Your Comments

From Comicboy: Hello I am a 15 year old male. As much people have stated clearly before is that they found out such sites dealing with porn and anime such as dragonball ,sailor moon, and pokemon. All can reassure you that there is no such thing as pokemon porn or any other porn of these titles or any other titles. I am not saying that all Anime is not porn or h____ as i shall refer to it. H____ is basically japan version of porn as cartoons basically. That is not all but that is the basic princable.

Also on a side note i am tired of people attacking things as a scrapegoat. We need to really focus on real problems here. I am a 15 year old and i can get drugs, alchohal, and just about any thing else. Yes that does include women and porn activites....

Some people attack dragonball for violence and other anime. I can go get a gun if i wanted so u cannot really blame a cartoon show for that can u. People though blame anime or music for the why. Most people that commit the acts are not triggered by cartoons. what people really should is go after Gun cooperation....

I am not some kid that thinks he knows how everything works but i do not more then people think or let on. polotictions are bribbed. THey are bibbred by the people that us as a society shoudl be going after. We should go after tobaco companies and gun companies. We should not go after entertainment and censor it so that is losses all form of it orignal content.

i would appreciate it if you would post this on your site. i spent some time thinking of what to say, and i would like to add more later if you comment on my letter. i don't want to start a war, i'd just like to speak my mind and defend both God and anime. thanks!

From Mike D.: Let me ask you a little question, Dragonball is the work of the devil, right? So is pokemon, haryy potter, digimon, and all other forms of anime, am i correct? So this being true, then you in no way, shape or form have anything against the japanese culture other then the fact that they don't worship your god? I would assume you would say this is true. So why do you censor their word for porn, ___? (I know you won't let it through.)

I think the fact that your censor another cultures language shows exactly how ignorant and intolerant you actually are. Whether you mean to be or not, you are being intolerant, and you are being ignorant.

Oh, and another thing. Since only christans go to heaven, and everyone else goes to hell, how many innocent people has your LOVING, FORGIVING, almighty GOD sent to hell, even if they have never had a single idea that he existed. I think that over the ages it would add up to quite a lot. if this is the case, then your god isn't good, great, loving, caring, or even sane. (yes, i am passing judgement on him, i know that). Different people, different cultures. get it now? children are not so close minded that they'll abandon their religion just because of a colorful cartoon charector on tv has a different one than they do.

From ZxNinjaxZ: Since you either decided not to post my letter and/or delete it, I thought I should grace you with my presence by writing another letter. I've been finding that as soon as some of the people who comment at
this site get smarter, you tend to not post those letters. Look at the letter that was maybe a paragraph long, ending with "THEIR NOT REAL." Short letter, gets the message across, but didn't prove a thing.

When people start to prove things, or suggest something to YOU, rather than YOU suggesting something to them, you stop replying. I'll admit, these letters that I have been sending were a bit of a "game" to me. A little
debate because I was bored out of my mind. I know you aren't going to rent The Crow, because you don't like
following suggestions from many people. It's too "ocult" for you.

When you say that certain things "desensitize" people, really they make them less paranoid. Nudity for one thing. The human body is a natural thing. Adam and Eve never wore clothing.

Ancient Greeks believed the body was a beautiful thing. But then again, you say that all the ancient greek
gods and goddesses were written by a mad man. [I did? Where?]

You say "no" to nudity, when Adam and Eve didn't wear cloths. What's so bad about nudity anyway? You're born naked, is that bad?

You refuse to acknowledge any super-natural type power because you say it doesn't come from your God. Your God is not the center of the universe.

Characters in Anime, like in Dragon Ball Z, use this kind of power. But you say it's occult because they tap into an energy source that is not from God, but their own. It's a fictional world. They don't have to follow
Christian laws, because they are not real. In the series, the good majority of the characters are stronger than the character who is the Earth's God.

RPGs, either Video game RPGs or card games, are not occult, or works of Satan. I myself, am making an RPG in which five warriors decide the fate of a world and time itself. The five characters are Rock, a hand fighter with amazing powers of flame, Sirius, a swordsman who's destiny is to become a new Shinigami for their world, Touma, a ninja who's dream it is to become a full Samurai, Hunter, an android from the future who is trying to save his world by correcting all the mistakes in the past, and Red, a mercenary who's family was killed by a demon named Triates. Triates is the main villain, who was banished from their world thousands of years before, but a misguided man unleashes him in a ceremony gone wrong. Each character has an elemental power, for Rock, fire, for Sirius, Darkness, for Touma, air, for Hunter, Earth, for Red, water.

Right away you will say that when the characters that I have created (or gotten permission from their creators to use) tap into a power that is not of God. Technically though, you say your God created everything in the universe. Now, I have my own universe, and I have created it. Albeit, it's computer code, but still it's an imaginary universe, still a universe. So when they "tap into" this power, it's coming from one who created it, albeit, it was in a game, but still very much created.

