WASHINGTON (RNS) Mormons are the faith group most likely to say Hollywood threatens their values, followed by Jehovah’s Witnesses and evangelicals, according to a new study by the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life.
The survey showed more than two-thirds of Mormons (68 percent) rebuffed the entertainment industry, followed by 54 percent of Jehovah’s Witnesses and 53 percent of evangelicals. Less than half (42 percent) of the general population said Hollywood threatens their values.
In contrast, majorities of all other major religions disagreed that stars and the silver screen are a moral threat.
The study did not delve into causes for the negative perception, but solid majorities of Mormons surveyed are conservative (60 percent) and 88 percent believe in absolute standards of right and wrong.
Adherents to the Mormon faith also showed “exceptionally high levels of religious commitment,” according to the Pew study.
On the small and big screens, a few notable actors have appeared in recent years with Mormon roots; among them, Katherine Heigl, Aaron Eckhart, Rick Schroder, Jon Heder and Amy Adams.
Incidentally, California is not just home to Tinseltown; it also boasts America’s second-largest Mormon population (13 percent), second only to Utah (35 percent). Mormons account for 1.7 percent of American adults, comparable to the nation’s Jewish population.
The current survey was released Friday (July 24) to coincide with Pioneer Day, a state holiday in Utah, which commemorates the arrival in 1847 of the first Mormon settlers in Salt Lake Valley.
By Tiffany Stanley
Copyright 2009 Religion News Service. All rights reserved. No part of this transmission may be distributed or reproduced without written permission.
Beliefnet
Advertisement
posted July 27, 2009 at 6:50 pm
OK, I know it is summer and the amount of news dribbles to a barely perceptible puddle. But this is not even close! Talk about a “Duh!” moment?! What would be news would be to find out the Mormons were about to release a sure blockbuster hit. But instead we get this “rustle of cellophane in a silent church” kind of story. I can’t wait until the August news stories hit the internet!
posted July 27, 2009 at 8:12 pm
Easy solution that problem…don’t go to the movies!
Yes, jestrfyl…slow summer stuff…
posted July 27, 2009 at 11:05 pm
At least Sarah Palin isn’t on Beliefnet, she’s everywhere else on the net today saying good-bye one more time and admonishing the Media.
posted July 28, 2009 at 9:25 am
How many times do we need to see the face saying “good-bye?” Apparently the media she seems to not like keeps sticking her on the news, even to say “I’m out of here!” Wonder if she is offened by “Hollywood” too??
)
posted July 28, 2009 at 4:00 pm
Far be it from me to defend the dreck that streams from Hollywood, but how exactly do modern films, with their mind-numbingly lurid violence, “threaten” anyone’s values? They may OFFEND my values, but they certainly don’t THREATEN them. My values are still perfectly intact, thank you.
posted July 28, 2009 at 4:41 pm
Clearly way past time for them to lighten up.
posted July 28, 2009 at 7:47 pm
Polls are a crock for the purpose of finding suckers to play into them, as for Hollywood not much good coming out of there anyway, remakes, shock flicks, sex and murder.
posted July 28, 2009 at 9:21 pm
Nobody is forcing them to go to the movies or watch TV. If they choose to do so they have only themselves to blame if their “values” are “threatened”.