Is film Satanic? - Elizabeth Roy

Is film Satanic?
Non-assigned reading blog
Elizabeth Roy
4/23

Anton Karl Kozlovic, in a well-written 2003 article, addressed the resistance of many religious people to the medium of film. His article, Religious Film Fears 1: Satanic Infusion, Graven Images and Iconographic Perversion, refutes the idea that films are inherently evil. Although in our class we have been looking at religious themes and ideas in movies, many people have trouble thinking of films as potentially a good or religious influence. Kozlovic points out that films have a huge potential not only to have religious meaning, but also to be a positive influence and even a teaching tool. Although the idea that movies are the work of Satan has mostly died out in the Western world, movies and religion are still seen as two separate and possibly opposing things. Kozlovic says that Christians (especially parents) and churches need to act as a filter or check for movies, allowing good ones but making sure that sinful ones are not viewed (at least by their children.) I would go even further, however. I would say that the way that religions have often washed their hands of the film industry is the reason that it often seems that there are more immoral than moral influences in movies. If the fundamental Christian segment of the population had been a film consumer from the get-go, that marketing would have had a moderating influence on the “sex and gore” of modern entertainment films.
“Religious Film Fears 1: Satanic Infusion, Graven Images and Iconographic Perversion”
Author: Anton Karl Kozlovic
Quodlibet Journal: Volume 5 Number 2-3, July 2003
ISSN: 1526-6575
http://www.quodlibet.net/articles/kozlovic-fears.shtml