christian propaganda


Was anyone else annoyed by the thinly disguised christian propaganda?
When sandra bullock speaks with the priest he explains that 'nature abhors a vacuum' and people without faith leave a void which nature fills with BAD THINGS.

You'd better start believing in God or not only are you damned for all eternity but you're marking your cards for this life.

I wish I had the script to quote the full text.






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"People without faith" doesn't necessarily have to refer to non-Christians. He's referring to people without any faith whatsoever. People with faith could refer to a member of any religion... I'd even go as far as to say it includes agnostics who have faith in themselves or people around them. Lynda appeared very depressed at the beginning of the film, someone who had lost faith in everyone and everything. As she said, "I don't know what to fight for"

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I'm a christian myself, but the presentation of the moral was so deliberate and cliche that it watered down the already terrible movie. And the father was unexplained. They appearantley had a oast relationship, and he believed her when no one else would. He had book marks in the premonition sections of some unexplained text books that annoyed me even more. The movie was a good idea that was packaged together too quickly, which is unfortunate because the movie was really awful.

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Totally agree with you! I was going "Ahhhh" in my head when the priest spoke. Really, if I was to pull Propaganda on you (to "get you saved"), I would definitely not say "believe in something...like love"-blahblah. I would talk hardcore Gospel, not that agnostic blablabla "just believe in anything, it will help". Any why would any priest keep track of people with premonitions? arrgh...just a bad script, guys.

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As I said in my first post I wish I had the script to really pull apart what the priest was saying.

However If it was really a story about how a faith 'in anything' why was the priest character introduced and the speech given in a church when the film brings up the whole lapsed christianity reference?



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please note the difference between christianity and catholicism. they come from the same place but have very differnt views. My pastor saw this and was like oh no. Here we go again. Hollywood seems to throw all the religions together and pick and choose what they want to be shown. People tend to call that christianity. Its not. Its catholicism and agnosticism and everything else rolled into one.

Mental rape...that's what I'm here for- Jeremy

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I honestly think there was no religious propaganda here at all. As I saw it, the priest was the last person who she turned to for help, the only person who listened to her without much judgment. She tried to speak to her husband while he was on one of his "alive" days, and he was too busy or in a hurry to go to work (a.k.a. be with the other woman); her mom thought she was nuts every time she said anything out of the ordinary, in fact she was the one who committed her on Saturday; her friend also thought she was kind of nuts, not to mention busy all the time and she wouldn't have understood anyway. Who's left? The priest or church she stopped believing in long ago, along the same time she stopped believing in herself, her marriage, her family... I think it made perfect sense what she did, especially since like many posts previously said, he didn't talk about Jesus, sin, nothing-the only thing he mentioned was faith, which is something we ALL need. Sorry guys, your theory on Christian/Catholic propanganda is just too thin, inexistent actually!

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Yikes reeseslightning, you present yourself as someone who can set others straight about the difference between 'christianity and catholicism', and how Hollywood has it all confused. And yet YOU don't even seem to know that Catholics ARE Christians. What you describe is not the difference between Christianity and Catholicism; it's the difference between PROTESTANTISM and Catholicism. For the first several centuries of Christianity, Christianity in the western world WAS the Catholic church (in the eastern world it was the Orthodox church). Protestants later split off from the Catholic church. Both Catholics and Protestants are Christians. If anything, one would have to say Catholics have the better claim to be called Christians, because they were the original, and the source from which today's Protestants grew.
For the record, I am, and always have been, a very mainstream Protestant, with my share of objections to certain teachings and practices of Catholicism. But despite what I may WANT to think, the historical fact is that Catholics ARE Christians.

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You're right. Did I really say that? Whoops lol. My Bible teacher would be so upset with me. It isn't that I want to believe they're different because it makes no never mind to me. It's been a while since since Bible school ;).




I think Ven is one way monkey; oh, no he's one trick pony. That's what I meant-Project Runway

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As I said in my first post I wish I had the script to really pull apart what the priest was saying.