Which leads me into my final point on all Anime in general. I won't deny that some anime films and shows do contain small amounts of nudity. But they will never contain any actual sex, or anything of the sort (in accordance with certain laws in japan). Now, certain Anime's are quite violent, one example that I've seen had so much blood and guts it was disgusting. (Ironically enough, this was made by an American Anime company). And it is true that many of the women do have a very distinct female form. But also, Anime has many female main characters, and even if there is nudity, (as mentioned in some previous letters), it is much more tasteful than some of the "porn" we have here, usually depicting the women as strong, independant characters, hopefully allowing children to respect them as people. Of course, some Anime films simply aren't for children, but that's a given for all types of shows, isn't it?

That's true, Gratch. Thanks.

From David: I plead to anime fans to stop attacking this site for attacking anime. Why? We are obviously having no affect. We are not going to be able to change his opinion. As he has stated many times before the site is for Christians. SO what if they don't want to watch anime. Is that going to change your life? No.

IS the owner of this website going to prevent you from watching anime? No. Just let the Christians do what they want to do and continue to enjoy your anime.

Thanks, David, for demonstrating that we can be rational and civil even if we don't agree with each other.

From Shamus Mahan, Advocatus Diaboli: Round two! (continued)

You continue: "I, like other Christians -- including the potential anime fans in Christian families -- am vulnerable each day to temptations that could pull me away from Him" to which I can scarcely resist chuckling. What could possibly tempt someone SOO obsessed with the Jesus Cult? You are 100% sure of your own holiness, and thus you speak with the AUTHORITY of god. NOWHERE do you even HINT that you could be wrong about anime. Your personal interpretation of a book written over the course of hundreds of years intended to be relevant to a nomadic tribe of people in the desert (and later, to a persecuted religious minority in the Roman Empire) is a shaky foundation upon which to base your condemnation of my hobby.

You: "He has always been faithful to me. "

Me: Well, you don't expect much from him, do you? What does Jesus, personally, do for you? I can guess your answer, but please indulge me.

In response to my comment that Christianity is on the way out, you say "Speaking to His disciples before His betrayal and crucifixion, Jesus warned that our number would diminish toward the end of the church age, "... many false prophets will rise up and deceive many. And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold. But he who endures to the end shall be saved." (Matthew 24:11-13) "

Me: I like how Jesus gets to talk all in bold letters. But you raise a good point, albeit unintentionally. This sort of scripture quoting is used by fanatics as proof that the END-TIMES are UPON US! (woe to us! woe!) It is a THREAT, that makes the immediacy of PAINFUL DEATH BY ARMAGEDDON a frightening reality to many weak-willed people. It is simply making use of the very tenet of immediate gratification that it supposedly denies to convert people out of fear.

Finally, you quote: "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways," declares the LORD. As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts." Isaiah 55:8-9"

...Not convincing enough. If it was truly universal wisdom, no amount of Earthly smearing could block out the obviousness of it's Truth. And I'm afraid that's just not the case. And poor little defenseless ANIME is the only casualty in this particular battle. I weep for the children. cheers,

I don't expect you to believe it. When you choose to do your own thing, God doesn't force His way into your life -- nor open your "eyes" to understand His love and ways. But you have plenty of company. This passage in Romans explains what happens when people turn away from Him:

"...they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools, and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image.... Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies among themselves, who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator....

"For this reason God gave them up to vile passions. For even their women exchanged the natural use for what is against nature. Likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust for one another, men with men committing what is shameful, and receiving in themselves the penalty of their error which was due.

"And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting; being filled with all unrighteousness, sexual immorality, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, evil-mindedness; they are whisperers, backbiters, haters of God, violent, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, undiscerning, untrustworthy, unloving, unforgiving, unmerciful...." (Romans 1:21-30)

From Ryan: First, a little background, I'm 15, I love anime and Star Wars, and both of my parents, who have taught me in the Christian way since I was 1, think you are a ridiculous zealot. I won't even bother to argue with you on those topics, because you've made up your hypocritical and intolerant mind on them. But I will say this:

Thank you very much for making me look bad. Because of people like you, when I say I'm a Christian, people generalize me with the insane zealot type Christian, and you are the perfect example of that type. Thank you for making me ashamed of my religion. I really appreciate not being able to admit I believe in God without people thinking me a member of the group of zealots that you are a part of, also known as the Catholic Church. Thank you for basically making a mockery of the entire Christian religion.

From YodaTuna: No offense, but back off of other people's hobby's. I love anime and if that means I'm going to burn in hell so be it, as long as I can watch Dragonball Z. I don't think 'God' has anything against anime. I don't even think s/he would care, s/he probably has much bigger things to worry about. Thank you.

