Fr. Robert Barron Comments on "The Sopranos"

Another part of a video series from Wordonfire.org. Father Barron will be commenting on subjects from modern day culture.

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  Entertainment

[wordonfirevideo]

Oh brother...

[wordonfirevideo]

Friend, that's entirely too prissy. There is a book which contains illicit sex, masturbation, adultery, murder, rape, corruption, etc. It's called the Bible. To take in the human condition in all of its degredation is not to approve of sin. It is to come face to face with reality--and this is something that all preachers of the Gospel need.

[noir nègre]

where's god? there's no such thing. Religion is just a tool used to fool people. The Sopranos are doing the good life, those who have been whacked deserved it.

[eastcoasterdeniro]

This is the coolest Father I had ever seen

[NBAluke579]

Great thoughts.Very little shows have The Sopranos level of complexity and themes.I would rewatch the series right now and catch things I would have never caught the first time.

[Tin Man]

Was Tony Soprano evil or merely conflicted? He was a paragon of honor judged by mob ethos he was born to - and that's more than we can say for most of his comrades. He was a loyal (more or less) husband & a good provider to his kids. He was a man with each foot in different world. Servant of two masters. House divided.

But ask yourself this question: Under the circumstances what could he have done differently?

[Christopher Jose]

compare lord of the rings and game of thrones, for example. LOTR contains no graphic sex scenes at all and yet it's a masterpece, whereas GOT contains a lot of pornographic material. the author george rr martin's reason for this was to create a more realistic and gritty fantasy series. many people think that it's closer to reality than lotr is, just because it portrays grayer and more 'realistic' characters. but most catholics think of it as cheap entertainent that promotes moral relativism.

[Christopher Jose]

sorry to bug you again, father, just one more question: the books and stories you mentioned are not that graphic in their description of these immoral actions, so doesnt that prove that its not a sin to read the stories you mentioned, as opposed to reading or watching them in 'modern' obscene novels or shows?

[wordonfirevideo]

Then Mr. Trese would have to give up on the Bible, the Illiad, the Odyssey, the Canterbury Tales, the Divine Comedy, most of Shakespeare, and almost all of Hemingway and Faulkner. The authentic Catholic tradition stands against prissy puritanism.

[Christopher Jose]

father, according to leo j trese's 'the faith explained', it is sinful to even read lewd or sexually suggestive books.

[Christopher Jose]

one more thing, father, dont you think that viewing these immoral actions on tv is more sinful simply because they're more graphic as opposed to the ones in the bible where they're not that detailed?