Going to the Movies

Recently, a couple friends of mine posted an article on their blog by a guy named Douglas Wilson. He is a pastor in the US whose work has been published by Focus on the Family. In order to understand what I'm talking about, you'll need to read the actual article, which is a short but provocative read. You can do that by clicking on the links to Shane's or Nick's blog on the right side of this page. So go there now and read the article ... but come back here when you're done! If you don't come back, just remember ... I know where you live ...

OK, welcome back. The point of Wilson's article is that if we're watching immoral behaviour on the big screen, we may as well be watching it in person. Or, to take it the extreme, we may as well be doing it ourselves. He forces us to ask, what's the difference between the two? His point is well taken, and is a much needed call to holiness, both for teenagers and for adults. He even uses loaded words like "hypocrisy" to get his point across. But reading this article left me wondering if such a "full-frontal" (no pun intended) attack on this particular subject is doing more to breed this hypocritical reputation Christians have earned over the years rather than demystifying it.

As I said earlier, I agree with the point Wilson is emphasizing. We must be much more careful with what we watch and thereby endorse, voluntarily or not. But are we compartmentalizing sin in the process? Have we elevated sexual sin above any other sin?

I know I might take some heat for this, but how are we to differentiate a movie that blantantly endorses sexually immoral behaviour from, say, the Simpsons? Or 24? I know a lot of Christians who wouldn't watch sexually immoral behaviour in a movie, but will grab a bowl of popcorn and watch the latest action movie regardless of the violence or otherwise immoral behaviour.

I also have a lot of (mature) Christian friends who enjoy the Simpsons. Personally, I could care less if Bart or Homer had cement blocks tied to their ankles and were thrown overboard ... even though there is the occasional funny moment.

I have even more (mature) Christian friends who enjoy 24. Personally, I can't get enough of the show. And while neither one of these programs shows explicit sexual behaviour, it does show other immorality. And quite a bit of it, too. Is it OK to watch the Simpsons and 24, but not a movie with a few "skin scenes," as Wilson calls it? Now I find myself asking the same question again: what's the difference?

Or what about the reality shows that have bombarded the boob tube (again, no pun intended on Wilson's article)? Shows where lying, cheating, and stealing - and sometimes sex - is not only tolerated, it's expected.

I wonder if Wilson's point, though accurate and convicting, could be expanded. While we need to stay away from movies that have these sexually explicit scenes, might there be some value in some of these other movies or TV shows?

I'll be the first to admit, I raised my guard more than a little when I read Wilson's article the first time. While I have a low tolerance for reality shows (that's more of a personal opinion), I - much like the rest of humanity - love 24 and would find it hard to stop watching.

But could it be that some of these shows teach us something about "real life," even if it is "real life" at its worst? To some, that may sound like a lame attempt at justifying something I want to keep doing. Is it, really?

The impression I got from Wilson's article was that instead of being in the world but not of the world, we need to be out of the world AND not of the world. To be honest with you, I'm not sure why that is my first impression because I agree with what he is saying. Perhaps it is the tone in which he says it.

Are we not able to find some redemptive value in a sarcastic, beer-guzzling cartoon character who, among all of life's other troubles, has a wife with blue hair? Is the ever-immortal Jack Bauer unable to teach us that, though he lives life at its very worst in almost every respect, there may be other people in the world like him who need a divine intervention? Has it become completely impossible for us - Christians or not - to separate fact from fiction? It's not that I'm endorsing the behaviour of Homer or Jack, but does the fact we don't agree with it mean it is no longer real?

As I look at this again, I notice that I'm asking more questions than I'm answering. I suppose I'm still coming to grips with this myself, and I'm not sure I'm anywhere close to an answer yet. And until I get there, I'll keep asking. Thanks to Nick and Shane for posting a thought-provoking article.