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Many religious institutions have in the past tried to limit secular entertainment, usually under the guise of combating vice. (As in. The village dance leads to sex, then people have babies, then the church has to provide for the unwanted children. It did not of course do any providing if it could help it.) Yet look back, to say medieval Europe, and churches of were the only institutions where most people could go for entertainment, hear music, see art or listen to audio books, (the Bible). Did they try to suppress secular arts to control vice, or just to maintain their monopoly on the entertainments industry ? And does the religious claim still pedalled today, that morality comes only from faith, not owe a lot simply to that sales pitch ?

Fernapple 9 May 25
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Secular entertainment contains too much sex and violence and also might show different views or bad behavior...it is not just the religious that are concerned about this....we all should be...many of the movies and entertainment dumb people down with ridiculous plots, poor behavior, violence toward women and men, etc....

The entertainment industry is probably happy that the religious don't like their stuff...it brings them publicity....

edited: I am not advocating for censorship...I believe in capitalism and freedom of expression...I just prefer other forms of entertainment be advocated for...art galleries, live music, books, etc.

Yes that is true, I was thinking more historically about the deep tradition, but it could well be said that it is no bad thing to have organized opposition to mainstream culture, and that that is one of the few benefits of religion.

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Xstianity is notorious for its preaching of "Go forth and Multiply," but has never once allowed for the possibility that such an ideology could be socially, economically and environmentally harmful.
It is a historical fact that the Catholic Church actually sold unwanted babies to the highest bidders for centuries plus often put the single mothers into Church enforced Servitude both in the pre-natal and post- natal stages as well.
It is also worth noting here and IS a historically known fact also, that countless Convents throughout Europe, the U.K and the Western world ALL had Lime Pits in their grounds. These Lime Pits were for SOLE purpose of disposing of babies born to the " Brides of Christ," a.k.a. the Nuns, who 'mysteriously(????)' managed to fall pregnant since those babies could NOT be sold/adopted out as they were considered as being Non- Church Property or 'tainted children.'

In terms of "go forth and multiply", for most of human history many children died before they reached adulthood. That's why you had to have so damned many kids--in hopes one might live to adulthood and have children themselves.

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My guess: that pitch approach may have been handed down as a tradition in church management.

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The free church in the west of Scotland is notorious for being anti enjoyment giving rise to the joke. " Q. Why does the Free Church not allow sex when standing up. A. Because it might lead to the dancing"

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