This is one of the things that excites me about the New Testament and the New Covenant: we don’t get to sit comfortably on a Law, we have to come before God daily, moment by moment, seeking discernment. Sometimes, in some moods, it would be sin for us to watch a film that on another day would be edifying to us. It’s a tremendous freedom, but also a serious responsibility.

I really appreciate Rich’s emphasis upon encouraging believers to think about culture. I believe that there are far more Christians who unquestioningly embrace the influence of the world (except when it comes to pet sins like homosexuality, sexual immorality in general, and profanity), than those who legalistically shut themselves off. Both groups need to place all their interactions with the world under the authority and grace of God by being active participates in culture and its products rather than passive recipients.

Great discussion.

To the Dane, thanks for the comments. Number four was in response to Rich’s post, namely that “Even if we cut out film and video games, there will always be something filling up what little free time we may have.” Sometimes we forget that what we (and others) use to fill up that time might not be only “sports, reading, or a card game” but Scripture reading, family time, sleep, etc. In that sense, I meant to say that we shouldn’t assume that activities will be replaced with neutral or negative ones, but that the time can be used better.

Thanks for helping me to communicate better and understand this all myself :)

1. Calling for an encouragement beyond entertainment presumes a kind of single-facetedness in the victims of our encouragement that I don’t see borne out in those I know. Most don’t need any kind of encouragement to move beyond entertainment because most don’t live wholly to be entertained.

2. “I don’t know of any men who would claim to be able to see pornography and not be tempted.” I don’t think anyone is suggesting that believers view pornography, as it’s designed to be fuel for erotic lust. Now of course, pornography is a distant throw from nudity in film. And I, as a man, will admit to rarely being tempted by nudity or sexual situations in film. I am tempted by, I’d say, less than a percent of the nudity I come across in the films I see – and in those times, it’s always because I’m predisposed by mood to find them tempting. Different strokes for different folks – a guy I work with can’t go to the beach because he is certain he will lust at just about everything that walks by with no Y-chromosome. Know yourself and your limits.

3. “One moral theme does not redeem a raunchy movie.” Are we now called to redeem movies as well as men? Again, the kinds of things one might indulge are wholly based upon the life and need of the individual. Sometimes a moral theme will make a raunchy movie worth it. Sometimes the raunchy movie will make that movie worth it.

4. “Let’s not assume our people will always choose worse alternatives.” I don’t know what this means.

5. “Sin on the screen in many cases is temptation to us, so willful exposure to such sin is not wise.” I’d be happier with this restated to say, “Sin on the screen in some cases may be temptation to certain ones of us; in such cases, willful exposure to such sin is not wise.”

I just want to make it very clear that we are far from the extremes of legalism or moral libertarianism. Like you, we want to challenge Christians to think through the issues themselves and come to a point where they can articulate why they should or shouldn’t watch a film.

For example, I know so many Christians who refuse to watch some of my favorite films while literally delighting in the sinful immorality rampant in the James Bond films, or the violence in Die Hard.

However, I do have a few objections in general:

1. I’m not advocating a media-fast or complete avoidance. Let’s interact with our people at this level, but let’s not leave them there but encourage them beyond entertainment.
2. I’m mostly speaking to sexual promiscuity on the screen. Violence and sinful attitudes can be dealt with separately. I don’t know of any men who would claim to be able to see pornography and not be tempted.
3. We are not called to balance the good with the bad. One moral theme does not redeem a raunchy movie.
4. Remember, there are always alternatives, and let’s not assume our people will always choose worse alternatives.
5. Sin on the screen in many cases is temptation to us, so willful exposure to such sin is not wise.

In the end, can our people watch whatever movies they want? Yes. I (nor any pastor at my church) am not their parent nor policeman. I will still read reviews and discuss it with them. But, I will not encourage any of my youth to attend movies that I believe will be a temptation OR desensitize them to sin (lit. seared consciences).

I appreciate the Dane’s comment and categorization, but I believe honest consideration witness to another’s sin overlaps in part with temptation to sin. Just because we can say that we’re exposed to sin every moment does not justify choosing a movie where such things are flaunted.

Finally, of course, it all comes back to the heart which is what we’re trying to change, and not merely behavior. Why do our youth want to watch these movies? Address that issue and we won’t have to tell anyone what they should and shouldn’t watch.

Do we mean exposure to temptation? If so, then we should be quite wary about such exposure, recognizing our fallibility and need for protective measures – while simultaneously recognizing that temptations are sometimes unavoidable and we must rely upon the assistance of the body, the grace of God, and the work of the Spirit in our lives in order to overcome. If this is what is meant, then no, it would be unhelpful to purposely draw people into temptation. Still, this only seems a plausible reading if movies = temptation, which seems less than plausible.

Do we mean actively sinning? If so, then we should absolutely not encourage fellow believers in this area, since encouragement to sin is clearly wrong. But I think it’d be a hard sell to promote the idea that watching a movie is actually sin.

Do we mean being in the presence or being a witness to another person’s sin? If so than we’re gone beyond the pale of Scripture, for to warn against this is to warn against life. In this sense, every one of us is “exposed” to sin in every moment of our lives. As a result, “exposure to sin” in this sense loses all force and meaning – especially because witnessing sin bears no necessary relevance to one’s reaction to said sin.