Evangelicals and Hollywood Muck

I grew up in a fundamentalist environment. The church I was baptized in believed it was inappropriate for Christians to go to a movie theater. To this day, my grandparents maintain this standard as a bulwark against worldliness.

The library at my Christian school had a variety of books for children, sanitized for Christian consumption. Encyclopedia Brown made the cut, but all the “goshes” and “gee whizzes” were marked out with a heavy black pen. No second-hand cursing allowed.

Films without anything objectionable were allowed at school, but looking back, I see how this analysis was applied simplistically. I still remember watching an old version of The Secret Garden - a movie with no cursing, thank goodness, but with a pseudo-pantheistic worldview that healing power is pulsating through all living things.

As a teenager, I discovered the work of Chuck Colson, Francis Schaeffer, and C. S. Lewis. These men had a different perspective on art and its merits. I began to see artistic analysis differently. I realized Disney movies weren’t safe just because they were “clean,” and PG-13 movies weren’t bad just because they had language or violence. It was possible to watch a movie with a critical eye for the underlying worldview.

I never subscribed to the fundamentalist vision that saw holiness in terms of cultural retreat or worldliness as anything that smacked of cultural engagement. I don’t subscribe to that position today.

But sometimes I wonder if evangelicals have swung the pendulum too far to the other side, to the point where all sorts of entertainment choices are validated in the name of cultural engagement.

Generally speaking, I enjoy the movie reviews I read in Christianity Today and World magazine. They go beyond counting cuss words or flagging objectionable content and offer substantive analysis of a movie’s overall message. But in recent years, I’ve begun to wonder if we’re more open than we should be to whatever Hollywood puts out.

Take, for example, Christianity Today’s recent review of The Wolf of Wall Street. Alyssa Wilkinson devotes nearly half of her review to the graphic depictions of immorality, yet still gives the film 3.5 stars out of 4. Another review counts 22 sex scenes, but can’t be sure since it’s hard to tell when one ends and another begins.

My question is this: at what point do we consider a film irredeemable, or at least unwatchable? At what point do we say it is wrong to participate in certain forms of entertainment?

I understand there are complexities to this issue. Some Christians disagreed with the praise showered on the recent Les Miserables film. I am among the number who thought Les Mis showcased the glory of redemption. It was a movie in which the sordid elements only served to accentuate the beauty of grace and the dehumanizing nature of sin.

Les Miserables is not unlike the accounts we read in our Bibles. Sexual immorality, rape, and violence are part and parcel of the Scriptural narrative. If a movie version of the book of Genesis were made, it wouldn’t be for minors. It seems silly to cross out cuss words from Encyclopedia Brown when first-graders can discover some pretty adult-themed events in their Adventure Bibles.

So, please don’t hear me advocating for a simplistic denunciation of Hollywood films. I am not. But I am concerned that many evangelicals may be expending more energy in avoiding the appearance of being “holier-than-thou” than we do in avoiding evil itself.

Yes, Paul used a popular poet of his day in order to make a point in his gospel presentation. Cultural engagement is important and necessary. But church history shows us that for every culture-engager there’s also a Gregory of Nyssa type who saw the entertainment mindset as decadent and deserving of judgment.

At what point does our cultural engagement become just a sophisticated way of being worldly?

I find it hard to imagine the ancient Israelites admiring the artwork on the Asherah poles they were called to tear down. I find it hard to picture the early church fathers attending the games at the Roman coliseum, praising the artistic merits of the arena even as they provide caveats against violence.

Yet now in the 21st century, we are expected to find redeemable qualities in what would only be described by people throughout church history as “filth.”

What’s the point in decrying the exploitation of women in strip clubs and mourning the enslavement of men to pornography when we unashamedly watch films that exploit and enslave?

I do not claim to have this all figured out. But one thing I know: our pursuit of holiness must be the mark against which our pursuit of cultural engagement is measured.

If, like me, you’re conflicted about this issue, maybe it’s because we should be.

> The church I was baptized in believed it was inappropriate for Christians to go to a movie theater. To this day, my grandparents maintain this standard as a bulwark against worldliness.

Funny you should say that. Just earlier today, My wife was watching the Katie Couric show. I noticed she was parading transexuals that were dressed as wonen, one of which looked and spoke very much like a woman and had already had her sex change. Katie was fawning all over them. It was very obvious that the aim of the show was to potray homosexuality as “normal” and gay persons as being victimized. The MSM seems to be acting on orders to portray them as normal a lot lately not taking into account their hypersexual level of promiscuity and deviancy. A hidden camera visiting several gay bars just for one night would shatter that illusion. Hey there’s an idea for James O’Keefe...: )

I predicted that when Clinton said one could lie about sex in a court of law and insisted that BJ's were not sex we would see the next generation degrade in sexual mores.

Sure enough we have all kinds of perversion taking place; I mourn for the kids who are entering bondage because of it.

Bill Clinton...one of the worst Presidents.

Thanks for posting. Good history he shows of the total isolation, which has merits, and the engagement which of course has its merits for the great commission. Navigating this narrow pass requires, IMO, maturity of faith. It is oh too easy for one young in the faith to excuse themselves for being worldly and too easy for one mature in faith to lean towards the study room and cloister oneself.

