Frequently Asked Questions

On your site I found a review of a film, book, video game, or CD with explicit content (violence, profanity, nudity, sexuality, magical themes) Aren’t you condoning these sins and/or tempting others to sin by reviewing or praising this work?

Ultimately we believe we are all under the perfect law of liberty (James 2:5), which means, in part, that we are not under a law which contains a set list of acceptable content for movies, games, books, TV shows or music (Col 2:22). We are bound by our love of Christ to keep ourselves untainted from the world, but watching someone sin is not in itself sin. Knowing that people have sex is not sin, and enjoying a fantasy where “magic” is used is not the same as using magic. We believe that whenever biblical commands (thou shalt not kill (Matt 5:21-22) are expanded and altered (like saying “watching a violent film is sin”), an extra and unbiblical law has been created. The Bible alone must be our standard for what is and what isn’t sin, not tradition or Church culture. Since neither violence, profanity, nudity, nor sexual themes are biblically forbidden from our stories and works of art, we have no right to unilaterally condemn these elements in cultural creations.

However, we also acknowledge and are concerned by the fact that people are tempted to sin by different things. What one person might be able to view with a clean conscience, might lead another to sin. With this truth in mind, we strongly urge our readers and listeners to walk circumspect and take everything before the Lord (Eph 5:15-17). You are obligated before the Lord to keep yourself unstained from the world (James 1:27). If you are weak in a particular area (lust, pride, self-pity), you ought to avoid cultural creations that will tempt you to sin in these areas. Fundamentally, the aesthetic greatness of a film is never a license for us to walk into temptation or sin.

It is very important that we are not merely walking circumspect in regard to the “popular” worldly sins: lust, violence, and profanity. In many ways, the most subversive and damaging elements of our culture are the subtle suggestions made about the world: the value of human life, the meaning and importance of human love, what makes a life fulfilled, etc. A TV show where the characters make-out with new people each episode will probably do more to alter the way a believer conceives of a proper relationship than a film with a pornographic sex scene. One of the best ways to walk circumspect in regard to the “popular” sins and the more subtle worldly influences is to identify where we might be tempted to sin, to note where we are being persuaded to think unbliblically. Far from leading people into sin, by discussing and critiquing cultural creations with explicit content, Christ and Pop Culture seeks to help believers to be active in their interaction with the world, to take every thought captive for Christ.

In summary, while we firmly reject any legalistic, unbiblical, set of rules concerning what we can watch/read/listen to, we urge all our readers and listeners to walk circumspect and sincerely before their Lord. No review we give is ever a unilateral approval of the work for all viewers at all times. We are here to provide information and encourage discussion about these cultural creations so that believers are better equipped to be in the world but not of it (John 17:15-16).

Considering the Great Commission and all the social problems in the world, is it really worth our time to study “culture”? Shouldn’t we just go witness instead of reading, watching, playing, and talking about stuff that isn’t eternal?

Christ has called us to be in the world but not of it (John 17:15-16), which is quite different from:
-In the world but conquering it.
-In the world, but in our own hermetically sealed culture.
or -Not in the world at all.

The people we have been called to share the Gospel with, according to the Great Commission, nearly all live and move and have their being in their particular culture. Paul understood this and sought to be all things to all people (1 Cor 9:22). Several times in the New Testament we even find Paul quoting secular Greek poets as he is witnessing to non-Christians and teaching the Body (Acts 17:28, Titus 1:12, and 1 Cor 5:33). The model we find in Paul (as in Christ) is of a man who understood the ideas, language, and culture of his community so that he could better love them and God. Rather than shun cultural creations, Paul uses them to show the Truth of the Gospel.

Understanding the times and our culture in this sense is not a gimmick or trick to “win” people for Christ. We do not believe that our calling is to fake an appreciation for the good things made by people so we can sneak in the Gospel, like a salesman complimenting a customer’s hair style to soften the blow of a price tag. Many things made by this culture are worthy of praise, worthy of understanding and honoring as excellent even if they are not directly used to share the Gospel. In addition, we try to understand the world and society we live in so that we are better prepared and able to love our neighbor. Our communities have specific areas where they are suffering, specific idols which they worship, specific worldviews which distort their understanding of the world, and specific stumbling blocks to the Gospel. By spending the time to learn about our culture, we are spending time to better love our neighbor and reach him where he is most in need.

In summary, understanding our culture helps us to love our neighbor, praise what is praiseworthy, enjoy what is beautiful and good, and better fulfill the Great Commission. Since thinking about the culture around us allows us to love our neighbor and our God better, it is worth our time.

Considering the fact that the Church is always under persecution from an unbelieving world, should we really spend our time nit-picking about how some Christians judge films, what Christian bands are doing wrong, and what Christians should wear? Shouldn’t we just be unified and support each other since we’re all serving God in our own way?

Whenever we question the views of fellow Christians or engage them in a debate, everything we write is written with the belief that a mature, biblical understanding of culture is not essential to salvation. We, at least for the most part, are not discussing ideas which are crucial to our faith. However, just because an issue is not essential to salvation does not mean it should not be discussed and wrestled with. While a mature and biblical understanding of how we should relate to culture is not necessary for salvation, the effects which can be caused by Christians who lack this knowledge can be devestating to both the Body and society in general. We certainly support the unity of the Body, but we believe that the basis of that unity must be upon what is True, not what is comfortable.

In summary, since understanding culture is so important, it is wise and proper for believers to “sharpen” each other on these issues so that we may discern what is true and mature as a Body. For this process of sharpening to glorify God, we must always keep a proper perspective of these issues by seeing them as important to our witness and walk, but not essential for salvation.