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Is Hollywood Anti-Catholic?

Angels & Demons, Catholicism and the "Last Acceptable Prejudice"

by Steven D. Greydanus | posted 5/12/2009 08:25AM

"Copernicus was surely one of the greatest lights of his time, but was he not censured and excommunicated for his admirable scientific discoveries?" So wrote nineteenth-century anti-Catholic polemicist ...

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Dtmccameron

Posted: June 20, 2009 3:45 AM


All things considered, wouldn't Bishop Lilliman in "V is for Vendetta" been an Anglican? It makes little difference, I suppose, as men in collars are still getting slandered...

Rikk	Posted: June 19, 2009 6:24 AM

I am constantly surprised at how many Christians and even Catholics are ignorant of the culturally transformative effects of Early and Medieval Christianity (not to mention the conspiracy theorists who seem to thrive in a certain part of the world and for whom no amount of counter evidence will ever suffice). While I realize that this is "just a movie" it is not atypical of much common perception. We wouldn't tolerate this kind of blatant and bigoted misrepresentation of any other movement. Please read at the very least the recent and accessible works of e.g. Rodney Stark, The Rise of Christianity; For the Glory of God; and The Victory of Reason and then perhaps Richard Rubenstein, Aristotle's Children. As a Protestant and an Evangelical Charismatic, is it high time, even if only in the interests of honesty and Christian fairness, that the other extraordinary side of the story be told.

FLOCHI

Posted: May 20, 2009 5:37 AM


WE SHOULD JUST PRAY FOR THEM

MissMary

Posted: May 19, 2009 12:14 PM


Funny2 - I never saw an ad for the movie at the top of my page, and neither did several of my friends. I think maybe you have some issues of your own to deal with. Get a life.

K.C.	Posted: May 17, 2009 1:52 PM


Linda, these sites REVIEW the movies because that is their job.

LC	Posted: May 16, 2009 10:45 PM


I don't know that Hollywood is as anti-Catholic as they are pro-money. Dan Brown's book are big hits that turn into big bucks at the box office. All the hype that comes up in the media when these movies are about to release are just what the want as it creates interest. Thanks to all the press and hype, this movie will make a ton and Hollywood with laugh all the way to the bank.

Smoking herb

Posted: May 16, 2009 5:48 PM


Herb, if someone made a movie spreading lies about your mother would you get upset? Do you love God less than your mother? Isn't it worth getting a bit upset over straight out lies and deceit?

Herb Cooney

Posted: May 16, 2009 3:26 PM

I enjoyed "Angels and Demons" as a very good murder mystery with an interesting story. Amazing use of "green screen" and technical stuff. Sure I am old enough to have enjoyed "Going My Way" etc. but those movies were not particularly realistic. In many ways "Angels and Demons" seem more realistic in that no institution or church is insulated from the potential impact of "sin" Just watch CNN. My hope is that the Christian community wouldn't go "ballistic" as they did with the "Da vinci Code" Surely our faith isn't that vulnerable.

JT	Posted: May 15, 2009 5:20 PM

"Challenge", I agree with you about the need for repentance, but have to vigorously disagree with your statement that there are no Christians who are sexual sinners. Scripture clearly states that ALL have sinned and fallen short of the grace of God. Jesus also stated that it is Man who makes one sin greater than others, not God. I believe there are true Christians who have committed all types of sexual sin, just as the rest of us tell "white" lies, speed, neglect to say anything when a cashier gives us too much change and on up the list. Sin is sin is sin. We are not to judge sins of others, but pray for them and try to guide them in the right direction. Stating that someone is not a Christian because he or she commits a certain sin is a sin itself, I believe. Only God knows what is in our hearts, and we are most certainly not God.

Your Brother from Indonesia

Posted: May 14, 2009 11:03 PM

Hollywood are not just anti-Catholic. They are anti-religions in general. Ironically, they are also proven of having no guts to potray Islam, in the similar way to what they are doing to other religions. For example, Hollywood have no guts to bring Salman Rushdie's "Satanic Verses" into the wide screen. The reason of such discrimination is crystal clear. Nobody in Hollywood, include this "genius" Ron Howard want to be beheaded or blown away by Muslim fanatics for blasphemy acquisation.

Paul C. Gabel

Posted: May 14, 2009 7:43 PM


CT's running a banner video ad for "Angels and Demons" across the top of these pages is a sad commentary on what a faith based magazine will due for advertising dollars. So very sad, in my view, about CT and too much of our contemporary Christian media.

Challenge

Posted: May 14, 2009 4:34 AM

Ancient Israel repeatedly had to nationally repent in order to be liberated from its enemies. National repentance was built by God into their yearly feasts .... e.g. on Yom Kippur, the Hebrews had to confess their sins. The cogs of the religious system worked but the people of Israel slid into sin repeately. The church too must repent repeatedly. Dear LGBT “Christian” there are no Christians who are adulterers, fornicators or homosexuals or bisexuals. The adulteter must not say “it’s in my genes”, “it makes me happy” and such like. There are Christians who were such but have repented. And please, I don’t hate you.

A Christian

Posted: May 13, 2009 2:23 PM

I find it hard to think that it's such a surprise that Hollywood is anti-Catholic. Surely this has been around for quite a while now. What's more surprising to me is that there is such offense taken by us Christians when someone steps on our faith, yet we feel supremely justified to walk all over the LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender) community. Even moreso, it seems as if it is acceptable to militantly hate LGBT Christians. Yes, we exist. So when I see a title like "last acceptable prejudice," I have to think, "hardly." Why are we as Christians now known for what we hate and oppose, rather than our love for one another (as Christ said we would be known)? Just a thought...

