Is acting a sinful profession?

[Portrait]

Originally Posted by coco2

2 of my children are actors. I am sorry to say that they have both lost their faith. I believe it is because they have surrounded themselves with atheists, agnostics, those living an openly gay lifestyle, those living together without marriage and those supporting a very liberal lifestyle. They seemed to be strong Christians growing up, gave us no trouble happy to go to church, pray, involved in church activities, and the intention was to support 'good theater". Well, after years of college they now believe "good theater" is what at one time they would have considered sinful, because it is.

I have great hope that they will come back to Christ, and pray for them constantly. I am working on my trusting Jesus in this matter.

If I knew what I know now, I would NEVER have allowed them to major in theater in college. So, my dear, I pray you will go in a different direction in life.

Dear coco2,

Cordial greetings and a very good day.

Standards within the acting profession have, without any doubt, drastically declined in recent decades. The prevailing tendency is to focus upon scenes that are sexually provocative or which contain an inordinate amount of gratutious violence and profane language. As if this was not bad enough, there are geneorus helpings of so called 'nerd' humour, or rather humour for the intellectually challenged. Modern day film and television, with some very rare exceptions, takes a perverse delight in whatever is repulsive, brutal or otherwise excessively shameful. On screen sexual immodesty and violence are now quite normative. Whilst in the old Greek plays of the ancient world some hideous crimes were committed, these were always done ab or ob scaenam - literally, off the scene, or off the stage, because they were considered to loathsome or cruel, unsuitable to be openly put before decent and civilised audiences. How times have changed, and not for the better. Now directors/producers seem devoid of any moral conscience and are determined to push the envelope ever further, which is why the content of so many modern film and TV productions is grossly indecent and poisonous to virtue.

In view of this, is acting a sinful profession? No, not in and of itself, but it is surely beyond any dispute that the world of acting is in now in a state of chronic moral and cultural deterioration. Any Catholic actor today would certainly have to be highly selective as to which parts and productions he could be involved in. He would probably have to decline more roles than he could accept, making his acting career very stressful and quite problematic in terms of earning his living.

Generally speaking the acting fraternity are very tolerant of so called 'alternative life styles' and are renowned for their very lax morality and hedonism, thus a devout Catholic would probably feel like a fish our of water among those with such a liberal and godless world-view. Even if he did set out with the firm resolve to remain aloof from all the filth and degradation, at length he would probably be contaminated by the milieu in which he live and moved and had his being. St. Paul says to the Corinthians, "Do not be deceived: Bad company ruins good morals" (I Cor. 15: 33). One is bound to ask as a Catholic, just how long would it be before ones mind is poisoned and ones life is utterly demoralized? Sadly, your children seem to exemplify the truth of which St. Paul speaks, but I pray that they will see the error of their ways soon and return to the Fold in true penitence.

Yes, I think that I would, nowadays, advise young men and women contemplating work in film and TV to reconsider an alternative career path that will be more congenial to their most holy religion. The days when JPII was an actor have long since gone and I suspect that he would have deep misgivings about becoming an actor were he a young Catholic living in the 21st century.


God bless.



Warmest good wishes,



Portrait



Pax

[coco2]

Originally Posted by LegoGE1947

Coco, I will pray for your children too.

Thank you LegoGE! They surely can use more prayers. God bless you!

[Yehuda Dion]

Originally Posted by coco2

2 of my children are actors. I am sorry to say that they have both lost their faith. I believe it is because they have surrounded themselves with atheists, agnostics, those living an openly gay lifestyle, those living together without marriage and those supporting a very liberal lifestyle. They seemed to be strong Christians growing up, gave us no trouble happy to go to church, pray, involved in church activities, and the intention was to support 'good theater". Well, after years of college they now believe "good theater" is what at one time they would have considered sinful, because it is.

I have great hope that they will come back to Christ, and pray for them constantly. I am working on my trusting Jesus in this matter.

If I knew what I know now, I would NEVER have allowed them to major in theater in college. So, my dear, I pray you will go in a different direction in life.

I am so sorry to hear that. I will pray for your children. May the Good Lord seek out His lost sheep and bring them back safely to His fold. Persevere in your prayers for your children, Mary intercedes for a parent's prayers and God never refuses her. God bless you and your two children.

[AngryAtheist8]

Originally Posted by Yehuda Dion

Never mind. I've decided to drop the whole acting thing after reading a PM from one of our members. It speaks of an artist (painter) suffering in purgatory for the crime of having induced lust in some people through an immodest painting he made before he repented. It made me think twice about the whole affair.

Words (spoke or written) can induce Lust too.
Yet not even the Catholic Church says that speaking or writing are sinful in of themselves because of that.

At least as far as I know

[Young Thinker]

Originally Posted by Yehuda Dion

Never mind. I've decided to drop the whole acting thing after reading a PM from one of our members. It speaks of an artist (painter) suffering in purgatory for the crime of having induced lust in some people through an immodest painting he made before he repented. It made me think twice about the whole affair.

Oh good G-d (forgive the expression)! No, acting (unless you are talking pornographic movies) isn't sinful! What are we, the Puritans?

[Debora123]

Originally Posted by Young Thinker

Oh good G-d (forgive the expression)! No, acting (unless you are talking pornographic movies) isn't sinful! What are we, the Puritans?

One would think so...

