Is it appropriate for a Catholic to watch horror films?

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Amanda_Germany

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I’m just curious if I’m allowed to watch horror films as a Catholic.
What do you think?
 
There are way too many variables for anyone on this forum to give you a set-in-stone yes-or-no answer.

Speaking for myself, I don’t generally watch films of the horror genre, not because I think they’re “sinful,” but because they don’t interest me. However, I do have Sixth Sense on my Netflix queue :bigyikes:
 
Amanda_Germany said:
I’m just curious if I’m allowed to watch horror films as a Catholic.
What do you think?
Click to expand...
When talking about entertainment, some moral scholars hold a neutral position in the sense that it really isn’t sinful but it’s not directly going to help you gain merit for being happier in heaven.

The Church is quite flexible on entertainment, so long as it isn’t entirely pornographic or terribly anti-Catholic.

I don’t see a huge problem as long as you’re old enough, mature enough and it doesn’t interfere with your duties.

I’m not really a fan of horror films because they have to come with all of these implausible circumstances to make the situation realistic. :rolleyes:
 
I know of o official Catholic response to your question-perhaps another poster will be more knowledgeable.🙂
One way you might approach this issue is by thinking about what you crowd out when you devote time to horror movies. Perhaps prayer time, time spent growing in faith or helping others, time spent watching uplifting movies? Time is so short and the opportunity cost of doing one thing is all of the other possibilities which we sacrifice.
I’ve not watched many horror movies and the few that I have watched tend to portray women in manners which fall far short of being uplifting. German horror films may be quite different…
May God bless you as you discern the best path for you to take in this matter.
Amen.
 
I always followed the model.

If you don’t do what they do on the TV then it’s ok to watch it.
 
It depends on the type of horror films. There are movies that exploit gory violence like Saw, Texas Chainsaw Massacre or Zombie flicks. Others deal with demonic possesions like the classic The Exorcist, The Shining or The Rite while some deal with hauntings like The Conjuring, A Haunting in Connecticut or Paranormal Activity. The classic monster-type films of the 21st century doesnt give much scares these days like Underworld or the Twilight series. Otherwise, these film genre are designed to shock you out of your senses and instill a certain sense of dread or fear. If it affects you to the point than you’re afraid to sleep in the dark or are starting to imagine things, then you need to draw the line by avoiding these type of guilty pleasure.
 
One thing I have come to realize is that, when one recalls the image of Christ in his mind, then in a very real sense, that really is Christ looking back at him. God is always within you, and bringing His image to your mind is a way to address Him. If you do this often, then films and television shows which are offensive will become unwatchable for you because you will remain aware of His presence and attention. This applies to quite a lot more activities than television or film too.

Most films these days I think are offensive to Him for one reason or another. While I don’t think that is reason to avoid films altogether, I do think it helpful to avoid films which are brazenly evil and demonic (and slasher films I think are about as a demonic as you will get these days).

It’s also worth remembering that television and film are the principle means the culture of death uses to indoctrinate and program human beings. A constant stream of reenforcing messages eventually whittles down a person’s natural resistance. Avoiding such products is great, but just remaining aware of what they are trying to do helps too.

Lastly, don’t end your self-examination with horror films. As St. Augustine pointed out in Confessions, people will lament over the tragedies in a play while not weeping a tear for their own souls which decay into ruin. Entertainment serves as a vehicle to escape one’s condition, which in some sense can be a good thing in moderation, but also carries a danger in that a person will try to escape their spiritual condition as well. They can do this even with family movies. So beware.
 
jeannetherese said:
I know of o official Catholic response to your question-perhaps another poster will be more knowledgeable.🙂
One way you might approach this issue is by thinking about what you crowd out when you devote time to horror movies. Perhaps prayer time, time spent growing in faith or helping others, time spent watching uplifting movies? Time is so short and the opportunity cost of doing one thing is all of the other possibilities which we sacrifice.
I’ve not watched many horror movies and the few that I have watched tend to portray women in manners which fall far short of being uplifting. German horror films may be quite different…
May God bless you as you discern the best path for you to take in this matter.
Amen.
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Hmmm… but the aspect of “wasted” time does in fact apply to so many activities… a “good” film can also prevent me from prayer etc., so this doesn’t really convince me.
Also, not always are women the victims… by the way, there are not so many German horror films, most of the ones I have watched are American 😉

