Disney and GOD

[dreamer]

The only places where God is mentioned at Disney World that I am aware of are in the Hall of Presidents and the American Adventure.

Are there others?

Because of that I was always under the impression that Walt was an atheist or an agnostic.

Please don't turn this into a political discussion about the pledge or a flame fest and get the thread cut off.

 

[no2apprentice]

I think to look at Walt and who he was, maybe one should consider the influence in the films made while he was alive, not just the parks. Certainly a theme repeated in many films was the basic conflict of good overcoming evil. Yet, in a pinnacle film such as Fantasia, out of the many pieces available, Walt made a point to illustrate good and evil in the "Night on the Bald Mountain" sequence, and the "Ave Maria" sequence: both have obvious overtones of faith and a divine influence. It seems to me that Walt had these works for a reason. He certainly had the power and authority to chose other magnificent works with a different theme...but he didn't.

Just my thoughts. I've never taken time to read any biographies about Walt. I'm sure other members have and will share.

I, like you, dreamer, hopes the discussion stays civil.

 

[dreamer]

I agree that Walt had a deep sense of right and wrong, good and evil, but I also know agnostics with the same sense. It may be logically inconsistent, but there you go.

I guess I need to get a biography. Walt is one of my heroes.

 

[CDS Disney]

Why should we get God involved in it any way? I’m Christian but I don’t go walking around saying god bless you. Maybe Disney didn't want to mention god in the park so that he didn't have to deal with people telling him that there was too much God or not enough. Why does God have to always be Goding all the God darn long day in every God place in its Godly way? God!

 

[Monorail Lime]

There used to be a church (or some kind of building with a cross on it at least) on the mural in the Small World queue but it got covered up... does that count?

 

[Woody13]

According to "The Man Behind the Magic" (authors Katherine and Richard Greene/ Viking Press) Walt was a very religious man:
"Although Elias Disney had been a church deacon, and Walt was actually named for the preacher of the St. Paul Congregational Church in Chicago, Walter Parr, he was not a church-going man. "He was a very religious man," said Sharon (Disney), "but he did not believe you had to go to church to be religious. He respected every religion. There wasn't any that he ever criticized. He wouldn't even tell religious jokes."

 

[Dizknee_Phreek]

i read in a biography (wish i could remember the title...had "American" in the title i believe and written by Bob Thomas) it said that he himself did not go to church, but he sent his daughters to a chruch every Sunday.

 

[no2apprentice]

Thank you for the quote and the source, Woody13. That helps to know how he felt about the matter.

Interesting how the church (or at least a building with a cross in Small World got covered long after Walt's influence was gone.

 

[dreamer]

Originally posted by CDS Disney
Why should we get God involved in it any way? I’m Christian but I don’t go walking around saying god bless you. Maybe Disney didn't want to mention god in the park so that he didn't have to deal with people telling him that there was too much God or not enough. Why does God have to always be Goding all the God darn long day in every God place in its Godly way? God!

I wasn't telling Disney what they should do -- you inferred that. I was making an observation. I agree that Disney probably did not want to offend other religions. When you reproduce Main Street USA and Frontierland without any reference to church or religion which was a big part of life in those settings, the absence seems contrived. But it doesn't offend me. I still love Disney World.

Again this is not a criticism. Just an obervation and a conclusion.


PS God does God all the God darn day in every God place in its Godly way. It's what he does.

 

[fridgepoliceman]

isnt there a church on property.. and a wedding chapel?

 

[prberk]

No church currently on property (that I know of), but the original EPCOT design by Walt himself had churches in it. They are downplayed now, as most of the original EPCOT concept is, but it does say that Walt thought religion was important in "Community" life.

And as for Fantasia, it is important to note that it was not just "good and evil" demonstrated. There were more specific words used: "the sacred and profane." They described the juxtaposition of "Night on Bald Mountain" and "Ave Maria," itself a specifically religious song honoring Mary the mother of Christ. The images were religious (demons overtaken by reverent beings appearing to go into a cathedral).

One other thing to consider is the fact that Jimmy Dodd had a "morale" at the end of each Mickey Mouse Club, most of which came from the Bible (such as the Golden Rule). Jimmy was an ordained minister, and he has said in print before that he felt it was important to teach Biblically sound morales in each episode, but he took pains to make them acceptable to children.

I believe that he and Walt may have had similar ideas: to live out and to teach their faith but in a way where it spoke for itself. It also was a different time: a time when Christian values were often assumed but not always practiced, and perhaps where religion played any direct part it was simply to encourage people to live out assumed Christian values. Still a good message today, even among the "faithful" .

 

[CDS Disney]

Originally posted by dreamer
I wasn't telling Disney what they should do -- you inferred that. I was making an observation. I agree that Disney probably did not want to offend other religions. When you reproduce Main Street USA and Frontierland without any reference to church or religion which was a big part of life in those settings, the absence seems contrived. But it doesn't offend me. I still love Disney World.

Again this is not a criticism. Just an obervation and a conclusion.


PS God does God all the God darn day in every God place in its Godly way. It's what he does.

Sorry about the missunderstanding
And nice responce to my God ramblings

 

[fridgepoliceman]

Originally posted by prberk
No church currently on property (that I know of), but the original EPCOT design by Walt himself had churches in it. They are downplayed now, as most of the original EPCOT concept is, but it does say that Walt thought religion was important in "Community" life .

YEAH!! that sweet model of epcot's original design in TTA has the coolest looking church in it.