Tuesday, July 13, 2004
Survey: 18% reveal Gibson's "Passion" Inspired Greater Church Attendance and Personal Prayer
Mel Gibson's The Passion of the Christ inspired a greater frequency of church attendance, personal prayer, and church-related activity, according to a Barna Group Survey. In total, 18 percent of respondents admitted that their practice of religion was altered as a result of seeing the film.
In total, one-third (31 percent) of Americans reported having seen the film.
One in six viewers (16 percent) revealed that The Passion had affected their religious beliefs. The types of change in belief was related as: an increased awareness of how one's actions affected others; a deeper appreciation for what Christ's suffering and death had wrought for them; and a renewed sense of the importance that one's life decisions and behavior has.
". . . about 13 million adults changed some aspect of their typical religious behavior because of the movie and about 11 million people altered some pre-existing religious beliefs because of the content of that film," George Barna, director of the research, emphasized. "That's enormous influence," he said.
"More than any other movie in recent years, The Passion focused people on the person and purpose of Jesus Christ," he continued. "In a society that revolves on relativism, spiritual diversity, tolerance and independence, galvanizing such intense consideration of Jesus Christ is a major achievement in itself."
The Passion was the eighth-highest grossing film of all time.
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