Can Movies really change your faith?

[shapeshifter]

So I saw a news short today saying that "The Golden Compass" is coming under fire for having an overly "Atheistic" view. People have threatened to boycott it, and picket outside. Naturally this is doing what it always does. Causing people to have more of an interest in the movie.
Anyway to get to my point. Do movies like this, and other movies that have religious content, themes or biases really have a sway on people? Do you think there is anyone out there that goes to a movie to find their faith, or lack there of? Are people really such sheep? Is faith really so shaky that a movie can derail it?
Thoughts?
Ideas?
Disagreements?

 

[Agentsands77]

I think they're more worried about it being impressionable for young children (the target audience) than anything, and children are pretty susceptible to things like that.

 

[LeChuck]

To be perfectly honest with you, after I first saw Pulp Fiction I honestly had a change in my faith practices. I wasn't expecting the film to have such a religious ending, even if it was subtle, and it sort of shocked me out of apathy. I still think that's one of Tarantino's only good movies.

 

[shapeshifter]

I think they're more worried about it being impressionable for young children (the target audience) than anything, and children are pretty susceptible to things like that.

I agree with you there, but all the same don't you think that is a matter for the parents to decide?
I guess I'm just tired of the over reaction by some of the conservative groups out there.

 

[L0ngsh0t]

Well see the book is overly atheistic, the movie is a completely watered down version of it, sure it is there defiantly, but what is "church" in the book in now "magesiterium" which essentially just appears to be a normal corrupted power and could be anything.

Movies can't and shouldn't change you're faith, they can make you look at things differently and open you're mind up to new ideas just like books can, but the real reason the Catholic League wants this to fail is cause it "looks" like chorincles of narnia, it looks like a harmless kids movie, and what they will argue is it is no different than like having bugs bunny promote cigarettes or something to kids into doing something they aren't supposed to do. Now I am a Christian so I believe God does give us the right to believe in what we want to believe (albeit with consequences in the end), so it is ever persons right to not believe in God, or a god if they wished, making the argument of kids shouldn't watch this void; however I also think parents have the right to make kids do what they want until they are 18 and if they don't want their kids subject to that kind of ideology then it is their choice too.

I saw the movie, it wasn't the greatest movie ever, it was solid just like Chronicles of Narnia nothing really coming off the screen at me, the Polar Bear fight ruled. I think the movie at least is harmless though, the books could be dangerous, I haven't read them so I don't know, but the movie is harmless it only hints at being atheistic and something no kid could pick up on till they are older

 

[Agentsands77]

I agree with you there, but all the same don't you think that is a matter for the parents to decide?

More or less. If you don't like it for your kids, don't take 'em to see it. I don't really see the need to boycott.

 

[shapeshifter]

Well see the book is overly atheistic, the movie is a completely watered down version of it, sure it is there defiantly, but what is "church" in the book in now "magesiterium" which essentially just appears to be a normal corrupted power and could be anything.

Movies can't and shouldn't change you're faith, they can make you look at things differently and open you're mind up to new ideas just like books can, but the real reason the Catholic League wants this to fail is cause it "looks" like chorincles of narnia, it looks like a harmless kids movie, and what they will argue is it is no different than like having bugs bunny promote cigarettes or something to kids into doing something they aren't supposed to do. Now I am a Christian so I believe God does give us the right to believe in what we want to believe (albeit with consequences in the end), so it is ever persons right to not believe in God, or a god if they wished, making the argument of kids shouldn't watch this void; however I also think parents have the right to make kids do what they want until they are 18 and if they don't want their kids subject to that kind of ideology then it is their choice too.

I saw the movie, it wasn't the greatest movie ever, it was solid just like Chronicles of Narnia nothing really coming off the screen at me, the Polar Bear fight ruled. I think the movie at least is harmless though, the books could be dangerous, I haven't read them so I don't know, but the movie is harmless it only hints at being atheistic and something no kid could pick up on till they are older

But Narnia had Christian overtones. Is that harmless?
I'm not trying to be offensive, just objective.
Your a christian and I respect your choices.

 

[Agentsands77]

But Narnia had Christian overtones. Is that harmless?

To be fair, "His Dark Materials" gets much blatantly anti-religion/Christian than the Narnia series ever does. It doesn't at all show up much in THE GOLDEN COMPASS, but it will certainly show up in AMBER SPYGLASS.

 

[LeChuck]

Both Narnia and this movie are watered down crap versions of awesome books, so this discussion is rather pointless. Also, I believe Narnia is PRO-christian, meaning there is symbolic meanings referencing faith in the stories.

 

[Hotwire]

If a film were about actual events, then maybe it could chage my viewpoint it's subject matter. However, if it is a fictional stories, then for me, no.

 

[shapeshifter]

To be fair, "His Dark Materials" gets much blatantly anti-religion/Christian than the Narnia series ever does. It doesn't at all show up in THE GOLDEN COMPASS, but it will certainly show up in AMBER SPYGLASS.

Fair enough.
Narnia really was quite discreet about it as far as the books went. At least until the "Magician's Nephew" and The Last Battle"

 

[shapeshifter]

Both Narnia and this movie are watered down crap versions of awesome books, so this discussion is rather pointless. Also, I believe Narnia is PRO-christian, meaning there is symbolic meanings referencing faith in the stories.

I agree, there was no doubt about that.
I think we were discussing semantics.

