The following movies are just an example of the more popular animated children's movies that are of concern.
More recent movies: "Brave" and "ParaNorman" expose children to witchcraft, sorcery and the occult. "ParaNorman" in particular promotes necromancy (contact with the dead). "Kung Fu Panda" (especially "Kung Fu Panda 2") promotes eastern mysticism. "The Princess and the Frog" promotes voodoo.
The following excerpt is from Christian Spotlight™, part of the Christian Answers Network (ChristianAnswers.Net), a ministry of Films for Christ. Disney Pixar’s newest heroine, Princess Merida (Kelly McDonald) has a spirit that is as fiery as her unruly red hair. Merida is expected to follow tradition and marry one of the young suitors, who are competing to win her hand in marriage. Her mother, Elinor (Emma Thompson) has spent years preparing Merida to take on her role as a princess and a lady. But the headstrong young Merida wants to choose her own path in life. Much to her mother’s dismay, Merida bucks tradition and shoots for her own hand in marriage, defeating her potential suitors in the archery competition. The last thing Merida wants is to become like her mother, a princess and a bride. After an ugly argument with her mother, Merida’s overwhelming desire to change her fate leads her to seek help from a witch. Merida asks the witch to sell her a spell that will cause her mother to change her mind about her inevitable betrothal. The witch grants Merida’s wish and casts a spell that will cause her mother to change, but the spell does not turn out as Merida expected, and unleashes a beastly curse on her mother. Merida and her mother must work together to reverse the beastly spell before it becomes permanent. READ MORE: http://christiananswers.net/spotlight/movies/2012/ brave2012.html | The following excerpt is from Christian Spotlight™, part of the Christian Answers Network (ChristianAnswers.Net), a ministry of Films for Christ. Welcome to Blithe Hollow, a small town that is proud of its history, especially an incident akin to the Salem Witch Trials. Hundreds of years ago, a council of seven elders held trial to persecute and execute a witch. Upon her death, she cursed the village and promised she would return some day and raise the dead, getting her revenge by ultimately condemning the souls of her persecutors/victims to eternal damnation. In present day Blithe Hollow, the city is all decked out in various witchy themed shops, signs and statues. Now meet Norman, a young boy with a unique talent: the ability to see and speak with the spirits of the dead. Misunderstood by everyone—his father, his sister, his schoolmates—Norman (Kodi Smit-McPhee) is determined to avoid everyone. Teased and taunted by all, he is called a weirdo and a freak. The only ones who seem to accept Norman as he is are his mother (Leslie Mann) and his friend Neil (Tucker Albrizzi). READ MORE: http://christiananswers.net/spotlight/movies/2012/ paranorman2012.html |
The following excerpt is from Christian Spotlight™, part of the Christian Answers Network (ChristianAnswers.Net), a ministry of Films for Christ. The greater problem [with Kung Fu Panda 2] is its eastern mysticism, integrated with a good moral theme. The ying-yang symbol is featured prominently and repeatedly throughout the film. Since the film takes place in China, this is to be expected, to some extent, but the philosophy behind the ying-yang is much more than merely good vs. evil or inner conflict. Within the story, Po must learn “inner peace” and he eventually learns that peace by letting go of the past. This seems a very good and noble principle, but the fundamental flaw is that eastern religion sees inner peace as coming from within, whereas Jesus saw true peace as only being achieved through Christ and a relationship with the Father in Heaven. READ FULL REVIEW: http://christiananswers.net/spotlight/movies/2011/kungfu panda2011.html | The following excerpt is from Christian Spotlight™, part of the Christian Answers Network (ChristianAnswers.Net), a ministry of Films for Christ. Unbeknownst to the prince, Dr. Facilier is actually an evil voodoo magician known as Shadow Man. After collecting the prince’s blood, he turns Naveen into a frog. At a masquerade ball, Prince Naveen mistakenly believes Tiana to be a princess and believes her royal kiss could make him human again. After offering her money in exchange for one kiss, Tiana thinks of her restaurant and agrees to kiss the conceited frog. To both of their surprise, Tiana also turns into a frog. The two hear of another voodoo magician, deep in the bayou, who might have the power to break the curse. Racing against time, the two opposite frogs embark on the treacherous journey, make new friends, and begin to discover what’s truly missing from their lives. READ FULL REVIEW: http://christiananswers.net/spotlight/movies/2009/princess andthefrog2009.html |
