MovieChat Forums > Sister Act (1992) Discussion > Christians offended?!?

Christians offended?!?

posted 14 years ago by ccheng21-1
20 replies | jump to latest

I remember when this was released. I was in Catholic School (my parents thought they had better educational standards, which in my case was false, they weren't Christians). We were visited by a sister every wednesday named Sister Patricia and I asked her one day what she felt about the movie. She said she was deepy offended by the portrayal of Catholic nuns.

I asked her how she could be offended because the nuns in this movie, find a way to help their neighborhood, reach out to someone who is in need and protect her, they show devotion, honesty, integrity, loyalty and even put their own lives on the line to help Delores.

Sister Patricia had to think about what I said (I was in grade 3 at the time) and she did reconsider.

Yes its a comedy, yes they have religious folk in the movie, but the message about the story, is people helping each other, isn't that a good message, regardless of any faith or any belief?

[–] mojo2004 14 years ago

Yes it is.

Friends of mine in NY who are Catholic used to invite me to go to Church with them when I visited. Their Holy Father made the church more like the way the neighbor was rather than trying to keep it as it was in its glory days. There was a variety of music played during the service. Lots of it too. People were encouraged to come dressed in what made them feel comfortable. It worked. The church was filled every Sunday.I really enjoyed myself every time I went. When I saw Sister Act the first thing I thought of was my friend's church!

Leading the blind squirrels of inquiry to the lost nuts of illumination.

[–] misstrouble 13 years ago

I stopped Going to church when i was a kid coz they got rid of the vicar (christian church) he use to get his guitar out and was soooo cool! And then the ppl incharge of him said he was to out there. The new one put me to sleep 4 times and i then stopped going. Id have loved to go to the improved version of te church in this. It would have been amazing

[–] TeOfLeDiKi 11 years ago

@mojo: I'm a little late to this party, but got a little chuckle when i saw your post. i take it you're not Roman Catholic? I ask because the term Holy Father refers to either the Pope or to God the Father, not to the parish priest.

neat . . . sweet . . . petite

[–] Frank-97 14 years ago

I can't imagine a Catholic being offended by this movie. While some of the portrayals are somewhat stereotypical, it is a COMEDY and that is often the essence of comedy...but it is all done gently and in a friendly, even loving, way. I esp loved the scene where they cajole the helicopter pilot to fly them to Reno at virtually no cost by oraying for him in such a way he was intimidated into taking them!

I have known many many nuns (including a cousin of mine) and they can be FORMIDABLE and know how to get their (or God's) way!

I thoroughly enjoy this movie and the portrayal of the nuns as very very good and caring people...even the Mother Superior (Maggie Smith) who truly had only love and concern for the sisters under her authority!

[–] Miss_Sui_Generis 14 years ago

A Sister of St. Vincent de Paul told me this was one of her favorite films. According to her, the day it opened in San Francisco,invited sisters from various religious orders got in free in they were in habit. Sister C. thought the film was very funny. To the best of my knowledge, no one shpwed up in a fake habit in order to get in free-the invitation had been sent without alerting the press or the general public.

[–] 14 years ago

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[–] raindog517 14 years ago

I think they had been taught in the past...but they needed to be REtaught.

www.robmcgwrites.com

[–] mizhu 14 years ago

I thought they were always capable...and willing...to do those things. But the reigns from Mother Superior were too tight around their necks.

Sister Clarence helped loosen those reigns, so that the nuns could do what they always knew they were capable of.

[–] construct 13 years ago

It's a cloistered, contemplative order. Being out in the world is not in their job description.

[–] willjohn 13 years ago

If they were cloistered they would not be teaching.

Nuns and sisters stopped wearing the long habits with the wimples in the 1960s after Vatican II. Some years later I asked my aunt (who was a teaching Sister of
Charity from her late teens) if sisters or nuns in the USA still wore the habits. she laughed and said "Only the gays wear that now."

She was referring to the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, a group of bearded gay men who wore the habit and marched in the Sydney Gay Mardi Gras.

[–] hoochiemoochie 13 years ago

I remember when this came out (I was 6 years old) my dad and grandmother (who are Catholics) used to talk about it all the time and how terrible it was because they raised their voices in church when they sang. They believed that people should be "reverent" and "quiet" in church and that it is sacrilegious to sing like that in a church choir. This was such a huge debate at that time and I remember them being so mad. When I look back on it 20 years later I think it is so funny and silly how upset they got.

[–] StoogeFan 13 years ago

A priest at my church told me that he loves both Sister Act movies and owns them on DVD. And he's one of the more conservative priests I've met. So, no, I don't think religious people are offended by this movie.

[–] pittsburghsteelers6789 13 years ago

As a Protestant Christian, I thought the film showed the Roman Catholic Church in a positive light; the convent not only showed Delores the love of Christ, the convent literally saved her life. Considering everything, I was not offended and thought the movie showed Christianity as faith full of mercy and love.

[–] 13 years ago

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[–] Chaseterrier 12 years ago

I used to go to a Catholic High School. We watched this movie in religion class and the teacher used it as a way to teach us about nuns in the real world (the teacher was pointing out the correct things and the mistakes the movie made about nuns).

[–] SparklingLily 12 years ago

I'm a Christian and I have no idea why anyone would be offended by this. It's a great movie with a positive message and story without all the raunch that is in movies today.

[–] ljspin 12 years ago

A couple of thoughts:

-- I am Catholic, and I love this movie. I recently saw the stage musical based on the film and loved it, too.

-- At times it does poke fun at Catholicism, but it is never mean spirited. It shows the Catholic Church in a very positive light. And as far as those little jokes go, if we can't laugh at ourselves, then we take ourselves too seriously.

-- About the old-fashioned habits: In the United States, the convents that receive the most novices are those that still wear the old habits. When I do my weekly grocery shopping on Saturday morning, I am usually shopping at the same time as the Sisters who run a local home for the mentally disabled. I know they are Sisters because they all wear habits and veils.