Catholic Abbot Says Disney Indoctrinates Kids

by Roger Sinasohn (Subscribe to Roger Sinasohn's posts) Dec 4th 2008 5:00PM

Categories: Kids 8-11, Fun & Activities, Religion & Spirituality

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What 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?

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Comments (150)

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 8)

c_rousseau05 12-04-2008 @ 5:21PM

I think the Catholic Church needs to worry over itself and it's own image before bashing someone elses. Hmmm, tinker bell, princesses, Mickey Mouse vs. Child Molestation, insanely rich churches whose own abbots feel the need to rake in some cash by selling books on how to be happy and some other not nice things that have come to light from that religion lately.

"we are in danger of losing our souls due to consumerism"

I wonder if he even chuckled at that as he posted the finished product of his book to his publisher and waited for his check? The Catholic church itself has been the biggest money maker in history, even above Disney I think, and they have the nerve to complain about it? Ooooooh, can't stand the competition I guess!

Jeanne 12-08-2008 @ 8:38AM

Y'ALL SHOULD STOP KNOCKING THE CATHOLC CHURCH. PEDOPHILES BECOME PRIESTS NOT PRIESTS BECOME PEDOPHILES. THERE IS NOT ANOTHER CHURCH IN THIS WORLD THAT DOES MORE FOR ALL PEOPLE WHETHER YOU ARE CATHOLIC, PROTESTANT,HOMELESS, ETC. LOOK AT THE STATISTICS CATHOLIC CHARTIES FOUNDATION HELPS MILLIONS EVERY SINGLE YEAR TO ALL PEOPLE. YOU ALL NEED TO CHECK YOUR BIGOTRY AND PUT IT AWAY UNTIL YOU CHECK ALL THE STATISTICS THEN YOU CAN RANT AND RAVE ABOUT CATHOLICISM. THERE IS AN ARTICLE PRINTED ON PROUD TO BE A CATHOLIC WRITTEN BY A JEWISH PERSON STATING THE STATISTICS ON ABUSE OF CHILDREN AND THE CATHOLIC PERCENTAGE WAS 1% VERSUS PROTESTANT CLERGY OF 10%. WHAT SAY YOU NOW STONE THROWER...YOU SHOULD NOT LIVE IN A GLASS HOUSE...:)

MC Tello 12-07-2008 @ 7:54PM

are u kidding me!!! Have you seen the Vatican? Literally, billions of dollars wasted there- it is so over the top opulent, its sickening

c_rousseau05 12-08-2008 @ 11:31AM

Jeanne open your eyes and look at the history of your own church, which I assume you are a part of the Catholic church because you're trying to stand up for it. The helping and doing good things part is measly compared to the murdering, theiving and Lord knows what else they've done in the past, and are doing now. Do you know how many Catholic nunneries have been unearthed from the early Catholic church who've had basements full of fetus bodies that were born and killed or aborted before birth? Did you now that when we were having problems with communism in America, it was the Catholic priests who would give names of people came to confession? Do you know that the Catholic church pretty much single handedly murdered many of the native americans that were some of our ancestors? Do you know that the Pope, during WWII actually had a pact with Stalin that the church would look the other way as long as their churches weren't touched? This is just a TASTE of it, you'll find much much much more. I doubt you know a lot of your church history and I suggest that before you go around calling people biggots and talking about us living in glass houses you should check yourself. At least when you live in a glass house, you can see the world around you more clearly. I dare you to find all this stuff, you will, it'll be easy.

Karen 12-04-2008 @ 6:55PM

I don't think it's the consumerism that bothers me about Disney -- it's the crappiness. I mean, Sanrio is all about commodification of cute, but I don't have a problem with my little girl adoring Hello Kitty in all her forms. If (more like when, I suppose) she started loving Disney Princesses or Disney Fairies or whatnot, we're going to have to have a mother-daughter talk about beauty standards, self-image, and gender roles.

Paul Cyopick 12-04-2008 @ 7:30PM

I'm getting tired of churches telling us what's right and wrong. They do not have a monopoly on morals. Clean up your own back yard and start paying taxes if you want to be political.

