Christians & Movies (Film)
I was going to make a blog entry regarding Christianity and movies and lo and behold I run across an entry from Tim Challies on the subject. My post was actually going to be on viewing movies with a Christian worldview (I will still post on that).
You can read what Tim has to say on the subject here, with a follow-up entry he made here.
I would like to add my name to the list of people that disagree with Tim on this subject (to an extent).
I suppose I find myself torn on this subject. I could easily see myself taking a stand that Christians should not partake in anything secular. However, I often wonder how possible that is for all Christians to adhere to. I mean how many Christians can say they live remotely similar to even the apostles, much less Jesus. Don’t get me wrong, I am not saying that we shouldn’t attempt to live our lives as Christ did. I am not saying that we shouldn’t follow His commandments and instruction. I am just asking the questions.
I believe that you can’t just arbitrarily decide what you will partake in on a secular level and what you won’t. That is a recipe for hypocracy. So some Christians may preach/write all day long about not watching secular movies…but I ask, where does it begin and where does it end (what does secularism encompass)?
Do you buy goods made by secular companies?
Do you read secular newspapers or publications?
Do you visit secular websites?
Do you buy anything secular?
Do you partake in anything secular?
Do you listen to secular music?
What makes music “secular”? (lyrics only?)
Where do you draw the line?
Who is the judge on what one can partake in (on a secular level) and what one cannot partake in?
Now, as Christians we are quick to say Scripture is the judge…and that is truth. However, that means 99% of Christians are falling short in this area. In addition, 99.9% of Christians arbitrarily decide for themselves what they can and cannot partake in (on a secular level).
On the other side of the coin…
As Christians, all things are lawful but not all things are helpful. I have to agree with what someone else wrote in one of the posts above that how mature you are as a Christian is a big factor in relation to this subject. Another big factor is who it effects. For example, I am pretty much anti- Harry Potter anything. However, I don’t have a problem with a mature Christian reading such material. On the other hand, if they are “eating it up” in front of young children, I have a problem with it.
I believe the Lord uses men and women in all walks of life and all types of jobs to accomplish His work. I know that it is basically impossible for all Christians to completely separate themselves from culture/secularism and the world.
So the issue leaves me torn. I do know that I have a Biblical worldview and everything I view/read is filtered through that Biblical worldview. I attempt to evaluate everything in light of the Scripture. I can confidently say that for me personally I have no problems watching movies at any level (obviously some I don’t care to watch, period). However, I am responsible for more than just myself (i.e. my wife and children) and I always need to keep that in mind because it has a major impact on what I do. Similarly, we need to think about how our actions affect our brothers and sisters in Christ.
Another factor to consider is who you are “supporting” when you buy certain goods/services and/or participate in certain events/activities? Where is your money going?
So, though I can see where Tim is coming from (notice I said “to an extent” above), what I disagree with is his arbitrary (inconsistent) application.
1 Corinthians 6:12
Romans 14:1
Romans 14:5
1 Corinthians 8:12
Romans 14:21
Now, on to what I was originally going to post about. I recently watched a secular movie and I couldn’t help but think one thing throughout the entire movie. It seems that the world’s goal in movie making, book writing, etc, etc… is to destroy (or go against) the Biblical worldview (I realize there are exceptions, I am speaking in general). The diverse nature of this attack is interesting as well. Sometimes the attack is so obscure that the Christian viewer may not even notice it. Other times it may be shrouded with an appeal to man’s intellect (the flesh). With film, television, books, music, and everything else peppered with such subliminal attacks it is no wonder that many Christians use human logic (the flesh) to interpret Scripture and doctrine. It is no wonder many Christians have a hard time understanding certain Biblical truths. The world has logic on a pedestal and attacks the Biblical worldview on a daily basis (and many Christians are buying into it).
As Christians, we must mold our logic to the Scripture (not the other way around) and we must learn to filter everything through a Biblical worldview.
AMDG
All Around The Bloggler’s Bench
Haven’t had much time to post lately and the schedule is pretty packed. I did want to post a few links though.
Islam the Religion of Peace?
Posted at Mixed BAG.
(he apparently doesn’t have individual links turned on for each post so you will have to go to his blog and search the title).
Three Faces of the Church
Because He Is God
Both posted at CampOnThis.
Off topic, Phil Johnson at PyroManiac posted a small bio on Jeff Williams. I bring it up because it is interesting to know that we have Christian astronauts out there in space reading the Word of God. 
I always enjoy when Steve Camp makes posts like these. I would have to say that Steve’s blog is one of the top 5 Christian blogs and it is well worth reading regularly. His articles above (the writing style and subject matter) remind me of some of A.W. Tozer’s stuff and I enjoy that type of writing and subject matter.
AMDG
I call it like I see it.