[latin_rite]

Originally Posted by Yehuda Dion

Never mind. I've decided to drop the whole acting thing after reading a PM from one of our members. It speaks of an artist (painter) suffering in purgatory for the crime of having induced lust in some people through an immodest painting he made before he repented. It made me think twice about the whole affair.

How does this person know this artist is in purgatory?
Are they psychic?

[mexilad]

I think acting, like most other things, is not inherently sinful. It all depnds on how you do it. I believe Blessed Pope John Paul The Great had been an actor prior to entering the priesthood.

[George Stegmeir]

None of the respondants have given a historical base for modern theater, which was founded by the Jesuits as part of the Counter Reformation in the mid 1500's.
Shortly after the founding of the Jesuit order, they realized that they had to do something beside preaching to reach the majority of people in Europe who were illiterate. So, they invented the religious play and not only wrote them, but actually performed in them. These were the beginning of what are known today as Passion Plays.
These religious plays caused a sensation throughout Europe, to the extent that by the 3rd quarter of the 16th Century (1575-1600) professional secular theaters were well established in England France, and the German States.
It was not long after that, that music was added to the plays and Opera was inventer.....
And all of this because of the Society of Jesus!

[Richard320]

Originally Posted by Debora123

JPII was an actor.

That's true! I just read that in his biography.

I don't see how Jim Caviezel portraying Jesus in The Passion of the Christ could be construed as sinful by any means.

That being said, it would probably be hard, if not virtually impossible, to become tainted in that business. But the acting itself is not sinful.

[Holly3278]

I don't think that acting is a sinful profession. However, if one is acting out a part that is particularly evil such as acting out the part of an abortionist or something, I would hesitate to volunteer for such a part or even to get paid for such a part. That said, isn't there a saint who was an actor before he was converted to Catholicism?

[LegoGE1947]

Originally Posted by Holly3278

I don't think that acting is a sinful profession. However, if one is acting out a part that is particularly evil such as acting out the part of an abortionist or something, I would hesitate to volunteer for such a part or even to get paid for such a part. That said, isn't there a saint who was an actor before he was converted to Catholicism?

Blessed John Paul 2 was an actor before he became a priest.

[apfal]

Originally Posted by latin_rite

How does this person know this artist is in purgatory?
Are they psychic?

That was my immediate question too. I mean, presumably it's a reference to some private revelation, but I've learned to be quite skeptical of quotes from private revelations seen on forums and similar sites, given that multiple times (including here on CAF) I've seen things attributed to the Fatima revelations which, on looking into it, proved not to be. If it seems credible, look it up and see if a) the quote is actually from the source it's claimed to be and b) if it's an *approved* private revelation.

And even if the artist in purgatory thing is *true* that doesn't mean that it is necessarily applicable to one's particular situation, either!

(I'm not, by any means, saying that the people who post these are dishonest -- even the quotes which are in fact incorrect -- I'm sure they do it in good faith; but incorrect information that gets picked up in even one reliable-looking source can continue to circulate pretty much forever, as people believe what they read and repeat it elsewhere. It happens in the sciences too.)

[apfal]

A-ha! I Googled "artist in purgatory immodest painting", and the source for the story seems to be a book called Purgatory Explained by Fr. F. X. Schouppe. It collects a LOT of these stories, and it doesn't seem to be cited to some well-known, approved private revelation - it's said to be from a Father Rossignoli who wrote a book titled Merveilles du Purgatoire (sadly, in French, so I can't tell where HE got it from...).

[Abba]

Originally Posted by apfal

A-ha! I Googled "artist in purgatory immodest painting", and the source for the story seems to be a book called Purgatory Explained by Fr. F. X. Schouppe. It collects a LOT of these stories, and it doesn't seem to be cited to some well-known, approved private revelation - it's said to be from a Father Rossignoli who wrote a book titled Merveilles du Purgatoire (sadly, in French, so I can't tell where HE got it from...).

I read about this story and it was not in the books you mention. I am trying to remember here. I am not sure if it was in Butler's Lives of the Saints....My mind goes to Spain some centuries back, medieval ages or earlier...The man became a famous painter and rich and he was living up his life. Then, I forget what inspired him, but, he decided to return to the Church and with much faith. He asked a priest for advice and I think the priest (and if I recall correctly) adviced him to destroy the lustful paintings which if this is the case - he did. The man became a changed man, he gave all his money to the poor etc... and he may have even become a monk. Loved by everyone. However, after he died he appeared to a monk (?) and told him that he was in hell or purgatory because of a lustful painting that mislead many to sin.


I will try to recall if indeed it is in Butler's Lives of the Saints and try to find it.
************

Regarding being an actor, my first thought was that John Paul the Great was an actor. It's a tough field due to the bad influences. You can go with the best of intentions but because you need to negotiate and sell yourself and your personality and do politicking - it tough to maintain your integrity etc.. It often happens just like coco2 has shared. That's tragic. It's tough to survice in an atmosphere of temptation and bad influences. You need to ask yourself if you can handle it and not be persuaded. It's tough, but do able. Charlston Heston married a virgin and was faithful to his wife all his life and if I am not mistaken Paul Newman did the same.

Hollywood is greatly influential and it would be nice if more faithfuls were actors, directors etc...and more movies promoting christianity were made but there will be a lot of temptation and the spirit of the field is not good. I would definately talk to a priest. You may want to contact some Catholic actors directly and get their input. Start a Catholic Actors organization and support one another, etc... maybe contact EWTN and try to speak with some of the actors that due some of their programming (like the ones that put together some of the Lent presentations).

You are in my prayers.