KJ 12-07-2008 @ 4:40PM

WHAT IS SO DAM POLITICAL ABOUT RIGHT AND WRONG???????? YOU ARE STUPID

Bradley Rymph 12-07-2008 @ 5:35PM

KJ, I'm sure you're trying to be an effective defender of your beloved Church, but from your tone, I fear you are having the opposite effect. Calling those who disagree with you "stupid," "idiots," and "morons" is likely neither to make them positively consider what you are saying nor to give you credence as a definer of "right" vs. "wrong" (which you mention multiple times below). I think that most Christians would say that the Bibilical standard of right vs. wrong would put "judging not, lest ye be judged," "not worrying about the splinter in someone else's eye," and "loving your enemies" as indicators in the "right" column. Your comments seem like they just might be a little bit lacking on all three measures.

BV 12-04-2008 @ 9:37PM

This is the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard! Disney is a business, and they make good money off of what they do. They simply bring to life the fantasies of childhood. I love Disney, and to say that "we are in danger of losing our souls due to consumerism" is way to extreme! Should we take away children's imagination too? How dare they dream or think outside of the box. I know, lets get rid of Disney, Dreamworks, Nickelodean, and all other forms media that dares to feed a child's imagination. Why not take away toys too? Only allow trucks for boys and Dolls for girls. Would that make the catholics happy?

Amanda 12-05-2008 @ 9:03AM

Those in glass houses should never throw stones. The Catholic Church should tend to itself and worry about the souls corrupted by molestation by priests rather than the effects of consumerism.

KJ 12-07-2008 @ 4:41PM

AND THE CHURCH HAS CLEANED UP THEIR ACT, BUT YOU OBVIOUSLY DONT WANT ANYONE TO TELL YOU WHATS RIGHT AND WRONG.SO GO TO .well, you know where

kymberlee42 12-07-2008 @ 6:52PM

Amen! I am SICK and TIRED of they hypocracy of the Catholics and all of the other religions of the world..do as we say, not as we do. It's beyond stupid and it's high time that those people that are sheep following along, not paying attention, WAKE UP and start thinking for themselves for once. It's not up to anyone but God Himself to judge me and everyone else. Judge not lest ye be judged. But of course those that pound on the pupit like to forget that little passage of the Bible, it makes the judgement they like to pass on everyone so difficult for everyone else to swallow.

HappyMom 12-05-2008 @ 12:29PM

I believe it is the job of all Christian religions to assist the human population in it's walk toward heaven and spread the news of true happiness in God. This definately isn't about the sad & flawed Catholic Church, it is about our own individual souls and the good Abbott is doing his job by reminding us that happiness can't be found in material objects, but it can be perfectly found in God's company. I don't believe he was trying to tell anyone "what to do" or how to be entertained however, Disney, being the most recognizable entertainer of children who are most impressionistic was used as an example of how these entertainers want us to believe that being entertained and buying things is our way to complete happiness.
If our consumeristic society is telling us that true, complete, perfect happiness can be found in material things here on earth then our goal of attaining heaven, which is complete, eternal pleasure, becomes second or third or 50th in line of attainable priorities. And true happiness here on earth can't be found in material pleasures. Be honest with yourselves, when was the last time you paid for something that kept you happy from the moment you bought it until even today? The good Abbott is onto something because even as the economy goes south, those that have faith, hope and happiness in God are not suffering from depression, anger, sadness and anxiety over it.
As for the Catholic Church being the biggest $$ maker - well, they also give it away & use it to help many more people in this world than Disney can even advertise to. Some day you might know someone who was helped by a Catholic charity.
Finally, I can't believe children's imaginations are better off with the inspired, already made up ideas of Disney, Nickelodeon, etc. instead of what they can come up with on their own - isn't that what imagination is?

kendshultz 12-07-2008 @ 3:47PM

Absolutely! Good Call!

