Why Are So Many Horror Films Christian Propaganda?

[HAB911]

When it comes to Christian propaganda films, most people think of the obnoxious God's Not Dead, or Nic Cage's get-me-out-of-IRS-debt Left Behind—criticially reviled assaults on the secular world that occasionally make a lot of money. But there's another genre that seems to have the same proselytizing agenda that champions Christianity and demonizes all other faiths (including the faithless): horror movies.

Every year we endure more of these predictably edited, laughably plotted thrillers centered around a young girl foolishly toying with the tools of Satan (usually a Ouija Board), becoming possessed by a demon, and then being exorcised by a priest who was struggling with his faith but now sees the error of rational thinking.

It's true that not all horror films serve as mouthpieces for Christianity—there are even a few examples that condemn church leaders—but nearly any horror film that touches on the supernatural will either condemn the faithless ( The Conjuring, The Rite ), frame non-Jesus religions as spooky (The Wicker Man, The Exorcist, Sinister ), or claim that Biblical prophecy is coming to pass (Legion, The Omen). Even slasher films with no ties to religion often dabble in moralistic tropes against drugs, premarital sex, or doing anything the least bit salacious.

"[Many filmmakers] see their jobs as being missionaries for Christianity, and film is their missionary tool. Fear is a missionary tool."
—Hector Avalos

http://www.vice.com/read/why-are-so-many-horror-films-christian-propaganda

[trotsky]

1. Propaganda? I guess, kinda.

But I'm more inclined to believe that it's simply because the US, with a huge majority Christian population, is most familiar with the elements of the religion that lend themselves well to horror. E.g., possession, the devil, torture, etc.

[HAB911]

2. I think maybe it becomes propaganda

because it lends credence to the whole possession, the devil, torture, etc., probably not by design, but still......

I have refused to watch anything vampire related for 40 years because of that whole christian aspect

[trotsky]

3. Yeah and it certainly doesn't help that the largest Christian sect on the planet...

continues to promote the notion that demonic possession and exorcism are real.

[Duppers]

5. bingo!

[MindPilot]

7. Yeah, I tend to agree.

Horror delves into supernatural forces and post-death existence. These things are fundamental to our cultural narratives, and have their roots in the Abrahamic religions.

Still doesn't explain clowns, though.

[Warren DeMontague]

4. I thought the original Wicker Man was anything but an ad for Christianity.

They make the "Christian" protagonist look like a sexually repressed, hopeless dweeb.

Classic movie, by the way.

[Nitram]

6. Christian dogma lends itself easily to apocalyptic battles between good and evil.

Very convenient for wild plots involving demons and the devil.

[edhopper]

8. people believe what they want

I doubt fictional horror movies make more believers any more than Thor makes people believe in Asgard.

[AlbertCat]

9. Because....

Horror and Christianity go together?

Besides, religionists will obviously believe anything....


Guilt and punishment is a Christian turn on.

Plus, reincarnation doesn't lend itself to ghosts and ghouls.

[Iggo]

10. 'Cus monsters is from the DEVIL!!!

[deucemagnet]

11. Christianity has given us some entertaining fiction.

They do fiction well.

[ZombieHorde]

12. Possession movies are obviously borrowing from the Bible.

Jesus was an exorcist, and many Christians believe in literal demonic possession. I get and accept that when I watch possession movies. The Evil Dead movies may be considered an exception.

I have no idea why so many slasher movies shove these values down our throats. I find it obnoxious, and I often avoid the genre because this. New York Ripper is an exception, but many people found it to be pretty offensive. I have a large box of horror movies, and that may be the only slasher flick in the mix.