The following message from Richard had been posted earlier. Because I hadn't filed his original letter away with other posted messages, I accidentally put it up again -- but with a new set of answers. I may not have time to post more messages until Thursday so I will just leave it for now. You can read Richard's latest message -- the one I intended to post -- on the Multiple Topics page.

From Richard (Otaku): I have been reading the comments on your site for about 3 months now and have decided to send this to you in order to perhaps defend all Otaku and tell my thoughts on Christianity.

First I will start with the easiest thing to do, tell my thoughts on Christianity. But before I do, know that in no way do I intend for this to offend anyone and if it does, I apologize.

Now, on to what I think of your religion.

At one time I was a Christian, but I reject it now because I do not believe that any god as loving as the bible says God is would condemn anyone to the suffering that is hell. If he is all caring and all forgiving as the bible says he is then he would prevent any and all suffering like that from happening. I refuse to believe that there is such a hypocritical God in existence.

Add to that the fact that I am the type of person that does not believe everything he reads. I do believe a few things that I read, as long as there is historical proof behind it. As for the proof that there was a Jesus, I do not doubt that, but I do doubt that he was the so-called Son of God. I choose to think of him as a highly charismatic individual who knew what people wanted to see and hear, just like some of the politicians of today. They say what people what to hear and promise them better things and a better life if they follow them. Other than that, I have seen nor heard of any other 'proof' that the bible should be taken as non-fiction, instead of as a fantasy book (it has magic and demons in it, so that is what I classify it as.)

Please read "The Case for Christ: A Journalist's Personal Investigation of the Evidence for Christ," by Lee Strobel. You will find plenty of evidence for the historical authenticity of the Bible.

As for the whole seeing the world through God's perspective, why would we want to do that?

Because the Bible provides a trustworthy, time-proven standard for what is good and bad, helpful and destructive. And because when we do, He keeps us close to Himself and fills us with the confidence that nothing in the world can disturb the peace or shake the hope we have in Christ. See My High Tower- Seeing the world from His perspective.

If we do that then we lose our ability to see what is right and wrong and we see what other's tell us is right and wrong (and God supposedly gave us our free-will, why don't we use it and judge for ourselves what is right and wrong?). That is not a good thing, because a person who blindly follows anything often is headed for disaster.

Now, on to the Anime defending portion of this letter.

But first I would like to thank some of the people whose letter's you have posted that have not done as the typical anime fan has and flamed you with profanity and bashed you at every opportunity.

OK, now, I would like to say that Anime is not an evil thing. Like all other things it can be used for good purposes and bad (the good in anime being to entertain and teach morals, the bad being the pornographic anime, or ___ as it is more commonly know.) It all depends on the person that creates the anime. As for it being evil because it has non-Christian elements in it, I see no reason behind it. You use quotes from a book to 'prove' your point, yet you have never provided anyone with ANY good reason as to why there is any reason NOT to watch these animes in question (DBZ, Gundam Wing, Escaflowne, Sailor Moon, Digimon, or Pokemon, along with others.)

Did you read my articles on these topics, Richard? How Pokemon Affects the Minds and Values of Children, Digimon, Pokecomic, Pokemon Movie... all give reasons why children and youth who want to know God and follow Him would be wise not to watch them.

Just because your religion says they are evil does not mean your religion is right. There are so many religions in this world that all claim to be the only one that can lead to true salvation, that none of them could be right.

Only one of those many religions provides a written, verifiable record of

historical events

the rise and fall of actual kings and nations

the descriptions of cultures molded by earth-centered religions -- including what happened to God's people when they left God to follow other gods and visions

the climatic changes that caused famine, migration and wars.....

Over the years the facts cited in the Bible have been validated by archeology, climatology, and the historical record of events that took place in the Middle East thousands of years ago.

With that said, I must say that most anime is actually written from a non-religious point of view. They are merely there to entertain. Now, there are animes that promote certain religions, and I have found some of them very enjoyable works of fantasy, as I have found some of the religions that have promoted Christianity.

Entertainment followed by dialogue (group discussion following the ground rules of the (consensus process) is one of the most effective ways to change values and mold beliefs. That's why education in depending increasingly on entertaining stories, games and movies to instill global beliefs and values in children around the world. They call it edutainment. (See Teletubbies)

I will close with this, nothing should be taken on faith, there is no point in blindly following anything.

Also, in promoting your religion you either purposely or inadvertently bash other religions due to the fact that you say their's is wrong. Think on what you are doing, and maybe you will come up with a better way to use the efforts you are in a better way.

Thank your for taking the time to read this, and again I apologize for anyone I have offended. Feel free to use this on your web site if you so choose.