Dalia 12-07-2008 @ 5:04PM

I do not agree to what you said, that if someone has faith and believes in God doesn't suffer from anxiety, I'm here to tell you, that I grew up learning and reading the bible and I still do, but that doesn't mean that I cannot be depressed and worry about our economy and what's going to happen to us with our jobs and our childrens future, so many people are financially doing so bad even the middle class are worried about losing all that they have worked so hard for, but all we can do is wait and see what happens and how long it will take to turn things around. In God We Trust!!!

jenny161942 12-07-2008 @ 5:43PM

Yes, from the christian perspective you seem to be right. However this country was founded on the right to religious freedom...so not everyone is christian.

The original founders of this country were indeed christian...some of them came here to escape religious persescution, and some came to make a quick buck in the new world...although it did not work out that way. So, just because the founders were christian does not mean that their ideals should apply to everyone in this country. If that were the case then the original ideals were hypocritical...that would be "religious freedom as long as you are the right religion".

So, I do not see anything wrong with Disney...they are not promoting killing, incest, bigotry, or any other evil past time. If people pay for it and love it, then why can't they continue as they are?

Personally I think they are way over rated, but hey that's my opinion, and that is what this country stands for...the right to be individuals. So, as much as I think they are over rated, they still have the right to be there. And I do not want that right taken just because some people dont' like them. If you don't like them, don't support them...it's that simple.

Kaylee 12-07-2008 @ 6:40PM

Your nuts! Would a LOVING GOD let all this happen?? Good GOD fearing people all their life...just to have it all taken away? Hello...You say the best is yet to come? Heaven? How about before we all get there, here on earth it would be nice to have a roof over my head. Nothing wrong with that, OR do you see sin in that too!

jody 12-07-2008 @ 6:59PM

HappyMom,

Well spoken!!! With you 200%. God is good.

Have a Blessed Christmas,

Jody

Tim Jones 12-07-2008 @ 8:10PM

Most religions lay fear of hell and damnation at the feet of children and then ask them to choose of their own free will the pleasures of heaven or the eternal fire of hell. It's a spiritual scar that covers the wounds of fearful torment many religions have foisted upon the impressionable minds of children.

And your worried about consumerism affecting the life of children? You should be more worried about the hideous affect grotesque Bible plots have on the psyche of children rather than the Mickey Mouse ears on their heads because the Bible stories are told as true.

Disney has done more for morality in the last 70 years than most religions have done in the last 7,000. Most all of their stories promote good over the wicked in an entertaining way children can understand. If you do right, develop your talents, you can do anything. You might have to wish upon a star, but that metaphysical shortcoming haunts many spiritual teachings.

Plus, you don't find many members of the Mickey Mouse Club flying airplanes into skyscrapers or burning people at the stake for believing in the Copernicus model of cosmology or marching off to crusades to spread Supercalifragilisticexpialladocious.

As for money, take it from Saint Walter Elias Disney. When asked what money meant to him, he simply said, "It is only fertilizer. It helps things grow." He'd be proud of that farm today.

HappyMom 12-07-2008 @ 8:17PM

First, God would let this happen b/c He gives us free choice. If we want to put our faith of finding happiness in money & credit & material items regardless of the outcome, then so it goes. God is the ultimate in natural consquences discipline. "Keeping up with the Jones's" isn't the way to happiness - it never was, but the sneaky marketers & advertisers tell us so and sometimes, to our detriment, we believe it.
And sadly, b/c of sin, each human's actions has reprecussions - either good or bad- for the rest of the human family. Those also are natural consequences and since God is not a magic genie, He allows us all the opportunity to learn from our mistakes.
As for depression & anxiety - I suffer from them, take meds for them and yet, when I allow God to be my hope, I am able to be at peace knowing that this suffering and frustration of human life is not all there is and that I am loved beyond any human imagining of love. It puts a smile on my face and a content sigh in my heart.
Please don't get me wrong, I am still concerned, but I pray for those suffering & about these awful economic times. Then I help who & when I can and I take appropriate steps to do what I can for the good of my family.
Pray, hope & don't worry. What good does worry do any way?
If you want happiness in the world, which by the way God also wants for us even before we get to heaven then we must find happiness in seeking Him first rather than first or only Disney & other consumer properties. Which I guess brings us right back to the topic of this discussion.
Where your heart is there also is your god.
Christmas Blessings to you all, Christian or not.
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