Time for a New Evangelisation of Hollywood?

[jimcav]

One look at Hollywood today and any thoughtful and religious person has to grimace in pain for what is going on there.

It is one train wreck after another. Drugs, drink and divorce, the 3 D’s, are everywhere in Hollywood. From Britney Spears, Lindsey Lohan and Cristina Aguelliera to Mel Gibson, Robert Downey Jr. and now Charlie Sheen. It is a mess and getting worse all the time. Even those that are not complete train wrecks are so irreligious or fallen away from the true faith that i truly believe it is time for a New Evangelisation of this modern day Sodom & Gommorah we call Hollywood. And so many of the very worst in this town are fallen away Catholics. Most that I named above are, as are John Travolta, Madonna, Tom Cruise and a host of others. I’m hard pressed to think of even one devout Catholic among anyone we know in Hollywood.

Think of it, if we could save just one of these high profile stars from living this immoral and wasteful life, what a difference that could make. If we could get even one to speak of the Church and Jesus Christ in a positive light, what a difference that could make in the lives of so many who look up to these people. We live in a star obsessed society, so a revert or a convert to the Catholic faith could really make a huge difference.

So, a couple of questions - can the Church do this? Should the Church do this? Or is this a pipe dream better left alone?

 

[Nelka]

Hollywood is a monstrosity.

Prayer and fasting can weaken it.

 

[jazzbaby1]

Can I make a suggestion? Check out the links in my signature.

The Hollywood Prayer Network prays over Hollywood – they call it “the most influential mission field on earth.” It was started by industry professionals and is nondenominational. The Fraternity of St. Genesius is a Catholic organization that prays for those in the theatrical and cinematic arts.

 

[jimcav]

Can I make a suggestion? Check out the links in my signature.

The Hollywood Prayer Network prays over Hollywood – they call it “the most influential mission field on earth.” It was started by industry professionals and is nondenominational. The Fraternity of St. Genesius is a Catholic organization that prays for those in the theatrical and cinematic arts.

Wow, I never would have thought these organisations existed! Thanks for pointing them out, I’ll have to look them over.

I guess I’m not the first to see that Hollywood is in deep need of prayer.

Well prayer is certainly a wonderful place to start. However, I believe that the local religious, priests and Bishops in the Hollywood area need to take a more direct approach, such as visiting the likes of Lohan and Sheen or there families and some of the other train wrecks. It is time to confront these fallen-away Catholics directly, if for no other reason than to save them from themselves. A good priest or religious could make a real difference in these peoples lives.

We also need to get to the producers, writers and directors to show them how destructive they are to families. These people have a certain responsibility to put out decent programming and movies that uplift and inspire, not break down and put down families, marriage or push agendas such as the gay lifestyle. The popular media of today might just be societies worst enemy.

 

[jazzbaby1]

Wow, I never would have thought these organisations existed! Thanks for pointing them out, I’ll have to look them over.

I guess I’m not the first to see that Hollywood is in deep need of prayer.

Well prayer is certainly a wonderful place to start. However, I believe that the local religious, priests and Bishops in the Hollywood area need to take a more direct approach, such as visiting the likes of Lohan and Sheen or there families and some of the other train wrecks. It is time to confront these fallen-away Catholics directly, if for no other reason than to save them from themselves. A good priest or religious could make a real difference in these peoples lives.

We also need to get to the producers, writers and directors to show them how destructive they are to families. These people have a certain responsibility to put out decent programming and movies that uplift and inspire, not break down and put down families, marriage or push agendas such as the gay lifestyle. The popular media of today might just be societies worst enemy.

The popular media in all its guises – Regency era scandal sheets, town criers, Greek choruses of all kinds – has always been an enemy insofar as rumor and gossip are our enemies. The trick is to not believe everything you read and no matter what to respond with charity. Would you confront Lindsay Lohan or encourage her (there is currently a movement among some Christians to send her letters of encouragement)? Unfortunately Hollywood too often knows us by our outrage rather than our love and they have used it to their advantage. I will have to search the HPN site but there was an incident where a film studio was picketed by “concerned Christians” about a particular movie only for it to turn out to be a publicity stunt.

 

[jimcav]

The trick is to not believe everything you read and no matter what to respond with charity. Would you confront Lindsay Lohan or encourage her (there is currently a movement among some Christians to send her letters of encouragement)?

Definetly with charity and love! My use of the word “confront” was not the best possible word to convey what I meant.

Obviously a priest or religious would do the same and I still think that is the best way to approach these folks. They need to hear that God loves them no matter what and God is always there ready and waiting for us to be ready to accept Him. Thats very important and something I think addicts, alchoholics or women that have gone through abortion forget. Many of them think that God has forsaken them because of their sinful life and that He no longer cares about them. They look at themselves as useless sinners, so they don’t even look towards God. Who better to confront that thinking than a man of the cloth?

Unfortunately Hollywood too often knows us by our outrage rather than our love and they have used it to their advantage. .

True enough. We build these people up and then we cheer when they fall. It is terrible really. My own outrage is more directed towards Disney, for example. They take these young children, make them superstars, then pretty much abandon them when they grow up. Along with the parents of these young stars, they bare alot of the responsibility for what happens to these kids.

