Movies have been made in Japan since 1917 and the first TV anime was broadcast in 1963. The word “anime” means “to draw” or “to make pictures” in English. Anime covers many genres and these include sci-fi, fantasy, action, romance, and adventure. The most common theme found in anime films is fighting against evil aliens and monsters. There are even award shows for people who make anime such as the Tokyo Anime Award Festival (TAAF). In this article though we’re going to focus on whether anime is a sin according to the Bible or not.
What is Anime?
The anime industry is a multi-billion dollar business with titles being exported to every corner of the globe. The question on many people’s minds, however, is whether watching shows like ‘Naruto’ and ‘One Piece’ would be sinning according to the Bible or not? We are going to find out if this is the case.
Anime is a style of film animation originating from Japan. The word “anime” is usually used as a blanket term for all forms of animated media produced in Japan. However, this isn’t strictly accurate; some Japanese-made animations aren’t classified as anime at all (e.g. children’s cartoon shows). These are referred to as “Japanimation”. Anime is often confused with manga, which is Japanese comics.
Movies have been made in Japan since 1917 and the first TV anime was broadcast in 1963. The word “anime” means “to draw” or “to make pictures” in English. Anime covers many genres and these include sci-fi, fantasy, action, romance, and adventure. The most common theme found in anime films is fighting against evil aliens and monsters. There are even award shows for people who make anime such as the Tokyo Anime Award Festival (TAAF).
Is watching anime a sin?
Watching anime is not a sin in itself. However, it can lead to sinful activities such as watching pornography and lusting after animated characters.
The bible doesn’t mention anime specifically, so it is not a sin according to the Bible.
Genesis 2:16-17
“And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.”
The bible teaches us that we have been given dominion over all things as humans on Earth. We are allowed to do anything we like with animals and plants except what has been specifically forbidden by God.
We are not allowed to use animals and plants for our own personal gain, but we can study them.
In the bible, there is a passage in which God gives humans dominion over all things on Earth (animals included) as long as they do not eat from ‘The Tree of Knowledge. In other words, it’s okay to watch anime because you’re not actually interacting with anything real. However, if you begin lusting after animated characters then that is sinful (lust is one of the seven deadly sins).
The Bible doesn’t specifically mention “anime”, so I’m going to say that Japanese animation does not violate any biblical teachings.
God knows your heart and whether or not you’re acting like He wants you to act. Most of the time, what we humans think is ‘not sinful’ is actually sinful because we can’t read everyone’s hearts. When I was younger I thought watching anime and reading manga were sins, but as I got older I realized that they weren’t sins unless a person starts lusting after characters.
Can Christians watch anime?
A common debate among Christians is whether or not it’s okay to watch anime. The short answer is Yes, Christians can watch anime. The Bible never condemns watching animated works, so as long as the anime is not promoting sinful behavior or false doctrine, there’s no reason why Christians can’t watch it.
If you feel inside you that it was a sin you should pray for repentance and mercy for sins.
Is it a sin to watch anime online?
No, it is not a sin. But one could argue that since the anime was never released, it would be considered as piracy. You must pay for watching content online.
Is it a sin to watch Anime Naruto?
Well, you may be surprised to find out that it is actually not a sin to watch naruto except if there are any adult themes in it.
The reason why some people might think it is a sin to watch naruto is that they assume that the genres of anime and manga are both fiction.
In the Church’s eyes, it is not a sin to watch anime as long as there are no adult themes in the show.
The only adult themes in Naruto would be violence and some mild language, but that is not enough to consider it as a sin.
Reference
- An Introduction to Anime – https://www.liveabout.com/what-is-anime-144982