However If it was really a story about how a faith 'in anything' why was the priest character introduced and the speech given in a church when the film brings up the whole lapsed christianity reference? >>>>

So what was really bothering was not the condemnation of athiesm but the fact that a Christian character said it. So if she had went to a synagouge and a Rabbi condemned having a lack of faith in God it would not have bothered you as much.


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Which is *beep* cause religion sucks!!!

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[deleted]

lovelygreebo would you know why,as you say,religion sucks.If you and ALL the other good people who post on IMDB were to get the book "One Light" by Jon Whistler and published by Light Pulsations you will be put in the picture as to why!!!

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lexp2005 what are you talking about?

what are you saying, are you saying the Zadore is a spritual being? lol.

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+1. As said, he's only talking about atheists as "people without faith", not scientologists and mormons, satanists, and FSM worshippers.

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Definitely. Earlier I replied to some other thread expressing my dislike of the ending, calling it hackneyed and sappy. I then added (and later deleted) that it looked like the movie had been partially bankrolled by the catholic church. Thanks for bringing it up.

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that's because you're a noob,u didnt get the message of the movie and quickly drawing *beep* conclusion,read the thread tutled "to those didn't like the ending of the movie",this one dude explained that the main point of her premonition is not saving her husband's life,but by her premonition she once again find hope and love,as we can see her life had become dull,she's a desperate housewife,yet her premonition brought several wonderful things,she made up with her husband and she is able to face life afterwards,as a better person!it's a great message and/or film plot!and it is not a christian propaganda at ALL u racist(the thread maker)

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jensenbouvier I totally agree with you. I even got the message that the girl cuts herself and the husband dies, both facts being unavoidable because of her lack of faith, so she is to blame !!! And, what's more, when did the handyman go there to repair the window? On tuesday? Cause she is sticking butterflies on it on wednesday, isn't she?
Anyway, all this religious propaganda in movies is a clear example of how the church needs to get more devotees to engross the Vatican patrimony.

"Since I am convinced myself I do not have to convince anybody else" Edgar Allan Poe

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What the priest says (about people without faith being more at the mercy of Bad Stuff) is not at all an aspect of Catholic doctrine or theology. So I doubt the screenwriter was propagandizing so much as being lazy.


there was this screw wot really had it in for me

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Why is it everytime you see anything about God or anything religious in a movie someone has to think they're being sold something? Who cares if they had a priest in the movie? It's part of the story background. The character apparently has religious values so they put it in the movie.

I enjoyed the movie. The movie isn't one of the mind numbing movies where you go and watch the film and already know the ending, which is great. We need more movies that make people think and try to figure out the plot.

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The reason being that I think we ARE being sold something.

Due to the fact that you don't see this just goes to show how insidious religious propaganda really can be.

Don't get me wrong I have nothing against religious types (I just think they are misguided) or films with a religious undertone but to be told that people who don't believe in God deserve to have bad stuff happen to them is a little jarring for me.

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Yes, I know what you mean. I believe it's just a part of the film open to interpretation...not really a big part of the story but something to cause additional conflict in the character's life. I'm not religious and the reason being is for the same reason of what you said about religion being propaganda, so I do know what you are talking about. I don't see it in the movie, but like I said it is open to interpretaion. One thing well known about Catholicism is they love to give their parishners guilt over their sin.... and that's where the additional conflict I think comes to the character. We all have our own interpreptations, I'm glad because this has made this a interesting chat.

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So would the Exorcist be considered propoganda because there were priests in it?

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You're kidding right? I mean, what philosophy would you expect a priest to have but a religious one? You know, I can't help but notice that you use the letter 't' in your post. T, an obvoius reference to Jesus, the cross, and the crucifiction. Trying to slip that one past us, weren't you?


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"If stagnation is the ailment, and change the cure...why does puppetmaster where gloves?"

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I think you're the one joking. The letter "T" has obviously been in use hundreds of years before the mere existence of Jesus. Roman alphabet, anyone?

