Going to see "Rent" sinful?

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Hello everyone.

My sister’s college is performing “Rent” and I know it has a homosexual couple in it. At first, I was thinking I might just go and see it, but then I saw a short excerpt of the play and realized that I am against it completely. When I told my sister that I would not be going, she asked me if it would be sinful to go and see it as there is an entry fee, and it has compromising values. She said that she wasn’t sure if it was sinful as it would just be acting, but I strongly urged her against it. What do you think? Thank you for your (name removed by moderator)ut!
  • JazzyElephants
 
Personally, I’d say no because it’s a terrible musical… but that’s just my opinion of course. Let’s look at it more objectively. The show mixes the celebration of that alternative lifestyle with the recognition of the dangers inherit in it (It’s been a while, but if I remember correctly there’s an entire song devoted to Aides and the problems it presents to homosexuals). That said, even in recognizing the dangers of such a lifestyle it does nothing to say that they should be avoided, and instead seems to look at them as just a risk associated with living how they want to live… this is definitely not a positive message.

I’m not overly familiar with the musical, but this was a major thing that stuck with me when I saw it. I personally couldn’t recommend seeing it.
 
JazzyElephants said:
Hello everyone.

My sister’s college is performing “Rent” and I know it has a homosexual couple in it. At first, I was thinking I might just go and see it, but then I saw a short excerpt of the play and realized that I am against it completely. When I told my sister that I would not be going, she asked me if it would be sinful to go and see it as there is an entry fee, and it has compromising values. She said that she wasn’t sure if it was sinful as it would just be acting, but I strongly urged her against it. What do you think? Thank you for your (name removed by moderator)ut!
  • JazzyElephants
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I hope not! I’ve seen that a few times on video.

I think what it comes down to is intention. Rent is not pornogrpahy, but if you’re going to somehow support anti-Catholic positions, then the conversation gets more interesting.

I would say if you want to go see it for fun, that should be okay. It’s not really so much about gay rights as it is about people struggling with HIV and living in the city.

These are great questions for your confessor/priest.
 
Until Now, I’d not heard of that movie. From the posts I’ve read here, I’d be inclined to Not see it. It’s a college performing it? Then that means that college students are being the gay couple. So the college is encouraging two of the same sex to act ‘that way’ together and on a stage so everyone on campus or off campus will see who they are. And someone was saying that is was dealing with HIV and living in the city. But how much of the play is dealing with the HIV situation.
Why would someone see that as being a ‘fun’ play to watch?
Why would anyone be ‘celebrating’ a gay life-style. And that’s Probably part of the problem. Society Wants ‘us’ to accept same-sex partners as simply another life-style – but Why the ‘celebrating’ of it.
What about a college play celebrating the life of a man/woman marriage that has lasted 30 or 40 years and has been a Good marriage. Featuring the family going to church together – no alcohol or drugs – no teenage pregnancy. Being involved as a family in good community projects. Maybe something like the Duggar Family. Or just Any couple / family. 🙂
 
JazzyElephants said:
Hello everyone.

My sister’s college is performing “Rent” and I know it has a homosexual couple in it. At first, I was thinking I might just go and see it, but then I saw a short excerpt of the play and realized that I am against it completely. When I told my sister that I would not be going, she asked me if it would be sinful to go and see it as there is an entry fee, and it has compromising values. She said that she wasn’t sure if it was sinful as it would just be acting, but I strongly urged her against it. What do you think? Thank you for your (name removed by moderator)ut!
  • JazzyElephants
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I don’t think it’s a mortal sin to see a bad movie or a bad play, but I think it would be a waste of time, which in and of itself is a venial sin. I would find something better to do that evening. Perhaps you could pray your Rosary together, or paint each other’s toenails, or something like that, that would be wholesome and more fun. 🙂
 
RENT is not about homosexual activity as much as it is about dealing with adversity with the people you love the most while trying to live in a world of art and culture. If you know Puccini’s La Bohème, you get the idea of what it’s about.
 
My school put on Rent. I did not see it, but I heard from some who did that one of the actresses bared her buttocks for the audience during the play. I would stay away.
 
My personal opinion is that Rent is the most depressing musical ever written or performed.

But that’s a good reason for me to watch it. I tend to live a pretty blessed life as a Christian, surrounded by the love of God, His Church, and a great family and network of friends.

It is good for me as a blessed Christian to experience life from the point of view of those who are homosexuals, suffering from AIDS/HIV, and generally living a bleak, hopeless, godless life.

My compassion for them is awakened by watching musicals like Rent, and I am more knowledgeable about how to love them with Christ’s love.

Although we as Christians are to flee sin, we are NOT told to flee sinful people and abandon them to their miserable lives. Many Christians are called to go to the front lines and extend help and love, in the Name of Jesus and His Church, to the type of people portrayed in Rent.

I think that seeing a show like Rent could be the beginning of a “calling” to Christians. Until they see shows like this, most Christians are blissfully ignorant of the lives that others live. Seeing a show like Rent wakes us up and forces us to confront “the world, the flesh, and the devil.” We are faced with the necessity of coming out of our safe Christian “fortresses” and reaching out to a very needy people who don’t know Christ and don’t want to know Him.

I personally believe that after seeing Rent, no Christian in their right mind would be tempted to abandon their faith. The show makes Christians want to cling to Christ even tighter and stay away from the type of life that will bring them to the place where the Rent characters are.

One more thing–the song “Seasons of Love” from Rent almost makes it worthwhile seeing the show. This is a truly great song that I absolutely love.
 
If going to see La bohème isn’t sinful, I doubt Rent would be sinful.
 
Cat said:
One more thing–the song “Seasons of Love” from Rent almost makes it worthwhile seeing the show. This is a truly great song that I absolutely love.
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When my daughter was in first grade, her class was supposed to learn that song for their spring concert. I had never heard of it, but my wife immediately recognized it as my daughter was trying to sing it in her little 6 year old voice. So my wife pulled out her “Rent” soundtrack (she really likes Broadway musicals…) and played that song, so my daughter could hear the original. Now we both happen to think it was an odd choice for a first grade spring concert (even completely removed from its context, it’s got the line about “the way that she died” that says it’s part of a sad story). But my wife also very quickly decided none of the rest of the songs were suitable for kids - I forget what the next song is, but it moves straight into the much more gritty stuff so she was always careful to stop the CD right away after “Seasons of Love”.

Then again… when I was in elementary school our class did a couple of songs from Fiddler on the Roof for our spring concert. Which now that I know the whole story - that show has very dark times as a backdrop, and although the main characters are “good” I wouldn’t recommend it for younger kids. As a kid just singing the songs I was oblivious to that content of the show, and “Sunrise, Sunset” was just a sentimental song about kids growing up.
 
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