Leaders of Derby Cathedral, an Anglican church in England, say they are allowing their building to be used to screen films showing full female nudity, human sacrifice and graphic sex.
After all, it’s nothing “God hasn’t seen before.”
According to the U.K.’s Premier Christian Radio, several of the movies, which are part of the QUAD in Residence movie-screening series, are horror films “The Wicker Man” and “Don’t Look Now.”
The cathedral’s dean told the BBC the films won’t be “showing God anything that he hasn’t seen before.”
He told Premier in a statement, “We are looking forward to welcoming all those who want to enjoy these diverse special screenings and my hope is that it will encourage the people of Derby and Derbyshire to discover their cathedral.
“Not all the films will be to everyone’s taste and some of them will provoke comment and engagement with serious issues, which is to be encouraged,” he said.
“For example, as well being a great film and example of superb story-telling, ‘The Wicker Man’ is the story of a Christian martyr.
“Every culture tells stories to help it think about what it believes, and one of the primary ways our culture does this is through film,” the dean wrote.
“I believe people will be helped to think in relation to some powerful and sometimes disturbing movies, and the screenings will help to release other much-needed resources for the mission and ministry of the cathedral in the city.”
However, the Christian Post reported opposition to the plan.
The Post noted the concerns of Steve Dunning, a church warden from within the Derby diocese.
“I just think it isn’t appropriate to show these films in a place of worship that is consecrated and hallowed, and therefore it compromises the spiritual integrity of the cathedral,” Dunning said.
“There is also a broader issue in terms of, why does the cathedral need to show films when there are multiplex cinemas in Derby?”
Another leader, deputy warden Kristin Simmons, argued the cathedral is primarily a place of worship.
“One film depicts a human sacrifice of a Christian man who recites Psalm 23 and ‘curses’ people upon his death, and in the other, the protagonist is employed to restore a church building; it involves séances and communication with the dead and a very explicit sex scene,” Simmons said.
The dean, Stephen Hance, said the “powerful stories” are about issues with which people are concerned.
Other scheduled features include “Monty Python’s Life of Brian” and “Sister Act.”