Anonymous: You people are seriously paranoid and need help. How many people have suffered at the hands of religious people who thought they knew what was best for everyone. You should mind your own business.

From Tanya: I am a christian. I do not believe in censurship. I do however believe that today's society problems starts and ends at home. If someone were to really look at the cartoons yall are criticizing you would see that it is basically the same theme's that arrive in the Bible and everyday life. It is a choice between good and evil.

In the Bible good usually provails as it does in these shows. I have two children that watch these shows, I watch them also. I feel the shows aren't what currupts are children it is their parents. Instead of trying to give our children all the material things in this world we should be giving them our time. This is struggle for ppl. I know this because i struggle with it.

I have taught my children the difference in fantasy and reality. I also use these cartoons to teach them about good choices. Instead of critizing these cartoons we should be doing our job and raising our children better. Show them that yes pikachu is cute and cuddly and nice and frienly, but sometimes he has to fight to protect the ones he loves. Pickachu does not turn into an evil being unless his trainer teaches him to be that way. The same way our kids don't turn evil unless we don't give them the love and attention that they need. Pickachu is faithful to those that love him and care for him.

The relationship that is there is a strong relationship of love and trust. We should be teaching our children that is what is important. Parents should really look at things in a logical fashion and they could use these things to help teach our children what is important. I hope that you don't take any offense in anything i have said. Stop quoting the Bible to ppl start using it to help. We will always have evil in this world without it we would have nothing to fight for or live for.

In every culture, people fight what they consider evil and seek what they consider good. But that's not the issue. The real issue is how we determine what is good and evil. What God calls good -- which includes discernment based on His Word and readiness to "abhor evil" as He explains it -- is now hated by the world.

The problem with anime is that it turns the meaning of good and evil upside down. Those who base their values on the world's view of good and evil will naturally be offended by God's standards. That's why Isaiah 5:20-21 is still relevant today:

"Woe to those who call evil good and good evil.... Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes and clever in their own sight."

From Mike Counts: I would like to reply to your reply to my comment in anime...

YOU SAID:

"When I was growing up in Norway, I learned early to spot the poisonous mushrooms. They were the prettiest of all -- red with white spots -- but swallowing even a bite could be deadly. I knew that well, even though I never experienced its poison. The warning was enough, and it might have saved my life.

"I'm not familiar with the shows you mentioned, so I can't evaluate them. Nor have I played Magic the Gathering. But I have enough of the cards -- several dozens -- to know that the horrible occult and violent images are like poison to the mind. And I have watched enough anime -- and read enough manga -- to see that their basic philosophy conflicts with Biblical faith. You and I obviously have different standards for what is good and what is not."

Yeah, maybe we do. I did not mean to defend anime as moral. Sure, some of it is anti-Christian. However, some of us can separate reality from fiction, but, sadly, most fundamental Christians today train their children to reject anything that doesn't agree with their faith. With the result that those same children will almost certainly get into the stuff no matter what.

Anyway, the point of my pervious comment was that anime and manga, being mere forms of entertainment, and one of the least dangerous, are not worthy targets of all the 'attitude' fundamental Christians have.

You could be doing something worthwhile with this site, or your time...

I do have one question, though. What 'basic philosophy' are you talking about? The Japanese standards for what is good and what is evil are almost identical to ours. Sure, some of the same themes run throughout many anime, such as revenge, loyalty, etc., but these are not disimiliar from our own Christian attitudes.

Lots of words, symbols and themes appear similar, but they often mean different things to different people. It all depends on the context. Two people may use the word "God" but to one person it means the Biblical God, while the other is thinking about a Hindu deity. A hexagram is an important religious symbols to serious Jews, while another groups uses it as a sign to transmit magical power. Even words such as loyalty changes meaning when moved from one cultural context to another. (See Character Training for Global Citizenship)

When you keep hearing a words in a new context over and over, the word takes on the meaning of that new context. That's why a young person will adapt the meaning of an old word or symbol to fit the new familiar setting. This normal process can totally change the person's understanding of God and truth. It's also key to the cultural changes that have happened throughout history. The issue is not whether or not you know the difference between reality and fantasy. Fantasies change our understanding and definitions in subtle ways that bypass our rational minds.

From Simon: Sorry to say, but I found this website deeply disturbing..... I only scanned some of the information, but I got the impression that censorship and oppression are Christian beliefs.

I also found the articles about Dungeons and Dragons, Pokemon, Magic etc. ludicrously short on facts.

I'm not sure what facts you were looking for, Simon. Remember, I am not trying to explain the myths, themes or attractions behind the various anime or games. I am only trying to show those aspects that clash with Biblical truth.

My warnings are written for Christian families and I make no attempts to censor or ban anything. I don't believe God tells us to change or clean up the world -- only to make personal choices to trust and follow Him. It's great if our love and lifestyles can encourage others, but Jesus never forced anyone to walk with Him.

