Oh Wow - Another One Comes Out Of The Woodwork

[Mysterious Benefactor]

Is Anybody There?: Entertainment or Promoting the Occult

Gee, most of us here have loved vampires for at least four decades or more. And though he sees DS in a more positive light than the current crop of vamp shows/films/books, why do I still suspect that in this priest's estimation we're all doomed to an eternity of Hell Fire?  

We've been warned...

[D_Friedlander]

Has the good Father ever done a formal survey to determine whether his sweeping generalizations about the moral / ethical stances of TWILIGHT/ HARRY POTTER/ TRUE BLOOD/etc.etc. fans have any merit?

[Gothick]

Ugh!  Witchcraft and Satanism are NOT the same thing!  The I Ching comes from ancient China and was already over a thousand years old at the time of Christ's birth.  It has zero to do with the Christian religion or its putative opponents.

The Twilight series is thinly veiled propaganda for the author's hardcore Mormon moralism.

Will these religious fanatics EVER have a close encounter with the real world???

G.

[Mysterious Benefactor]

Has the good Father ever done a formal survey to determine whether his sweeping generalizations about the moral / ethical stances of TWILIGHT/ HARRY POTTER/ TRUE BLOOD/etc.etc. fans have any merit?

I seriously doubt it.

The Twilight series is thinly veiled propaganda for the author's hardcore Mormon moralism.

She actually denies that. She's even gone so far as to say that it's "bullshit" and that the authors of the reams of copy claiming that are reading way too much into the series or only seeing what they want to see. She insists it's simply a story (another inspired by a dream, no less) with no religious underpinnings whatsoever.

Will these religious fanatics EVER have a close encounter with the real world???

Not likely. 

[Midnite]

Talk about reaching, the author of this blog article (a designer) finds the Satanic number 666 in the first episode of DS (June 27, 1966).  If I've heard that observation before, I can't say I remember it.  Of course, s/he fails to mention that DS was not a supernatural soap at the time of its premiere.

[Mysterious Benefactor]

( Well, why add actual details that don't support your premise. That's no fun!  

But seriously, leaving out the actual details that don't support your premise seems like a common practice these days - especially on the Internet - and especially when it comes to political blogging.  ::sigh:: )

[David]

My first ever encounter with a religious fundie was in 1968. I was 12, and a church group stationed themselves outside of our school to warn us about DS and tell us about "the Lord". Most of us were Jewish, LOL!

[Mysterious Benefactor]

Apparently the group hadn't done their homework very well. Why doesn't that surprise me? 

[David]

 

I think Nick Blair sacrificing Maggie on the Dark Altar is what set them off!

[Philippe Cordier]

finds the Satanic number 666 in the first episode of DS (June 27, 1966).  [...]  Of course, s/he fails to mention that DS was not a supernatural soap at the time of its premiere.

That fact probably wouldn't faze these people! They would just say something like the show was designed to lure in unsuspecting, innocent children and housewives with a seemingly harmless melodrama ... but the actual intent was Satanic all along ...

[Lydia]

Or, in a charitable alternative view, the creators of the show were blameless and of virtuous intent, but the fact that the show started in the 6th month of ‘66 made any other outcome than the supernatural one impossible.  If only Dark Shadows had started a week later, it would have ended up being about happy families and warm puppies despite all of Dan Curtis's efforts.

[Mysterious Benefactor]

happy families and warm puppies

I enjoy being happy and love puppies - but how boring would THAT have been to watch?! 

[MagnusTrask]

I remember a more sensible attitude in the 60s, where everyone seemed to know without anyone having to say it that the supernatural creatures in films and TV were obviously just for entertainment.   Years later the Moral Majority brought the Satanic paranoia into the mainstream, almost.   

I did hear, though, in recent years, that Agnes Moorhead got hate mail from fundamentalists about her supposedly Satanic sitcom Bewitched, back when it was on.  Strange thing is, she was a born-again Christian, who did some prosletizing I think.  See what I mean?   It wasn't even an issue for her.   I'll bet the first letter of complaint really baffled her.

[B.Collins]

i've heard that to,  the sad that about her is that she died soon after the show got Cancelled. so in a way we are lucky we have the entire show with her, since Aunt Clara & Gladis or however ya spell her name, well the actress's both died during the run. & it did get me thinking about HOW many santanic movies were coming out during the 70's. on tv & in the theatre.

i do agree though "DS" was NOT a supernatural show when it 1st came out. my guess they just hear it's about vampires. & such. & prolly have NEVER even seen an episode before. & if they had it's after it became one. personally i have NOTHING against religion but people who are like this that take things to damn far just get in my nerves. it just feels like they need to really GET a freaking life. not everything is about christ.  i don't think any of us are going to hell if we watch a horror movie & it's got say Christopher Lee talking to satan. i also doubt god will hold that against him either. since i'm sure he knows that's only a movie. or a tv show. but than what do i know, i thankfully don't have to put up with these people. thank god

[Gerard]

I enjoy being happy and love puppies - but how boring would THAT have been to watch?!  

But being DS, maybe, just maybe one of those puppies might've turned into.................Cujo!

Anyway, I always thought that DS, with its witches, vampires, devil-worshipers and other assorted nasties, gave a very clear "moral" message.  Rather than the good-witch/bad-witch, good-vampire/bad-vampire stuff of today, virtually all the dark-dwelling denizens of DS were blatantly evil.  The demarcation between good and evil was always there, and good would, in some way shape or form, always vanquish the enemy (even if the enemy would resurrect later only to get whacked down again).  Some of splitfoot's minions would even discover the error of their ways and try to overcome it and make restitution (I can think of five off-hand, but won't say for spoiler).

One would think that the '60's defenders of moral and spiritual virtue would have embraced that as worthwhile viewing.  Heck, when all was said and done, things even worked out for Durwood after Endora had turned him into an aardvarck.

Gerard