Funny2

Posted: May 13, 2009 12:13 PM


I enjoy coming here to enjoy well-written articles. However, I found it odd that there was an advertisement for Angels & Demons at the top of the main page. Does anyone find that a little strange other than myself and Funny.

Patrick Gann

Posted: May 13, 2009 9:54 AM

LOL, "Catholicism" as the last acceptable prejudice? Please. Society is still comfortable with all manner of prejudices. For the love of all that is decent, don't paint the Catholic Church as a victim. People have all kinds of prejudices, particularly regarding religion, and many of them are acceptable in the public eye. No, you can't be anti-Muslim, but anti-fundamentalist Muslim (and fundamentalist Christian) is okay. Anti-atheist is another popular one, and it is the reason that the reactionary "new atheist" movement began (we Christians only have ourselves to blame for that one).

Brother in Christ

Posted: May 13, 2009 9:42 AM


I agree w/ Linda. Why are you advertising "Angels and Demons"? I can understand writing a review on the film but to accept their money (which will be funded by many non-believers who will see this film and not have the wisdom to determine what's truth) and post their advertisment on your website makes me question ChristianityToday's Christian integrity.

Funny

Posted: May 13, 2009 8:59 AM


I think it is hilarious that Christianity Today is wrestling with the anticatholic (and anti-christian) elements of Hollywood while accepting big buck from Angels and Demons from advertising. I think your next article should be on the over sexualizing of Hollywood and you could get Playboy as a sponsor. What a joke.

Terrie

Posted: May 13, 2009 8:34 AM

The Illuminati does exist and there are a lot of behind the scenes we have no clue about. The question is... is the Catholic Church apart of it? But why is it just the Catholic Church that gets picked on and not Organized religion in general? Did somebody deliberately forget to include Governments and Corporate Companies? There are many conspiracy's that will only be made light when Jesus comes back. No one really knows what goes on behind closed doors unless your a part of it. However, Who gives a hoot about the New World Order. I am a follower of Jesus Christ. He has everything under control and fools are those who choose not to follow. Your eternity rests on your own choices. Don't be Sheeple. Think for yourself. Turning off your TV set will definitely keep you from being programed.

Thom	Posted: May 13, 2009 8:33 AM

"Hollywood", like most Roman Catholics, have a love-hate relationship with the church. "The Exorcist" was considered anti-Catholic, but is in fact one of the most powerful statements of Roman (and Holy) Catholic faith ever committed to film. Whenever anything becomes "too corporate for its own good" - its actions good and bad will be put under a microscope. That was what "The Da Vinci Code" was efforting. Never saw the film. The book was okay in a "Harry Potter for adults" way. Like all religious institutions, the RC (and church universal) has done amazing things, but also has done a lot for which it needs to be taken to task and out right apologize. Ask any Pope who ventures to the Holy Land. Intentionally or not, evangelicals repeatedly bash mainline churches. But when someone else puts faith under the microscope, we hear "Hey! You're being anti-church."

DonW	Posted: May 13, 2009 7:29 AM


If anything Hollywood is just Anti-Christian period. Plain and simple!

Dave	Posted: May 12, 2009 6:16 PM

The thing I think a lot of people are missing is that it is not just an attack on the Catholic Church but the Church Universal. The average person does not think of specific denominations (usually) when they discuss the Church. They just think of Christianity. We are all the Body of Christ. This includes Catholics, Pentecostals, Baptists, Lutherans, etc. An attack on one part of the Body is an attack on the whole Body. I wonder if all the Christians who are enjoying the bashing of Catholicism will be so cavalier when it is their turn. We need to start to realize although we may have differences in our worship and we may hold some aspects of our faith as being more important than others, we still worship the same God. One God, One Christ and One word. Oh, and in case anyone was wondering I'm Lutheran.

Rickster

Posted: May 12, 2009 5:20 PM

More like anti-"corrupt authority figure", you name it, the American (i.e. Hollywood) story has always been anti- big bank, big business, big government, big miltary, big parents, big sports franchise, and the hero is the underdog or the rugged individualist, or both. It's the nature of our culture's storytelling. In some ways its Biblical (David & Goliath, Jesus and the religious establishment, The NT church against the Roman Empire)). Big bad church just makes a good story.

David L

Posted: May 12, 2009 3:55 PM

People forget that there wasn't just one Patriarch and therefore one church, there were a variety of churches bound by unity in the truth visible by their sacramental bond in the Eucharist. Evangelicals almost play into Romes claims by forgetting the contribution to the faith by the East. Even today the Orthodox are more than 1/3 of Christians yet your average 20 year old mega church Christian doesn't even know they exist. Hollywood isn't anti-catholic it is anti-Christianity, I could argue that by Hollywoods ignoring the East altogether it only acknowledges the validity of Roman Catholicism as the heir of the faith (a faith it doesn't believe in).

Peter

Posted: May 12, 2009 3:17 PM

As a conservative Catholic, oh how I wish that the Catholic League would cease and desist from most everything. Hollywood, the business world, the educational world, the political world *owe* nothing to the Catholic Church, or any other church, for that matter. Sure, I wish that representations of various churches were more charitable (when charity might be called for), but Christians of every stripe would be well served by attending to matters closer to home, rather than wringing their hands over entertainment-driven portrayals of themselves and their respective churches.

Linda

Posted: May 12, 2009 2:58 PM


Why are Christianity Today and CrossWalk advertising "Angels and Demons" when is disses Christians? Big bucks?

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