No, this is not about Metallica's hit album from 1988 nor is this about AL Pacino's movie from 1979. But Justice for All is what we all want, what we all desire. And rightfully so, God created us in such a way that we recognize the lack of it, and desire wrongs to be righted.
Some may say they don't believe in evil but just pay attention to what's going on in the world for a day and see if that worldview holds up.
I was recently thinking about my post on the violence and entertainment. In fact I started thinking about this while watching the new show Daredevil; about a guy who looses his sight and gains super powers of smell and hearing to fight crime. Now some super hero shows are light hearted and very flashy and entertaining and others have a more harsher tone. This one has the latter. I was thinking about the harshness of the tone and I realized it served a purpose. The more harshness of the material the greater vacuum it causes in the void of hope and justice. This creates the need and desire for justice, this then calls out for and almost demands that a hero stand up. It is a workable formula.
I realized the level of the harshness speaks to the level of my desire for it to be stopped. I realized I was being taken in by the delivery and being hooked into the narrative, this is good writing. But I also wondered if this maybe is supposed to carry over into reality. Now bear with me here for a second. Often the horrible tragedies of this world make us call out for God, like with 9/11. We see human suffering and we want justice. We see human pain and we pain ourselves, this is a good human response. Empathy.
But sometimes we see the harshness in the world and instead of desiring a hero we desire an explanation.
In humility we desire help, accountability, we look for a hero. In pride we want vengeance and an explanation that satisfies our demands.
Now God does not want chaos to rule the land and for us to simply wait out evil, this is not the message. This is why he left governments in control, to curb sin. Romans 13 tells us this. But this desire and
even demand for an explanation drives us to the point of compounding the
offense. When we cannot rest in the deliverance we rend in the reasons
why. We tend to harden our hearts and lose hope.
But the Christian response is supposed to drive us to him and realize that he will do justice. God will repay all evil. God does not wink at sin. Vengeance is indeed his. But our level of rest and trust in him reveals our level of discomfort in the waiting, our annoyance at the lack of salvation. It does not in any way alleviate the suffering but my demands of reasons will be laid to rest if I truly believed that God was just.
This is what the prophet Jonah struggled with in a reverse way. As much as God is just, he is also a forgiving God. Jonah did not want to preach repentance to the Ninevites because he wanted them to be judged. Even though vengeance is God's, God had a different desire for them, he wanted to offer repentance.
As much as it may comfort me that justice will come, God may want to show mercy. Ouch! Do I want blood more than God does? This is that harsh reality that I am not God. I have to realize that I am not supposed relent to God's justice because he will get them in the end, but because he is just and good he will always administer just and true judgment. In other words if someone will repent who am I to demand that they be denied mercy?
This is the reality of our world. It is a harsh place. It is meant to point us to a savior, it is meant to show us that we need God. The degree that we can come to terms with that is the degree we have accepted him as Lord. That is not to say that all suffering is merely an object lessen, but it does contain one if we are able and willing to see it. The world contains evil because of mankind's fall into sin. These are the consequences. It is not because God doesn't love or doesn't have enough power but that this is the reality of living apart from God which we chose. This is the quality of life we continue to choose. As much as we say we don't like it God agrees and says "Come away with me.
I have always had little compassion for kidnapers. One of the recent episodes of Daredevil was about a kidnapping. I have no room in my heart for this. It strikes me as the most vile unforgivable sin. To steal a person from their home and victimize them into fear and leave the rest in constant fear and worry and pain is just so emotionally horrible to me. It pains me and makes me cry our for justice. The show offered a hero and my pain was satiated.
But life does not always offer a hero as our stories do. A masked man does not show up and take away the evil and punish injustice. We get to read about it on the internet. We get to watch in on TV and we get to experience it in out communities. Where are the heroes? I think this is why the movie Boondock Saints (1999) was such a cult classic, why it became so popular. "Maybe someone should just kill them all?" This is our temptation. If we can just get rid of evil people we would feel better. But does simply getting rid of evil repair the reason for it? The reason for evil is that man's relationship with God is broken.
But our relationship with sin is so ingrained that evil begins to conjure desire for reasons rather than heroes. I should desire a time when wrongs are righted. I should be trusting in the one who will act justly whether with judgment or mercy. As a Christian I should rest in what Paul says from Acts 17.
In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent. 31 For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to everyone by raising him from the dead.”
A Christian should never lament that there is no justice. This is to say there is no God. God will come again and he will render judgment. I do not need to worry about anyone getting away with anything, no matter how long ago it happened, or how the system worked or failed to serve justice. God will be just and he will balance the books.
But do I believe that? As a Christian am I overly wrought with worry and overly distraught with the lack of justice? Do I scream at the evil in the world as a non believer does? Do I scream at the injustice in Washington as a non believer does? Do I really believe that things are so far out of God hands that nothing can be done?
It is one thing to pain over tragedy it is another to harden our hearts because justice is never done. As the Bible says "Be angry but do not sin."
Justice is coming, a hero is on the way. All those who thought they got away with it. All those who we wonder if they got away with it. All those who still cause death and destruction. All those travesties that we read about and don't. All the victims we know about and don't. All the times we have to stop watching, stop reading, and stop listening because it is just too overwhelming. All the unchecked evil will give account. This is the Christian worldview.
And when he comes he will stand on the Mount of Olives they will see him, him who was pierced for our sins and killed for our injustice. The world will bend the knee and every mouth will be stopped and every mouth will confess that he is Lord either willingly or not.
I don't have to grasp at answers. I don't have to worry about injustice. I can rest in my Hero.
thanks
Showing posts with label Entertainment. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Entertainment. Show all posts
Thursday, May 14, 2015
Tuesday, April 21, 2015
Do you believe in Magic?
