"Priests" in media

[dn8393]

I was wanting to write a fantasy story in where there’s a character who’s the last of his religion and is a priest who also happens to be a warrior when the idea hit me; is it wrong to create a character who would be a priest that acts that way, even if it’s not a Catholic priest? I then started wondering about RPG’s and things where there’s the class called the Priest or Cleric who’s main duty is to heal and whatever else magic. Even when they’re actually in this world and are Catholic, you sometimes see them fighting demons or something. Is this nothing to worry about since this is all fiction and not necessarily demeaning religion?

Also, on another note, would you guys wash your hands with water if you touched the Eucharist with your hand to do whatever? I think my OCD’s getting to me right now.

 

[dn8393]

On a separate note, creating gods for these worlds isn’t wrong either, correct?

 

[dn8393]

sigh On ANOTHER separate note, is it a sin to follow someone on a site if they sometimes post inappropriate stuff, but you don’t view those specific things or skip over the inappropriate parts?

 

[Filia_Secunda]

I’m no expert, but I’ll try an answer:

The Church doesn’t seem to have any absolute teaching on what or what not to put in fantasy stories - so I’ll just be telling my opinion on this matter. It annoys me when a fantasy religion is presented as true while contradicting Christianity left and right (as in Erin Hunter’s Warrior Cats series) or when a story is meant to take place in the real world’s future, but presents the Catholic Church as a can of man-made beliefs that can be mixed with any other as the world wishes (in Dune by Frank Herbert). I wouldn’t mind fictional “gods”, as long as it wasn’t said that they were the highest power in the universe. I like it if there’s an allowance for one absolute God over them all (though it doesn’t have to be mentioned outright - just written so people can “read Him in” if they want).

What exactly is the doubt about the “priest” character - being a warrior, or offering sacrifices to false gods? (If the religion you’re writing involves sacrifices. But religions generally do, and the word “priest” generally means the one who offers the sacrifices. But you can be creative.) It wouldn’t be wrong for him to be a warrior, if his religion allowed it; and the sacrifices . . . well, he wouldn’t know any better, so I think I’d be able to keep my wrath in check. . . .

 

[Filia_Secunda]

On the other notes-

I receive the Eucharist in my hand, but don’t make a point of washing my hands before Mass. I don’t think you’d /have/ to wash your hands before touching Him in the bread and wine for some other purpose - but you would need to be reverant; I’d probably bow or genuflect first. Hand-washing in such a case might be a custom among more traditional Catholics who habitually receive Him on the tongue - but I wouldn’t know.

And I don’t think it would be a sin to follow someone who posts inappropriate things - unless they’re a temptation you’re absolutely unable to ignore, in which case following him-or-her could lead to near occasions of sin. (But I recently realized that /that/ person has sinned in posting something inappropriate - if by “inappropriate” you mean something that should absolutely never be posted, not just something that shouldn’t be shown to children under a certain age - and you should probably pray for him or her.)