen when minister-turned-gay vampire Steve Newlin attempted to buy sex-obsessed Jason Stackhouse from his female vampire consort Jessica.