Being a Christian Actor (Faith)

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Dear all,

Went to an event run by Artisan Initiatives last night...basically it's a big prayer/worship type event where loads of people from the arts, media and fashion industries meet up and share experiences and talk about the Christian faith...aswell as getting free tea and donuts!! Got me thinking about my faith and how it affects how I manage my career. Just thought I'd open up a discussion...maybe meet other Christians on this site or just get the topic out there. Meaning of life stuff...always fun on a cold, grey tuesday! Faith (and religion - although I hate using the word) can have such a profound effect on our lives and is obviously a hot topic in our industry at the moment (riots in Birmingham - religious hate laws etc...)Should we have the freedom in this industry to say and do anything? Does being a Christian affect the choices you make...limit the jobs that you do?
Any thoughts?

Ben


  • 17 years ago
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"god rocks - my ar*e" was my response to the inanity of that comment made in post #30. my apologies for descending to that level.


  • 17 years ago
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I totally understand what you're getting at Ben, but I think there's also a danger in saying that Christians face x amount of moral issues in the industry. It's probably worth saying that the majority of the 'dilemmas' faced by Christians in the acting world are the same as the 'dilemmas' faced by anyone, Christian or otherwise. Perhaps how we respond to them is different, but even then (certainly for me) a lot of the answers that I'd give are more to do with me as a person than me as a Christian, inasmuch as you can separate them… But, for the record…:

Nudity or no nudity?
As someone said earlier, we're made in his image. The human body is a beautiful thing, and not something to be ashamed of, so if you're body confident and can see that there's a call for nakedness within the piece, then why not?

Is swearing ok?
If the part/character calls for it. If it's gratuitous it should be questioned regardless of faith, surely, as it just sounds silly, and often demeans the point.

Working on a Sunday?
Well, I have commitments at church on Sundays that I'd hate to miss out on, but it really depends on the job.

Playing a part such as a murderer, rapist, war criminal etc...?
Isn't it all about intent, and the overall aim of the piece? Why should a Christian find it any harder to justify playing someone 'evil' than anyone else with a conscience?

Career choices?
Back to the intent - what's the point of the piece? And again, my choices might be affected by my beliefs, but whose aren't? I don't think you'd find many people who would have absolutely no qualms about taking on any part that comes their way, regardless of faith or belief.

Success or no success?
Surely it's not the 'having it' that is called in to question as a Christian - it's what you do with it.

Just my two pence worth…


  • 17 years ago
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To the Anon Poster....

I compleatly understand your questions and have asked them a million times myself. If you would like to send a personal email to discuss, please do.... i dont know all the answers or claim to speak for 'my faith' but can maybe offer a personal view point on this big matter of religon, if that helps.

Faye x


  • 17 years ago
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Hi Teg...I totally agree...was just bringing the discussion back to what people had already discussed. I think everybody does indeed face the same kind of moral issues...its whether or not as Christians we react differently or make different choices because of our faith? I don't know...:)

A note on the bible...referring to back to Mark's point...it is written by man...cool...here's something to consider though...

The bible is a collection of 66 separate books and letters, written over a period of some 1,500 years. There were many different writers, who lived and wrote in different countries. They come from different walks of life and different social positions. One wrote history, another biography; another wrote on theology, another prophecy. Some wrote on philosophy, and some stories of adventure, travel and romance. Most of them had no contact with each other and no means of knowing that when their writings were all put together as one book it would be complete, all parts agreeing in doctrine, teaching and prophecy.

God inspired?


  • 17 years ago
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Can I just say that I know lots of 'converted christisns' (I am not one) and there is not a chance on this earth that they would work in any acting environment on a sunday, swear or take the lords name in vain (be it in character or otherwise), or act in any other way that doesnt do duty to God. Not a chance. And true christians dont spend their timr in the pub drinking and discussing their faith, thats not the Lords environment, God is not present inside a pub. As I say, I aint a converted christian, I have not 'Gone forward' and taken commmunian because I do go to the pub for a drink, do things against Gods word so I could not call myself a christian even though I go to church on a sunday and believe in God and the scriptures of the Bible. Remember we all have our oppinions, so please dont shout at me.


