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Catholic Abbot Says Disney Indoctrinates Kids

Filed under: Opinions

A Castle at DisneylandWhat organization can you think of that uses tales of good and evil to teach children moral lessons, while at the same time convincing they need that organization in their lives? What group tries to convince people that they need this group in their lives to be "a good and happy family"? What concern is also fabulously wealthy and rakes in insane amounts of money from its customers? According to the Abbot of Worth in England, it's not the Catholic Church but the Disney Corporation.

He claims that Disney is "exploiting spirituality" in order to turn a profit and says that we are in danger of losing our souls due to consumerism. "The message behind every movie and book, behind every theme park and T-shirt is that our children's world needs Disney," he says. The idea is that "they will be happier if they live the full Disney experience."

I don't doubt that Disney wants to keep kids and families coming back for more and that they are using colorful and engaging stories, products, and attractions to do so, but it also seems to me they are following a business model that's a couple thousand years old. And I'm sure it's no coincidence that the esteemed Abbot has a new book coming out, Finding Happiness, in which he suggests people would do well to live more simply.

So what do you think -- is Disney "exploiting spirituality" or just copying what works?

Is the Disney Corporation "exploiting spirituality"?
Not at all -- they're just trying to make a buck.2803 (43.5%)
They're not doing anything that hasn't been done for thousands of years.2663 (41.3%)
Yes, but if that's what the people want, it's okay.437 (6.8%)
Completely -- they should be shut down.546 (8.5%)

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Start by teaching him that it is safe to do so.