TV & Movies: are they inherently bad? No. They just are what they are, technological phenomena.
What can make them dangerous is the same thing that makes anything else dangerous: What sinful men do with them, both in creating them and in indulging in them. But probably we have all had movies and TV present us with wonderfully educational and aesthetically pleasurable audiovisual experiences from which we came away feeling edified & glad for having watched. Is there a clear-cut delineation between what is good for us and what is "bad?"
When sin entered the human race, along with the loss of God-likeness and separation from intimacy with God, man suffered the invasion of his soul by an element that is diametrically opposed to God, a veritable rebellion against all that God is and all that represents Him. This element, sin itself, is at constant odds with all that is good, holy, righteous, just... It manifests itself in everything. Look at marketing/advertising-- what could be more godless than the sensual appeals to sell worldly products and services? It's all about self indulgence.
Does that mean that advertising and/or marketing are evil? No. They are also used to promote godly materials such as Bibles, books, tapes and DVDs, and services such as church gatherings, Bible colleges and Christian broadcasting. Again, how can we differentiate-- what is acceptable and what unacceptable?
The answer to your wondering, Lenore, is twofold:
1.] TV and movies can be a powerful force to keep the unsaved away from Christ. Not only do those stories about "good" witches, demons, lawbreakers etc. appeal to "good-hearted" viewers, but there is a growing affinity for the evil or "dark" side. Writings of such authors as Clive Barker, Ann Rice, and Stephen King which offer an appealing side of evil are immensely popular, and are often converted into Movies for the big screen or for TV. If these have an attraction for serious Christians, it is probably through a fascination with the hi-tech computer-generated special visual and sound effects.
2.] The far more subtle influence comes from the "feel good" entertainment. The subtlety lies in the gospel-less happy ending which leads one to accept that everything can work out OK without Jesus Christ. This has made huge incursions into the church, which has long harbored a faction which practices a mandatory (and powerless) form of "holiness" forbidding all movies and TV (with which I expect we are all familiar to some degree). The other, more recent extreme is a permissive view of entertainment which allows that all "clean" forms of diversion are OK. Much uncleanness has crept into what is considered "clean" over the last several decades in the forms of sexual promiscuity, vile language, graphic violence and the general demise of sound moral values. Society considers this the evolution of "maturity."
The bottom line is for each of us to make our decisions before our Lord, in light of His Word and the Holy Spirit's conviction of our hearts and minds. Not only can none of us decide such matters for another, but we dare not think that our personal decision is "better" than someone else's. (Again, I suspect we have all experienced the repercussions of such thinking.)
Some of my personal experiences: I am a softy. Bambi has always made me cry. Dickens' A Christmas Carol, It's a Wonderful Life, Miracle On 34th Street (or whatever street it was), and even the Twilight Zone's Christmas program starring Art Carney, bring a huge lump to my throat and tears to my eyes. Of my many favorite TV series over the years, Touched By an Angel, Christy, and many of the Hallmark Hall of Fame movies have affected me similarly.
One day it occurred to me to wonder
why do I enjoy such experiences (I really get into, or
experience, what I watch) so much? I studied my own responses to various types of entertainment fare for some time (and yes, I asked the Lord for guidance and to teach me) before beginning to form some opinions. Some of my conclusions:
First, just about any and all fictional movies and TV are, for me, pure escapism. Yes, I've learned a lot about human nature from them, just as I have from reading novels. Nothing gets into human nature like an author's development of characters. But I don't watch fictional fare with the goal of education-- it's just a fortunate side effect. I go there to escape reality, to enter into a make-believe world for an hour or two & just forget about all responsibility, just as I did as a kid.
Because I come from a dysfunctional household, part of a scattered & disassociated family, I have never had a sense of heritage or "belonging," so anything along the lines of familial tradition or heritage appeals to me, from Fiddler On the Roof (about my own forebears) to The Godfather, to Roots.
Adventure, from westerns to outer space, appeals to the kid in me, and stuff like Independence Day or MIB arouses some gut-instinct machismo to want to "kick some alien butt."
Mysteries, whether police detectives, spy stories, or courtroom drama, I find mentally challenging and stimulating.
Comedies, ranging from Arsenic and Old Lace to The Gods Must Be Crazy (I & II) and The Princess Bride, need no explanation: they make me laugh!
The likes of X-Men, Daredevil, Spiderman, appeal to my comicbook-reading childhood. Likewise animation.
Gods and Generals, Glory, Schindler's List are dramatic peeeks into history.
Besides the great special effects, LOTR demonstrates a great heroic struggle of Good vs Evil.
Then, of course, there are all the warm-fuzzies such as I listed above as favorite tear-jerkers. Include Sleepless In Seattle, You've Got Mail, Tuesdays With Morrie, Big Fish, etc.
I used to spend a lot of time discussing movies & TV with others. Everything about the art: acting, directing, writing, costumes & set, cinematography & lighting, popcorn, you-name-it...
One day I realized what every title I have listed above has in common: Absolutely no (correct) mention of Jesus Christ. Now, this doesn't have anything to do with their qualities as movies & TV productions because they were never intended as vehicles for the gospel. BUT it has everything to do with my attitude toward them and my discussion of them, because I AM intended to be a vessel for the gospel-- possibly the only one some people will ever see.
If I look at and discuss these productions no differently than the unsaved do, what good am I to them, or for that matter to Christ, during those encounters.
This is not about what I watch or about what I say, but about what is in my heart.Can I imagine Jesus sitting in the seat next to mine, and figuratively turn to Him and say, "Are you enjoying this (gratuitous bloodshed, adultery, profanity, etc.) Lord?" I am to love neither the world nor the things of the world
because He doesn't love them. After considerable prayer (that word again!) I concluded that God had no hard, fast rule for me about entertainment-- He just wants me to love Him and walk humbly in His presence. Humbly means willing to sacrifice my desires if they should conflict with His.
Good relationships may include discussions of films & TV. The important thing is to not lose sight of Christ, just as in any other situation. (Oh, yeah-- I'm pretty "normal" in the respect that I often go for long periods of time without a conscious thought about God. But that is not my goal, and when I realize it has happened I turn quickly back to Him.)
So I can see whatever I want to see, but my wants are changing-- I'm not "having to do without" so much as simply not wanting the same things as before. (I think that's
supposed to happen in the Christian life... And I can discuss every phase of TV & film production at a level comprehensible to my unsaved chat-mate. But when we get to "What was the point of the show?" I want to be focused on the truth. LOTR demonstrates a victory of Good over Evil, but without a Savior, and Touched By an Angel leads people to "God," but not by way of Christ.
This subject may prove to be a hot potato, but you wanted a discussion...
In Christ,
al