Ronald MacDonald has taken what the Lovin' Spoonful (1965) has given us and delivered it to us between two hamburger buns. Yes we believe in magic, the world wants to believe, but is that OK with you dear Christian?
As I mentioned previously I read all the Harry Potter books and watched all the movies. They were great! That obviously tells you a bit of the direction I am going in, but let's talk about why.
The arguments seems to go well don't your read your Bible? Haven't you read Deuteronomy 18:9-14
9 “When you come into the land that the Lord your God is giving you, you shall not learn to follow the abominable practices of those nations. 10 There shall not be found among you anyone who burns his son or his daughter as an offering, anyone who practices divination or tells fortunes or interprets omens, or a sorcerer 11 or a charmer or a medium or a necromancer or one who inquires of the dead, 12 for whoever does these things is an abomination to the Lord. And because of these abominations the Lord your God is driving them out before you. 13 You shall be blameless before the Lord your God, 14 for these nations, which you are about to dispossess, listen to fortune-tellers and to diviners. But as for you, the Lord your God has not allowed you to do this.
Well yes, yes I have. The question is what does this mean for us today? This seems pretty straightforward, do not practice the stuff. Do not consult mediums, do not seek out fortune telling, do not use tarot cards, etc. This is not simply the case in the Old Testament because these practices are condemned in the New by Paul in Acts 13.
When the disciples saw Jesus walking on the water they thought they were witnessing magic calling him a ghost. When the people saw the miracles performed by the disciples they may have thought they were witnessing magic, a magician tried to pay money for it. Pharaoh tried to duplicate God's miracles with Magicians. Magic is a real thing and that is why God warns against it. There is real power behind magic fueled by the enemy. The Pharisees accused Jesus of doing his miracles by a very real but other power. Jesus then explained to the Pharisees what blasphemy is. It concerned Jesus when they equated his power with the power of Satan to say the least. The difference seems to lie in the source of power. The question becomes where is the power coming from? The Bible paints the picture of either from God or from the enemy. True enough.
So there is good power to be tapped from the Holy Spirit and evil power from the enemy. So some may ask the question about white magic versus black? The response is the Bible does not distinguish, both are not from God. God gives his own power and the enemy tries to duplicate it. Actual power, actual sources. If you are engaging in actual sources, seeking actual power then you are in violation of the Bible and you are opening yourself up to other worldly spirits.
The New Testament warns us about even blaspheming the heavenly beings of which we have little understanding. (2 Peter 2:10, Jude) Do not engage them, do not seek their power or influence, they are real, but we are protected from them. Our God is greater.
OK, but what about reading a book that has it in it? Or a movie that includes it? Or playing a game that uses it as a game-play mechanic? What is that exactly, how does that work? Now that is a good question.
So how does this translate to works of fiction? Fiction creates worlds and world views and fantasy is not based in reality. For example, is the force from Star Wars demonic? Or is it George Lucas's way of communicating a world view in which his story is framed? A different world view perhaps?
"The Force is what gives a Jedi his power. It's an energy field created by all living things. It surrounds us and penetrates us. It binds the galaxy together." --Ben Kenobi to Luke Skywalker aboard the Millennium Falcon. (1977). Good scene!
This is essentially the main story element to the Star Wars Universe. Now this has obvious eastern philosophical thinking influences. But does that mean George is pushing Hinduism? No, he is simply creating a backdrop for telling the story of the Skywalkers. I am free to take away what I want from the story, for instances: Light sabers are cool, The Force is cool, and Han Solo is cool. The question becomes is this OK for the Christian to read, watch, enjoy? Well the answers seems obvious, no? Star Wars is fine, leave Star Wars alone! Houdini!
Jude borrows ideas from the book of Enoch. The book of Enoch is as superstitious and magical a book as they come, there is a reason it is not included in the Cannon, but it still useful for understanding Jewish traditions. Paul even quotes from Greek poets and philosophers to get his point across in Acts which would be considered foolish superstitious idolatry in and of itself, but he found it useful for the gospel. So how it is used is also important.
But what about other works of fiction that are not so conspicuous?
Harry Potter sets up a universe where magic is real and there are witches and wizards living right under our noses. Magic in this case is simply a story telling feature that gives supernatural elements a defining and working set of rules. Magic is what describes the powers that these individuals have. It is setting up a world view where this is the norm, this is not about Satan versus God. The magic is a part of the world, simply hidden from view. It does have good versus evil, there is a difference.
Back to the Star Wars example. It is the same with science fiction. In science fiction the magic factor is how the author solved the problem that science can't in the real world answer. Just give it some sort of future sounding technology and move along. How do you blow up a planet? The Death Star obviously. But to use a more extreme example? Super hero movies, where do the powers come from? Often from an accident or an extreme circumstance. But to push our "Christian" rote answer would be to say "Is the power from God, no? Then it is from Satan!" Therefore do not watch or read comic book hero movies. Do you see how this line of reasoning doesn't engage the mind very well, and will never reach a culture that does?
Some would then say well magic is different it is named in the Bible. Like I said, the point is the source of power. If in real life all actual magic comes from Satan then fine I agree. But if an author sets up magic as part of the governing rules to communicate the way his universe works, we should not equate that with Satan and God. An author is allowed to think outside the box. The author who creates gets to set the stage and decide. Now obviously an author can choose to equate magic with the demonic, that is different. But this is not often the case because even authors know what Satanism represents and often want to distance themselves from it. But even in cases when authors do use Satanism in books it is usually the easy way to communicate "Well this person or movement is just plain Evil." They are trying to sell books after all.