  • 17 years ago
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just to let any north west based actors know that there is a similar event in manchester called redeeming the arts

http://citylinks.org.uk/Publisher/Article.aspx?id=39633

would be good to see some of you around!


  • 17 years ago
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Hi Murray,

I was quite surprised by your post. You paint all us converted Christians as saints! I most certainly am not one of those...

I go to the pub, God is with me wherever I am.

I swear, I shouldn't but I am not faultless, God knows my heart and he forgives me.

I don't go to church - never liked organised 'religion' and God has not guided me to a church for a long while. Therfore, I often work on a sunday and have never had any guilt for doing so.

I believe that God lives in your heart, not in a building. Church is a great place to worship and have fellowship with other Christians, but I don't feel that attending one is a prerequisite for having a faith.

Just adding my tuppence worth.


  • 17 years ago
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a simple message, I'll accept, but for many of us an anthem that touched to the very core. something that made sense in a mad world (Vietnam, cold war nuclear sabre-rattling, financial crises etc). and then the world just kept becoming increasingly insane to the point where we're now thinking backwards - creationism taught in schools in the states (and probably soon over here), presidents and prime ministers excusing their invasion of the middle east because of hearing the voice of god, thought crime becoming a reality with academics, however misguided, being incarcerated in European jails for "holocaust denial" - where is your freedom of speech now? all this and more has led to a great proportion of the population to turn away from organised religion and to view followers of "faith" as being rather odd. not surprisingly, many of these people will be people you work with and people you would wish to work with/for.


Imagine there's no heaven
It's easy if you try
no hell below us,
Above us only sky,
Imagine all the people
living for today...

Imagine there's no countries,
It isn't hard to do,
Nothing to kill or die for,
No religion too,
Imagine all the people
living life in peace...

Imagine no possessions,
I wonder if you can,
No need for greed or hunger,
A brotherhood of man,
Imagine all the people
Sharing all the world...

You may say I'm a dreamer,
but I'm not the only one,
I hope some day you'll join us,
And the world will live as one.


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Its important to separate truly religious people with people doing dumb things and using religion as their get out clause.

I'm a Christian. Do I agree with the Spanish Inquisition? With Bush's policies on....pretty much anything? With the war in Iraq?
No, of course not. I don't agree with any of it. Some Christians might, I don't. Just because it was done in the name of Christianity, doesn't mean I support it - or that it truly was done for Christianity for that matter.

The problem is that 'famous' religious people are generally all weirdos. Thats why they're famous.

You can't send men to their deaths in a war (over oil) and claim its for God. Well, actually, you can claim it, but it doesn't make it true.

I understand the hostility people feel towards organised religion, because historically organised religion has done a lot of damage. But condemning everybody for the actions of the minority (and it IS the minority, no matter what religion you're looking at) is at best unfair, at worst ridiculous.

Ultimately, I don't hurt anybody with my belief in God, I'm not about to start any wars, and I don't go round with a megaphone warning people the end is nigh. I believe in God and try to be a good Christian. The rest is academic.


  • 17 years ago
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Let me just clarify a point here.
I don't mean that all famous people who are religious are weird. I mean that generally the only religious people we hear about are the weirdos or the ones who've done dangerous/stupid things in the name of their religion.

So Sally Phillips and Cat Stevens are cool, but
Torquemada isn't....


  • 17 years ago
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Morning all

Sheri, I'm with you on this one. Murray - (promise I won't shout at you ;) I guess I'm what you call a 'converted Christian' - I became a Christian about 2 years ago, got baptised last June - but I don't personally subscribe to half of what you said. I was at the pub last night (not a rare occurence, although that's worse news for my wallet than for my faith). I'll work on a Sunday given the right cause. I'll happily discuss my faith with anyone - whether over a bottle (or two!?) of wine or not... God is everwhere. And if I'm 'witnessing' in a pub, he's there, and if I'm just having a drink with my mates and talking about anything else, he's still there.