From Ja Ne-Krystal Starwind: Hello. I just want to know what kind of Christian you are. I am Catholic so our points of views may be different. Also I am an Anime lover. I admire the faith you have in your religion and I wish that I could be so devout. But the truth is, that I am not so I don't see you face to face on the idea that Anime is corrupting the minds of young children. (Please take no offense at anything that I say because I am half asleep and I might get carried away.)

I'm not offended at all, Ja. To see the basis for our faith, go to Our beliefs, then to Personal. These two pages explains it better than I can in this space.

For one thing (this has nothing to do with Anime I’m just trying to prove a point) I want to know if in your perspective of Christianity you think that if we miss Mass too often we shall end up in Hell for eternity, hmm?

No, I don't believe that. We are saved for all eternity, not by attending church or mass or doing anything good, but by faith in what Jesus accomplished for us on the cross. This truth puts every person -- not matter how bad they have been or how weak or incapable they might be -- on a level ground. No one is good enough to make it to heaven or into God's loving family by their good deeds. Yet no one is bad enough not to be covered by His redemptive work and forgiveness if they confess their sins and trust in Jesus Christ.

But when we choose to believe, we are filled with His Spirit -- His life, love, gentleness.... We then want to do the good things He shows us -- and we do them by His strength and wisdom, not our own.

"For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them." Ephesians 2:8-10

Also I kind of scanned through most of the chats. I did read about 50 pages according to Microsoft Word, but that was in larger print. Okay I’m wandering off topic here. What I was trying to say is that somewhere I thought I saw a section where you wrote that imagination is evil because God doesn’t put the thoughts into your head. Now I am not positive of this and since there are so many pages, I have failed to find it again. But I was just wondering because that is just a horrible thing to say when basically you are saying that you yourself are evil because you are using your imagination when you interpret the Bible or read books, any at that.

Thanks for asking for clarification, Ja. I can see how confusing this can be. The problem with the imagination -- as well as with words, knives, television and the Internet -- is that it can be used for bad purposes as well as for good and neutral purposes. (Neutral might be when you have misplaced your keys and simply try to retrace -- with your mind -- your steps to see where you might have put them.)

Research into the mind, memories and changed values have shown that imagined experiences can influence a person's memories and values as much as actual experiences -- partly because hypothetical or virtual experiences are designed to arouse strong feelings. I know -- just be reading all the letters we receive -- that anime arouses strong feelings of attachment and loyalty. These new loyalties to the show, to the peer group of anime fans.... tend to replace old loyalties.

When you repeat these imaginary experiences again and again, you become familiar with the new virtual context, practices and values. They begin to replace a person's original beliefs and values. That may not matter much to those who don't want to follow God. But it can totally undermine the faith and Biblical understanding of a person in a Christian family. Does that make sense? I tried to explain this in more death in Harry Potter and Dungeons & Dragons.

Also PLEASE, please, please, please, please, stop using the word Christianity okay? I know you won’t but I just wanted to tell anyone who reads this, if you post it, that not all Christians are like this. For another thing, someone posted that you must be Catholic because of your views or something like that. That is so not true. Catholics may be all stuck-up and put on airs that make it seem that our Religion is better than all the others but at least we don’t say it out loud and preach sermons about it. I have no clue to what religion you are, but I know that if anything, you sound like a Baptist because Baptists are always saying, “If you are not saved, you’ll go to hell....

Now I just wanted to tell you that Christianity just means all religions that believe in God or Jesus (something like that), and it doesn’t mean only your religion because not all Christian religions share your points of view, and apparently that includes Catholicism (I am judging my decision based on the statement someone made that said that the Pope ‘okayed’ Pokémon which seems to be one of your major targets.)

For my last thing to say in this letter is: it is pretty pathetic when you choose to constantly pick at Anime. There are *so* many other things. Yes, you can tell the world what you think but you shouldn’t be so hellbound on getting people to actually believe it....

Here is the rest of the above letter (posted on the 25th)

You can type up stuff like “yeah it has connections to evil occults that will turn your children into mindless zombies whose only goal in life is to watch Dragonball, etc. and buy all the merchandise and constantly steal money from you so they can get more stuff until you are bankrupt and living in a cardboard box because any money you had saved up went towards sending your poor mindless zombie of a child to either an Anime Rehabilitation Center or some godforsaken island in the middle of the Pacific so they have no contact with anything that has to do with Anime.”

But only crackpots who have nothing to do but annoy teenagers and other Anime lovers to death by getting their favorite shows censored will believe. I know, I know. You’re purpose is to warn not to censor but that doesn’t matter. YOU might not directly say “Censor Anime” but the actions you take convince other parents that Anime is evil. This causes a chain reaction, which always ends up with the shows being censored because the television companies don’t want to lose any money.