 

[jazzbaby1]

While I admire your zeal I must caution you. In your original post you said

“Think of it, if we could save just one of these high profile stars from living this immoral and wasteful life, what a difference that could make. If we could get even one to speak of the Church and Jesus Christ in a positive light, what a difference that could make in the lives of so many who look up to these people. We live in a star obsessed society, so a revert or a convert to the Catholic faith could really make a huge difference.”

Depending on the fame of a convert to convert more people I think is dangerous. It’s still objectification of John Travolta or Lindsay Lohan or whoever even if it’s for a positive cause. It’s still idol worship and would bring no one closer to God. I read an account of the funeral of the artist Andy Warhol which was celebrated at St. Patrick’s Cathedral in NYC. The writer talked about the scramble to join the communion line after Don Johnson. In their desire to be close to Don Johnson those communicants rather missed the point.

 

[jimcav]

Depending on the fame of a convert to convert more people I think is dangerous. It’s still objectification of John Travolta or Lindsay Lohan or whoever even if it’s for a positive cause. It’s still idol worship and would bring no one closer to God. I read an account of the funeral of the artist Andy Warhol which was celebrated at St. Patrick’s Cathedral in NYC. The writer talked about the scramble to join the communion line after Don Johnson. In their desire to be close to Don Johnson those communicants rather missed the point.

I beg to differ.

These celebrities are already very public figures. They are looked-up to no matter what they do. So why not have people look-up to these folks for something good instead of their out-of-control lifestyle? We are all asked to evangelise and spread the good word, so I don’t see why these celebrities would be any different.

I think God would smile if these people would turn their lives around to serve and love Him and then bring others to do the same…

 

[Trinity117]

"We build these people up and then we cheer when they fall. It is terrible really. My own outrage is more directed towards Disney, for example. They take these young children, make them superstars, then pretty much abandon them when they grow up. Along with the parents of these young stars, they bare alot of the responsibility for what happens to these kids."

I do not wish to throw the thread off-topic but I do wish to comment on the above paragraph. I am a mom of an 11 yo daughter who does like some Disney shows and movies, and I stress to her repeatedly that these are actors and thankfully she understands and questions “bad” behavior when those actors act up in their private lives. Along the lines of “cheering when they fall” I agree and therefore I refuse to put those TV tabloid shows on TV in my house that glorify these personalities and their immoral lifestyle choices. Period.

I am fortunate that my DD is involved in our church (along with me and DH) so that she spends time with teens in our youth group and such. I see her “look up to” more of these kids, since they are more real to her.

My DH and I are of the opinion that we would rather encourage her to emulate real people in her life over Hollywood personalilties, politicians or even sports figures. I believe that the days of being proud of a wholesome lifestyle while in the public eye has gone the way of the horse and buggy. And I have gotten plenty of comments by fellow parishoners who hear that we ban certain TV shows and movies and ask me “what’s the big deal?”

 

[jimcav]

Trinity - God bless you for guiding your child! You are definetly doing the right thing.

So many parents I know today say the same thing, “Whats the big deal”? I’m floored when I hear people say that, especially considering that these people grew up with Leave it to Beaver, Dennis the Menace, and The Brady Bunch. That is quite a far cry from Two-and-a-Half Men, Friends, or the incessant reality trash invading our living rooms today. It’s no wonder our children are growing up so sexually charged, promiscuous and so willing to experiment. They are also confused. Behind the tough facade our chidren show outwardly, that cool, ready for anything look, many if not most are not ready for what they watching on TV or in the movies. Some Disney programming is pretty suspect to and ABC Family is for anything but family! There is literally nothing that I can sit down to watch with my two teenage daughters on network TV these days. It’s maddening. And don’t even get me started with MTV or VH1!

There is no doubt that Hollywood is no longer “Happy Days”. It’s now anti-family, anti-marriage and pro gay. It’s also fairly talentless. The writing, where there is any, is just awful, not funny and not suspenseful.

Did you ever see the movie “Idiocrasy”? Well, it’s a comedy that is supposed to be about the dumbed down future, some 500 years from now, but I fear we are alot closer than that…

 

[jazzbaby1]

I beg to differ.

These celebrities are already very public figures. They are looked-up to no matter what they do. So why not have people look-up to these folks for something good instead of their out-of-control lifestyle? We are all asked to evangelise and spread the good word, so I don’t see why these celebrities would be any different.

I think God would smile if these people would turn their lives around to serve and love Him and then bring others to do the same…

I’ve thought about your post for the better part of a day and I think we’re going to have to disagree agreeably on this one. Obviously, yes, celebrities are much admired for the wrong reasons. As a society we objectify them and think about them in a disordered manner. I don’t think that using this disordered admiration of them is healthy even in the pursuit of a great good. I think that there are certain celebrities who respond to God and evangelize their fans and that’s fine as long as they are called to do it. Bob Dylan is an excellent example of this. The calling is for God, though. When we do it it’s not evangelization but a marketing campaign.