I love how some Christians tend to claim and steal every little tidbit of known history as a reference to Christ. Trying to slip Mithras and Saturnalia "past us" would likely be more accurate.

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to lindaofli

I think the other poster said something about the letter T= a cross reference just to show a stupid example of what this thread is like. People are making something out of nothing. Even if it is something referring to religion, wouldnt that make sense? I mean, is the priest supposed to have an atheistic worldview?

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i sort of agree with the op. i was annoyed when the father began saying basically that those without faith are cursed. that was before, though, he turned it into general faith rather than specific, religious faith. really, i just think the entire scene was cheesy. wtf was with the all-too-long movie recap when linda stopped by the mile-marker? and the father's words echoing as she woke up on the moving day? this movie makes me so mad. it pretends to be smart, tries to make itself so complex, when it just does not make sense at all. i don't understand why the days are jumbled or why the telephone message is the same from start to finish. if he says the same thing each time, then that would make the scenes in between unnecessary, right? i'm probably confusing myself. yeah, the movie is making me think, but not because it fascinates me in a good way. i want to know what the writer was thinking with this crap. it was riddled with cliches, and it was dull.

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> I think you're the one joking. The letter "T" has obviously been in use hundreds of years before the mere existence of Jesus. Roman alphabet, anyone?

Now you've gone and done it. You said the word 'Jesus'. Why do you insist on ramming Christianity down out throats? You Christians are all the same!


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"If stagnation is the ailment, and change the cure...why does puppetmaster where gloves?"

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good answer that why priests are there to help us with faith. the movie was about hope and faith, there is not point in living without god. if there wasnt one life would just be a bunch of stuff what happens.

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Wow, "religious propaganda"? You think "religious types" are "misguided" wtf dude, it seems you have a problem with religion in general, and therefore see it as a threat no matter how it presented... so I'm thinking that even if there was just a cross hanging in the house somewhere, and nothing else was said about religion through out the whole movie, you'd probably say it was propaganda.
And "people who don't believe in God deserve to have bad stuff happen to them" was not alluded to at all, in any way, in the church scene. It was basically a generic sermon that meant that she had to have faith in her marriage, and want to fight for it. That was all, she wasn't commanded to fall upon her knees and accept Jesus, or to be baptized, or make any kind of religious commitment. Only that she had given up on her husband (and yes, he more than gave up on her too).
And the "Nature abhors a vacuum" remark, how in the hell is that a religious statement??? I think you are just a little too over sensitive to religious content, and thats fine, to each his/her own. But to call those that embrace their religion "Misguided" is just as wrong as someone saying your "Misguided" for not being religious at all. It is an opinion and not a fact. Your not being "sold" anything, just relax. Its not some super secret society trying to drag you kicking and screaming into a church, or recruit you to sacrifice small animals to a god you don't believe in.
Sadly, I can see in you the reason there was the big problem with the "Under God" part of the pledge being taken out... like its a REALLY big deal. Other people have the right to believe in anything they like, just like you have the right to not believe at all.


But thats just my opinion, I could be wrong.

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"Don't get me wrong I have nothing against religious types (I just think they are misguided) or films with a religious undertone but to be told that people who don't believe in God deserve to have bad stuff happen to them is a little jarring for me."

I don't believe that I would have drawn that conclusion if I was agnostic, hindu, or atheist. If this movie was trying to have an underlying Christian point of view, I hardly think that they would suggest that something bad needs to happen to those who are not.

Whats funny about this post is that had she, Linda, consulted a religious figure of any kind other than Christianity, I don't even think it would be an issue. A Muslim would have received less of a negative response than a Christian one did. Anyone agree?

Bottom Line: ITS A MOVIE.

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I agree. (with samiott) :) People shouldn't have to Over analyze ever character in every movie. This priest stated his values and played the part in the movie he was supposed to do. Who cares if you don't agree!

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Right, that was the problem. The priest sort of just showed up in the movie unexplained. Sandra Bullocks character supposedly hadn't been to church in forever. I don't even have a problem with movies preaching as long as it's not so poorly done. I thought that the movie Contact with Jodie Foster was preachy, but in a fantastic way, where this was too direct.