I’m not interested in “unrealistic” horror movies such as zombies and this stuff. What I like watching are films like “Paranormal Activity” or “Arachnophobia”… or films dealing with exorcisms (which is fascinating from the spiritual point of view as well!). Recently I’ve bought “The Exorcism of Anneliese M.” and “Requiem”, both of which are based on the 1976 exorcism case here in Klingenberg/Main.

Also I surely would not dedicate time to a film which I feel interferes with my spiritual growth and my relationship with God and the Blessed Mother.

Thanks for giving me advice and praying for me!!!
 
Amanda_Germany said:
I’m just curious if I’m allowed to watch horror films as a Catholic.
What do you think?
Click to expand...
I see nothing wrong with it, given certain parameters. I think the Saw franchise would be beyond the pale for Catholics as would films which display too much female flesh (for male viewers). St. Augustine famously denounced the practice of going to the theater in ancient Rome b/c the shows were semi-pornographic and promoted immorality.

*"Stage-plays also drew me away, full of representations of my miseries and of fuel to my fire. Why does man like to be made sad when viewing doleful and tragical scenes, which yet he himself would by no means suffer? And yet he wishes, as a spectator, to experience from them a sense of grief, and in this very grief his pleasure consists. What is this but wretched insanity? For a man is more affected with these actions, the less free he is from such affections. Howsoever, when he suffers in his own person, it is the custom to style it “misery” but when he compassionates others, then it is styled “mercy.” But what kind of mercy is it that arises from fictitious and scenic passions? The hearer is not expected to relieve, but merely invited to grieve; and the more he grieves, the more he applauds the actor of these fictions. And if the misfortunes of the characters (whether of olden times or merely imaginary) be so represented as not to touch the feelings of the spectator, he goes away disgusted and censorious; but if his feelings be touched, he sits it out attentively, and sheds tears of joy…

But I, wretched one, then loved to grieve, and sought out what to grieve at, as when, in another man’s misery, though reigned and counterfeited, that delivery of the actor best pleased me, and attracted me the most powerfully, which moved me to tears. What marvel was it that an unhappy sheep, straying from Your flock, and impatient of Your care, I became infected with a foul disease? And hence came my love of griefs— not such as should probe me too deeply, for I loved not to suffer such things as I loved to look upon, but such as, when hearing their fictions, should lightly affect the surface; upon which, like as with empoisoned nails, followed burning, swelling, putrefaction, and horrible corruption. Such was my life! But was it life, O my God?* (Book 3, Chapter 2, Confessions)
 
I don’t think it’s inappropriate to watch horror films, depending on the film of course. As someone above mentioned, the SAW movies are pretty graphic and horrible (I’ve only seen one and it was enough to make me want to throw up). For me, I don’t watch horror movies because 1) most of them are too unbelievable and/or 2) they are too graphic. Take for instance, the SAW movies - it’s not that I can’t believe there are people who would be so sadistic, but that I can’t fathom why. It’s too much for me - it’s a reality I don’t want to believe.

One horror movie that I do watch occasionally (during the daytime) is the Exorcism of Emily Rose. I watch it not because I enjoy the horror part of it, but I want to remind myself that demonic influence is a reality.
 
Some years back, horror movies were scary - to a point. Then horror movies became more and more graphic, not to mention horror on TV. Buckets of blood, guts, heads being chopped off and flying through the air (I don’t care if it’s a zombie) and a character who is mentally ill whose adoptive father told him it was OK to kill only the ‘bad people.’ Who he kidnaps and cuts into pieces. Talk to a combat vet who has seen his buddies blown to bits. The combat vets I’ve known very rarely talked about what they saw. It was something they wanted to forget about.

