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Having
Faith
by Holly Chou
Originally Posted: 28 June 2000
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A
post was started on Planet Namek's Gundam Wing Message Board
(for some reason, stuff that I see there is what gets me
riled up enough to write more editorials), about a Christian
site that pretty much started to label anime as porn and
calls anime, Star Wars, and magic "un-Christian" or words
to that effect. The address is at http://www.crossroad.to/text/responses/Anime.htm,
and I would suggest you go there and read at least some
of the letters and responses posted before you read any
further. Once you have done so, well - on with the motley.
(While proofreading this editorial, I realize that the tone
of it changes throughout and by the end I seem to be addressing
the reader directly using "you." I am really addressing
either Reverend Berit himself or the parents that follow
his thinking; this is a bit of a hypothetical debate, if
you will.):
First
of all, it astounds me how close-minded this Reverend Berit
is being. Not only are equally ignorant parents blindly
following his actions by shunning anime without looking
into it (I don't mean *at* it as most of them seem to have
done, but really *into* it by doing thorough research or
even giving it a chance), but they are attempting to get
other people to do so also. Any responses that ask that
he open up his thinking a little a)are told that they are
misguided, b)are told that if they are trying to say that
they are both Christian and an anime fan, their form of
Christianity is not biblical Christianity but cultural Christianity
(i.e. not "correct"), or c)get their words twisted around
to say something completely hypocritical. Berit says that
shows such as Sailor Moon, Pokemon, and Dragonball Z attempt
to turn young children away from God because they use magic
or supernatural phenomenon; he insinuates several times
that imagination is not a good thing, because it is not
God's thought but your own.
Excuse
me, but who said that only Christianity could validate a
person's beliefs? Even if that were true, who gave Reverend
Berit the place to dictate which form of Christianity was
right and which was wrong? I have to admit that I, having
no religion, have not done much research on the subject
or teachings of Christianity, or other religions in general,
for that matter. But it was my understanding that Christianity
taught equality of all human beings, forgiveness, and ethics.
Therefore, is it not unethical to go about changing peoples'
belief systems in accordance of whatever your own thoughts
are? Did it ever occur to you that you might ever be wrong?
Is it not unethical to write something off without experiencing
it firsthand? If Christianity is merely a front for people
to hide behind so that they may judge other cultures or
forms of expression without repercussion, then perhaps I
am glad that I have not looked far into finding a religion
in my own life.
I
recall many of the points made in an earlier editorial of
mine, "Impressionable Youth." Berit, along with many of
the parents that agree with him, seems to think that children
will glean far too much meaning from these shows, that apparently
they will follow the teachings of Pokemon over those of
God. If that is true, then whose fault is it that their
children cannot tell the difference between fantasy and
reality? Rather than blame anime for influencing your children
"the wrong way", perhaps you yourself are to blame for raising
your children to be so easily influenced.
Another
thing that irks me about the page in question is that anime
is being attacked, yet the things that it is being attacked
for can all be found within American culture and media as
well. While you may forbid your child to watch Dragonball
Z, I'll bet you let them watch Disney's Aladdin, didn't
you? Well, if we're going to talk about how sacrilegious
Dragonball is, what about all the blasphemy in Aladdin?
There are genies and all kinds of magic used, ooh, now your
kids won't believe in God because they believe that if they
rub a lamp they'll get three wishes, right? What about the
skimpy clothes that Jasmine wore? And Aladdin was a petty
thief, yet he was the hero of the movie, that can't be right,
can it? And you might argue that I am being needlessly sarcastic
here, because obviously, Aladdin is just a cartoon and it's
not deliberately trying to turn your kids away from you.
But if you're willing to realize and understand that that
much is true for American entertainment, why is it that
you refuse to acknowledge it in other cultures' forms of
entertainment as well? One can't help but think that perhaps
you invalidate other cultures' forms of both worship and
entertainment because of just that: because it is from another
(different) culture. Again, are you so close-minded that
you refuse to admit that perhaps some belief system, even
though it is one other than your own, might be valid? I
have said that I am not a Christian, but I do not attack
your religion as invalid or unacceptable. And just because
I don't practice Christianity doesn't mean that I am about
to go out and burn a few bibles, try to turn my Christian
friends away from religion, or wave banners and put up websites
that Christianity is wrong, wrong, wrong. Though I don't
practice it myself, it doesn't mean that I think that no
one else should. And just because you won't allow your children
to watch Dragonball Z because it's too violent, doesn't
mean that you have the right to claim that everyone else
should, too. I may not agree with you, but that doesn't
mean that you are wrong, or that I am right. And just because
you may think that only your beliefs are correct, doesn't
make that true, either.
Author's
note: After receiving an e-mail from Berit, it has come
to my attention that I am incorrect in referring to Berit
as "Reverend", and also in assuming that Berit is male.
Berit is a woman who, although apparently deeply religious,
is not a pastor, either. It does not change my opinion or
the tone of the content, but I apologize for any misunderstanding
I have caused.
Contact:
vegetanokanajyo@yahoo.com
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