2 of my children are actors. I am sorry to say that they have both lost their faith. I believe it is because they have surrounded themselves with atheists, agnostics, those living an openly gay lifestyle, those living together without marriage and those supporting a very liberal lifestyle. They seemed to be strong Christians growing up, gave us no trouble happy to go to church, pray, involved in church activities, and the intention was to support 'good theater". Well, after years of college they now believe “good theater” is what at one time they would have considered sinful, because it is.
I have great hope that they will come back to Christ, and pray for them constantly. I am working on my trusting Jesus in this matter.
If I knew what I know now, I would NEVER have allowed them to major in theater in college. So, my dear, I pray you will go in a different direction in life.
Dear coco2,
Cordial greetings and a very good day.
Standards within the acting profession have, without any doubt, drastically declined in recent decades. The prevailing tendency is to focus upon scenes that are sexually provocative or which contain an inordinate amount of gratutious violence and profane language. As if this was not bad enough, there are geneorus helpings of so called ‘nerd’ humour, or rather humour for the intellectually challenged. Modern day film and television, with some very rare exceptions, takes a perverse delight in whatever is repulsive, brutal or otherwise excessively shameful. On screen sexual immodesty and violence are now quite normative. Whilst in the old Greek plays of the ancient world some hideous crimes were committed, these were always done
ab or
ob scaenam - literally, off the scene, or off the stage, because they were considered to loathsome or cruel, unsuitable to be openly put before decent and civilised audiences. How times have changed, and not for the better. Now directors/producers seem devoid of any moral conscience and are determined to push the envelope ever further, which is why the content of so many modern film and TV productions is grossly indecent and poisonous to virtue.
In view of this, is acting a sinful profession? No, not in and of itself, but it is surely beyond any dispute that the world of acting is in now in a state of chronic moral and cultural deterioration. Any Catholic actor today would certainly have to be highly selective as to which parts and productions he could be involved in. He would probably have to decline more roles than he could accept, making his acting career very stressful and quite problematic in terms of earning his living.
Generally speaking the acting fraternity are very tolerant of so called ‘alternative life styles’ and are renowned for their very lax morality and hedonism, thus a *devout *Catholic would probably feel like a fish our of water among those with such a liberal and godless world-view. Even if he did set out with the firm resolve to remain aloof from all the filth and degradation, at length he would probably be contaminated by the milieu in which he live and moved and had his being. St. Paul says to the Corinthians, “Do not be deceived: Bad company ruins good morals” (I Cor. 15: 33). One is bound to ask as a Catholic, just how long would it be before ones mind is poisoned and ones life is utterly demoralized? Sadly, your children seem to exemplify the truth of which St. Paul speaks, but I pray that they will see the error of their ways soon and return to the Fold in true penitence.
Yes, I think that I would, nowadays, advise young men and women contemplating work in film and TV to reconsider an alternative career path that will be more congenial to their most holy religion. The days when JPII was an actor have long since gone and I suspect that he would have deep misgivings about becoming an actor were he a young Catholic living in the 21st century.
God bless.
Warmest good wishes,
Portrait
Pax
