Demonic / “evil spirit” scenes in children’s movies

  • Thread starter Thread starter Jen7
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
J

Jen7

Guest
I have five kids under age 10 & have a question about the spiritual wisdom of exposing them to movies / video games which involve certain “evil spirit” scenes.

Example #1: the movie “Prince of Egypt.” I love absolutely everything about this fantastic movie EXCEPT that…aren’t we listening to Pharoah’s priests pray directly to true demons by actual name?? I know the demons are presented as evil… but I couldn’t help feeling incredibly creeped out that demon prayers were entering the air space of my home, even though my kids clearly realized how wrong it all was. I thought, “Man, I bet the devil is thrilled to hear himself being invoked in my house - a place where only God’s praises have been prayed before!” Again, I know the “bad guys” in a CARTOON were doing the praying… but is that still something we should be watching as part of our entertainment?! My kids want to share the movie with their grandparents tomorrow & I am kind of dreading it. Am I overreacting?! Is it wise to listen to / let my kids listen to prayers to demons as
long as “we know it’s bad”?! Feels creepy to me… but I’m already so picky about what they watch on TV. I don’t want to be scrupulous here.

Example #2: My kids play a Mario bros type video game that has been all clean fun until recently they told me they “unlocked” a new character named “black Magic” who (go figure) uses black magic as his superpower. (Whyyyyy did they have to include this character in an otherwise 100% innocent children’s game?! :woman_facepalming:t2:) I told my kids they can’t pick this character as their personal avatar or as their teammate because “we aren’t on the devil’s team.” My husband feels I’m overreacting since it’s just a game & the character isn’t real. Again, I don’t want to be scrupulous… but I am creeped out!

Opinions appreciated!!
 
That is a nicely done review. The movie is really good. I hope someone who has seen it can speak to the scene where they pray to the demonic powers, though. It was artistically really well done… I just wondered if it was, I don’t know, really appropriate for me to be letting my kids witness what we’re probably ready prayers to real demons?

I don’t know anymore about the Mario character than what I mentioned, sorry. Well, except that there is also a “White Magic” character, too. I told them not to choose that avatar also, and to make sure both characters are their opponents.
 
To take this a step further, one would never read to their children from Scripture, not allow the kids to hear the readings at Mass.

I cannot remember any summoning of demons in The Prince of Egypt, now, it has been a quarter of a century since I saw it, but, I only remember them using the names of the gods who were worshiped at the time. The Church does not teach that the deities of other religious are demons. In fact, the Church teaches that people who lived/live in a time and a place where they have not had access to know all of our true God may be saved as long as they follow what they know to be God. St Paul preached about the altar of the unknown God. In Acts chapter 17 St Paul uses the Athenians worship of several Gods and their altar to the “unknown God” to teach about Christ.

When I was a kid, I was not allowed to watch “Bewitched” or “Escape to Witch Mountain” because they used the word “witch”. At age 10 I had to beg and plead to read “The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe”.

There is good and evil in the world, but, we sometimes want to give the devil far more power than he has.
 
When we reverted my husband and I were concerned about Strega Nona. I’m glad I read the book. The only the witchy about Nona is her name. She sort of reminded me of my own grandmother.
 
Thanks for your comments.

Of course I do not want to “take it one step further.” And I realize folks who worship anything/nothing may be saved if they’re doing the best they can with the knowledge they have.

I think my question could be state more generically as - if a movie depicts actual prayers to demons is it wise to watch? I have heard some “chants” in certain “kids movies” were selected by occult participants - viewers think its background music but its actually prayers to demons set to music. I don’t have any specific movie titles, though. But my point is… is that appropriate to watch? I know it’s not appropriate to participate even “passively” I’m having your palm read, horoscopes, etc. even though some say “it’s just for fun.” I am wondering if that same caution should be extended to movies that showcase real prayers to demons even if we’re just “passively” watching??
 
First of all, the Egyptian priests are not praying to demons. THey are praying to the pagan gods that Egyptians typically worshiped. And the movie clearly demonstrates that their prayers are fruitless because the pagan gods aren’t real while the true God is all-powerful, which is the entire point of the story of Moses. Yes, I think you are over-reacting.
 
