Morgan Freeman: 'Story of God' TV series did not change my beliefs

Chiqui Guyjoco Wednesday, May 11, 2016

Actor Morgan Freeman appears in the National Geographic docu-series "The Story of God," a show that took him on a journey to different faiths around the world and concluded that the show did not change his religious belief.

Morgan Freeman on Television Critics Association Cable Summer Press Tour in Beverly Hills, California July 17, 2014. | Reuters/Kevork Djansezian

"I didn't change anything at all about how I think of God or my belief in God. It just enlightened me to how other cultures do it," Freeman told Entertainment Weekly. "What we came away with at the end of the series is the fact that all religions and beliefs share remarkable similarities, these commonalities. There they are, so we should celebrate them rather than let them cause rifts between us."

The show explored deep-seated topic such as the separation of faith and science. The show's producer, Lori McCreary, also shared how the program was instrumental in helping him reconcile his faith with science. "I think, somehow, through this exploration, it really helped me reconcile those two sides of who I am â€” which is that you don't have to believe in the big bang and not Creation," he said.

Freeman noted that the Vatican has an academy of science that has been studying cosmology, astronomy, and other related topics for about 400 years now. He added that they have very credible answers as well to scientific phenomenon such as the Big Bang.

The actor traveled across 20 cities in seven different countries showcasing major religions of the world such as the Roman Catholic headquarters, the Vatican City, and the largest megachurch in America, Lakewood Church in Houston, Texas of Pastor Joel Osteen. The six-part series which ran its final episode on Sunday is an exploration of how people's beliefs connect everyone.

He said that they received an enormous support throughout the world and that people were excited about what they were doing in the show.

The show's producer expressed his hope that the show can help people of different religions to find their commonalities especially since it personally enlightened him on some Christian beliefs that he wasn't clear on.