Magic Mike S/O #2: Has a book, movie or anything from the entertainment industry, steered you away from your faith? If not, what was it that did? Please read and share.

In thinking about this while responding to someone who thinks that R rated movies would get someone lost in their faith, I started thinking about what made me lose my faith. It was the death of a close family member. And usually when a person loses their faith or "gets lost" it is because of a tragedy or just hard times in their lives. I have never known anyone to be influenced away from their faith because of a fictional story in a book or a movie or television. The news might, and most certainly documentaries have that influence as well, but we has human beings respond with emotion and less with knowledge most of the time. So I don't think the entertainment industry has anything to do with interfering with our relationship with God or whoever you worship.

What are your thoughts?

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Asked by Gin_Sins at 3:39 AM on Jun. 25, 2012 in Religious Debate

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the only thing that steered me away from my faith for a while when i miscarried my daughter. and i read a lot of books. i'm sure that there are people who have never had anything bad in their lives that might have a book or movie make them lose their faith, but i think they are far and few between and chances are if something fictional can do that they did not have a very strong relationship with whatever higher being they believe in.

Answer by MooNFaeRie30 at 5:19 AM on Jun. 25, 2012
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I don't think a movie is going to make you lose faith, but a constant stream of garbage either by book or movie, will taint you. I know that culture thinks it's perfectly good and wholesome to see violence, sex and horror on movie screens. If it's a once a year thing and you don't have crappy, books and movies at home, then I don't see the problem. If it is a steady diet for you, I do think it can imperil your soul. As my dear departed mother used to say. Garbage in; Garbage out

Answer by adnilm at 8:26 AM on Jun. 25, 2012
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I know that culture thinks it's perfectly good and wholesome to see violence, sex and horror on movie screens
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I don't believe culture thinks it's "wholesome" by any means. However, it does sell and our culture is money driven. If it sells and makes money-it's going to continue to be made. There is a demand for it. So I'd say there are people who think it's ok, but wholesome? No, not really. I think you'd be hard pressed to come by a majority of people who agree with your terminology of wholesome.

Answer by sahmamax2 at 8:46 AM on Jun. 25, 2012
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I didn't "lose my faith" because of a tragic event or the loss of a loved one. I discovered that I didn't believe, and always had doubts about the stories I'd been taught since childhood, being raised in a Christian home.

As far as popular culture, movies, books and other mediums influencing people away from their faith. . . if a person's faith is so weak to be influenced by fictional works, then perhaps the faith wasn't really there to begin with. I do want to clarify something, though. It's not an "all or nothing" proposition as the person suggested in the thread the OP is discussing. I have not fallen into a life of hedonism or crime because I don't believe in any gods or follow any religion, nor have movies led me away from the church. Religion is illogical to me. Reason led me away from it, yet I manage to live a moral and ethical life.

Answer by jsbenkert at 9:40 AM on Jun. 25, 2012
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For me- it was a combination of things really- I didn't know it or realise it at the time, but when my brother drowned - I was 12. I saw what that did to my parents and then the mythology class and the class that spent a couple of weeks talking about different religions that I took in high school was what made me realise I really didn't believe anymore. It had nothing to do with entertainment- but knowledge

For me-the way *I* was brought up- it isn't so much that entertainment will turn you away- but it's the idea that those things are not good. When it comes to a movie about strippers or sex- the idea is that you are then having lustful thoughts and that is bad...

I think if a person is turned away by entertainment...they were weak in the faith anyway and in the end *something* would have made them turn or fall away from it

Answer by charlotsomtimes at 10:01 AM on Jun. 25, 2012
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I never lost my faith, it just shifted. I found that the more I looked inside, the more I knew Christianity was NOT the path I was meant to be on. Had nothing to do with a book or event in my life. It was just a feeling I had inside. Questions that had to be answered.

Answer by SpiritedWitch at 11:07 AM on Jun. 25, 2012
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if a person's faith is so weak to be influenced by fictional works, then perhaps the faith wasn't really there to begin with.
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That is simplifying it. It's not weak faith, it's exposing yourself to things that are not good, repeatedly. A steady diet of anything counter to your beliefs will eventually cloud your judgement. I lost desire to watch trashy movies and read pulpy, sex and violence driven books a long time ago. As I matured and developed my conscience, those thing naturally became less and less attractive. I think trash for the sake of trash is damaging. A show like The Sopranos, while violent and sexual in content sometimes, but also had an excellent story and compelling characters. I don't put that in the same category as trash like Magic Mike, which seems hedonistic and self gratifying, at best.

Answer by adnilm at 12:28 PM on Jun. 25, 2012
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My faith has not changed other than to deepen as I progress through life. There's been loss and illness. It didn't push me away and honestly, it didn't directly pull me closer. My faith is part of who I am and I relied on it as part of my coping mechanism.

Regarding the idea that entertainment can sway a person - I have a hard time, first of all, judging the appropriate adjectives for a film or it's potential impact on me without really seeing it. I might watch a trailer and think to myself "I can feel my brain cells dying off in the mere 60 seconds it took me to digest that drivel. I will spare my brain the entire movie." I won't, however, assume I'm prepared to offer a review based on those same 60 seconds.

Answer by ldmrmom at 2:25 PM on Jun. 25, 2012
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my 'faith' has always been a continually changing ebb and flow. I no longer believe in christianity, but it has nothing to do with social media, pop culture, or a tragic event. I questioned my beliefs becasue i didn't truely believe what i had been taught being raised in a christian enviornment. I have found answers that satisfy me and that i can hold as my truths. I follow more Buddist beliefs now.

but i plan to see the movie magic mike. i will enjoy a girls night out and it will be nothing more than that for me. my girlfriends will have drinks before the movie (i dont' drink) and that won't influence me either. now the ice cream after the movie...that will only influence my decision to eat a light dinner, lol.

Answer by boobarandbell at 4:00 PM on Jun. 25, 2012
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The Bible actually caused me to lose my faith, taking a closer look at the contradictions and the way the God of the Bible actually kills people or sends them to suffer for all eternity but yet he loves us? It's very personal and it's more than just that. I learned a lot of things about how Christianity seemingly stole myths of other religions and turned them into their own, esp. holidays and such. The movie Zietgeist is very informative but I saw it after I had already been out of the religion.

Answer by JackieGirl007 at 1:27 PM on Jun. 26, 2012
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