Being a Christian (uh oh, here comes the cheesy jargon) is about accepting that Jesus died for you and about your personal relationship with God. If your relationship with God is sound, and if you are 'right with God' (and only you can know this) then everything else is just icing. I do go to church, because I found one where I'm happy and can worship effectively, and where I feel I can be of use in the congregation and in the community, but not everyone has this all of the time. But even if you have found a great church, God is not in the building. He's in the hearts of the people who worship him together there - church is not the bricks and mortar, it's the people who gather in Jesus' name. (end cheese)

T.xx


  • 17 years ago
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All I can say is I don't let anyones religion or faith affect what I do. The only faith I have is in myself. Plus, my surname being Morningstar I do not think I'd be a great Christian poster child!


  • 17 years ago
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Just a quickie...

As Christians we are called to show our faith, to reach out to people. Now, every Christian is called for their own individual task. Each one has a personal relationship with God and God has a unique life for them planned out. Therefore, there are some Christians who will try and reach people through going to the pub, enjoying a pint (the disciples in the bible enjoyed many a glass of vino!)..others might be called to reach people in another way. I go back to the point I made earlier. If there is something in your life - whether it's getting drunk, compulsive swearing, sex, anything really...that gets in the way of your own unique relationship with God then he will attempt to change your heart. But it comes back to our own choice whether or not we hear his words and act or carry on doing what we think is best for our life. Personally, I feel that God is always right! Annoying and frustrating as that is sometimes!

Ben


  • 17 years ago
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Hi all, I love this post, hearing everyones ideas, its great. I can put my 'ideas' out which is great. All I have got is an 'idea'. I go to church, I read the bible, I believe in our Saviour and believe he died for our sins, Im also christened....but that does not make me a christian, and I am anything but saved because doing things such as going to the pub is not the environment I believe God is. And I think that those who are converted christians (born again if you like) want to go to church to glorify his name with others and praise the lord with the Presenting and singing in church under his house, the church is the house of the Lord, I think, is it not?? I am just interested. I know others will disagree, but I have just thought perhaps why. Some people here may be Catholics and othere Protestant and both have very different beliefs about ways in serving God. I dont think Blasphemy is accepted in the Bible as a way to follow God so why do so many christians think its ok while they are working, just curious? Thanks Ben for starting such an interesting thread. Iona x


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Iona - interesting points. You're right, too - being christened doesn't make you a Christian. I think it all comes back to 'saved by grace, not by works', and 'all have fallen short of the glory of God'. Basically, we're never going to be good enough. That's the point. Our salvation is a gift from God that is ours to accept or reject (enter 'free will', stage left) - we don't have to earn it (which is really lucky, cos we couldn't if we tried!!). So to each their own about pubs, drinking etc. As Ben said, it's all about squaring it with God within your relationship with him.


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Your right. I agree totally. I am just probably taking stuff from the older generation of christians and as we all already know the pub is not the best place to come to God but if it works for some then good luck to them, wish it was me. Maybe I should stop listening to other people and get on with it myself, its about your relationship with him I know your right. Still cant understand why people would choose not to go and praise his works with fellow christians in church, that I am shocked at but the rest I can understand. Iona x


  • 17 years ago
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OH MY GOD!!!! (pardon the pun)

Lighten up please. It's a huge world out there with many beautiful things and equally as many shitty things happening every day. Whether you have a faith or not, go out and enjoy it.

Personally, I have no faith and I feel very fulfilled in my choices. I don't need to believe in anything but life is what you make it-no one else.

So for those who are religious, bully for you. You reckon your going to a better place so leave us to enjoy this one without standing on street corners shouting at homosexuals as they walk past, damning them to hell.

As for those people who are not religious, (to borrow from a popular 80's childrens tv show) why don't you turn off your computer, leave these snorin' borin' tedious christians to their self righteous waffling and do something less boring instead.

the end.x

p.s.I'm not ashamed to show my face and say this.


  • 17 years ago
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"standing on street corners shouting at homosexuals as they walk past, damning them to hell."

oh ar*e. I knew there was somewhere I was supposed to be.


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Well my dear, it's attitudes like that which make your religion as solid as it is. Well done, you must feel very big- but if you don't then at least Jesus will stick up for you.


  • 17 years ago
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I believe that Tegwen was being ironic in her last post Chris.

I am not sure quite where on this discussion board anyone has been self righteous or shouted at any homosexuals.
If we are such 'snorin' borin' tedious Christians', can I ask why you are bothering to read this thread and to reply to posts?


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