I couldn’t figure out how to reply to the original poster so I am just “tacking” on to your post as I wanted to add my experience. My husband and I have been devoted Believers for the last 30 years. Having come from the other side we know all about the world, the flesh, and the devil.
Hollywood has been one of the greatest influence of evil on our culture. Everything about Hollywood magnifies the flesh...from which, as Believers, we are to pick up our cross and die to daily. So what business does a Believer have supporting financially and physically Hollywood?

This is a true story. Up until 4 years ago my husband and I would rent a movie every week end as our treat. Loved Bruce Willis Films and 24. Then Passover 2009, we lost all desire to rent, see or go to a movie...LOST ALL INTEREST. We didn’t pray about it, we weren’t looking for it, it just happened. Some would say we were delivered. We have absolutely NO DESIRE to watch any movie and don’t. So I would conclude if God delivered us from a long time recreational habit, when we didn’t even ask for it, I would say it’s probably something Believers should stay away from.

I too think he makes some good points, or gets close to making them. I would agree, from what I’ve read about it, that “The Wolf of Wall Street” probably has little of redeeming value to it. But that is the only example he gives. I think if he had mentioned a few more movies (bad or good) it would have fleshed out his point more, as it is it sort of sounds like he doesn’t like that one picture.

I agree that avoiding morning TV and most MSM daytime TV is a good “bulwark against worldliness.”

I think those morning news shows have been a big part of the deterioration in Americans’ ability to think straight.

Completely agree. I remember walking into my kitchen one morning in a reasonably OK mood when one of those morning shows flashed some story about a lesbian actress and it killed whatever good mood I had at that point. Even if the story was true, I saw no need for it and resented it intruding my life. I always try to leave the TV off in the morning and put on Christian radio instead.

Movies began their downward slide in 1968 (some say it was earlier with “Frankly my dear, I don’t give a damn!) after the death of Bobby Kennedy. In the hysteria to place blame TV shows, comic books, pulp fiction, guns and movies were blamed.

When the dust settled, Tv dumbed down to kid shows, comics changed their formats, pulp fiction changed to less lurid covers.

MOVIES got a pass as they said they would regulate themselves with a RATINGS CODE. G-M-R-X.
Then G-GP-R-X
Then G-PG-PG13-R-NC17.

HOT DIGIDY BOYS! The HAYS code is dead! If you got’em make em!
Movie scenes were reshot to add lots of sex and blood. The most vile plot lines were created. And it has only gotten worse over the years.

Glad I got a large library of 1930s, 40s, 50s, and 1960s movies which are very adult oriented without offending the kids.
Give me a RANDOLPH SCOTT western any day.

Did you know that if you buy a pre-1968 movie from Walmart on line you are required to check a statement that you are aware the movie is UNRATED?

Indeed. That’s why when I do “Movie for a Sunday afternoon”, I generally try to pick films I find that were made prior to 1968 and are usually either conservative or at least not strongly anti-conservative.

“Did you know that if you buy a pre-1968 movie from Walmart on line you are required to check a statement that you are aware the movie is UNRATED?”

Did not know that! Of course, a lot of them would include smoking which of course gets today’s libs to have a fit.

“I always try to leave the TV off in the morning...”

It’s a must. I only put it on if there is some weather or other emergency going on. I got in a bad habit some years ago, we had like 3 bad winters in a row and I ended up with the TV on every day. Finally, one spring morning came and I said “wait....I don’t watch this junk” and that was the end of it!

And quite frankly I love TV, I generally have it on all the time (although I’m often ignoring it, like I am now) but those morning “infotainment” shows are just insidious.

***a lot of them would include smoking***

LOL! I’ve been watching Val Lewton movies during the extreme cold. Everyone takes a smoke break in the movies.

Saw DIVEBOMBER not long ago. Everyone in it stopped to discuss their work and light up.

I do not claim to have this all figured out. But one thing I know: our pursuit of holiness must be the mark against which our pursuit of cultural engagement is measured. If, like me, you’re conflicted about this issue, maybe it’s because we should be.

The Bible has all the answers to this very issue… one just needs to go find them and apply them. What I suspect is that sin is so seductive, it becomes a case of people justifying their participation on a variety of grounds.

Psalm 101:2-4 ‘ I will behave myself wisely in a perfect way. O when wilt thou come unto me? I will walk within my house with a perfect heart. I will set no wicked thing before mine eyes: I hate the work of them that turn aside; it shall not cleave to me.’

Psalm 141:4 ‘Incline not my heart to any evil thing, to practise wicked works with men that work iniquity: and let me not eat of their dainties.’

I agree, we as believers have little in common with the fleshly worldview. As we mature in our walk with Christ, we continue to toss off the things of the corruptable flesh. Of course this is good news and we should not be shocked given in Romans 8 we are given assurance the Father will conform us to His Son’s Image.

I believe being younger in age the challenges are tougher but as we see in Hebrews 3 we are to encourage one another. We are our brother’s keeper.

I too won’t give my time or money to such movies nor HBO and other R rated (which today borders on porno) movie platforms. I am also very selective of the children movies for my sons.

Hollyweird has moved so far from the times of Ben Hur and King of Kings. There used to be a time you could bring your entire family to the movies. I was born after those golden years.

Good news is Hollywood is featuring a few Bible movies this year. The first will be Son of God which is produced by the Irish couple who produced the History channels The Bible mini series. That should be good. Then Russel Crowe as Noah. I cannot speak for how that will be presented. Then a movie about Moses. Again how much Hollywood keeps to the text is unknown. Maybe they realized people like us have stopped paying to see their blasphemous productions.

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.