Wow. It seems that interview I posted about on challies.com has caused quite a ruckus.
Now I’m not going to start pointing fingers but it is the extremists on both sides that give the “sane” group a bad name. All sorts of comments from calvinists in an uproar because Richard calls himself a calvinist but calls limited atonement and irresistable grace how he sees it in the Scripture. Fellow Christians hurling words like, heresy, heretic, false doctrine, etc etc…at each other. In addition, anti-PDL people throwing stones at Tim just for posting the interview, as if Richard was some sort of anti-Christ.
Well I call it like I see it too. I am definitely against Richard Abanes and his support for the PDL and you can read part 2 of Tim’s interview with him to see why. However, Richard claims to be a brother in Christ and you have to respect some of his comments in the interview. Why would I throw out everything he has to say just because he is a Rick Warren supporter? Give me a break. His comments on Harry Potter, as well as much of what he had to say seems pretty right on (and Scriptural) to me. In case some of you die hard (or hyper-)calvinists weren’t aware, “limited atonement” as held by many is a very weak position Scripturally.
What we are seeing displayed here friends is not Christianity. It is the same scoffing and “hatred” we are warned against in the Scripture. Perhaps some of these so-called “Christians” who are speaking so harshly should step down off their pedestal and spend more time in the Scripture.
John 8:7
Matthew 7:3-5
P.S. Since I brought up PDL, I should probably mention that my objections may not be the same as most people that constantly bash it (and Rick Warren). However, that is for another post if I ever feel it is important enough to go into more detail about the issue. My general comments on it can be found here.
Addendum 7/31:
Phil Johnson at PyroMania comments on the Richard Abanes interview.
What I find interesting in all this is that Richard Abanes is associated with Saddleback Church / Rick Warren (whom he is defending) and Phil Johnson is associated with Grace to You / John MacArthur (whom he is defending). Both the interview and Phil’s post are worth reading if you have the time. At the very least you get to see some well written defenses/analysis of certain statements/issues.
Addendum 8/1:
One last comment on all this. Tim posted his opinion on the interview and I have to say I think he hit the nail on the head. Below is a reproduction of my comment on Tim’s blog.
Just wanted to say I think you hit the nail on the head here Tim. The question is, why is Richard defending Rick at all (because he goes to his church?). Yes, I know Richard claims it is because he is defending “truth” but that is irrelavent as far as I am concerned. The only “truth” worth “defending” is the Word. Defending some man’s ministry (apart from the Scripture) is pointless IMO. Both Richard and Phil are guilty of defending a third party in this instance. Let the person speak for themselves if they wish, otherwise, it is just hearsay.
Greg Koukl and Ken Silva’s response on the ever growing discussion. This should be my last comment/update on this issue. You can follow the rabbit trail as far as you like with the links provided thus far.
AMDG
More on Harry Potter
You can see my original comments on this subject here.
I ran across this interview with Richard Abanes at challies.com and I wanted to reproduce some of his comments because I really liked what he had to say on the subject.
The above interview shed some light on Richard and where he stands on certain issues that I was unaware of. Up until reading the interview I had only disagreed with what I have read from him (specifically about Rick Warren, which isn’t much). Apparently, Richard has written a book titled Harry Potter, Narnia, and The Lord of the Rings : What You Need to Know About Fantasy Books and Movies that touches on the Harry Potter subject in more detail.
In addition to the quote below, I liked what he had to say in regards to “soft calvinism”. If need be, I personally don’t have a problem shedding the label of a “calvinist” because of my differing opinion on a few “points”. However, I also don’t have a problem with the term he uses and how he explains it. You can read the full interview (linked above) if you want to see what he has to say on that.
We happen to be doing this interview only days after the release of the latest book in the Harry Potter series. I know you’ve written a book about this subject. Here is a quick chance to pitch your book! What are your thoughts on Harry Potter and whether Christian children and adults should read it?
Regarding the Harry Potter books, I have tried very hard to avoid telling people to either read them or not read them. My newest book Harry Potter, Narnia, and The Lord of the Rings is primarily about fantasy literature in general, which I happen to support. In fact, I am a major fan of fantasy, so what I have tried to do is simply show that fantasy, like so many things, can be “good” as well as “not so good.” To illustrate the differences between such types of fantasy I take an in-depth look at the Harry Potter series, The Chronicles of Narnia, and The Lord of the Rings. I also examine/discuss Philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials trilogy (which is excessively anti-Christian) and R.L. Stine’s Fear Street series (as well as Goosebumps). Additionally, I cover marketing to children through TV and movies, consumerism, child development, and culture’s influence on kids.
