49 Religious Lies Jesus Told Me to Stop Believing - #17 Theatre, Dance & Pageantry Are Evil/Secular

Artistic Expression and Faith

Mark Virkler describes how he came to reject the belief that theatre, dance, pageantry, television, and other secular media were inherently evil. After becoming a Christian, he joined a church that discouraged dancing, movies, television, musical instruments, and related activities. A morning devotional changed his perspective: he began to see that visual storytelling and performance could communicate powerful themes of faith, love, forgiveness, and healing.

He encourages churches to welcome artistic gifts and use them to bring Bible stories to life. His suggestions include:

• Invite Christian actors, dancers, and other performers to develop and share their gifts, both inside and outside the church.
• Include short dramatic scenes or movement in sermons.
• Try a group Bible-story exercise: read a passage, imagine being present in the scene, briefly share what each participant experiences, and pass the turn around a circle.
• Teach through stories, which he believes connect with people’s lives and touch the heart.
• Examine inherited religious rules in light of Scripture instead of treating church tradition as the final authority.

Virkler recalls challenging his church’s ban on instruments by pointing to Psalm 149, which mentions praising God with dancing and musical instruments. He later took tambourine and creative-movement lessons. He also recounts seeing a dance-like dramatization of Acts 2 at a Catholic charismatic retreat, which helped him feel immersed in the biblical story of Pentecost.

He closes by encouraging viewers to seek Jesus’ guidance, let go of restrictive beliefs, and support people who feel called to the arts.

People, Places, and References

• Mark Virkler: The speaker.
• Gio: Virkler’s friend, who films and adds graphics and leads a dance team with his wife.
• Catholic charismatic retreat center
• Biblical references: The Emmaus road story, Acts 2, and Psalm 149