Finding faith on the big and small screens

o7There’s a new movement underway to train Christians to be film and

television executives. The move is apparently in reaction to a

perceived bigotry in Hollywood toward Christianity. A new program

called f7o7Act One, run by Barbara Nicolosif7o7, trains

Christians to become television and film executives. It includes a

three-month-long program that places Christians in entertainment

internships while hosting lectures by industry professionals. First

off, do you think there is a bias in Hollywood that works against

Christians? And if so, can a program like this reverse that bigotry?

f7In my opinion, “Christians” would be missing a great

opportunity by not getting involved in Hollywood. However, it should

not be a hostile takeover! Movies and television influence the way

people think, so why not accept that some programs such as “Touched

by an Angel,” and other “family” type programs have high ratings?

Obviously there is an audience who wants this kind of programming.

Opportunities for personal growth should be grasped by Christians

too! If “Christians” refuse to evolve and miss any opportunity to

reach out to someone who is able to listen and feel connected, then

shame on them.

THE REV. ALICE

PARSONS ZULLI

Director of Bereavement

Support and Services

Glendale Adventist

Medical Center

It is more than a perceived bias against Christians and I don’t

think there’s any other group that would tolerate the blatant

stereotyping that goes on against them on the big screen.

Unfortunately, we’re caught in a vicious circle, where the right

is defining Christianity and the left is reacting to that definition

and the middle is lost.

I’m pleased that Barbara Nicolosi has taken the step to form Act

One. In particular, I appreciate her approach, because the message of

Christ is not one to be compromised. It is not a message that belongs

only to Christians, but a message that can have global implications

for peace. Films and television shape and define much of our society,

and the need to abandon stereotypes for messages of hope and the good

is essential.

FATHER VAZKEN MOVSESIAN

Armenian Church

Youth Ministries

It’s not difficult to find “religious” folks in Hollywood. They

don’t like using that term, but they are. The more accepted industry

jargon is “spiritual” but that’s just nonsensical gibberish. Everyone

is “spiritual” whether they address the inner person or deny it

exists. Yet Hollywood’s brand of religion is twisted. It wears red

strings around its wrist and displays lesbian embrace on awards

night. It throws temper tantrums on talk shows while starring in

films that exhibit clearly categorical pornography. It makes

docudramas about itself declaring “I am God,” and entertains every

predilection opposed to genuine “spiritual” truth.

You wouldn’t know this country had any biblical moorings if your

cultural insights were purely silver screen, and perhaps this is why

most of the world views us with a frown, as celluloid is universally

America’s most apparent cultural snapshot.

Before Christ, I had originally come here to earn my own fortune

as an actor. Even so, I was immediately struck by the preponderance

of uttered phrases like, “tasteful nudity,” “homosexual role,” or

“religious nut,” as auditions came and went. As my own “spiritual”

journey has led me away from the enamored craft, I have also

discovered how difficult it has become to fully endorse anything

Hollywood creates.

Without good, evil prevails, so kudos to those honorable efforts

at stemming the tide with Christian influence. And blessings to the

young and the restless who already “shine like stars” (Philippians

2:15) as Christ would have them do in such an influential but

spiritually dark venue.

THE REV. BRYAN GRIEM

Senior Pastor

Light On The Corner

Montrose

I believe there is a general atmosphere of bias against Christians

in Hollywood. In many cases it is mild, but in some cases it can

rightly be classified as bigotry.

The bias is probably in part a reaction to how many in the church

have (wrongly, I think) rejected Hollywood on a whole-scale,

thoughtless manner -- “If it’s from Hollywood it must be sinful!”

In part, the bias is because of disagreement with the stance many

Christians take on issues like abortion, sexual morality and the use

of aborted fetuses for medical experimentation.

But underneath these superficial skirmishes lies one central

factor. Paul told the Philippian church that “ ... in the midst of a

crooked and perverse generation ... you appear as lights in the

world” (Philippians 2:15).

Light exposes what lies in the darkness. The good deeds and good

doctrine of authentic followers of Christ exposes the spiritual

darkness of secular humanism that pervades most of what Hollywood

produces. And the reaction from the darkness is exactly what Peter

described: “they malign you” (1 Peter 4:4).

I believe programs like Act One can help reverse Hollywood’s

bigotry against Christians by teaching believers to be skilled in

their field, sensitive to others who disagree and effective in

communicating the good news about Jesus Christ to a world in darkness

that desperately needs him.

PASTOR JON BARTA

Burbank

Does Hollywood have a bias against Christians? It may seem so. To

me, however, the bias seems to be aimed only at Christians who are

holier than thou, who love to thump their Bibles, and who seem about

ready to have a nervous breakdown if everyone doesn’t think of Jesus

Christ as Lord and Savior and God Almighty in the flesh.

Hollywood does not mock Christians who consider Jesus Christ as

God’s most trusted and valued teacher of moral values. I don’t think

Hollywood has ever had a bias against reasonable and thoughtful

Christians. The bias, if it exists at all, has always been aimed at

what can only be described as caricatures of Christianity.

Someone once said there is only one thing wrong with Christianity.

When asked what that one thing is, the wise man’s answer was

“Christians.” He was probably more right than wrong.

Christians who claim their way of life is the only path to heaven

have always damaged the movement. I suspect it will continue to be

that way unless more reasonable and more responsible Christians

elevate the movement from the depths it now finds itself in today’s

world.

No real Christian would ever propose the assassination of a head

of state, for example, as Pat Robertson recently did. Not even

Hollywood can make up such a scenario and get away with it.

As for Christians trying to play a more active role in the

production of motion pictures -- why not? The bottom line always will

be whether people want to see the finished product. As for me, I

would rather trust Hollywood to make films than Robertson. That way I

can continue to avoid most movies Hollywood turns out. If Robertson

types take over the industry, I can then avoid all movies. That will

give me more time for good books.

THE REV. THOMAS E.

WITHERSPOON

Unity Church of the Valley

La Crescenta

If there is bigotry in Hollywood against Christians -- and I am

not at all sure that there is -- I have my doubts about a program

that purports to train “Christians” to be film and television

executives. What’s the point, to engender a new bigotry against

anything that is deemed “un-Christian”?

I believe that we are living in an era when the so-called

religious right is feeling its political muscle, and I believe there

is pressure to conform to what the religious right calls “Christian.”

We enjoy wonderful freedoms in this country, and freedom of

expression is one of them. So what if a movie is a little too sexy or

a little too vulgar or a little too whatever? We have the wonderful

marketplace that will judge whether a movie is trash or art, and to

have “Christian” executives telling us what “Christian” values they

adore or abhor is another step down the road of censorship.

Is Roger Ebert or Richard Roeper a Christian? Who cares! What is

Leonard Maltin or Jim Svejda or Gene Shalit? Does it matter? No, of

course not. Well, I’d better cut this short. Some “Christian” leader

may call for my assassination!

THE REV. SKIP LINDEMAN

Congregational Church

of the Lighted Window

United Church of Christ

La Canada Flintridge