So if an author uses a setting with Magic, we need to realize this is their attempt to explain something away. There is no reason to attribute this to actual evil. Even when an author does use the demonic and angelic they are typically setting up a dualism which still fails to capture the reality of magic, the world view is still different. Also for a Christian to hold rules this strict is to condemn C.S. Lewis and J.R. Tolkien. What we really end up saying is that some parts of culture simply cannot be redeemed. But the Christian should be redeeming culture as C.S.Lewis and J.R. Tolkien did to fantasy, not condemning them for using magic and wizards as a narrative tool.
What we really end up saying is people are not free to use their imagination.
What the Bible is getting at is contacting the powers behind the magic which again comes back to the source. If authors are getting rid of those sources of power and creating something else we should not force them to take up the demonic side because of our failure to engage. As Jesus reminds in Mark 9, if someone wants to do good let's not condemn them because it doesn't look specifically like a Christian good.
I agree with the Bible, avoid contacting the powers, and avoid pagan cultic practices, and if any of these stories do encourage you to do these then by all means cast them away. Or if in a certain case the author is trying to influence you then by all means burn the book. But perhaps it does create a temptation for you, then realize this is an example of the individuals temptation. So if they create a temptation for you then by all means distance yourself but do not condemn a brother who does not also feel tempted. But watching a stage magician or illusionist is not different from reading fiction with magical elements in it. They are both fake. The Bible is concerned with the actual spirits and powers not the mere labels of magic being added to make-believe.
This is like saying all secular music is from Satan and all Christian music is from God. A Christian needs to think in broader categories than this. There are more colors than black and white and I am not talking about the many shades of grey. The Christian needs to evaluate all his entertainment with wisdom not with rote fear. A Christian needs to properly evaluate all aspects of life, we have a tendency to throw out the baby with the bathwater on a lot of things. Maybe someone in your life has had a bad experience with this or that issue, then please, safe guard yourself. But let's not create new laws for others in order to distance everyone from the actual commandments as the Pharisees did. Jesus always brought them back to what was written not what they believed.
Next time you are watching or reading something and start to freak out because there is a mummy on screen or talk of the force or someone is casting a lightning bolt at a goblin, pause, take a breath, and ask yourself these questions: If anything, what is this encouraging me to do, causing me to feel? Do these violate Christian principles? Then apply as appropriate. But allow God to move differently in others as far as your temptations go.
So go out there and cheer for Gob Bluth on his merits as a magician, not just because his job does or doesn't incorporate magic. I really believe that the Christian needs to take the time to examine what is going on in their entertainment, by critically thinking about it, not simply by running from it.
Christians should be engaging culture not getting ready for the next witch hunt.
thanks
As I mentioned previously I read all the Harry Potter books and watched all the movies. They were great! That obviously tells you a bit of the direction I am going in, but let's talk about why.
The arguments seems to go well don't your read your Bible? Haven't you read Deuteronomy 18:9-14
9 “When you come into the land that the Lord your God is giving you, you shall not learn to follow the abominable practices of those nations. 10 There shall not be found among you anyone who burns his son or his daughter as an offering, anyone who practices divination or tells fortunes or interprets omens, or a sorcerer 11 or a charmer or a medium or a necromancer or one who inquires of the dead, 12 for whoever does these things is an abomination to the Lord. And because of these abominations the Lord your God is driving them out before you. 13 You shall be blameless before the Lord your God, 14 for these nations, which you are about to dispossess, listen to fortune-tellers and to diviners. But as for you, the Lord your God has not allowed you to do this.
Well yes, yes I have. The question is what does this mean for us today? This seems pretty straightforward, do not practice the stuff. Do not consult mediums, do not seek out fortune telling, do not use tarot cards, etc. This is not simply the case in the Old Testament because these practices are condemned in the New by Paul in Acts 13.
When the disciples saw Jesus walking on the water they thought they were witnessing magic calling him a ghost. When the people saw the miracles performed by the disciples they may have thought they were witnessing magic, a magician tried to pay money for it. Pharaoh tried to duplicate God's miracles with Magicians. Magic is a real thing and that is why God warns against it. There is real power behind magic fueled by the enemy. The Pharisees accused Jesus of doing his miracles by a very real but other power. Jesus then explained to the Pharisees what blasphemy is. It concerned Jesus when they equated his power with the power of Satan to say the least. The difference seems to lie in the source of power. The question becomes where is the power coming from? The Bible paints the picture of either from God or from the enemy. True enough.
So there is good power to be tapped from the Holy Spirit and evil power from the enemy. So some may ask the question about white magic versus black? The response is the Bible does not distinguish, both are not from God. God gives his own power and the enemy tries to duplicate it. Actual power, actual sources. If you are engaging in actual sources, seeking actual power then you are in violation of the Bible and you are opening yourself up to other worldly spirits.
The New Testament warns us about even blaspheming the heavenly beings of which we have little understanding. (2 Peter 2:10, Jude) Do not engage them, do not seek their power or influence, they are real, but we are protected from them. Our God is greater.
OK, but what about reading a book that has it in it? Or a movie that includes it? Or playing a game that uses it as a game-play mechanic? What is that exactly, how does that work? Now that is a good question.
So how does this translate to works of fiction? Fiction creates worlds and world views and fantasy is not based in reality. For example, is the force from Star Wars demonic? Or is it George Lucas's way of communicating a world view in which his story is framed? A different world view perhaps?
"The Force is what gives a Jedi his power. It's an energy field created by all living things. It surrounds us and penetrates us. It binds the galaxy together." --Ben Kenobi to Luke Skywalker aboard the Millennium Falcon. (1977). Good scene!
This is essentially the main story element to the Star Wars Universe. Now this has obvious eastern philosophical thinking influences. But does that mean George is pushing Hinduism? No, he is simply creating a backdrop for telling the story of the Skywalkers. I am free to take away what I want from the story, for instances: Light sabers are cool, The Force is cool, and Han Solo is cool. The question becomes is this OK for the Christian to read, watch, enjoy? Well the answers seems obvious, no? Star Wars is fine, leave Star Wars alone! Houdini!
