Fellow atheists: quick question regarding your entertainment choices?

The only show on your list that I've watched is BSG, and I didn't really care for the religious angle. Most of the shows I watch for entertainment are pure fantasy, horror, or SciFi: Dr. Who, Merlin, Dexter, True Blood, MI-5, Lie to Me, Castle. I also like non-fiction shows like Mythbusters, How It's Made, Good Eats, America's Test Kitchen, The Universe, Build It Bigger. So out of this TV realm, I'd say I'm certainly not drawn to religious content in shows, and possibly turned off by it. Or maybe the types of entertainment I like typically doesn't have religion as an explicit theme. For movies I typically stick to horror/suspense, scifi, and blockbuster action. A big part of my entertainment hours is computer/video games and those seldom have religion as a main focus on the story, although the first 3 Halo games are an exception.

Generally a turn-off. Examples: I enjoyed Ben Hur until it got to all the Christianity stuff at the end. I absolutely hated all the Bajoran religion stuff on Deep Space 9. Or when Vulcans had a temple complete with religious relics in Star Trek: Enterprise. Or when that mystic wise-woman shows up in the middle of the first Matrix movie.

I absolutely *adore* Jesus Christ Superstar, but that's in part because it is very agnostic-- it is very ambiguous as to whether the Jesus presented there is divine or not.

If the religious aspect is wielded with all the subtlety of a sledgehammer, then that turns me off.

Likewise if the author is inserting religion in order to give a mediocre story a faux sense of gravitas or profundity.

But judicious use of religion, religious imagery, religious symbolism or analogy can really enhance a story.

I think you are projecting this idea onto us (well me). I don't ming science fiction or even fantasy as a tool to IMAGINE one idea or another but the ideas do not need to be religious ideas. They MAY be similar but that's what I think religion is: Made up ideas presented as truths. The problem is they are usually really ancient & half baked.

Usually I don't like all the religion stuff but if the show is interesting regardless the religious theme I wouldn't mind watching it. It depends on the content.

So long as it not overly done, I can stand just about anything in a show if it's a good show. Take High School of the Dead, it was good except for the extreme amount of fan service, it actually got annoying.

It would depend on the movie or TV show. The Passion of The Christ, The Ten Commandments ect.. movies like that i would be turned off.

But if there are religious references in a TV show then no it will not bother me

Absolutely no problems with that at all.

Most religious music however is just painful to listen to (especially on the Christian side of things, some Islamic music is pretty cool).

I'm neither attracted nor turned off by religious subtext in art and entertainment.

Religion and it's associated archetypes are deeply embedded in historical and contemporary culture, and are often used as narrative or emotional shorthand by writers. Ditto ideas of destiny and fate. I'm capable of understanding (and being moved) by such devices while still not giving them any credence in reality; suspension of disbelief, and all that.

I don't have a problem with religious art, history, architecture or music if it's good. Some is appallingly bad.

I love all music accept rap and some reggae.