Her

Age 29
Seen 5 Hours Ago
Posted 4 Days Ago
I don't particularly care or want to care about what religion you are (if you have one), what I want to know is how do you feel about the way religion is portrayed in media? Do you care at all? Do you think there should be more respect shown towards religion in media nowadays? How do you feel about films such as The Passion of the Christ or songs such as... well, it's 1am, I can't think of any songs to do with religion right now. Suggest your own! By the way, you're welcome to talk about the way religion is shown in the news or anything, really. Just as long as it ultimately answers the bolded questions!

Esper

California
Seen June 30th, 2018
Posted June 30th, 2018
First thing that comes to mind are those episodes on TV shows where some character is having a bad time - the detective can't catch the criminal, the doctor lost a patient - and then goes into a church to pray. They're never portrayed as specifically religious before this episode, but one way or another by the end of the episode you have something inexplicable happen and the characters looking up to the sky and going: "You don't think that maybe...?"

I hate those kinds of episodes. They're pandering to people who believe in cheap, easy miracles, but also dumbing down religion for people who take it more seriously. I don't mind if they want to have religious characters, or religious themes, but I think it's a bit insulting to most people, religious or not, to portray religion as this kind of magic thing that you use when you need something.

Really though, I think it's cheap writing and that's my biggest problem with it. It's cliche to the nth degree.

Mr Cat Dog

Frasier says it best

Age 32
Male
London, UK
Seen September 29th, 2017
Posted July 12th, 2017
11,344 posts
19.1 Years
Across the whole spectrum of media - film, TV, music, books, theatre etc. - the portrayal of religion is quite fascinating. But considering that religion's impact on music has mostly diminished from its previous highpoints (Lady Gaga's attempts at 'blasphemy' excepted, even if she was heavily aping from Madonna...), and that I can't imagine most PC members going to the theatre or - heaven forbid - reading books, that leaves us with film and TV.

Hollywood has a reputation for being liberal-minded and, for the most part, it's justified. People who achieve great creative success in the entertainment industry, on the whole, do so by avoiding the subject of religion, or presenting the characters in their entertainment as a-religious. Note that doesn't mean that they're necessarily atheist: religion is just never mentioned as part of the storyline, or as part of the character. Which makes it interesting when film and TV shows do explore it, 'cause it inevitably ends up dominating the show/film.

Take The Simpsons. I know, I know. I harp on about this show too much, and I'm as surprised as you are that I haven't inserted Helen Lovejoy's lament to think of the children into this post so far. But in its glory days, its focus on the subject was really refreshing. The titular family were church-goers, but most of them were very apathetic about the whole enterprise; the reverend was seen as a very, very fallible human being, and the church itself as an institution was seen both as a sanctuary from the crazy antics of the townspeople but also as a crazy entity in and of itself. Episodes focused on the existence of the soul, whether to believe in God or not, the 10 commandments, the loss of faith, and much more. But it was all done in a sympathetic way that didn't belittle the religion itself: often, just the followers in and of themselves. I'm not saying that media is no place to criticize religion, but when it's portrayed in a more affectionate way, then greater entertainment often arises as a result.

Like in South Park. Similarly to The Simpsons, but possibly not on the surface, South Park treats the concept of faith with surprising sensitivity. Religion, on the other hand - and especially organised religion and dogma - gets a complete takedown. Most of the show's most famous episodes have concerned religion, whether it be a statue of the Virgin Mary apparently 'getting her period', a journey into the secret tombs of the Vatican, or the complete evisceration of both the Mormon and Scientology religions. The Mormon episode, in particular, sticks out especially for its ending, which comes down as very pro-faith, even if the whole concept of what Mormons believe in was just crushed by one of the protagonists. That episode helped inspire the hit-Broadway musical The Book of Mormon, which stretches these themes out even more and to greater comic effect and pathos.

I could literally ramble about this until the cows came home, but I guess that's as good a place to leave it as any. If religion were treated more honestly and with less snide contempt in film and TV, that would certainly be a step in the right direction. Unfortunately, I don't see it happening any time soon.

TRIFORCE89

Guide of Darkness

Age 33
Male
Temple of Light
Seen November 25th, 2017
Posted October 21st, 2016
8,122 posts
19.1 Years
I think Simpsons is probably one of the best and most accurate representations. At least to my world view. Different religions and degrees of devotion to religions and none is really shown to be better than any other.

I think Homer reflects a large segment of believers, my self included.

I'm not a bad guy! I work hard, and I love my kids. So why should I spend half my Sunday hearing about how I'm going to Hell?

Let's just say that on this day, a million years ago, a dude was born who most of us think was magic. But others don't, and that's cool. But we're probably right. Amen

Marge's interpretation is different. As is Flanders'. As is Lovejoy's. Lisa is a Buddhist. And then there's Apu among others. I think they treat the topic wonderfully

Aside from that I don't really see it pop up in the shows I watch