Is Evangelion anti Religion?

[Black Howling]

I wonder how a Christian would judge Evangelian with all the religious things. Do you think someone who is religious would think Evangelion is Heretic or something along those line? So do you think it is anti Christian?

[guitarshredder]

I wonder how a Christian would judge Evangelian with all the religious things. Do you think someone who is religious would think Evangelion is Heretic or something along those line? So do you think it is anti Christian?

I'm a Christian, and I believe that Neon Genesis Evangelion is DEFINATELY "anti" Christian!

[Black Howling]

I'm a Christian, and I believe that Neon Genesis Evangelion is DEFINATELY "anti" Christian!

Do you think Evangelion makes fun of Christianity?

[074ku]

Well i never really liked the anime (the manga is good) but i think that its making fun of religon in general and i makes me laugh and agree since i think a lot of religons are kinda stupid

[gubi-gubi]

How can it be anti Christian? It incorporates Christian ideas and documents with philosophical ideas. It doesn't 'make fun of' it or anything why would anyone think that?

[Puppet Master]

Well i never really liked the anime (the manga is good) but i think that its making fun of religon in general and i makes me laugh and agree since i think a lot of religons are kinda stupid

Hm... As far as religions go I have no comment probally because religion means nothing in my eyes. When something makes fun of religion though it can be quite amusing *Cough* Dogma *Cough*

[Jinpun]

The Judeo-Christian elements it contains are simply plot devices used to convey the story, nothing more is meant by them.

Otakon 2001, assistant director Kazuya Tsurumaki was asked directly what relvance Christianity had to Evangelion. This was his reply:

Tsurumaki: There are a lot of giant robot shows in Japan, and we did want our story to have a religious theme to help distinguish us. Because Christianity is an uncommon religion in Japan we thought it would be mysterious. None of the staff who worked on Eva are Christians. There is no actual Christian meaning to the show, we just thought the visual symbols of Christianity look cool. If we had known the show would get distributed in the US and Europe we might have rethought that choice.

The show is in now way meant to be anti-christian, any anti-christian ideas are brought on from the viewer, not the show.

[Puppet Master]

The Judeo-Christian elements it contains are simply plot devices used to convey the story, nothing more is meant by them.

Otakon 2001, assistant director Kazuya Tsurumaki was asked directly what relvance Christianity had to Evangelion. This was his reply:

Tsurumaki: There are a lot of giant robot shows in Japan, and we did want our story to have a religious theme to help distinguish us. Because Christianity is an uncommon religion in Japan we thought it would be mysterious. None of the staff who worked on Eva are Christians. There is no actual Christian meaning to the show, we just thought the visual symbols of Christianity look cool. If we had known the show would get distributed in the US and Europe we might have rethought that choice.

The show is in now way meant to be anti-christian, any anti-christian ideas are brought on from the viewer, not the show.

Any show can have different meanings good and bad based on the viewers point of view its simple...

[Jinpun]

Any show can have different meanings good and bad based on the viewers point of view its simple...

Yes, I'm just trying to show that Eva wasn't created to be "Anti-religion" or "Anti-christian."
The use of Christianity was, to quote Tsurumaki, "to look cool."

[Puppet Master]

Yes, I'm just trying to show that Eva wasn't created to be "Anti-religion" or "Anti-christian."
The use of Christianity was, to quote Tsurumaki, "to look cool."

I know nice work it was intresting to see the reason behind it.

[Black Howling]

Just so everyone knows...I no interest in religion. And I don't think Evangelian is anti-christian. But I was thinking if a priest or something happend to see it how he would react to it. I mean it's not like religious people watch anime (bible belts, priests etc...) so we don't really know how many people would dislike it because they haven't seen it.

Personally I like Evangelion but the last episode and the movies truly sucked! And to be honest it's not in a very good genre since it'd supposed to be about giant robots but instead consintrate on character develoment. Also trying to watch it a second time is extremly boring.

[gubi-gubi]

it's not in a very good genre since it'd supposed to be about giant robots but instead consintrate on character develoment.

What?s wrong with a show that has characters that aren?t wooden and two-dimensional? I think that is what makes it stand out as one of the greats of that genre...

As for Christian elements being added to look cool there HAS to more to it than that as the elements and references to texts are so in depth that they are they have to be there for a specific reason. How many Christians watch it and don?t even know what texts are being referred to? How would a non-Christian know all this unless they planned in advance the story for some symbolic reason? It?s not just like they added a cross here and there?

[WandererX12]

But I was thinking if a priest or something happend to see it how he would react to it. I mean it's not like religious people watch anime (bible belts, priests etc...) so we don't really know how many people would dislike it because they haven't seen it.

I have a few bible belt relatives, who were anti TMNT many years ago, and would probably not be too fond of Eva. Or most other anime for that matter. Priests on the other hand, are usually pretty cool with that sort of thing. At least the good ones are, as they understand the concept of entertainmaint. If we're all sinners anyway, watching TV isn't gonna change anything. Watch what you want, enjoy it, help old ladies, DON'T step on them with robots, see you in mass on Sunday. If you start interpreting Eva's Christian references as the word of God, they might not be too thrilled. However the problem will be with you not Eva. The people who have a problem with that sort of thing are the extremesits who belive everyone is damned anyway, or frauds who use religion as a way to get money and attention.

As for Christian elements being added to look cool there HAS to more to it than that as the elements and references to texts are so in depth that they are they have to be there for a specific reason. How many Christians watch it and don?t even know what texts are being referred to? How would a non-Christian know all this unless they planned in advance the story for some symbolic reason? It?s not just like they added a cross here and there?

They did their homework. I've sat down with a bible not to find enlightenment but because I wanted to put references to Genesis in somthing I was working on. If all the creators did was draw crosses into the background they would have failed at what they were trying to do. They would have made a show with robots and crosses, and nothing about the plot would have been special. Nothing would standout, no one would care. Do some research and try to ad some depth to the crosses however, and you get somthing that is different. You get concepts and references that are alien to most of your target audiance, that people will remember and talk about rather than over look as more of the same.

[Black Howling]

What?s wrong with a show that has characters that aren?t wooden and two-dimensional? I think that is what makes it stand out as one of the greats of that genre...

There is nothing wrong with it. But what I was trying to say was that there was an unbalance between the giant robots fighting to kick some alien ass and the main charcter dealing with his socialy retarded problams. I like the development of the heros it really makes you care but as a result the action suffed. The fights don't last very long, and 'Spoiler'= In End Of Evangelion I was expecting Shinji to totally beat the fucking shit out of the rest of the EVA's. But instead he just breaks down and lets the world get destroyed!' If the same amount of develoment could be keep and have a good amount of action then I wouldn't complain. But the truth is that the action was takin away for the story. One anime that has a good balance between story and action is Giant Robo. Simply put Evangelian lacked action.

[Jinpun]

As for Christian elements being added to look cool there HAS to more to it than that as the elements and references to texts are so in depth that they are they have to be there for a specific reason. How many Christians watch it and don?t even know what texts are being referred to? How would a non-Christian know all this unless they planned in advance the story for some symbolic reason? It?s not just like they added a cross here and there?

I believe you are refering to all the Kabbalistic references it the show. Such as the tree of life, Sephirothic ToL, etc.

Those are all part of Kabbalism, which is a part of Judeaism.