Jude borrows ideas from the book of Enoch. The book of Enoch is as superstitious and magical a book as they come, there is a reason it is not included in the Cannon, but it still useful for understanding Jewish traditions. Paul even quotes from Greek poets and philosophers to get his point across in Acts which would be considered foolish superstitious idolatry in and of itself, but he found it useful for the gospel. So how it is used is also important.
But what about other works of fiction that are not so conspicuous?
Harry Potter sets up a universe where magic is real and there are witches and wizards living right under our noses. Magic in this case is simply a story telling feature that gives supernatural elements a defining and working set of rules. Magic is what describes the powers that these individuals have. It is setting up a world view where this is the norm, this is not about Satan versus God. The magic is a part of the world, simply hidden from view. It does have good versus evil, there is a difference.
Back to the Star Wars example. It is the same with science fiction. In science fiction the magic factor is how the author solved the problem that science can't in the real world answer. Just give it some sort of future sounding technology and move along. How do you blow up a planet? The Death Star obviously. But to use a more extreme example? Super hero movies, where do the powers come from? Often from an accident or an extreme circumstance. But to push our "Christian" rote answer would be to say "Is the power from God, no? Then it is from Satan!" Therefore do not watch or read comic book hero movies. Do you see how this line of reasoning doesn't engage the mind very well, and will never reach a culture that does?
Some would then say well magic is different it is named in the Bible. Like I said, the point is the source of power. If in real life all actual magic comes from Satan then fine I agree. But if an author sets up magic as part of the governing rules to communicate the way his universe works, we should not equate that with Satan and God. An author is allowed to think outside the box. The author who creates gets to set the stage and decide. Now obviously an author can choose to equate magic with the demonic, that is different. But this is not often the case because even authors know what Satanism represents and often want to distance themselves from it. But even in cases when authors do use Satanism in books it is usually the easy way to communicate "Well this person or movement is just plain Evil." They are trying to sell books after all.
So if an author uses a setting with Magic, we need to realize this is their attempt to explain something away. There is no reason to attribute this to actual evil. Even when an author does use the demonic and angelic they are typically setting up a dualism which still fails to capture the reality of magic, the world view is still different. Also for a Christian to hold rules this strict is to condemn C.S. Lewis and J.R. Tolkien. What we really end up saying is that some parts of culture simply cannot be redeemed. But the Christian should be redeeming culture as C.S.Lewis and J.R. Tolkien did to fantasy, not condemning them for using magic and wizards as a narrative tool.
What we really end up saying is people are not free to use their imagination.
What the Bible is getting at is contacting the powers behind the magic which again comes back to the source. If authors are getting rid of those sources of power and creating something else we should not force them to take up the demonic side because of our failure to engage. As Jesus reminds in Mark 9, if someone wants to do good let's not condemn them because it doesn't look specifically like a Christian good.
I agree with the Bible, avoid contacting the powers, and avoid pagan cultic practices, and if any of these stories do encourage you to do these then by all means cast them away. Or if in a certain case the author is trying to influence you then by all means burn the book. But perhaps it does create a temptation for you, then realize this is an example of the individuals temptation. So if they create a temptation for you then by all means distance yourself but do not condemn a brother who does not also feel tempted. But watching a stage magician or illusionist is not different from reading fiction with magical elements in it. They are both fake. The Bible is concerned with the actual spirits and powers not the mere labels of magic being added to make-believe.
This is like saying all secular music is from Satan and all Christian music is from God. A Christian needs to think in broader categories than this. There are more colors than black and white and I am not talking about the many shades of grey. The Christian needs to evaluate all his entertainment with wisdom not with rote fear. A Christian needs to properly evaluate all aspects of life, we have a tendency to throw out the baby with the bathwater on a lot of things. Maybe someone in your life has had a bad experience with this or that issue, then please, safe guard yourself. But let's not create new laws for others in order to distance everyone from the actual commandments as the Pharisees did. Jesus always brought them back to what was written not what they believed.
Next time you are watching or reading something and start to freak out because there is a mummy on screen or talk of the force or someone is casting a lightning bolt at a goblin, pause, take a breath, and ask yourself these questions: If anything, what is this encouraging me to do, causing me to feel? Do these violate Christian principles? Then apply as appropriate. But allow God to move differently in others as far as your temptations go.
So go out there and cheer for Gob Bluth on his merits as a magician, not just because his job does or doesn't incorporate magic. I really believe that the Christian needs to take the time to examine what is going on in their entertainment, by critically thinking about it, not simply by running from it.
Christians should be engaging culture not getting ready for the next witch hunt.
thanks
Tuesday, April 14, 2015
Sex and Violence
Based on a previous post about the comedian and my response to that I recently had a short discussion with a friend of mine on the merits of Christian consumption of entertainment. Specifically about how our entertainment speaks and how we receive, respond, and even have a voice with it. I had that discussion and while I was still pondering how this works I heard a radio discussion about why Harry Potter was not allowed to have Christian themes or anything redemptive because of its use of magic.
I know that Harry Potter was so five years ago but this still speaks to the current problem of what do we consume for entertainment. Now I have read all the Harry Potter books and watched all the movies. That perhaps lets me speak to the issue or admit that I can't because I have already succumbed to its "magic" as another Christian dupe. But I will attempt to cast my spell and see if I have any influence at all. Expelliarmus!!
Now perhaps my obvious bias will turn off a few but kidding aside, Christians do need a response on entertainment, but it should be based on the Bible and reason and not fear. I will focus on just a few areas used within entertainment: sex, violence, and magic with pagan practices.
