By The Editorial Board
What do horror movie actors and Catholic priests have in common? They both perform exorcisms.
Although a large amount of horror movies have biblical imagery, some feel that they are satanic or unchristian because they contain paranormal or occult themes. The beginning of this paranoia started with the Satanic Panic in the ‘80s.
NPR described the panic as a time “when false accusations of the abuse of children in satanic rituals spread across the United States.” It began with “Michelle Remembers,” a book co-written by a psychologist and his patient, highlighting childhood abuse from a satanic cult. This spiraled the U.S. into a moral panic focused around satanic symbols, imagery and mystic themes.
In turn, parents became increasingly concerned with censoring the media and people around their children. Rock music, daycare centers and movies were under scrutiny for satanic influence. Fast forward to today, some people of faith still have their reservations about horror movies.
Most horror movies contain biblical imagery like holy water, bible passages, exorcisms, clergy members, prayers, the sign of the cross and much more. Even more interesting is that some of the most famous horror movies were written by Christians.
William Peter Blatty, the writer of the 1971 novel “The Exorcist,” was a Roman Catholic who based the book on a series of true events. Gary Dauberman, the writer behind “Annabelle,” is a practicing Christian who said “horror helps ‘reveal the good.’” Even Stephen King, the mind behind “IT,” “Pet Sematary” and countless others grew up Methodist.
Mary Ann Beavis, author of “The Bible in Motion” comments on how biblical imagery in horror movies acknowledges Christian faith.
“As one of the great repositories of supernatural lore in Western culture, it is not surprising that the Bible is often featured in horror films. Without the biblical repertoire of Satan, demons, exorcisms, plagues, curses, prophecies, apocalyptic signs, false messiahs, pagan sorcerers, evil empires, etc., horror movies would be impoverished,” Beavis said.
For instance, the Book of Revelation is often the direct source of apocalyptic movies. In Revelation 6, it says God will open the first of seven seals and call down the white horse presenting the Antichrist. This will cascade a sequence of events leading to an apocalyptic world. In “A Quiet Place,” this post-apocalyptic world is faced with an alien-like creature that attacks anything that makes noise. Like the Antichrist, the creature destroys the human population and turns the world into an immoral reality.
“These films often portray the end presaged by cosmic signs and catastrophes, the birth of the antichrist, etc., as avertable through the intervention of a heroic, often flawed, Christ-figure,” Beavis said.
“Se7en” is an example of direct biblical text infused into a horror movie. The perverted murderer uses the seven deadly sins to kill those he feels have committed them. Without the Bible, this movie would be obsolete.
People who believe that horror movies go against the Bible or Christian thought have not adequately analyzed these films. Every time an anti-Christ or satanic figure is featured, the direct acknowledgment of God is also present. The Antichrist cannot exist without Christ — the word itself is from The Bible.
Movies like “The Exorcist” clearly reveal that God has power in the fight against evil. If it didn’t, the holy water and exorcisms wouldn’t have worked. In “Annabelle: Creation,” they trap the murderous doll in a closet by pasting Bible pages to the walls. Horror movies like these directly acknowledge that God is real, and He has power against evil.
It is important to make the distinction that not every movie with Christian symbolism promotes the power of the Bible and God’s presence. The use of satanic characters is a representation of scripture — not an endorsement.
Satanic imagery in horror movies does not make them unchristian. It directly submits to the Bible and proves that God’s power is greater than evil.
