Religion in the Media

In the movie Dogma, directed by Kevin Smith, there are many controversial topics that have to do with culture and religion. One of the controversial aspects I noticed in the movie is how religion is portrayed in the media. I think religion is very important to those who believe in it, and it has evolved so much over time. However religion is not always put in the best light when it appears in the media. As the world is changing so are the people in society. People of different generations have different views on what religion is and how it should be practiced. Since the world has evolved there is a lot more technology which affects how religion is spread to people. For example there is religion on television. I honestly think it is amazing that church is on tv. I understand that if there are old people who cant make it to an actual church they may watch it on tv, but I don’t think it counts as real church. When I flip through the channels on television I have seen multiple channels with church, and I have stopped to see what it is like, but I just usually flip right past it.

The media has had a large affect on the way religion is seen for kids and families now. I think there is so much going against religious beliefs that are present in magazines, movies, and television. Some of the bad influences in the media include views on premarital sex, clothing, and certain activities. In society today you can go into a store and find multiple magazines that talk about sex. It doesn’t even always mention marriage as a factor of sex, it just tells people they need to practice safe sex. In the Catholic Church it is believed that people need to be married before they should have sex and have children. And if a couple is not married they should practice abstinence. Unfortunatley today many teens and couples that are not married do not practice abstinence. I think one of the large factors is what I stated earlier where the media is influencing how people practice their religion. A lot of what people do today reflects what the see or hear from celebrities and icons. In the movie there is also a part of worshiping fals idols. If you think about it I think today people do a lot of that. We don’t always respect religion and God like we should.

In the movie there is one very important part where they are changing the image of Christ. Cardinal Glick comes up with the idea to change how people will view Christ. He talks about getting rid of the symbol of the cross. I looked this scene of the movie online to find a better description of exactly what Cardinal Glick was saying.

Announcer: Ladies and Gentlemen, the driving force behind Catholicism WOW, Cardinal Glick.

Cardinal Glick: Thank you, thank you, thank you. Now we all know how the majority and the media in this country view the Catholic church. They think of us as a passe, archaic institution. People find the Bible obtuse... even hokey. Now in an effort to disprove all that the church has appointed this year as a time of renewal... both of faith and of style. For example, the crucifix. While it has been a time honored symbol of our faith, Holy Mother Church has decided to retire this highly recognizable, yet wholly depressing image of our Lord crucified. Christ didn't come to Earth to give us the willies... He came to help us out. He was a booster. And it is with that take on our Lord in mind that we've come up with a new, more inspiring sigil. So it is with great pleasure that I present you with the first of many revamps the "Catholicism WOW. " campaign will unveil over the next year. I give you... The Buddy Christ. Now that's not the sanctioned term we're using for the symbol, just something we've been kicking around the office, but look at it. Doesn't it... pop? Buddy Christ...

From this quote in the movie it is evident that religion is trying to be changed and the media is not having a positive affect on it. Cardinal Glick changed the image of Christ from being crucified to standing with his hand in a thumbs up while winking at everyone. When I saw this I honestly thought to myself what the heck! It doesn’t have to be a bad thing that religion evolves over time, but it can be done in a different way. For example I attended a Christian camp for about 6 summers. I choose to go to this camp it wasn’t even my parents idea. At camp we would be there for an entire week sleeping over night with hundreds of other kids who share out faith. Every morning we would have chapel, which consisted of songs praising God and teachings from the pastor about the theme for the week of camp. And then every night there would be another chapel session. I really enjoyed this camp because it was a time to grow your faith with God and also to experience religion in a different way with so many other kids. This camp had such an impact on my life, I even am considering going there to be a camp counselor for the entire summer.

I feel offended sometimes when I see things that go against my religion. I know it is not up to me what gets put out into the media, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t things we can do to stop it. I think there needs to be a more put out there about certain aspects of religion. In the movie when Cardinal Glick wants to create “Buddy Christ” yes kids today should understand Christ died for us and is our “buddy” but in a different sense. We should see Christ as a person we can trust and look to for advice, not a “buddy” who we let down or forget about. The symbol of Christ on the cross is very important to how people respect him. Even if young kids don’t fully understand why Jesus is nailed to a cross, that doesn’t mean the symbol and religious history and maturity should be changed to fit what kids understand. Jesus dying for us can be explained in simpler terms for children and people of different religions to understand, but it needs to stay true to what the Catholic Church says. I think it is good that we watched the movie Dogma, so we can get a sense of what may be out there about religion. Even though religion can be altered by the media, all we can do is trust in our religion and make sure we answer other peoples questions so there are no misconceptions about our religion.