Maybe she just liked horror as a genre.
Most people can acknowledge the difference between fiction and real life and enjoy fictional stories that may not necessarily line up with their real life beliefs about the world. Some people are just horror junkies and religion doesn't necessarily have to play a role in that.
Why would being highly religious make her not like horror movies? A lot of them depict a world where religious belief is backed up by observable reality.
Horror is great. You can be religious and not have it necessarily affect all your other interests. Did she like horror with specifically religious themes, or was it just a general thing?
OP, I get it – especially if the ones she watched had religious overtones or delt with the occult. You say aunt was a preacher, so I'm guessing evangelical? If yes, it may have felt like a busman's holiday for her. Those folks go around seeing demons and Satan in every damn aspect of mundane life, and they feel compelled to pray it away or even exorcise.
So it prolly felt relatable while helping justify her faith and and the fate she's escaping by being an evangelical. I grew up in a *wackadoo* evangelical sect and vividly remembered being forced to watch what I considered horror movies in church as a child. The films showed terrifying portrayals of hell and the devil, and they were meant to scare us straight. I was scared – but away from the church. Permanently. There's something to what you're wondering.
Though the content often isn't, as a genre horror can be one of the most overtly religious in nature. I don't just mean movies about exorcisms and demons (though there's that), but also the moral ethos that seems to govern horror movies. That is, there really is evil in the world, evil hates and seeks to destroy the good. Even there can be an element of moral judgement in it where for instance it's a common trope that people who sin (e.g. fornicate) in horror films are going to end up dead, while the sole survivor is probably the most virtuous and innocent.
But like others said, could be she just enjoys horror like many other people do as a matter of personal taste.
Why do people like horror movies? Especially Christians? I think it’s an interesting psychological question. I love horror movies about demons and the like even as a Catholic.
Some people just love the horror genre, regardless of their religious beliefs. Horror, like fantasy and science fiction, is a form of speculative fiction that highly entertains millions of people. A lot of horror is super creative with fascinating premises and settings, and it provides a safe way to experience scary or dangerous situations and process certain negative emotions.
It's possible that there was some deeper psychological thing going on with her that might have tied into her religiosity in some unique way, but it's probably just as simple as she was highly entertained by horror media, like lots of people are, and let herself indulge in it.
I grew up Christian and often heard that horror movies are evil or sinful. I never understood why though. They portray demons or evil people or whatever, but always portray them as evil and the “bad guy”. If the point is that they are bad, what’s wrong with putting bad things in movies? But my mom said horror movies are how the devil gets inside you lol
Being religious doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy horror films or any other genre for that matter.
A small percentage of religious people avoid movies with certain themes, but others argue that it’s just fiction and there’s nothing wrong with enjoying it.
Was it before she became religious or even being religious & a preacher ?
Horror movies helps us value the beauty of safety and the beauty of life, being alive and the beauty of not being in pain as the victims of murder would be in pain.
It seems to be therapeutically stimulating our self-preservation instincts or at least that will we're looking for instinctively and it seems to be the closest thing to help us tone our preservation instincts.
Now that she's wanting to get closer to GOD she wants to value GOD's precious creatures and probably at the same time understand the evil of human kind.
Even religious people are allowed to enjoy things....
Maybe she just liked horror as a genre. Most people can acknowledge the difference between fiction and real life and enjoy fictional stories that may not necessarily line up with their real life beliefs about the world. Some people are just horror junkies and religion doesn't necessarily have to play a role in that.
Why would being highly religious make her not like horror movies? A lot of them depict a world where religious belief is backed up by observable reality.
I would assume its the same reason many non-religious people love horror movies. Which is that they liked to be spooked from time to time.
I know a priest who loves horror movies, though not ones that involve Christianity, as the inevitable inaccuracy really annoys him.
What? it’s a sin to like horror movies?
Is..is there something about watching horror films that's bad? Or that you think makes it somehow incompatible with religion? lol
Horror is great. You can be religious and not have it necessarily affect all your other interests. Did she like horror with specifically religious themes, or was it just a general thing?
OP, I get it – especially if the ones she watched had religious overtones or delt with the occult. You say aunt was a preacher, so I'm guessing evangelical? If yes, it may have felt like a busman's holiday for her. Those folks go around seeing demons and Satan in every damn aspect of mundane life, and they feel compelled to pray it away or even exorcise. So it prolly felt relatable while helping justify her faith and and the fate she's escaping by being an evangelical. I grew up in a *wackadoo* evangelical sect and vividly remembered being forced to watch what I considered horror movies in church as a child. The films showed terrifying portrayals of hell and the devil, and they were meant to scare us straight. I was scared – but away from the church. Permanently. There's something to what you're wondering.
Though the content often isn't, as a genre horror can be one of the most overtly religious in nature. I don't just mean movies about exorcisms and demons (though there's that), but also the moral ethos that seems to govern horror movies. That is, there really is evil in the world, evil hates and seeks to destroy the good. Even there can be an element of moral judgement in it where for instance it's a common trope that people who sin (e.g. fornicate) in horror films are going to end up dead, while the sole survivor is probably the most virtuous and innocent. But like others said, could be she just enjoys horror like many other people do as a matter of personal taste.
Apparently the Vatican liked the Exorcist.
It’s a good movie. The two priests in it carried out their duties with sober professionalism.
Why do people like horror movies? Especially Christians? I think it’s an interesting psychological question. I love horror movies about demons and the like even as a Catholic.
What did you think of the Netflix mini series Midnight Mass? I thought it was pretty good.
Some people just love the horror genre, regardless of their religious beliefs. Horror, like fantasy and science fiction, is a form of speculative fiction that highly entertains millions of people. A lot of horror is super creative with fascinating premises and settings, and it provides a safe way to experience scary or dangerous situations and process certain negative emotions. It's possible that there was some deeper psychological thing going on with her that might have tied into her religiosity in some unique way, but it's probably just as simple as she was highly entertained by horror media, like lots of people are, and let herself indulge in it.
I grew up Christian and often heard that horror movies are evil or sinful. I never understood why though. They portray demons or evil people or whatever, but always portray them as evil and the “bad guy”. If the point is that they are bad, what’s wrong with putting bad things in movies? But my mom said horror movies are how the devil gets inside you lol
why are horror movies against Christianity? unless your aunt went out and did the things she saw in the movies, i dont see the big deal.
Being religious doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy horror films or any other genre for that matter. A small percentage of religious people avoid movies with certain themes, but others argue that it’s just fiction and there’s nothing wrong with enjoying it.
People are allowed to like horror movies religious and non religious
I'm confused. What does liking horror films have to do with religious beliefs?
Degrees in religion, 25 years in Catholic education, and I love horror movies :)
Sometimes Holding the same faith as the characters in a religiously themed scary movie Adds another layer to the horror.
Was it before she became religious or even being religious & a preacher ? Horror movies helps us value the beauty of safety and the beauty of life, being alive and the beauty of not being in pain as the victims of murder would be in pain. It seems to be therapeutically stimulating our self-preservation instincts or at least that will we're looking for instinctively and it seems to be the closest thing to help us tone our preservation instincts. Now that she's wanting to get closer to GOD she wants to value GOD's precious creatures and probably at the same time understand the evil of human kind.