Christians & Anime

[Shinji]

We as far as I know we are all Christians:angel:on this site, correct?:thumb:So let me ask you this, 'Does Christianity and Anime go together?':stressed:The reason I ask is that so many people and churches out there say "anime is evil:evil:and should not be watched by Christians", and I have been confronted:poke:at times and what was said you can just imagine. Don't get me wrong, I do think there is Anime out there that shouldn't even be in excistance:thumbsdow, but thats not the point. I believe that our Lord will confict:comp: you if you are doing, or watching in this case, anything that is not correct in his eyes. And there are things that might seem wrong to you but not to another Christian.......So what do we Anime fans do???:hits_self:bang:

[Professor Hojo]

Well,Shinji,you are right that the Lord will conflict anything that you are doing that isn't right in His eyes.
But think about this for a second.
Is Anime causing harm to you or to others?
Is Anime making you upset?
Is Anime going all out and being extremely blasphemous?
Is Anime making you doubt the Lord's existance?
If you answered no to all of these questions,it is NOT wrong.I know how many of feel when you are confronted with serious problems like this.It is a horrible feeling to think that the Lord hates something you loved your entire life and grew up with.
But the thing is He doesnt hate Anime,TV,or anything.*excluding sin of course*
I understand that these Christians are saying,"Watching anime is a SIN,Roleplaying is a SIN,ect"
The thing you have to realize is that they are not God.They are most likely just doing that for themselves.I believe that people like that just like to feel extremely superior to everyone.They throw bible verses at people,insult their ways,and some Christians like that can be just demented if you think about it.If you say something is a sin,and you were not instructed by the Holy Spirit or the Bible to say so,I believe you are pushing Jesus Himself off His Holy Throne by doing that.And I really do not like it when people bombard anyone with bible verses and pervert their real meanings.If Bible Verses were meant for throwing,Jesus would have had the apostles write down each verse on a baseball,not the Holy Bible.
If it is a less serious case than that,such as an anti-anime friend trying to tell you to stop,just bring up what I stated above and try to show them Anime is fine.
I,personally,get absolutely FURIOUS when someone says something is Satanic*ie:ANIME IS SATANIC!!! Joke:LIGHTERS ARE SATANIC!! WATCH AS THESE DEMONS SUMMON THE FLAME OF SATAN INTO THEIR HANDS!!!*And I am almost driven insane when someone says Final Fantasy is Satanic because I was actually made more respectful of people,God,and faith through it and I also became a little more mature thanks to it.VERY Long story...But I thank God for putting it in my life almost every day.
Well,finally,for the answer! Crowd who was listening to my rant:YAY!!
You ask,What are we Christian Anime fans to do?
If your church is Anti-Anime and you do not like what they say,leave it and find a different church.
If you are below 18,pray for them to become open minded at each Mass
You shouldn't listen to people like them.They just want to find something to blame all evil on.People are just like that.
Well it all just comes down to one answer if you think about it:
If God wants something in your life,it will be there.If God doesn't want it in your life,it will not be there.If it feels wrong to you,do not do/play/watch it.If it doesn't,by all means do it.
We are all special and unique in the Lord's eyes,but some people,even our fellow Christians,try and force us to forget that and make us their "apprentices" in some ways.
And finally,to wrap up the longest post EVER,a few questions to ask yourself:
Would Jesus attack Anime?
Did He ever attack ANYTHING in the violent way some current Christians do?
I just sincerely hope the Lord helps them to understand that,because they sure don't listen to us...*sigh*.Well have a good day.*walks off*

[Tenshi no Ai]

I'd say not to really worry about it unless it creates a spiritual conflict with you, either in the practice of these other religions/occult shown in anime, or having an addiction to hentai, for some examples.

No one in my youth group bothers me, heck they borrow stuff off me sometimes. But I'm sure a lot of the older church members wouldn't agree, but then again they probably don't agree to a lot of the Christian rock music we sometimes use in church as to the praise and hymms.

Really, it's all up to the individual person. Doesn't say in the Bible "do not watch anime" but it DOES say not to be led away from God, and that's the more important one.

One last note: don't let anime take over to your Christian... functions or whatever. I watch it because I have nothign to do, but if you miss church etc. just to watch anime... yeah there's a bit of a problem.

BTW: No not EVERYONE here is a Christian, but the majority is.

[Heart of Sword]

Yeah...like Tenshi said, some of the "older folks" think that all kinds of stuff is evil.

For instance, some people think that this picture at our church of the sun rising is "Pagan" and that the somewhat-contemporary music (such as "God of Wonders") is trash. That doesn't mean that they're right, though.

I would leave it up to God to personally convict you. If Anime is evil, then life is Satanic. It all depends on what you choose to do with it.