 

[Electrix]

Movies cannot change your faith.

The Catholic Church doesn't like The Golden Compass because it was written by an atheist and has atheist views. If was written by a catholic or had catholic views they wouldn't have a problem.

Religions just need to realise people have a choice about what they so in life. If they want to see a film with atheist undertones then they damn well can!

 

[chaseter]

Both Narnia and this movie are watered down crap versions of awesome books, so this discussion is rather pointless. Also, I believe Narnia is PRO-christian, meaning there is symbolic meanings referencing faith in the stories.

Of course Narnia is pro-Christian...Lewis was a devout Christian in his later years and wanted to spread the message.

But if a movie changes your faith, then you have either been blind or have weak will power.

 

[shapeshifter]

It seems to me that the person or persons that think that movies will have such an impact of their followers don't give their followers a lot of credit.

 

[LeChuck]

Of course Narnia is pro-Christian...Lewis was a devout Christian in his later years and wanted to spread the message.

But if a movie changes your faith, then you have either been blind or have weak will power.

I don't think so, I mean, good fiction can always lead to positive examples for one's life. Like I mentioned above in this thread, the ending to Pulp Fiction made me change my views on some things, and I can probably think of some other movies that had faith messages where I wasn't expecting and lead to a change in my points of view (Collateral, Shawshank Redemption, etc.).

 

[chaseter]

I don't think so, I mean, good fiction can always lead to positive examples for one's life. Like I mentioned above in this thread, the ending to Pulp Fiction made me change my views on some things, and I can probably think of some other movies that had faith messages where I wasn't expecting and lead to a change in my points of view (Collateral, Shawshank Redemption, etc.).

Sure it can give good examples for one's life, but that doesn't play into religion until it blatantly makes it clear. If I go to a movie a Christian and come out an Atheist, then I was never strong in my faith or I have weak will power and resolution (of course unless that movie is a true documentary and not a work of fiction). Take DaVinci Code for example. Some people came out actually believing some of that might have been true and it changed their faith. Of course there is the chance it may be true, but its fiction.

 

[LeChuck]

Sure it can give good examples for one's life, but that doesn't play into religion until it blatantly makes it clear. If I go to a movie a Christian and come out an Atheist, then I was never strong in my faith or I have weak will power and resolution (of course unless that movie is a true documentary and not a work of fiction). Take DaVinci Code for example. Some people came out actually believing some of that might have been true and it changed their faith. Of course there is the chance it may be true, but its fiction.

Obviously you can't go into a movie and come out an atheist, lol. That's an extreme. What I meant was, a work of fiction does have the power to strengthen and weaken your faith, if you walk in with an open mind.

 

[Timstuff]

I seriously don't see what the big fuss is over Golden Compass. It's just a movie, and if you don't like the fact that it's got atheistic undertones, no-one is going to make you watch it. The Da Vinci Code did not kill Christianity (though it did kill a few thousand reels of good celluloid with its crappy film making), so I doubt we Christians have anything to worry about from a movie with talking CG polar bears. We got our Chronicles of Narnia movies, so I don't really see any room to complain if someone makes another fantasy movie with a different ideology fueling it.

If some folks really think that people will loose their faith from watching The Golden Compass, then they obviously don't have much faith in their fellow Christians.

 

[L0ngsh0t]

But Narnia had Christian overtones. Is that harmless?
I'm not trying to be offensive, just objective.
Your a christian and I respect your choices.

I think someone touched on this earlier, however I haven't read or seen Narnia in quite some time, and don't even really like the series, but here is my thought on the matter. Narnia is like a Christian allusion yes, but it never gets to the point of saying Christianity is the way and only way (which is kind of impressive considering that is like the thesis of Christianity) or it doesn't really force feed the notion, it's written for a Christian audience with a story that most kids can appreciate cause its about animals fighting etc, but never gets to the Dogmatic stage. Where as imo Golden Compass is all Dogmatic, its all the church is bad don't listen to the church giving kind of a myopic point of view which is where I think the problem may lie. Its sending the message of this is bad and evil, where as Narnia just kind of is like yeah this is what it is about but if you don't like it don't let it ruin the story for you

 

[Prison Mike]

if a movie changes your faith, you probably didn't have enough will power to begin with.

 

[bored]

Thanks to "The Golden Compass", I now worship armored polar bears.

 

[bunk]

if a movie changes your faith, you probably didn't have enough will power to begin with.

That's exactly what I was going to say. The thing is; with most "people of faith", it's not enough to shield their own children from movies they fear, they also have to protect everyone else's kids too.

Then they take their little kids to PASSION OF THE CHRIST, one of the most violent dramas I've seen. Go figure..

 

[Timstuff]

That's exactly what I was going to say. The thing is; with most "people of faith", it's not enough to shield their own children from movies they fear, they also have to protect everyone else's kids too.

Hey now, that's only a stereotype. There are 1.7 billion Christians on this planet, but because there are a few thousand loud-mouthed radicals, it's easy to get the impression that we're all like that. By and large, Christians do not believe in making non-Christians live like Christians.

 

[Climperoonie]

I used to believe in God when I was little.

















Then my naughty Grandad showed me Monty Python's Life of Brian at the age of six. Christainity was out the window. Then the last remains of the Christian inside me was stabbed to death with a hot rusty metal machete when I saw Dogma t:.