Then it's not censorship, Ja. It's simply a marketing decision.

I mean granted, if it is on normal everyday television maybe it should be censored, but not if it’s on at midnight and especially if it’s on cable. Is MTV censored? Half the time No. Is Playboy censored? What do you think? If they feel that Anime is *So* horrible that they need to censor it, then they should give it it’s own channel so it can roam free uncensored. If anyone else shares my views please back me up because I think for once, I’ve run out of steam. (emails apprciated: krystal_starwind@hotmail.com I don't mind if they are flames cause I'll just laugh 'em off <I love a good 'dry humored joke'>)

Basically because I know that I will have Bible quotes thrown at me (which I really could care less about), my words will be twisted to form alternate meanings that somehow back this site up, and I guess I’ve lost some of my steam because I realize that it will make no difference and may not even be posted.

Also for any of you who want to know I have been a Catholic since I was 3 months old, I don’t necessarily like my religion but I won’t stand for people trash-talking it, and finally I am proud to say that I am thinking of becoming Buddhist (has no relation to Anime cause I’ve only liked it for a year and I’ve been thinking of changing my religion for 3 years now) because I believe that our main goal in life is to make ourselves happy and that is exactly what Buddhism is about.

And Christianity, I just don’t like it because you are usually unhappy because of all the laws and you…I just don’t like it that’s all (: P)

Actually, Christians are the most joyful, hopeful and confident people I know. We have a reason to be happy. God has made all His strength, wisdom, love and peace available to us -- for all eternity. No matter what happens all around us, we His promise of strength in every challenge and peace in every battle. That's why God's shepherd-king, David, happily wrote in Psalm 27:1-2,

"The Lord is my light and my salvation; Whom shall I fear?

The Lord is the strength of my life; Of whom shall I be afraid?"

Thanx for listening and please post this (*chibi eyes* please?) because I want people to know my view. Also I am sorry I got a little off topic. ^.^

From War_Mutt: This is for the people who run the Christian, anti-everything-that-doesn't-argee-with-us site. I would just like to say, "Congrates!!" Why? Well, for the simple fact that after seeing your site I refuse to be a Christian any more.

Now don't get me wrong, I still believe in a higher being out there. But, jeez, if Christians are just going out and declaring everything that doesn't fit exactly with what they believe in as evil, wrong, or unjust...then I'm ashamed to be assoicated with the word "Christian". (side note: It's not just ya'll, its also that Fallwell guy...)

I mean come on! You go out and find things you don't understand, are scared of, or look different from the norm, and then condemn them. You now who did that too? lets see...The pharo who gave Moses all that grief...those people who captured Samson...Babylonians (who killed thousands of Jews)...the Romans (who killed Christians for fun and tried to kill Jesus)...Hitler...Spanish Inquisition (killed thousands of Jews), even the Catholic church, who condemned Galiliao. Seems to me, christians are hypocrates...

As for anime, manga, and card games, I must go with the one called Mewtwo on this, THEIR JUST FANTISY. First it was Fallwell with the Harry Potter nonsence, but must you people follow him down his path of idiotcy? (Hang it, getting off topic again...) *erhem* From all of the Anime, manga I've watched/read (which include pokemon, sailormoon and others you mention on your site) none have delt with Religion, less it be one practiced in Japan. But this however does not draw me away from Christianity. If anything it teaches me 'bout cultural differences, which is a good thing...

What has lead me from Christianity? People like ya'll and Jerry Fallwell posting the label of "HYPOCRATE" upon yourselves as you continue to spout out your scared ...

(don't jive the screen name with any of your verses, like you did Mewtwo...also please forgive the hidous spelling errors...)

War Mutt, may I ask you what being a Christian meant to you before you turned your back on Christianity? We may not have been following the same God or Bible. If you look to a "higher being" I tend to doubt that you ever new Jesus Christ, my Lord, Friend and Shepherd.

As for Fallwell, you may have confused the comment about Teletubbies attributed to him with Harry Potter. I have never heard him say anything against Harry Potter, and the much-publicized statement about Teletubbies wasn't spoken by Fallwell.

From Greg: It was a long time ago, when I got your letter back. I felt there was nothing left to say, because you wouldn't care anyway. You gave me a bible verse and told me I was tricked, and that everything I thought was beutiful was really just the devil, in the end.

That's not the way I said it, Greg, and I certainly didn't intend to hurt you. I am sorry you received it that way. But please keep in mind, that since I am a Christian, I have to respond from a Biblical perspective -- otherwise I would violate my own conscience and integrity. That's my position and I cannot compromise. Sometimes it may seem more kind or loving to hide the truths I know so that I don't offend anyone. But that's not what Jesus did. He modeled genuine, life-giving love for all of us, yet He offended lots of people. That's why they killed Him.