[yoshiama12]

Well Anime one is like everything non-bibcal that is it has to do with the heart. Are you as a christian making anime ur idol or falling into sin because of it. I mean you will find many "super christians" that say many things are wrong because its not totally based of the bible. It works for them but it might not work for you. I personally believe that we must go to the bible and not take anyone else translation of it. I bet that those people calling it evil have either:
1. never seen anime other than once and made a stereotype of it (once is not enough considering there are so many genre of anime like there is of books)
2. Find anything other than christian affiliated things evil which is ridiculous because God uses even non-christian events/jobs/media to life himself up!
3. Or find it funny to call everything satanic

(Oh by the way not all "older people" disprove of these things. I also know alot of younger people that disapprove of contemporary music. remember that we must respect the knowlegde of "older people" because God but them as our leaders and has given wisdom to them over there long years (usual))

[ZiP]

Hmm...
Christians and Anime can mix like water and oil,
or they can mix like bread and butter.

Obviously, things like hentai don't go with christianity, and it is tricky to know what breaks the rules too much. The fact of the matter is, just about every anime ever has had cussing in it (I didn't say fanservice/violence because that's not as common),
it's really (in my opinion), a matter of (hehe) opinion.
I like trigun even though it's riddled is cussing and violence.


I think any christian who chooses to get into the anime world, should know what it is, and like everyone else implied, shouldn't let it take over their life, even if it is totally clean, or christian based.

My 2 cents,
ZiP

[mitsuki lover]

IMHO those Christians who say that anime is wrong for a Christian to watch
are making their own personal theological view "God" and trying to
make others into their idea of "Christians".God doesn't want us to all be
the same,that's why he gave us different types of taste.

[MorwenLaicoriel]

Hmm...I think saying watching anime is a sin is like saying watching a movie is a sin or watching TV. Yes, there are some pretty bad anime out there, and there's quite a few that aren't worth watching, but pretty much every form of entertainment has it's problems. To say that ALL anime is bad is a bit too wide-catching. It really depends on the anime and what the person can handle, I think.

Also, I think in a case like this--where it's actually bringing Christians together--anime could be a GOOD thing. Really, it just depends on each case, I guess.

[Shao Feng-Li]

I had the same problem for a few years. Well, actaully a friend did. What sems funny to me, is that people fail to relize that they are cartoons. I wander if it's just because of Japan that they're calling all anime "satantic." While the church basicly said Pokemon was evil, everyone was probably at home watching something like "Friends" or "That 70's Show" ect. People over blow everything.

[Ichigo_89]

It is definately not a sin. You just gotta get your priorities straight and not be completely consumed by it. (Which is what happened to me around the beginning of this year.) Sure, I don't think pokemon is right with them making Monsters (which were always bad up until that) all cute and friendly, but hey, Pokemon is just a stupid toon for kids and has nothing else to do with REAL Anime.(this is my personal opinion, so please don't flame me) These are my solutions to anime probs:

If it makes you doubt God or is just blasting false "truth", then don't watch it.

If an anime is making you (for example) not read your Bible daily or is severely effecting other priorities that you should be doing, then you need to cut back or just quit period if you can't stop. (This is extreme, but hey)

If you feel upset about wat you're watching, or if you know your parents would hate it because of some really explicit content, then definately don't watch it.

Yes, people have a right to their opinions, but it doesn't mean they need to take it out on animation that isn't for the average 10 year old hyper-idiot.

Ok, I'm done. Most of this has already been said, but I had to let loose.

[Ashley]

but hey, Pokemon is just a stupid toon for kids and has nothing else to do with REAL Anime.(this is my personal opinion, so please don't flame me)

No reason to get nasty here--that makes your opinion sound no more intelligent or worthy of respect than those that blindly bash all anime. We have some real pokemon fans here, so it's not fair to them that you bash their favorite show like that. Please don't do it again.

[Ichigo_89]

No reason to get nasty here--that makes your opinion sound no more intelligent or worthy of respect than those that blindly bash all anime. We have some real pokemon fans here, so it's not fair to them that you bash their favorite show like that. Please don't do it again.

My apologies, Ashley-Dono. u_u

[agasfas]

Do they mix? SUre. Just like hollywood there's bound to be some bad things out there (i.e. bad language, adult content etc..). But there are also some good movies out too. I mean, it's all about how you perceive it. I would argue that "Grave of the Fireflies," and "Tenchi Muyo in Love" are good movies. They are clean and it touches people on an emotional level (well maybe not Tenchi:P). Though Ninja Scroll and Akira are more on the adult level. It just really depends on what you watch just like TV or movies.

[Falco53]

^ That is exactly what I was thinking. It is just downright stupid to say that anime is evil due to the fact that it is anime.

Just apply the same standards to anime that you apply to any other form of electronic entertainment. If anime is evil, ALL MOVIES AND ALL TELEVISION PROGRAMS ARE EVIL.

A better question would be "Are picturez that move on teh screen the deivill?"