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Well I am thinking that this was just a movie and not meant to teach us any life lessons. The fact is that most people do have faith in something and to leave that aspect out of a character(like many movies do) is to not tell the whole story. It is not meant to tell us that we should change our life because of the circumstances in this one movie.

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Why do people get so upset when God is mentioned in a movie? Grow up. This movie is not trying to sell anything. Hey, I saw a movie with a drug dealer in it the other day. THEY WERE TRYING TO SELL ME DRUGS!!!--Come on, now, people.

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Good answer. There's also a scene in which Sandra Bullock is seen pouring milk for her kids. Is that Milk Marketing Proganda? I don't let the existence of multiple faiths ruin my life - and I sure as *%$# won't let a reference to one of them spoil a film. Chill out people!

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you answer is very well put. thanks

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I'm gonna have to say that as soon as that scene happened I was thrown clear of the movie.....thinking, wow....this woman is having the biggest crisis of her life and all this guy can do is try and sell her on his beliefs......now not to say it wasn't true to life....most die hard religious fanatics are salesmen 24/7...their solution to everything is faith.....well in reality land thats not true. And when it comes to a movie....NOTHING IS COINCIDENCE. Everything you see and hear in a film is strategically placed. Even products are there because they paid someone to put them their. This was a case of feeling the need to add a religious aspect to a film that DID NOT NEED IT....as a matter of fact that part of the film was almost counter to everything that was happening! It was very much an addition of propaganda. I'm sure this film could actually be re-editing without the need of a reshoot (with the exception of reshooting the daughters scenes to make her face not cut up...since that was an unnecessary plot device as well.)

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Yes, I can see some of your points about the movie but why do people have to always believe that just because religion is in a movie that it must obviously want to sell us on religion? That's kind of like saying that because the little girl ran through a glass door that the movie must be selling us on wooden doors...or maybe they were trying to sell us the brand of cars Sandra Bullock and her husband were driving in the movie? How come no one is ever P.O'd about seeing a Pepsi can or Coke can in a movie? Coke is also a drug...hmmm I think the movie people are trying to sell us drugs everytime we see a coke can in a movie...

Anyways, I think sometimes we look for too many meanings in a movie. The movie was meant for entertainment purposes...not to help us make major life choices. Anyone who feels they can be coerced into making major life choices or feels coerced into doing something they wouldn't "normally" do because of a movie plot should seriously seek professional help...

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But she went to a priest while having the biggest crisis of her life. Wouldn't it make sense that he'd give her religious advice? I mean what else would you expect going to a priest. He certainly wasn't going to sit her down and give her advice on her taxes!

Besides, he wasn't a random priest, she obviously use to go to church there. She probably went to him specifically to see what his beliefs were with the crisis she was dealing with.



Have you kissed your rat today?

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But, it's not really part of the movie, that's the point. It's artifically stuffed in - all of a sudden - and it weakened an otherwise interesting story. There was no othere reference to the character being religious.

It was a cop-out, frankly, and pointless.

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You have to look deeper into the story and you have to have a little more outside knowledge about religion and people's types of reactions and behaviors. She was having thoughts of just letting her husband die and doing nothing about it, but she has morals...this is where the priest enters the picture. She couldn't just let her husband die IF she could do something about it.

Another way to describe her actions....In real life some people don't go to church for decades then something happens and they feel the need for religious guidance so they start to pray, go to church actively and seek out their minister's guidance in hopes of a miracle or a change in their life. Sometimes people feel like it's their last hope and maybe that's what they tried to convey in the movie that she was feeling defeated.

"How many times do I have to tell you to STOP SHOOTING AT THE THERMONUCLEAR WEAPON?"Broken Arrow

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Absolutely correct. I think it's very telling that non-believers find it so offensive if there is a plotline suggesting God makes a difference in people's lives even though most of the free world believes in God at some level. If every Bible believing person got mad and boycotted every movie that promoted the idea that this world and humans "evolved" instead of being created, and that instead of God having the power over the future of this earth instead of man - none of these movies would make any money. It seems that people that don't believe in God and/or hate religoun, are very insecure about their beliefs. The obvious answer seems to be that they should rethink these beliefs.