So let's ask some hard questions should Christians watch "R" movies? What content should be avoided? Are some subjects too evil for Christians to view? Can Christians engage in any of these without it being sin?
I will admit that the one that I think makes the most sense is sex. This is one with the least nuance. This is the one that Bible tells us to flee from. This is the one that Job made a covenant with his eyes over. This is the one that proverbs warns us against. This is the one that can cause marriages to be destroyed. This is the one that Leviticus has the most addendums to for wrong practices. This is the one that gets repeated in the New Testament over and over again to take extra caution over.
So what should the Christian response be? Shame? Fear? No we have tried that and it doesn't work. The Christian response should not therefore be that it is evil or shameful, but it does need a warning.
Some want to say "Well, that is the Old Testament" and true enough it is, but these warnings and commands are reiterated in the new Testament by Paul and then again at the Jerusalem council. The issue was on what, if any, parts of the law Gentiles need to pay attention to. See Romans, 1 Corinthians, and Acts. Then some say "But Song of Songs is all about sex!" True it is, but a theme of the book is not to awaken it before its time. This is the point, sex is an amazing thing, when it's in the right context.
The song of songs is meant to celebrate sexual love. Which it is, a celebration of a gift of God. The Bible even contains stories of sex, but when it does the purpose was about the heirs that come from them and not for the purpose to arouse, when it is not about a bigger purpose the Bible is replete with warnings after warnings on this subject.
Let's teach our kids that it is not a hateful, shameful thing, but that it is a wonderful thing but that it is reserved for marriage. So sexual content? In marriage? Good. For arousal and entertainment outside of marriage? Bad. For more information read your Bible. This is why porn is a problem, it involves actual people most of the time and its cause is for arousal. Christ clarified the way this sin works with the mind, so lust is the real problem, this happens with actual contact or not.
It seems to me that in the 80's and before, sex was often used in movies to communicate that the couple actually loved each other. Obviously this had range as well, but now it seems that sex is simply used to entice. It sells, it always has, but it didn't used to be only for a enticement. It seems as the times go on and as we become much more "mature" and able to handle these things we are simply injecting it into more and more of our entertainment.
I once had a friend who had recently got married and told me that he still went to topless bars. I was surprised not because he was a Christian, because he wasn't, but because this type of sin actively wars against the vows of marriage. I asked him why and he gave me the typical response, that he simply looked and didn't touch. I told him that I could never do that because it causes desire which leads to darker more, tactual places. Then I asked him how long did he think it would be before only looking wasn't enough? He got the point.
So 50 shades of Grey? Nope.
Moving on...
Violence, this one is perhaps more nuanced than sex because it is in all stories. The Bible is full of stories of war and battles and the victors are viewed as heroes and God frequently communicates himself to us as a warrior which is something to be looked up to. Ecclesiastes says that there is a time for war. War involves violence. God frequently involved his people in war and conflict, and used it as a legitimate punishment for evil. Even if the evil was other forms of violence.
The Bible encourages people to view warriors and victors as honorable and worthy or praise. The question then becomes all violence? Well no, the Ninevites for example are historically known for their brutality and gory shows that they put on to scare their enemies. This is why Jonah didn't want to preach repentance to them because of the gross nature of their violence. The rule of an eye for eye was implemented not to make the world go blind as Gandhi said, but was to restrain evil. This was to put a cap on violence. We tend to go overboard with this stuff.
True enough that in the New Testament Jesus comes and shows a more excellent way. He shows the way of restraint and he seems to teach passivity when it comes to our experience of personal violence. But God himself essentially says leave the violence to me. "Vengeance is mine." Actual violence is to be avoided by Christians. But violence is given to the government to restrain evil, that is until God arrives on the scene to deal with it himself. God doesn't himself have a problem with punitive justice.
So violence is nuanced, God uses it, but should we be entertained by it? Well again the Bible frequently uses valor and victories to tell a story, so that does not seem so out of bounce. But what about gore? What about slasher flicks? Well I would draw the line there. It would be similar to the games of the Roman empire. Sure there were victors with stories of honor but essentially it was slaves in a bloody sport to the death for the citizens entertainment. Like how WWE is only for entertainment, except people were actually killed, and the acting was better. I don't believe that Christians should have attended the Roman games and we should avoid gory entertainment, especially when there isn't any redeeming factor. I wish zombie movies could tell there bleak and human survival stories without having to emphasize and capitalize on the gore, maybe a pipe dream?
The gore element seems to be the 'lust' factor in violence, it is only to entice with death. It seems silly to discuss brutality factors but that does seem to be the point. What is this violence enticing me too? Is it causing me to honor soldiers and valor or is it enticing me to glory in death? This may be why the Gospels exclude the gory details of crucifixion. The fact the word excruciating had to be invented to describe it should be enough to make the point. If not Mel Gibson helped us on this bit.
A further nuance? Well violence in films and TV do not hurt actual people in the making. The way Jesus addressed this sin was anger leading to violence. When we view violence it is not typically fueling anger in the person watching as porn does with lust. Violence is usually a MacGuffin, which is why we walk away with such themes as self-sacrifice, justice, honor, service, camaraderie, valor etc. While again in porn there is no MacGuffin it is about the acts being witnessed, it is to stimulate. This is why a book or a movie about the gulf war or famous battle is fine.
So Saving Private Ryan? Fine.
So for the Christian the purpose is how do I think Christianly about this? The Christian must answer these questions to engage culture. It must be more than a knee-jerk reaction to offense but a Biblical response, especially when the outside world loves to point out hypocrisy. So take the time to learn why the Bible says what it says and when it says it. Learn why the Bible had battles and had heroes. Psst. it had something to do with God's judgement. For another example that maybe defies the gore element I spoke on? To avoid a knee jerk reaction, think about the Passion of the Christ. It was gorier than most films but the point was to show what Christ suffered for us, the extent of his suffering. I think that that is very redemptive. This was a unique situation where the gore did help the point, but again use your Christian mind to decide.