So think: Do I want to spend hours watching buckets of blood, people being dismembered or sadistically tortured? That does not sound like entertainment but a window into the minds of psychopaths who enjoy this sort of thing. I recommend not filling your head with such images.

Peace,
Ed
 
I think it depends on the movie. Some use a lot of scantily clad people in compromising situations…then they get slashed up. Not appropriate. Just an excuse to get half naked people in there to boost viewing.

I thought that movie called “The Others” with Nicole Kidman was one of the scariest movies I ever saw…and everyone kept their clothes on. I have no problem with those kinds of horror movies.
 
Amanda_Germany said:
I’m just curious if I’m allowed to watch horror films as a Catholic.
What do you think?
Click to expand...
Horror movies are my favorite. With music, movies, tv you need to view it as what it is…entertainment/art. So enjoy it if thats what you like. I like horror movies cuz it gets my juices going…a good scare is fun…like a roller coaster. Then when its over i just go about the rest of my day.
 
BigBlueCane said:
Horror movies are my favorite. With music, movies, tv you need to view it as what it is…entertainment/art. So enjoy it if thats what you like. I like horror movies cuz it gets my juices going…a good scare is fun…like a roller coaster. Then when its over i just go about the rest of my day.
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There’s a difference between liking something scary and meditating on psychopathic or sociopathic portrayals. It’s not healthy.

Peace,
Ed
 
Amanda_Germany said:
Hmmm… but the aspect of “wasted” time does in fact apply to so many activities… a “good” film can also prevent me from prayer etc., so this doesn’t really convince me.
Also, not always are women the victims… by the way, there are not so many German horror films, most of the ones I have watched are American 😉

I’m not interested in “unrealistic” horror movies such as zombies and this stuff. What I like watching are films like “Paranormal Activity” or “Arachnophobia”… or films dealing with exorcisms (which is fascinating from the spiritual point of view as well!). Recently I’ve bought “The Exorcism of Anneliese M.” and “Requiem”, both of which are based on the 1976 exorcism case here in Klingenberg/Main.

Also I surely would not dedicate time to a film which I feel interferes with my spiritual growth and my relationship with God and the Blessed Mother.

Thanks for giving me advice and praying for me!!!
Click to expand...
To me, watching a ‘good’ movie can in fact be an act of prayer rather than taking away from one’s prayer, just like reading a good book as opposed to trash.
 
It’s all psychological.

You want to watch a horror movie because you want to be thrilled/scared, without the risk. It’s the same reason people ride roller coasters.

Now, there are decent horror films ( Halloween, Exorcist, Jaws, etc ). Then there is what someone mentioned as being the excessive and sadistic. Gore for the sake of gore and nothing more. That represents something deeper than just wanting to be scared.
 
This is a very interesting question.

I think it is what you take away from it. Sort of like the music you might listen to.

As to the “appropriate-ness” of horror films, I would say, one of the most horrifying and appropriate movies I ever saw was The Exorcist. I discussed the movie with my religion class instructor, a dominican nun, who mentioned that the movie was steeped in theology- a model/metaphore of Christ’s love for the world. This confused me to no end.

I went back, read the book and watched the movie again and came away with a different point of view. Indeed, I focused on the beautiful lesson: our innocence is restored through the sacrifice our Lord, Jesus.

One of the lessons of the movie is the concept of faith. That is, faith is something that one may not always feel or be able to reason, but, whether you believe it or not, God is raising you up to him and you are not too far away. The only thing that is required is that you trust in his love.

These are tough ideas to believe in.

Satan’s mission is to make us feel that, as humans, we are unworthy and disgusting. Nothing could be further from the truth. We are created by a divine God and there is something in our nature that is divine, as well.

To come closer to our divine nature, we must turn to Jesus. Through his love and the grace of the Holy Spirit we can approach what God has called us to become.

Amanda, clear your thoughts of horror and remember, “Jesus is coming to all of us, even the most wretched”.

(Just My Humble Opinion…for whatever it is worth)
 
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