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Hi, I personally haven't seen this movie, but I do agree with previous posters that it has made for a very interesting thread here. Looking from previous posters who had roughly quoted the priest's lines in the movie, I in just my own opinion of course gather that he's saying if you don't have faith in God or in something, you're leaving a void in your life where other types of things might come into your life to try and fill that void or you yourself might go in search of something with meaning to fill that void a person might have. Everyone of course wants positive things in their life and no one of course likes it when negative things happen to us. There's of course many ways to think about this, it sounds like of course from me who hasn't seen the movie myself that Sandra Bullock's character was down and she went in search of answers and the priest was one she questioned. I could be wrong as I haven't seen the movie myself, but it's just an opinion. I don't think the movie sounds like it's trying to sell something other than maybe movie tickets but it's definitely open to many interpretations as most movies are. I am a Christian, so I thought it was interesting to read this thread.

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Christian propaganda? Try no-religion propaganda. I was so pissed that they had the nerve to dress that man like a priest and call him "father". The things he was talking about had nothing to do with Christianity whatsoever and im so sick of movies trying to convince us any line that has the word "faith" or "God" is a Chrisgtian theme. Please that was such bull.

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Yeah I agree 100%. There was no redemption, either, which also makes the movie not Christian. The husband had no redemption. There was really nothing Christian themed in these. Do your research into Christianity, people. Just beause they say "faith" doest mean its Christian.

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I was almost geared up toward such a view when she goes to the Father, but his words were actually very even and applied equally to Christians and non-Christians.

I think religion, or rather 'belief in the good' is a minor theme though, just as it seems to me that maybe infidelity is the major theme. To me, the whole premonition stuff was a story to hang these themes on.

The story is told very sympathetically from Linda's point of view. But if you look beyond that and see it from the husband's point of view, you can look at it as a fable of how her negativity did indeed become self-fulfulling prophecy.

American society, according to a recent study, is so concerned about infidelity that it can almost mess up their enjoyment of fidelity. That's a big generalisation, but you see this type of pattern in the film. That he becomes so distant is a dead give-away. And he looks guilty so often when she confronts him with affection. Sincve he cares about her, could he not get the blonde woman out of his head at least while he's with his wife? She, although loving, is almost as bad. She appeals in a very needy way, not in a sexy way. In societies where marital infidelity is seen as an unfortunate but often unavoidable part of marriage, tolerance, as well as better expertise at handling such bumps often wins the day.

Don't get me wrong - I personally think marital infidelity should be avoided. But wooing a person back, rather than making it into an almost life-or-death, make-or-break, situation, has a lot of things going for it in my opinion.

The 'faith in the good' issue is not really about religion, as the Father aptly pointed out, IMHO. When a person becomes lost in negativity they may constantly find themselves building very pessimistic scenarios in their head. It's like building a road map that leads you the wrong way, or an autopilot that is programmed to make the plane crash. Positive minded people tend to build achievable dreams and find ways of making those postive results come true. I think that is probably the case whether someone draws on religion for a positive outlook on life or life itself.

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Yes, I know what you mean...damn those Christians. What with their trying to be nice and not sinful. Next thing you know, they'll bring in a puppy. Notice I did say 'trying'.

It's odd, about half the US is Christian, and the other half can't stand it.


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"If stagnation is the ailment, and change the cure...why does puppetmaster where gloves?"

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I agree with another poster that said that the movie didn't point at faith in God directly, but rather faith in general.

You need faith in your relationship, in love.. in order for it to grow and succeed. She had lost that faith in their relationship (though it seems she had also lost religious faith along the way). So, it could be taken either way.

I really think that she and her husband had lost faith in their relationship and that was the focal point of the movie.

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