My concern about the Harry Potter books is two-fold: 1) by J.K. Rowling’s own admission, the books contain references to real-world occult symbolism, lore, subjects, practices, and beliefs that she has gleaned from her hobby-like study of things like occultism, witchcraft, and magick (this is verified and documented); 2) the ethics and morality in the series exalt relativism—i.e., there seems to be no objective standard of right and wrong. If the good characters in the book feel like something is just fine (or fun), then they simply do it, even though it may be bad/wrong (e.g., the good characters habitually lie, steal, cheat, use foul language, break laws, deceive each other, behave hypocritically, and have no problem pursuing revenge). The books do not strive to show kids a better way, they instead, appeal to their most basic/naturalistic instincts: e.g., crass/gross humor, the desire for revenge, the want for power over adults.
Some people say, “So what?” But my worry is that children—who we all know tend to copy what they think is cool, or fun, or exciting—will begin emulating some of the poor ethical/moral behaviors exalted in Harry Potter as well as some of the occult aspects of the books. This is not a far-fetched concern. Kids are already copying various aspects of the series: e.g., registrations for boarding schools in England have sky-rocketed; a surge in buying owls for pets has taken place; and one group of kids had to be rushed to the hospital after mixing a poisonous “potion” and drinking—all in direct response to Harry Potter. We also have a 2002 Barna survey that found 12% of kids who saw the Harry Potter movies were more interested in witchcraft. And, most alarming, is how REAL wiccans/occultists/neopagans are writing their own pro-occult and pro-witchcraft books (both fiction and non-fiction) and using the popularity of Harry Potter books to lure young readers to their materials. Clearly, concerns about Harry Potter are not misplaced.
My book also debunks the absurd view of Harry Potter offered by the likes of John Granger, Connie Neal, and Francis Bridger, and John Killinger—i.e., the claim that Harry Potter is actually a Christian series in the tradition of The Chronicles of Narnia and The Lord of the Rings. In a nutshell, their assertions are plagued by a myriad of flaws that can be distilled down to two main issues: 1. The plainest reading of Harry Potter reveals that it is not a depiction of anything Christian, but instead, is a depiction of the magick worldview. (This has been confirmed by Witches, occultists, and neopagans.) 2. Rowling herself has explained both her work and her faith in ways that clearly contradict the assertions being made by the “Harry-Potter-is-really-Christian” group of supporters.
Should Christian children and/or adults read them? Well, what adults do is between them and God. I could no more tell an adult Christian to not read the books than tell them to not go see an R-rated movie, or not have a glass of wine with spaghetti. Reading Harry Potter as an adult, I think, would fall into the category of a freedom not explicitly discussed in scripture. Children, on the other hand, need guidance. But guiding someone else’s child is not my job. My job is to get good, solid, documented information about Harry Potter to parents, then, it is their decision. Personally, however, I do think it is a very poor idea to have some kids, particularly younger ones (e.g., ages 6-10), reading the books—especially the latter volumes (4, 5, 6, 7), which become progressively darker and more violent.
I think Richard did an excellent job commenting on the subject matter above and I thought it worthy of reproducing here. In addition, I differ with Richard on other things he has written about and I had no problems writing about those particular issues. I may even have to pick up his book (linked to above) on the subject.
Addendum 7/29:
Ran across another good article on the subject so I am just adding the link to this post.
AMDG
Using Scripture References in Books
Tim has posted an article entitled The Proper Use of Scripture in Books that I wanted to comment on.
Before we go any further, let’s establish the purpose of using the Bible in a book. The goal in prooftexting or quoting from the Bible is to accurately represent and interpret God’s Word. We do not use the Bible to prove what we want it to say. Rather, we turn to the Bible to learn from God Himself, and then share what we have learned with others. We must have our priorities straight.
I am not sure if I disagree with this or not (because of the way it is worded). I think that your position should always be backed by Scripture. If it isn’t, then it is just a subjective opinion that really doesn’t hold much weight and consequently it doesn’t matter if someone differs. Now, I don’t think someone should formulate a position and then find Scripture to support that position. If that is what Tim is trying to say then I agree with him. However, if I am writing a book and I make a statement, I think backing that statement with Scripture is warranted. In fact, I should find Scripture to back all of my positions so they become more credible and don’t fall under the “mere opinions” category. If I cannot find Scripture to back my position then I should abandon it in favor of a Scriptural one.
Again, you have to ask yourself the importance of stating an opinion without Scriptural support. The problem is that someone may differ from that opinion and there is nothing to counter with, they are just as much right as you are. It becomes a circular discussion of one subjective opinion against another.
Obviously, people can still disagree with your position even if you use Scripture to support it. However, the big difference is that you have something as a basis that both parties can reference. I personally would like to see all “Christian” books grounded in Scripture.
I will admit the above would force the reader to be more familiar with the Scripture but I don’t believe that is a bad thing.
AMDG