Stupid Stuff Christian Fundamentalists Won’t Let Their Kids Watch


If you grew up in a strict Christian household, then you may have had parents like mine who did not let you watch certain movies or TV shows because they went against their religious convictions.

My evangelical parents were not as strict as some parents who banned either all non-Christian forms of entertainment or all entertainment entirely. Though they were not as strict, like many fundamentalists, my parents were inconsistent in their prohibitions. For example, I was able to watch a lot of science fiction and fantasy, but my parents restricted such shows as He-Man (because only God is the master of the universe).

Besides cartoons like He-Man, below is just a short list from the many movies or TV shows that children are deprived of simply because of their parents’ religious beliefs. They are not in any specific order and picked based on my own personal surprise that some of these are banned.

1. Minions

Who doesn’t love these little yellow guys? They are terribly adorable and keep children and adults laughing. Some Christians, however, do not find them so adorable. As one mommy blogger points out:

In the [M]inion movie, I see a spiritual battle. I see the enemy creatively disguising evil for cute and making it palatable for the next generation to not only accept, but like. I believe that from a biblical perspective evil is never cute and we shouldn’t laugh at it.

2. The Lego Movie

This is by far one of the most shocking movies that made this list. I thought this was a fun movie about creativity and imagination, but there are some who equate Will Ferrell’s character to God and his son’s destruction of his perfect Lego world to an act of ultimate defiance. They claim that The Lego Movie is “the most anti-Christian film [they have] seen in a long time.” This idea may be a bit far-fetched, but it exists.

3. All Harry Potter Movies

Harry Potter is not as shocking as others on this list, but is worth noting.

Despite recognizing underlying “‘Christian’ themes,” some believe allowing children to watch Harry Potter will open their curiosity to witchcraft and lead them to the Wiccan world. Focus on the Family shared these sentiments when they commented:

Harry Potter’s journey, on one hand, is a tale of bravery, hope, sacrifice and redemption. On the other hand…the characters’ fascination with witchcraft, along with seeking guidance from the dead, leads them into spiritually dangerous waters. There are many dark and scary things about this film—so many that it may be wise just to steer clear.

4. Star Wars Saga

Jedi mind tricks, “illicit romance,” talking with dead people, and mythic symbolism are among the many reasons why Star Wars is banned in some Christian homes. The one aspect that keeps fundamentalists discouraging watching this film is the idea of the Force. The fact that there is good and evil in the Force is not enough for Christians. What bothers them is that it can be controlled, that only certain individuals can master it, and that there is search for a balance in the Force or a balance between good and evil (rather than dominance of good over evil).

 5. The Golden Compass

Like Harry Potter, The Golden Compass does not come at such a surprise. This movie is prohibited by many Christians because it is the first (and only) movie created from His Dark Materials, a trilogy written by well known atheists, Philip Pullman.  Fundamentalists believe that Pullman’s intention was to convert children to atheism. They believe that Pullman hopes children will kill God after they are exposed to the alternate world he created — where ‘dust’ is what ties all life form together, where spirits walk beside humans as daemons, where witches and gypsies are good, and where children defy a religious government.

6. Disney Movies and TV Shows

Okay, so I understand that this is not just one movie, but Disney entertainment likely deserves a list all on its own. As one blogger writes:

Walt Disney is straight out of the pits of Hell…Walt Disney is of the Devil. Woe unto…the young girls and boys who are being victimized by it’s demonic influences. Shame on the greedy Godless parents who allow their children to be turned into whores and whoremongers by Walt Disney.

Disney movies and television shows are often prohibited because Disney promotes magic or other evil activity from voodoo in The Princess and the Frog to the magic in Wizards of Waverly Place to Mickey Mouse’s dream in Fantasia. Fresh in many of our memories, of course, is the latest boycott of Frozen. The reasons parents may ban this movie varies and could be restricted because of Queen Elsa’s magical powers, her defiance for rules, or the (odd) belief that Frozen has a “gay agenda.

As stated above, this list is very limited. There are so many other movies and TV shows that could be included, such as: The Smurfs (magic), Care Bears (voodoo), Who Framed Roger Rabbit (sexiness of an animated character), Barney (KKK banned because the actor playing Barney was Black), Scooby-Doo (ghosts), Power Rangers (evil), Ghost Busters (ghosts), E.T. the Extraterrestrial (aliens), The Wizard of Oz (witches), The Simpsons (mockery of Christianity), Ben 10 (aliens are really demons), Pokemon (magic) or even adaptations of Chronicles of Narnia (magic) and The Lord of the Rings (wizardry) — both from books written by infamous Christian authors.

In prohibiting these forms of entertainment, parents miss so many teachable moments to discusstheir beliefs” solely because of an unwillingness to explain the difference between reality and fantasy. As one pastor pointed out:

If you’re grounded in truth, watch Star Wars and understand it’s not the truth. It’s just entertainment. It’s fairly wholesome and has a message about good vs. evil that makes easy sense. Talk about it with your kids…let them know what’s not true. Help them understand.

Maybe it is just easier for parents to hide behind God than to talk to their children. What these parents unknowingly do, however, is cause their children to sneak around and to lie to them. Children are more resourceful than you know. They also have friends and relatives who will likely allow them to watch these banned shows or movies. You better believe I watched He-Man when I went to my grandmother’s house; Grandma and I stood quiet and never told my parents what she allowed me to watch.

To avoid your children sneaking around and conspiring with friends and relatives, talk with your kids. It really is that simple.

Featured image by mojzagrebinfo under a Creative Commons Public Domain Dedication License.