Graphic violence, explicit sexual content, satanic/occult imagery as entertainment, and active desecration of Christian symbols — among the most objectionable content on cable television.
American Horror Story (FX, 2011-present) is a Ryan Murphy anthology horror series in which each season tells a self-contained story in a new horror subgenre — haunted house, asylum, coven, freak show, hotel, cult, apocalypse, and others. The series stars an ensemble including Jessica Lange, Evan Peters, Sarah Paulson, and others across multiple seasons in different roles. It has been one of FX's most successful original series, generating significant cultural attention and critical discussion.
American Horror Story is among the most content-concerning prestige dramas on television and is clearly not appropriate for Christian viewing. The concerns are extensive and serious: explicit graphic violence, including torture, murder, and body horror depicted with unflinching intensity. Explicit sexual content, including content involving assault. Satanic and occult themes presented as aesthetically appealing across multiple seasons ("Coven" centers on witchcraft, "Apocalypse" features the Antichrist). Anti-Christian content — religious figures are frequently depicted as hypocrites, abusers, or villains across multiple seasons.
Ryan Murphy's aesthetic sensibility — which runs through AHS, Ratched, Pose, and other projects — specifically combines transgression, camp, and the subversion of traditional moral frameworks. AHS uses horror to aestheticize precisely what Christians should not dwell on (Philippians 4:8): graphic violence, sexual perversion, and occult practice.
Christians who enjoy horror sometimes argue that AHS is simply horror entertainment and should be evaluated as fiction. The problem is not that horror fiction is inherently sinful — it isn't. The problem is AHS's specific content: it doesn't merely depict evil as dark and frightening (which horror legitimately does) but aestheticizes and eroticizes content that Christians should actively avoid. The explicit sexual content alone places it outside Philippians 4:8's standard, before considering the occult content.
For Christians who enjoy horror: see our guide on Is It a Sin to Watch Horror Movies? for a framework on engaging the horror genre wisely. Better options exist within the horror genre that don't require consuming AHS's specific content profile. Available on Hulu. See our Christian TV Reviews hub.
GodlyScore evaluates every show across nine signal categories grounded in Scripture: profanity (Ephesians 4:29), sexual content (1 Corinthians 6:18-20), violence (Psalm 11:5), LGBT normalization (Romans 1:24-27), spiritual darkness (Ephesians 5:11), glorification of sin (Romans 1:32), deception mechanics (Proverbs 12:22), virtue strength (Philippians 4:8), and redemption arc. The score reflects not just whether content is present but how it's framed — depicted critically, neutrally, or as aspirational. American Horror Story scores see full guide.
See our Christian TV Reviews hub for comparisons. For episode-level content breakdowns, Plugged In and Common Sense Media complement GodlyScore's biblical framework. Age recommendation: older teenagers and adults.
American Horror Story (AHS) is an FX anthology horror series created by Ryan Murphy that has run for over a dozen seasons, each with a different setting, cast configuration, and horror subgenre. It has covered haunted houses, asylums, witchcraft covens, freak shows, cults, and more. It is one of the most critically acclaimed horror series in television history and one of the most spiritually complex to evaluate for Christian viewers. Unlike some horror content that merely scares or depicts violence, AHS is deliberately ideologically and spiritually engaged. Creator Ryan Murphy is openly gay and politically progressive, and the series consistently incorporates his worldview — including LGBT normalization, anti-Christian satirical elements, and spiritual exploration that frequently presents alternative spiritualities positively.
AHS seasons featuring witchcraft — particularly Coven (Season 3) and Apocalypse (Season 8) — present the most significant spiritual concerns for Christian viewers. These seasons portray witchcraft as real, powerful, and largely positive — a source of female empowerment and community. The witches are the protagonists, and their powers are presented as admirable and worth celebrating. Deuteronomy 18:10-12 explicitly identifies witchcraft as an abomination to the Lord. AHS Coven presents the opposite — witchcraft as a noble heritage and source of strength for women. The season's most prominent villain is a Christian preacher who persecutes witches, reinforcing the narrative that Christianity is the actual threat rather than occult practice.
Beyond the spiritual concerns, AHS contains extreme graphic violence and explicit sexual content throughout its run that would alone place it outside appropriate Christian consumption. The show regularly features torture sequences, sexual violence, and graphic murder that far exceed what can be defended on Philippians 4:8 grounds even for mature Christian viewers. Philippians 4:8 calls believers to think about what is "true, noble, right, pure, lovely, and admirable." AHS is specifically designed to violate all of these criteria simultaneously — that is its artistic premise.
American Horror Story scores 5/100. The combination of explicit occult content presented positively, graphic violence, extensive sexual content, and a consistent anti-Christian satirical framework makes this one of the clearest "avoid" recommendations for Christian viewers. Even seasons without explicit occult content contain graphic material incompatible with Christian viewing standards.
Personal faith and musical content are distinct categories that frequently diverge. GodlyScore evaluates both separately. Key questions: What are the lyrics saying? What worldview do they reflect? Are they consistent with Philippians 4:8 — "whatever is true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable"? Score: see full guide.
Engage with specific songs rather than evaluating the artist's name alone. Content varies significantly across albums. See our Christian Musicians hub. The Gospel Coalition provides thoughtful analysis of faith and culture.
For animated series with similar demonic themes, see our guide Should Christians Watch Hazbin Hotel?
For a 2026 film where witchcraft is presented as empowering and beautiful, see our guide on Should Christians Watch Practical Magic 2?.