Christianity in Professional Wrestling

[Mr. TM]

Though it is obvious that many professional wrestlers follow Christianity if you compare them to the national average of America, the largest producer of professional wrestlers in the western world, but this is not what the question is at hand.

Is it ever a good idea to bring into the storylines topics that relate specifically to Christianity. It can be easy to create both babyface and heel characters with the use of Christianity depending on how far you use the Christian ideologies. Christian extremists characters can easily be seen as heels who attack the American way of life, while moderate Christianity in character can be viewed as a person overcoming the odds, or a person who doesn't stray from the moral paths.

A group like Right To Censor used a Christian ideology that is the basis of the Parents Television Council who use examples of Christian moralism in their mesage. The group RTC, set out censoring the WWE, while dressed in an almost Puritan dress. They were able to maintain large amounts of heel heat during this time in the late 2000 to 2001 while taking an extremist view on Christianity. Although there can be better examples of Christianity extremism in the WWE, I have chosen this group. You are free to find other storylines using extremist Christian characters.

Shawn Michaels return to a wrestling role was heralded by him finding God. He was a Born Again Christian who using the character (although I believe it paralleled his own life equally) was able to maintain large amounts of face like reaction because he was over to overcome his past evils, find God, and with God become pure again. No more pills or unnecessary violence. A total change from the guy who used to tell people to "suck it". Although he was able to get face pops before this change, he received more after the change.

So what do you think. Should the major wrestling companies in the WWE use Christianity to create their heels and faces. What were other instances where the major wrestling promotions were able to create heels and faces with Christianity. I ask you to think out your answers and please do not spam.

 

[Lee]

The important thing about RTC is to note that they were far from a 'christian group,' they were a paradoy of the PTC yeah they involved censorship, and dressed like mormons, but they were not Christian. I remember a promo where they are in one of the big Bible belt cities and they are getting booed, and they say something like "I thought out of everyone the Bible belt would support our quest." Other examples of extremism could be brother D'Von and Mordecai.

I think it's bad to use religion in this way as it paints a bad picture of what it really is about. Painting Christians as idiots who want to make the world pure is not a good image, but it's the same with Muslims and terrorist angles they go with from time to time.

 

[klunderbunker]

I think it depends on the situation. There's three main instances that I can think of where Christianity has been mentioned in wrestling, with two of them being indirect. To begin with, Dustin Rhodes was more or less a preacher at one point, talking about how instead of watching wrestling, people should read the bible. This somehow led to his return as Goldust. It was like Christianity was being shoved down the people's throats and it bombed. The other two are far less direct. Does anyone remember back in the 80s when at the end of Hulk Hogan matches he would point to the heavens and Gorilla would say he was thanking the big man upstairs? Shawn does the same thing on the way to the ring. It's a Christian reference, but that's it. No one complains about those things, which is where I think the line exists. People don't mind it as long as they're not told that that's how they should live their lives, which is the same way that it is in the real world.

 

[Lee]

I can't believe I didn't think of the biggest example of mentioning Christianity. Stone Cold Steve Austin v Jake the Snake Roberts

"You sit there and you thump your Bible, and you say your prayers, and it didn't get you anywhere! Talk about your Psalms, talk about John 3:16, Austin 3:16 says I just whipped your ass!"

A dig at Christianity ushers in the attitude era, funny that isn't it? Yet I can't remember any complaints about it and really it ushered in the new era of wrestling.

 

[HBK-aholic]

Didn't Shawn Michaels team up with God once? Damn that was hilarious . Never found religion so entertaining in my life.

The religion thing worked for Shawn and helped make him a face - after many fans still remembered him for being an asshole backstage. Christianty worked as something you couldn't really argue against, and something which turned Shawn 'good'. So in instances like that I can see it definitely being a plus.