This is just such a big topic that these first two points have taken longer than I had thought, so I will do part two next time.
thanks
I know that Harry Potter was so five years ago but this still speaks to the current problem of what do we consume for entertainment. Now I have read all the Harry Potter books and watched all the movies. That perhaps lets me speak to the issue or admit that I can't because I have already succumbed to its "magic" as another Christian dupe. But I will attempt to cast my spell and see if I have any influence at all. Expelliarmus!!
Now perhaps my obvious bias will turn off a few but kidding aside, Christians do need a response on entertainment, but it should be based on the Bible and reason and not fear. I will focus on just a few areas used within entertainment: sex, violence, and magic with pagan practices.
So let's ask some hard questions should Christians watch "R" movies? What content should be avoided? Are some subjects too evil for Christians to view? Can Christians engage in any of these without it being sin?
I will admit that the one that I think makes the most sense is sex. This is one with the least nuance. This is the one that Bible tells us to flee from. This is the one that Job made a covenant with his eyes over. This is the one that proverbs warns us against. This is the one that can cause marriages to be destroyed. This is the one that Leviticus has the most addendums to for wrong practices. This is the one that gets repeated in the New Testament over and over again to take extra caution over.
So what should the Christian response be? Shame? Fear? No we have tried that and it doesn't work. The Christian response should not therefore be that it is evil or shameful, but it does need a warning.
Some want to say "Well, that is the Old Testament" and true enough it is, but these warnings and commands are reiterated in the new Testament by Paul and then again at the Jerusalem council. The issue was on what, if any, parts of the law Gentiles need to pay attention to. See Romans, 1 Corinthians, and Acts. Then some say "But Song of Songs is all about sex!" True it is, but a theme of the book is not to awaken it before its time. This is the point, sex is an amazing thing, when it's in the right context.
The song of songs is meant to celebrate sexual love. Which it is, a celebration of a gift of God. The Bible even contains stories of sex, but when it does the purpose was about the heirs that come from them and not for the purpose to arouse, when it is not about a bigger purpose the Bible is replete with warnings after warnings on this subject.
Let's teach our kids that it is not a hateful, shameful thing, but that it is a wonderful thing but that it is reserved for marriage. So sexual content? In marriage? Good. For arousal and entertainment outside of marriage? Bad. For more information read your Bible. This is why porn is a problem, it involves actual people most of the time and its cause is for arousal. Christ clarified the way this sin works with the mind, so lust is the real problem, this happens with actual contact or not.
It seems to me that in the 80's and before, sex was often used in movies to communicate that the couple actually loved each other. Obviously this had range as well, but now it seems that sex is simply used to entice. It sells, it always has, but it didn't used to be only for a enticement. It seems as the times go on and as we become much more "mature" and able to handle these things we are simply injecting it into more and more of our entertainment.
I once had a friend who had recently got married and told me that he still went to topless bars. I was surprised not because he was a Christian, because he wasn't, but because this type of sin actively wars against the vows of marriage. I asked him why and he gave me the typical response, that he simply looked and didn't touch. I told him that I could never do that because it causes desire which leads to darker more, tactual places. Then I asked him how long did he think it would be before only looking wasn't enough? He got the point.
So 50 shades of Grey? Nope.
Moving on...
Violence, this one is perhaps more nuanced than sex because it is in all stories. The Bible is full of stories of war and battles and the victors are viewed as heroes and God frequently communicates himself to us as a warrior which is something to be looked up to. Ecclesiastes says that there is a time for war. War involves violence. God frequently involved his people in war and conflict, and used it as a legitimate punishment for evil. Even if the evil was other forms of violence.
The Bible encourages people to view warriors and victors as honorable and worthy or praise. The question then becomes all violence? Well no, the Ninevites for example are historically known for their brutality and gory shows that they put on to scare their enemies. This is why Jonah didn't want to preach repentance to them because of the gross nature of their violence. The rule of an eye for eye was implemented not to make the world go blind as Gandhi said, but was to restrain evil. This was to put a cap on violence. We tend to go overboard with this stuff.
True enough that in the New Testament Jesus comes and shows a more excellent way. He shows the way of restraint and he seems to teach passivity when it comes to our experience of personal violence. But God himself essentially says leave the violence to me. "Vengeance is mine." Actual violence is to be avoided by Christians. But violence is given to the government to restrain evil, that is until God arrives on the scene to deal with it himself. God doesn't himself have a problem with punitive justice.
So violence is nuanced, God uses it, but should we be entertained by it? Well again the Bible frequently uses valor and victories to tell a story, so that does not seem so out of bounce. But what about gore? What about slasher flicks? Well I would draw the line there. It would be similar to the games of the Roman empire. Sure there were victors with stories of honor but essentially it was slaves in a bloody sport to the death for the citizens entertainment. Like how WWE is only for entertainment, except people were actually killed, and the acting was better. I don't believe that Christians should have attended the Roman games and we should avoid gory entertainment, especially when there isn't any redeeming factor. I wish zombie movies could tell there bleak and human survival stories without having to emphasize and capitalize on the gore, maybe a pipe dream?
The gore element seems to be the 'lust' factor in violence, it is only to entice with death. It seems silly to discuss brutality factors but that does seem to be the point. What is this violence enticing me too? Is it causing me to honor soldiers and valor or is it enticing me to glory in death? This may be why the Gospels exclude the gory details of crucifixion. The fact the word excruciating had to be invented to describe it should be enough to make the point. If not Mel Gibson helped us on this bit.
