- Feb 5, 2002
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Question: I am a stable, educated healthcare professional and a devout Catholic who happens to love horror films, especially those with Catholic themes such as “Rosemary’s Baby,” “The Exorcist,” “The Omen,” etc. I find them intelligent and incredibly faith affirming, which only strengthens my belief in God. Some of my Catholic friends worry that I am “opening up myself for dark influences” or “tempting evil.” What are your thoughts on horror movies?
— Name withheld, Scottsdale, Arizona
Answer: Balance in such matters is essential. Undue fascination with such things occurs when there is too much preoccupation with them, or when one starts to admire or emulate the evil that is depicted in such films. Too much time focusing on the dark things, warps our understanding of the world and makes the light seem harsh. Gratuitous violence in such media should also be avoided, and films or books that feature too much of it should be shunned.
Continued below.
www.oursundayvisitor.com
— Name withheld, Scottsdale, Arizona
Answer: Balance in such matters is essential. Undue fascination with such things occurs when there is too much preoccupation with them, or when one starts to admire or emulate the evil that is depicted in such films. Too much time focusing on the dark things, warps our understanding of the world and makes the light seem harsh. Gratuitous violence in such media should also be avoided, and films or books that feature too much of it should be shunned.
Continued below.
Should Catholics watch horror movies?
Is it intrinsically evil to watch movies like “The Exorcist”? How should Catholics discern watching these films? Here’s one perspective.
www.oursundayvisitor.com