I thought that I might tell you about a song I knew, that was from an anime show. I thought maybe you'd listen to it and then everything would be okay. You would know, that you were mistaken. But what is the point, now that I see the other things you write; now that I know what is in Your heart. You have never listened to a single letter writen to you... in all your life.

You didn't post my letter but I guess I always knew you wouldn't. Not at your own website, not with a reply like that. I guess I always knew, from the start, that My words were falling upon the ears of a statue. Just a mound of rock and nothing more.

Greg, I do read all the letters that come to us, and I post as many as I have time to answer each week. We have a huge backlog of unposted letters -- not because I am censoring them, but because it takes time to respond to all the questions, challenges and heartaches. The last few months, I have seldom left the computer before midnight and I often work until 1 and 2 am. I just can't do anymore. When I have writing deadlines or must travel to speak somewhere, I get even further behind. I am so sorry I left yours behind. Please send it to me again, and I promise to post it right away.

I Had to do SOMETHING! At your website, you were written by one Raye Johnson, who presented the argument that the makers of Anime are mostly Shinto or Buddhism. In your reply you used the words "I am not writing for them." Can nothing be more terrible?! Can nothing at all? I, I read those words, and I just want scream, want to cry out, for life and love and what is more come on, LISTEN TO YOURSELF! PLEASE, open up your eyes for one single moment. For me, no not for me, for THEM, for everyone open up your eyes, and d rag your poor dead heart out of this place you have crawled to. I, I just, I don't know what to SAY. YOUR SO WRONG and I can't do a thing about it.

This is the last letter I am writting. I do not need a reply. You are probably the saddest person I have ever met, but I want you to know, that I did learn something after all. For you see, in the days befor I wrote you, I had begun a little poem:

"who are the heros among us

who are the winners of war

am I a devil

am I an angel

or am I something more"

And now I now I know, dear Berit, that I am something more, that all people are, with God's love... but never, without our own.

Johannes Norrell: I am a 19 year old freshman in college, and I am familiar with a considerable amount of Japanese animation. One thing we must remember when viewing Japanese animation, or anime, is that it is a form of art, visual literature if you will. As such, there are many aspects to be considered. Perhaps the most obvious is the beauty of the animation itself, but also present are the music used and the themes explored.

It is the latter aspect that I would like to discuss. Like much of literature, some animes are filled with complex themes and allegories. As an example, I will use "Mononoke-hime," or "Princess Mononoke." At first glance, one could accuse this film of harboring beliefs that oppose those in the Bible. Granted, there are references to forest gods and a battle between them and mankind. However, that in and of itself does not make Mononoke-hime evil or immoral.

No, not for those who embrace a secular or earth-centered perspective. But from a Biblical perspective -- which is my point of view -- it fits into the category of "other gods" which my God tells us repeatedly to shun.

For one, learning about Shintoist beliefs is not a bad thing. In life we should be open to learn as much as we can so that we are capable of understanding our fellow man.

I agree that in today's pluralistic culture we need to understand other beliefs. But every kind of "understanding" involves a context or a point of view. Parents who take their Biblical faith seriously and want to encourage their children to follow God, will want to teach about other religions from a Biblical perspective or point of view. That doesn't exclude caring for the people who follow "other gods," but it does mean separating ourselves from that person's religions. God's teaching cannot be blended or adapted to fit with other religions.

Christian missionaries spend years studying the culture they plan to enter. They love people of other faiths enough to sacrifice all the comforts of the Western world in order to go and serve them -- build hospitals, medical clinics, schools....

For a person of one religion to be exposed to another religion does not harm him; if anything, it encourages him to explore his own spirituality more deeply. It can only harm him if he is forced or tricked into assimilating those beliefs. You may disagree with this, but I think that an individual's relationship with God is exactly that: individual. I think personal exploration of one's own spirituality is the key to truly finding God. Thinking is the key. I myself am a very spiritual person.

You find God by exploring yourself? That's not what the Bible tells us. Self-made spirituality -- or imagining a God that looks like you -- is the opposite of what the Biblical God offers:

Trust in the Lord with all your heart,

And lean not on your own understanding;

In all your ways acknowledge Him,

And He shall direct your paths.

Do not be wise in your own eyes;

Fear the Lord and depart from evil."

Proverbs 3:5-7

Secondly, the theme behind Mononoke-hime doesn't even have to do with religion. Simply put, Mononoke-hime conveys the message that by destroying nature, man is merely destroying himself.

You can's separate Mononoke from the Samurai warrior spirit that inspired the story, Johannes. Much of it's action is infused with the spiritual power behind the unique Japanese blend of Shintoism and Buddhism.