The pagan “gods” could be inspired by demons, so they are really worshiping a them instead of what they think to be their “god.”
 
Jen7 said:
I have heard some “chants” in certain “kids movies” were selected by occult participants - viewers think its background music but its actually prayers to demons set to music.
Click to expand...
Again, when I was a kid we were told that “Stairway To Heaven” or various Beatles songs played backwards were prayer to Satan. Now, we know this stuff to be hogwash.

You know how when you watch a movie that depicts something you know well (if you are in the medical profession and watch “Grey’s Anatomy” or if you are a cop and watch “CSI”) you laugh at how silly things are? That goes for religious things as well, be they Christianity or Wicca or anything in between. Screenwriters just write what will look and sound cool.
 
I think the intention of the worshiper defines who it is they are worshiping. In any sense, there’s no reason to believe that ancient Egyptian gods were inspired by anything other than a natural desire to understand the universe before it was God’s time to reveal himself.
 
It seems like that, but with further looking into it we can see in the Bible that when people were sacrificing to “gods whom they knew not: that were newly come up” they were sacrificing to devils.

Deuteronomy 32:16-17:

16 They provoked him by strange gods, and stirred him up to anger, with their abominations.

17 They sacrificed to devils and not to God: to gods whom they knew not: that were newly come up, whom their fathers worshipped not.
 
Neither of those excerpts even mention demons, just that “they” were worshiping false Gods they made up. And looking at the fell context of Deut. 32, the “they” are the descendants of Jacob, so not Egyptians.
 
I am trying to prove I’m general that false gods are demons. It says they worshipped devils which is basically the same thing as demons.
 
I understand what you are trying to prove, but I don’t think your case is good. Even insisting on the word “devils” or “demons”, which not all translations use in that place, it doesn’t say that all pagan Gods are actually demons. It says that a specific group of wayward Israelites fell into worshiping demons.
 
Even in that passage, it doesn’t say that all pagan dieties are actually demons, but that some pagans offer sacrifices to demons, in hopes that they would leave them alone in return. Here its saying to trust in the Eucharist for protection and not to try to negotiate with spiritual terrorists.
 
Even if the pagan Gods are demons, they are still part of the story of the Exodus, as presented in the movie referenced by the OP. Leave out the parts where the Egyptian priests call upon their “gods,” and you fail to tell the entire story. It doesn’t help to give only part of the story, especially Biblical stories.
Besides which, the reasons why the pagan gods are included are a) for drama, and b) to prove the superiority of the God of the Hebrews, and the Universe, over Egyptian so-called Gods. This is true whether the gods are imaginary or actually demonic. In no way is including them an endorsement of the same. And if your children start to copy the Egyptian priests, that is a separate issue from the movie itself.
 
Last edited:
Yes, there have been devil worshiping cults in every age and across the globe. This does not mean that every non-Christian is a devil worshipper.
 
Thanks, all! Not to worry - I don’t feel every non Christian worshipper is praying to devils. I just hesitate sharing incantations to ANYONE other than God with my kids via film or video games. But I guess overall it sounds like ya’ll see no problem with it & I appreciate knowing that.
 
I think there’s a good case (based on the aforementioned quotes) that all gods but God are demons, but I really wouldn’t worry about Prince of Egypt–from what I recall, the filmmakers were more interested in catchy lyrics and tunes than in authentic Egyptian chants, and I would also be prepared to bet that none of the voice actors are actually worshipers of Ra.

@TheLittleLady is also right about Scripture readings–for instance, the invocations to Baal on Mt. Carmel are much more genuine depictions of pagan worship than some writer’s movie script, so if the name of the entity were all that powerful we’d want to censor it when reading the Bible.

But note that there is only one name in the Bible that is so powerful that people did in fact avoid speaking it aloud, substituting “Lord” instead: It is God’s covenant name. (And of course there’s a whole commandment about taking it in vain.) Baal, Dagon, etc are all freely named without fear.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top