Does Hollywood hate Christians?
[From Christian Post]
A new Parents Television Council (PTC) study – “Faith in a Box 2005-2006” – found there were half as many portrayals of religion on television this year as in the previous year. And when faith was portrayed, there were more negative depictions than positive ones (35 to 34 percent).
Fox was by far the most anti-religious network, the study reported, with one in every two portrayals of religion being negative. Long-time champion NBC came in second. UPN, ABC, and the WB followed, respectively.
Read about it here.
[From me]
Why does Hollywood hate Christians so much? Fox is the most anti-religious TV network yet they have started the FOX Faith Family and Christian films. They can’t have it both ways. It is one thing to not be pro-Christian, but why do they have to be so anti-Christian?
I’ve never seen these two shows but I read CBS recently aired a program on the network’s Two and a Half Men, which Charlie Sheen’s character sings about his sexual activity to the “Joy to the World” tune. Fox’s The Family Guy showed God in bed with a woman.
What’s the deal? If Hollywood doesn’t like Christians then just ignore us, don’t go out of your way to trash all that we believe in. In a few years there won’t be anything safe enough to watch. Andy Griffith we need more from you.
What do you think?
Filed under: Christian, Hypocrisy, faith, first amendment, hate, hollywood, mean, religion, ridiculous, sad, scary, stupid, trends, tv
Hollywood (out on the Left Coast) is all about money. When it hurts them in the pocket, they might start going easy on Christians, but don’t hold your breath. The only time you’ll see favorable things is from things like “The Passion” or “The Nativity”, and, of course, there is money to be made there.
Sorry, I’m just as sour on Hollywood as Hollywood is on us.
John 15:18-19: “If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you. (NIV)
I John 3:13: Do not be surprised, my brothers, if the world hates you.
Looks like God even gave us a heads-up about it…
I am pretty sure Nomad is right, Holly wood is all about money, but here is a question. Do they reflect the wider culture or lead it?
But continuing, I think it is much more important to question to ask if people in general dislike Christians, and I can tell you that they often do and unfortunately often (not always) have good reason to.
I realize the Gospel is an offense to those who are perishing, but do we have to be jerks about it?
In ancient times, before the Church was intermixed with the State, Tertullian reported that the Romans would exclaim, “See how they love one another!” Justin Martyr said: “We used to hate and destroy one another and refused to associate with people of another race or country. Now, because of Christ, we live together with such people and pray for our enemies.”
That is how we once lived in front of a fallen, hostile culture.
Tertullian: Apologeticum ch. 39
Justin Martyr, First Apology ch. 14
Bob beat me to the punch. Do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal among you. If they did it to me, they will do it to you to.
I agree that we need more Andy Griffith (my all time favorite show), but that is not very realistic. Hollywood often stands for the things Christians oppose, so if they have a powerful medium that they can utilize to make us look bad, they will. And it works, because people usually aren’t aware enough to know they are being preached to and converted a little at a time.
The typical Christian responses to the distorted portrayal of life in general and Christianity in particular by Hollywood, via the Donald Wildmon–James Dobson boycott list, is not anywhere near enough to have an effect on the bottom line any more, and obviously Hollywood realizes this. Fox has figured out that by slanting their news network in a more conservative direction, they get back a lot of viewers they might be losing on their entertainment channels. The money goes to the same pot.
Bob did a good job pointing out a passage of scripture which tells us that we are not the only believers in the world who have ever had to deal with Christianity not being the favored religion of the culture. For years, that’s the way it was, Christians enjoyed the advantage of cultural dominance akin to that of Europe in the Middle Ages. In a post-industrial paradigm shift, that is changing. I think the correct response, though, is not to boycott and protest the loss of our previous advangage, but to change our strategy in order to continue to be viable in both winning the lost and discipling them.
Why not throw away the TV…Tada problem solved!…Now if every christian did this then it would weaken hollywood!!! Great Idea!
I don’t get it! The Bible portrays stories of graphic violence and promiscuous sex, and so does Hollywood. Why do you place your faith in one, and claim that the other is “against” you?
No matter what the silver screen is showing, the Bible did it all before.
The Levite’s concubine, Lot’s incestuous daughters, Abraham marrying his half-sister, lashings of mass murder, torture, pillaging, etc. Seems to me that Hollywood is relatively tame by comparison!
Listen, there are good people in the world and bad. There are people who misinterpret or are just to lazy to understand the gospel and there are people who suffer for it. You know what, Hollywood by Christian standards is a den of sin, BUT so is all of humanity. It’s just a few misguided souls who have condemned people based on these things that they think God will or does condemn BUT God provides His saving grace for all humans no matter what their past or present sins are. It only matters that you love Him and have a personal relationship with Him. Like others have said, the Bible has seen everything before, from adultery, to theft, to homosexuality which old testement law has condemned. Sorry but that’s what the Bible preaches. I watched CNN a few months ago when Jerry Falwell died. A representative of the gay and lesbian community got on television not 2 hours after he had passed away and flamed him in the most brutal way that carried with it a deep hurt. People need to ask themselves is Falwell’s view a Christian or Biblical view in total or is it something else? Some people will be homosexual til the day that they die. That does not mean God does not love them and God will not bring them to His Kingdom. If you aren’t struggling with God and wanting to be a Christian then you already have a hardened heart to what I am saying. I am just saying this to the people who feel like Christians hate them because they are living outside of the realm of what the Bible has deemed as ‘Holy’. God loves everyone down from the people who won’t even utter His name, to the people who call on Him daily. He is a God for all, not just Falwell and anyone who thinks they are perfect. Sorry for ranting but God is love. Don’t hate Him because you hate a person!
P Diddy,
Thanks for stopping by.
I usually watch foreign movies, just because I can’t stand to see yet one more portrayal of people who have any association at all with Christ or His name, or His image as being small-minded, biggoted, back woods, repressed, maniacs. recently I watched an independent film called LolliLove.., the air headed young couple in the movie decided to make and distribute lollipops with artwork and “inspirational” messages to the Homeless in a large Californian city. The couple used Jesus Christ’s name.., as always Hollywood only uses His name if it is in parody and in a “making fun of” way. They had the Chrisitians paraying at a dinner table, and downplaying the horrid events that the Jews suffered in the past. I wondered why the airheaded rich couple had not instead, as a total stroke of new idea and true genius.., had not instead been portrayed as being Jewish themselves…, as that would have been a real risk taking activity….,no, never, never, instead, predictably.., they had to be “Chrisitian” It made my heart hurt.., It made me ache.., it hurt me.., it really was painful. Werenot Chrisitians tortured and killled by the Romans, by the Chinese, are tehy not now being persecuted by the producers of Hollywood who cut away at us in small bits daily?