A further nuance? Well violence in films and TV do not hurt actual people in the making. The way Jesus addressed this sin was anger leading to violence. When we view violence it is not typically fueling anger in the person watching as porn does with lust. Violence is usually a MacGuffin, which is why we walk away with such themes as self-sacrifice, justice, honor, service, camaraderie, valor etc. While again in porn there is no MacGuffin it is about the acts being witnessed, it is to stimulate. This is why a book or a movie about the gulf war or famous battle is fine.
So Saving Private Ryan? Fine.
So for the Christian the purpose is how do I think Christianly about this? The Christian must answer these questions to engage culture. It must be more than a knee-jerk reaction to offense but a Biblical response, especially when the outside world loves to point out hypocrisy. So take the time to learn why the Bible says what it says and when it says it. Learn why the Bible had battles and had heroes. Psst. it had something to do with God's judgement. For another example that maybe defies the gore element I spoke on? To avoid a knee jerk reaction, think about the Passion of the Christ. It was gorier than most films but the point was to show what Christ suffered for us, the extent of his suffering. I think that that is very redemptive. This was a unique situation where the gore did help the point, but again use your Christian mind to decide.
This is just such a big topic that these first two points have taken longer than I had thought, so I will do part two next time.
thanks
Thursday, January 22, 2015
With Respect to the Comedian (This is not That)
The timing of this couldn't be better or worse depending on how you think about it. The tragedy in France over a cartoon of Mohamed. Lives lost. This is not that. A Christian will not attack you if you mock Christ. But a Christian may respond, this is that. This was not inspired from France but the comparison is obvious at this point, so why not just get it out there.
Open scene from My Blue Heaven 1990.
(Barney tells a joke and everybody laughs except Hannah)
Hannah Stubbs: I see that it's funny. I have a sense of humor.
Barney: Of course you have a sense of humor. Everyone thinks they do, even people who don't.
I think this situation above is true, so as ironic as it is I wanted to say that I have a great sense of humor. Furthermore Christians have a sense of humor as well; we recognize that the Bible contains many humorous things. Some of those are simply because of the distance of time and culture that they sound funny to us. So sure some things are funny in the Bible. But there is a difference from that, and outright mocking the content and the people who do believe in the Bible.
It's the whole laughing with or laughing at thing. So I do admit I get annoyed when people attack Christianity when there is nobody to defend or at least respond in kind. Especially when it is done from a major platform. So I will respond with the small platform that an insignificant blog allows me...
I recently was watching a comedy bit on Netflix which I do not usually do. But I did and then I shut it off. The host was basically commenting on verses and pointing out how weird and stupid they sound to a modern audience. Now it is a very easy thing to read passages out of context and then comment about how horrible it is or how oppressing it was and how God is a...
I won't go into the specifics because the problem is a fundamental misunderstanding of the text. We didn't even get out of the gate with this one.
I know an obvious response is it was a joke..but humor does influence, and even jokes communicate a way of viewing the world. A worldview that communicates that to believe in the Bible is ridiculous. While people are free to believe this, I am also free to point out that their understanding about the Bible may be flawed. They can choose not to believe it all day long, but most people are not simply choosing to not believe, they are looking for justifications for not having to choose. My job is then to challenge those justifications and leave them in a place of only personal volition and not excuses. As 2 Corinthians 10:5 says:
5 We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ
So make your jokes but I will make my reply, so...
As I said it is too easy to anachronistically scrutinize and criticize the Bible. What is not easy to do is actually study it. To actually learn what it is communicating to the audience when it was written. For us today we are 3rd party readers and we have to take the time to understand not only the literary context but the world view it is communicating and also the world in which it was communicating to.
I am not saying do not ask questions, please do.
Because it is too easy to judge it on our standards. We have to understand that it was not written to 21st century post Christan America, nor for that matter was it written to 20th century Christian America. It benefits readers outside of the ancient near east as they approach it humbly and let it speak across time as it is meant to be heard. That is not to say it does not have some hard things to say to us, it does. But we cannot simply find offensive verses and then come to conclusions when we are ignorant of the world when it was written and the worldview it is creating.
I say creating because without a doubt the Bible has literally shaped the world. It happened because it challenged and inspired and caused people to grow. It drew people into relationship with God. That is the point. It may sound archaic to us, but it changes lives for the better. The Bible is God's revelation, so in one sense it isn't going to completely satisfy man, because it is completely other. It is God condescending to our level to communicate something to beings that he created. It is like what Paul reminds his readers in Roman 9 of their place in relation to the maker.
But who are you, O man, to answer back to God? Will what is molded say to its molder, “Why have you made me like this?” 21 Has the potter no right over the clay?...
Job had a similar epiphany when he wanted answers from God in Job 38.
“Who is this that darkens counsel by words without knowledge? 3 Dress for action like a man; I will question you, and you make it known to me. 4 “Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth? Tell me, if you have understanding. 5 Who determined its measurements—surely you know! Or who stretched the line upon it? 6 On what were its bases sunk, or who laid its cornerstone, 7 when the morning stars sang together and all the sons of God shouted for joy?
Now obviously there is the issue of competing worldviews. The comedian has one, but we must understand the Bible is establishing quite another. God is not simply a character of the Bible, he is God, all powerful, all knowing, all loving. But the Bible gets to define how these work. If you aren't willing to engage the worldview the Bible is communicating then please refrain from commenting. If you want to challenge its view then at least attempt to be credible when you do so, learn its preface.
Feel free to disagree all you want, but first remember Proverbs 18:13.
He who gives an answer before he hears, It is folly and shame to him.
This is a true statement whether you believe the bible or not.