The following excerpt is from Christian Spotlight™, part of the Christian Answers Network (ChristianAnswers.Net), a ministry of Films for Christ. After watching “Mulan”, parents should be prepared to explain to their children about Chinese religion and spiritual thought. The Ancestors are deceased members of the Fu family that, in a ghost-like form, still have very real connections with the living world. In fact, Mulan’s father prays to them. The Bible rejects this belief system (Exodus 20:3; Hebrews 9:27). READ FULL REVIEW: http://christiananswers.net/spotlight/movies/pre2000/i-mulan.html "Parents need to know that the bad guy, Jafar, can be pretty scary with his sorcery and mind control. So can Aladdin being chased by henchmen with giant swords and some mythological monsters.... Also expect a bit of mild name-calling and revealing outfits on Princess Jasmine and some curvy dancing ladies." - Common Sense Media "The Islamic cultural setting of the film is directly referenced to several times throughout the film. Such examples include when The Sultan yells 'Praise Allah' when he realizes that Jasmine wants to marry Prince Ali/Aladdin, when The Sultan says 'Allah forbid you have any daughters!' when he is frustrated with Jasmine, and when Gazeem at the beginning says 'By Allah' when he sees The Cave of Wonders." - IMDb trivia What is a Genie? - The following is from wiseGEEK : In Arabian mythology, a genie or djinn is a type of spirit. In Pre-Islamic thought, it had magical powers and was sometimes, though not always, wicked, or at least mischievous. In Islam, the genie has become more analogous to a demon, with the Devil as the most powerful of these spirit, while in Western culture, it is typically portrayed as a magical spirit with no religious connotations who is capable of granting wishes. The English word comes from the French for "spirit," which was used to translate djinn in the first French translations of the Arabian Nights. The Western concept is drawn mainly from the tale of Aladdin in the Arabian Nights, in which Aladdin frees a genie from his imprisonment in a lamp and is granted wishes in return. A wider reading of the Arabian Nights reveals the spirit as a creature quite different from the modern Western version, however. There are different types with different sets of magical powers, and in some mythology, they are categorized by the element — fire, water, earth, or air — that governs them. Some types of genies are frightening, such as the ghul, which lends its name to the Modern English ghoul, and the succubus-like female versions. In Islam, genies are believed to live among humans but to be invisible for the most part. They are said to have free will, like humans but unlike angels, and to have the capacity for good or evil. There are references to them throughout the Qur'an, and the Devil, calledShaitan in Islam, is the most powerful of these spirits. Evil ones are similar to demons in Christian thought and can possess people physically or tempt them into sin. Though the genie in Western culture is usually benign, it is often mischievous and sometimes borders on the more frightening versions from the Middle East. Dangerous ones in the West often work by distorting the wishes of those they are supposed to serve or by taking their words very literally. This trope in Western folklore predates the arrival of the genie in Western consciousness and is summarized in the adage, "Be careful what you wish for." *The Spirit Behind The Lion King by Berit Kjos Betrayed, rejected, running from responsibility, growing strong through adversity... Disney's latest box-office hit, The Lion King, is full of Biblical parallels, colorful characters and personal struggles that help us identify with a lovable lion made in the image of man. But watch out! Behind the spectacular scenery and noble sentiments hides the timeless earth-centered view of reality that has always lured God's people from truth to myths. In other words, The Lion King - like Aladdin - demonstrates an alarming shift in values. While the old fairy-tale cartoons like Snow White linked sorcery to the evil characters, The Lion King uses tribal magic for "good." While most children in the seventies knew enough truth to place divination in the forbidden realm of