Firstly we should remember that it is what comes from the heart which defiles a man not what he affects him outwardly as Jesus’ discourse with the Pharisees regarding ritual washings proves; this is not to say that things from without can affect the heart. Secondly, as Paul says, everything is permissible but not everything is beneficial. We should each know our own hearts to see those things which cause us to sin. Thirdly we are ambassadors of Christ and everything we do reflects on him: we are the only Bible most people will read. Finally there is no-one who is wrong on everything and no-one that it is right on everything; in short everything we do is still marred by the fall but almost everything retains something of us as image bearers of God.
How do we decide what to watch and not to? Firstly assess in your own hearts if there is anything within a film which is going to cause you to sin; do not deceive yourself because a film looks great. If you believe it will not, and the film looks technically good, then view it. However to not sit through the film passively: be alert throughout the film to what messages are being broadcast. This latter point is of most importance. In any film the director will be telling you how to think about various issues throughout the film and you must be aware of this. The most dangerous thing to do is to watch it and not engage with it. This is the problem: people don’t critically engage with art. Christians in particular will decide what they’ll watch, probably based on the amount of violence, sex and swearing, and sit passively through the film. This is incredibly dangerous. There are many anti-Christian messages through a lot of films, especially romantic comedies which, in general, portray adultery as attractive and a lot of Christians don’t bat an eyelid about watching them. There are though many virtuous messages promoted in films including those with heavy amounts of swearing, violence and sex/nudity.
An example of this would be American Gangster. It was a violent film, though not sadistic, with profuse swearing and frequent nudity, albeit not sexual. Yet one of the virtues heavily promoted throughout the film is integrity. Richie, the plain clothes cop, played by Russell Crowe, is the straightest copper you’ll ever see. In one scene he finds $1m in a car boot and turns it all in at the station. This however juxtaposed with his personal life in which he is a persistent philanderer. He later acknowledges the immorality of his actions and essentially repents of them.
At this point it must be emphasised that watching a film does not necessarily mean that you support what is promoted in it. This line of argument is rather strange since if I were to read the Communist Manifesto the only people claiming that I was supporting Communism would be in the lunatic asylums. A more sophisticated line of argument would be that you are lining the pockets of anti-Christian enterprises. However when you buy a product you have no control over where the retailer spends the money. Further the extra marginal revenue produced by your purchase will be so small as to make it insignificant.
In summary know your heart and consider the perception your action creates about yourself. After doing so, and are content, then watch what you like but critically engage with the film throughout. This is a rewarding experience as you attain a deeper understanding of the film and better understand the worldviews/ philosophies of the age- most people today arrive at morality by the media- thereby being better able to evangelise to them.
No comments:
Post a Comment