[Shinji]

Thanks to all your opinions so far. All that you have said I believe is true. I always say they should look at disney cartoons, most of the bad guys are pretty evil sometimes, but no one will say anything bad about that. But unfortunately there will always be those who think anime is bad.

[Souba]

Hello!
Well this is an interesting topic. I'm very new to anime, in fact some would say that watching the american version of yugioh and Sailor Moon is hardly considered worthy of comparison, but oh well... I am wary of what I watch, even when I see movies I'm careful about what goes in my head because I know I'm sensitive to stuff. So when I heard about violence, cussing, etc in Yugioh uncut I decide not to go out and buy dvd's, because I really don't want to see it. But I'm not going to boycott all of it, if anything I know that church's in the past often boycotted radio, tv, and movies and gave up a lot of opportunities to minister by using these tools. Though interestingly enough where were these people when God was being taken out of the pubilc schools? Anyway, I see this as an opportunity for us to use it as a tool for ministry. In fact I hope to have something of my own out there to appeal to both believers and non-believers who love anime! hope that made some sense it's late I'm going to sleep.
God Bless,
Souba

[Kura Ookami]

I've read some intresting things on satanic websites on this very topic. One of those things was that anything that takes over your life is your religion and I'd say that is true.

The people who say anime is evil and anime is satanic. Their religion is to bash christianity or perhaps it's just to bash any and all religions. Even that satanic website didnt say anime nor hentai was evil and satanic.

So even satanists dont believe anime is satanic. They believe that anything that takes over your life becomes your religion so as long as you dont let anime take over your life and keep God as the ruler of your life it's okay.

I think the best thing to do is to ask Jesus for His guidance. Ask Him if anime is evil or satanic and trust His answer.

[Tenshi no Ai]

*please read!*

Ok, so along with this topic yesterday at church we had these little discussion groups for The 40 Days of Purpose (which apparently is being done all over North America right now) and the idea of "animation" popped up....

Apparently the topic started when some guy took his kid to see Shark Tale and on a preview, there was some naked girl on it. He complained to the theatre. Ok, so since when have they put ANYTHING uncensored on previews like that? The people in my group was saying that "animation is just one of those things that 'the world' tries to suck in little kids to become apart of it." I'm just like "oook...." One parent said "What about those shows like The Simpsons and Family Guy. Those are DEFINATELY not for kids, but they'll watch them because they are cartoons!" Another parent brought up things like "those cards", and I thought this totally related to this topic!

Cartoons... anime... whatever. Yeah there was a time that they were JUST for kids, but times are changing. Is it a bad thing to have animated shows for different ages? Ok, well most "older kids" cartoons we get over here are comedy, and usually of the perverted kind, so of course people will be quick to judge! I'm sure if they caught the smallest glimpse of aniem on TV, they would be like 0_0.

EDIT: taken out just due to possible way off-topicness and possibly large flames with each other^^

[Debitt]

it's not about actually BELIEVING their idea of belief, it's just about better understanding of other cultures.
*ish done my slight off-topicness*

I agree with you wholeheartedly. The one thing that frustrates me more than anything else when I hear "anime is evil" is that the people saying "anime is evil" probably have little or no knowledge of the Japanese culture, or any other culture other than their own. They see the word "demon" or "shinto" and because those two words have a negative connotation from the Western Christian point of view instantly makes them Satanic or evil. Those people don't even take into consideration the fact that have a much different connotation in the Japanese culture, and in the case of a "demon" it's a completely different concept and ideal than the biblical demon (okay, so biblical demons aren't an ideal, but you know what I mean. ^_^; ).

As someone who would be considered a "minority" (I'm Japanese. ^^;;; ) in the United States, I make a concious effort to retain the culture of my ancestors, and I make an even more concious effort to respect it. This by no means makes me a Buhddist or a Shintoist, and it doesn't mean I believe the religions or agree with all their doctrines. I'm just as much a Christian as anyone else, even though I've been known to read up on Japanese mythology (which, like Greek or Norse mythology, is a far cry from the Bible) and take an active interest in Buhddist folklore. I can't stress it enough, this doesn't make me less of a Christian than anyone else. I'm simply making an effort to understand another person's culture, and by doing so I'm more prepared to witness to someone from an eastern-asian background.

We as Christians shouldn't entirely shun what's different from what we believe. Instead we should try and understand what we're up against, so when God gives us the opportunity to minister, we'll be able to help a person, instead of pushing them away by telling them that what they believe is "evil and of the devil"

[desperado]

please dont kill me for this but anime can be positive and negative. first i felt better and was a much happier person after watching trigun. but i quite watching anime and became depressed for quite a while after seeing evangelion (i am sorry if i am breaking rules but it really did affect me, it really is something that scared me) it can affect you

[termyt]

Anime is a tool. Tools are neither good nor evil. A person chooses to use a tool and that use can be for good or for evil. If there existed a tool that was only used for evil, the tool itself would still not be evil, only those who used it thusly.