the occult, today's children - who often feel more comfortable with occult games than biblical truth - see nothing wrong with pagan practices. READ MORE: http://www.crossroad.to/text/articles/tsbtlk96.html | The following excerpt is from Christian Spotlight™, part of the Christian Answers Network (ChristianAnswers.Net), a ministry of Films for Christ. Of concern to me is the Indian mysticism and “circle of life” thematic core of the film. Some critics might argue that the Great Spirit is God-like, but the spiritual tale includes communication with dead ancestors, tokens as destiny shapers, and equality of man and nature, common elements of Indian legends and directly opposed to God’s Word. It could be argued that Disney is merely closely following the traditions of Indian legends, and most likely they are. However, parents may want to discuss the mixture of ancestor worship, mysticism, and Hinduism presented as a feel-good story of loyalty and friendship. According to the myth of the Great Spirit, we are all part of the great circle of life. Specifically, when we die, we become part of the Great Spirit, god-like and omnipresent. The Shaman, for example, says that the “spirits of our ancestors.have power to make changes,” and that Kenai will have to make restitution with his dead brother before the Great Spirits will change him back into a person again. Moreover, the Great Spirits, the collective body of our dead ancestors and all other dead creatures, guide us and direct our destiny. This might sound to some like the telling of some harmless Indian legend, but to many people, particularly those not fully grounded in God’s Word, it is a nice way to say that everybody goes to some wonderful place after death and that our goodness ultimately makes us as gods. READ FULL REVIEW: http://christiananswers.net/spotlight/movies/2003/brother bear.html The following is from Christian apologist Eric Barger of Take A Stand Ministries: The Nine Forbidden Practices of the Occult In writing our book Entertaining Spirits Unaware: The End-Time Occult Invasion, David Benoit and I drew from nearly 50 years of combined ministry experience often dealing with New Age spiritualism, witchcraft and overt occultism. These are issues that occasionally make the most alert Christian uncomfortable and the unaware simply cringe. It may seem like overkill to some that David and I write such a book, for after all, the occult and those who purvey it are certainly nothing for Christians to concern ourselves with...or are they? How we wish that the occult was indeed just a moot point in our society. However, in actuality the occult is thriving in America and around the world, gaining acceptance and followers in unparalleled numbers. Today there is a spiritual war going on for the lives and souls of men, women, teens and yes, children; and without the Church lighting up and exposing this darkness it continues unabated, overtaking the unsuspecting around us. Several years ago I was speaking at a Christian conference at Houston’s (TX) Second Baptist Church. While there, a gentleman happened by our display booth and noticed the title of my new book. He backed up slightly and exclaimed, “Ohhhh, the occult. That scares me!” I happened to hear him and was able to respond saying, “Brother, the only reason the word ‘occult’ has the ability to frighten you is because you don’t understand it which is exactly what Satan wants.” Ignorance invites misunderstanding, fear, complacency and deception. This is why considering the enemy’s vast deployment of occult traps which range from an array of New Age self-help seminars and numerous kids’ cartoons, to the world of adult and children’s literature and the occult laced lineup offered by Hollywood as entertainment today, it is of ultimate importance that we have at least a basic understanding of what God’s Word declares on the issue. Derived from the Latin word Occultus, the occult by definition means “things hidden, things in darkness, the practices of divination and sorcery”. Make no mistake - God is not confused in the least about the realm of occultism, its practices and adherents. His Word is crystal-clear and God’s position must also become our position if we expect His blessing, protection and providential power to be evident in our lives and homes. In the strongest terms used in the entire Bible, God condemns and forbids the occult as He warns the Israelites to avoid and abhor it. Pronouncing it as “towebah,” God, in His wisdom, lays out the Nine Forbidden Practices. They are:
READ MORE: http://www.ericbarger.com/9prac.htm |