 

[Starchild]

I think wrestlers using it to a degree is completely fine, and I'm sure there are several that do. It's as simple as saying a quick prayer and pointing up before a match or after a win, similar to the way baseball players do after a home run or football players after a touchdown. HBK is the most obvious that comes to mind right now as he looks to the heavens during his entrance. Taker also talks about hell all the time, and during his Ministry days was a rather satanic figure with "supernatural" powers bestowed upon him by the "dark side" (and that's not the dark side of the force we're talking about Darth). And as Lee mentioned, the whole Austin 3:16 thing came from Jake's Christian messages.

But I think exploiting religion to get a character over is a bit much. And how do you even begin to do that. You will offend thousands of people any way in what is arguably the testiest subject matter there is (what with the religion in schools argument, sheer number of different religions, etc.). By simply preaching Christian views with no particular denomination you are offending atheists, Muslims, and just any non-believers just to name a few. A company would hardly wish for this kind of heat to be directed there way, but there'd be no way of getting around it when talking about religion. Hell you might even offend people who have similar beliefs as the character just because it's a character exploiting these views. The possibilities of negative reaction are endless, so in my eyes the costs far outweigh any benefits that would come, which would basically be limited to a character(s) possibly getting over.

You also have to assume that if something got even a little overblown based on some religious matter, the media would eat it up. I know Vince has that "any publicity is good publicity" attitude, but religion is something that he shouldn't touch with a 50 foot pole in my opinion.

 

[Mighty NorCal]

I dont see much of a problem with it, to an extent. You dont want to overly exploit it or make it look bad, but thats not just christianity, its any religion really. It helps a lot of people relate to characters, and lets parents feel good about allowing their children to look up to some of the guys as role models. Whom was the most over face of all the times??? The Guy who said

"Do your training, Say your prayers, and eat your vitamins"

 

[Steamboat Ricky]

"Do your training, Say your prayers, and eat your vitamins"

But what happens when that guy turns heel and kids are shattered? Do they stop saying their prayers, etc., etc., etc.? If this is the case, then they were praying in the first place at command of Hulk Hogan, aspiring to be like him.

I'm not sure how I feel about Christianity or any religion being used to get a guy over. It doesn't really bother me, but I am able to differentiate between the real world and the fictitious nature of wrestling. I would just prefer that my faith not be slandered or misrepresented by people who aren't well educated on the matter and have the masses use wrestling as their only exposure to the faith.

 

[Mr. TM]

Ricky brings up a good point. Sure it is easy for us to hate extremists in religion in professional wrestling, as most do outside of the fake world we all love, but what happens when Shawn Michaels starts acting like an asshole, after we just saw him do a prayer to God. The youth who are watching it who may not understand what is happening to the onscreen character will look at that and see it as a man who once believed strongly in the same God that they do has just became an asshole.

 

[TwistofRKO]

As a Christian, I wouldn't mind it as a storyline, but I wouldn't want it to be brought up and make that character look like a jerk, or portray the faith in a negative light. That;s why I;m glad Chris Jericho's character has never brought up his faith.

 

[trevis.hull]

I think it is great that Shawn Michaels is so open with his faith. I myself am a Christian and a wrestling fan and to tell you the truth I found it kinda of funny when Shawn tagged with God. My feeling is that wrestlers are playing great characters and if Shawn decides to be heel or baby face it really doesn't matter to me. I think he does a great job representing himself as a Christian. There is and have been plenty of wrestlers who are strong in there walk with God I mean heck Ted Dibease Jr. he considered going into ministry instead of becoming a professional wrestler. I would find a Christian vs. atheist storyline very entertaining sure I would want the Christian to win but still I wouldn't be offended.

 

[Monkey_Mania]

Not only do I think it's a great thing for their personal lives. It can also be a good addition and new dimension to their character. Shawn Michaels is a prime example. Everyone knows he is a christian, he took that and incorporated it into his character. Sting did the same in TNA. It can get interesting to see how far they go with it. But in professional wrestling, a sport that is plagued with demons and bad decisions. I do not see how it can be a bad thing to have a little christianity in the sport.