Next time you reach for an easy mark such as an out of context passage from the Old Testament just because it sounds crazy, ask yourself "Do I understand what I am reading?" As Luke records the Ethiopian Eunuch did in Acts 8. Maybe even pick up a commentary to see if that means what you think it means. Because perhaps as Inigo reminded Vizzini "I don't think it means what you think it means". Now obviously fact checking is more work, and you are not doing this for theology, this for a bit, so you are not going to worry about fact checking.
But then I am not going to laugh. Cheap shots are easy but informed humor is clever.
So yes comedian the Bible is an easy target, and nobody will threaten your life for it, but please study before you speak it will make your comedy better. As it is you sound like a kid who wants to fit in with the cool group, the one that has decided Christianity is out this season. And while it may be true that Christianity is out this season, the conversation still needs to happen among thoughtful individuals.
Christians welcome comedy but this was not that.
thanks
Open scene from My Blue Heaven 1990.
(Barney tells a joke and everybody laughs except Hannah)
Hannah Stubbs: I see that it's funny. I have a sense of humor.
Barney: Of course you have a sense of humor. Everyone thinks they do, even people who don't.
I think this situation above is true, so as ironic as it is I wanted to say that I have a great sense of humor. Furthermore Christians have a sense of humor as well; we recognize that the Bible contains many humorous things. Some of those are simply because of the distance of time and culture that they sound funny to us. So sure some things are funny in the Bible. But there is a difference from that, and outright mocking the content and the people who do believe in the Bible.
It's the whole laughing with or laughing at thing. So I do admit I get annoyed when people attack Christianity when there is nobody to defend or at least respond in kind. Especially when it is done from a major platform. So I will respond with the small platform that an insignificant blog allows me...
I recently was watching a comedy bit on Netflix which I do not usually do. But I did and then I shut it off. The host was basically commenting on verses and pointing out how weird and stupid they sound to a modern audience. Now it is a very easy thing to read passages out of context and then comment about how horrible it is or how oppressing it was and how God is a...
I won't go into the specifics because the problem is a fundamental misunderstanding of the text. We didn't even get out of the gate with this one.
I know an obvious response is it was a joke..but humor does influence, and even jokes communicate a way of viewing the world. A worldview that communicates that to believe in the Bible is ridiculous. While people are free to believe this, I am also free to point out that their understanding about the Bible may be flawed. They can choose not to believe it all day long, but most people are not simply choosing to not believe, they are looking for justifications for not having to choose. My job is then to challenge those justifications and leave them in a place of only personal volition and not excuses. As 2 Corinthians 10:5 says:
5 We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ
So make your jokes but I will make my reply, so...
As I said it is too easy to anachronistically scrutinize and criticize the Bible. What is not easy to do is actually study it. To actually learn what it is communicating to the audience when it was written. For us today we are 3rd party readers and we have to take the time to understand not only the literary context but the world view it is communicating and also the world in which it was communicating to.
I am not saying do not ask questions, please do.
Because it is too easy to judge it on our standards. We have to understand that it was not written to 21st century post Christan America, nor for that matter was it written to 20th century Christian America. It benefits readers outside of the ancient near east as they approach it humbly and let it speak across time as it is meant to be heard. That is not to say it does not have some hard things to say to us, it does. But we cannot simply find offensive verses and then come to conclusions when we are ignorant of the world when it was written and the worldview it is creating.
I say creating because without a doubt the Bible has literally shaped the world. It happened because it challenged and inspired and caused people to grow. It drew people into relationship with God. That is the point. It may sound archaic to us, but it changes lives for the better. The Bible is God's revelation, so in one sense it isn't going to completely satisfy man, because it is completely other. It is God condescending to our level to communicate something to beings that he created. It is like what Paul reminds his readers in Roman 9 of their place in relation to the maker.
But who are you, O man, to answer back to God? Will what is molded say to its molder, “Why have you made me like this?” 21 Has the potter no right over the clay?...
Job had a similar epiphany when he wanted answers from God in Job 38.
“Who is this that darkens counsel by words without knowledge? 3 Dress for action like a man; I will question you, and you make it known to me. 4 “Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth? Tell me, if you have understanding. 5 Who determined its measurements—surely you know! Or who stretched the line upon it? 6 On what were its bases sunk, or who laid its cornerstone, 7 when the morning stars sang together and all the sons of God shouted for joy?
Now obviously there is the issue of competing worldviews. The comedian has one, but we must understand the Bible is establishing quite another. God is not simply a character of the Bible, he is God, all powerful, all knowing, all loving. But the Bible gets to define how these work. If you aren't willing to engage the worldview the Bible is communicating then please refrain from commenting. If you want to challenge its view then at least attempt to be credible when you do so, learn its preface.
Feel free to disagree all you want, but first remember Proverbs 18:13.
He who gives an answer before he hears, It is folly and shame to him.
This is a true statement whether you believe the bible or not.
Next time you reach for an easy mark such as an out of context passage from the Old Testament just because it sounds crazy, ask yourself "Do I understand what I am reading?" As Luke records the Ethiopian Eunuch did in Acts 8. Maybe even pick up a commentary to see if that means what you think it means. Because perhaps as Inigo reminded Vizzini "I don't think it means what you think it means". Now obviously fact checking is more work, and you are not doing this for theology, this for a bit, so you are not going to worry about fact checking.
But then I am not going to laugh. Cheap shots are easy but informed humor is clever.
So yes comedian the Bible is an easy target, and nobody will threaten your life for it, but please study before you speak it will make your comedy better. As it is you sound like a kid who wants to fit in with the cool group, the one that has decided Christianity is out this season. And while it may be true that Christianity is out this season, the conversation still needs to happen among thoughtful individuals.
Christians welcome comedy but this was not that.
thanks
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