Neon Genesis Evangelion is quite existentialist, and as such has many themes that are not in agreement with traditional Christianity. Once again, though, mere exposure to these ideas is not harmful; no intelligent person is going to change his entire belief structure because of the influence of animation.

Some might, but most Christian children will only change their beliefs a little -- just enough to compromise their Biblical faith and distort their understanding of God.

The theme of Evangelion is clearly stated in one of the movies: mankind's final enemy is himself. Personally, I think that there is a great deal of truth in this statement. God is not hiding from me; it is my own emotional/spiritual/mental limitations that put barriers between us. In Evangelion, these barriers are called "absolute terror fields," because it is our fear that creates them. I am not certain if the makers of Evangelion intended for their anime to be interpreted this way. However, because I am a free-willed, strongly spiritual person who takes the time to think things through, I have adapted that which I have gained from Evangelion to enhance my own beliefs.

Thank you, Johannes, for saying that. Others deny the influence of anime to influence the beliefs of a person. I maintain that children who watch Japanese animation will incorporate many of its suggestions into their current belief system.

Shoujo Kakumei Utena (translation: Revolutionary Girl Utena) was mentioned by another person who responded, and I can only say that his understanding is shallow at best. Yes, there are some definite undertones of lesbianism in it, but we cannot hide from ourselves that with which we may not agree.

We don't have to watch or discuss those things that we do well to avoid. Images have a way to stick in our minds and pester our thinking.

Personally, I don't see anything immoral about homosexuality, but if I did, I wouldn't try to pretend that it didn't exist by refusing to expose myself to anything that might have homosexuality as a theme or influence. Back on subject, lesbianism is a VERY small theme in Utena. I won't go into detail as Utena is a very complex anime with a vast quantity of symbols and allegory, but I will mention the basic theme. The message behind much of Utena is that we should not follow the paths set for us by society. We should allow forge our own ideas, our own beliefs and our own ideas. We should not follow others, we should follow only ourselves. The "revolution" is simply that: breaking free of the barriers society puts on us and thinking for ourselves.

Perfect Blue is a movie adapted from a Japanese novel. It is by far the most risque of the animes that I have discussed with scenes of strong violence and nudity. Seeing these things have not "tainted" me, however. If anything, they have made me more aware of the flaws in this world that I should work to correct.

Those who are tainted by immoral images seldom realize what is happening to them, because the exposure to immoral images desensitizes them and lowers the moral standard.

The story and theme are both about finding one's identity in a world with so much shallowness and depravity as ours. One need only to look at the constant problem of teenage rebellion in this day and age to know that the search for personal identity has become increasingly difficult.

In conclusion, I would like to summarize what I have learned from these animes: Respect nature. Try to recognize and eliminate the barriers you put between yourself and God. Think for yourself. Be yourself. None of these are immoral statements. However, I realize that an 8 year old child would not be able to gain the same insight from viewing these animes. Instead, he/she would be unnecessarily exposed to horror, violence and nudity. These are all facts of life that one must recognize and come to grips with, but not at the age of eight. We must remember that not all anime is intended for children, and that there is a lot of it that children should NOT see.

Johannes, do your realize how difficult it is for many parents to stop a young child from watching along with an older brother and sister? When anything immoral or violent is brought into the home, the younger siblings almost always are vulnerable to its influence. Even if they don't watch it themselves, they are likely to hear a second hand message from those who do watch -- which will stir more interest.

I think that this is the focal point to America's minconceptions about anime. Unlike most American cartoons, much Japanese animation is intended for teenagers and adults instead of children. We must remember that there is also a lot of truley amazing literature that would be equally inappropriate for small children. When viewed by a mature audience, many animes, like literature, contain thought-provoking and otherwise profound concepts.

On a final note, I will add that not all anime can be grouped together. To assume that all works in this vast genre are similar in every way would be insane. In addition to the inspiring and thought-provoking types of anime, there is a lot out there with pointless violence and degrading nudity.

Animated pornagraphy is usually called "___" and it is really disgusting. None of my defenses for the rest of anime apply here; ___ truly is sick.

I hope this will be an eye-opener to anyone who immediately disregards Japanese animation as something shallow or immoral. When veiwed by mature, intelligent and thoughtful people, it is a true form of art.

Art is a medium of communication, Johannes. It is a tool for learning. If what the art represents is good, stirring helpful thinking and emotions, then its great. If it does the opposite, it's not good -- no matter how talented the artist. Like a book, a story, drugs such as morphine or even a gun , it has power to do either good or evil. A Christian parent is responsible before God for discerning how any medium or means of communication might strengthen or weaken their child's relationship to the Biblical God.

Anime 4

Pokemon, Pokecomics, Digimon, Sailor Moon, Dragon Ball Z