Ps. 101:2-3 – “I will give heed to the blameless way. When will You come to me? I will walk within my house in the integrity of my heart. I will set no worthless thing before my eyes; I hate the work of those who fall away; it shall not fasten its grip on me.” (NASB)
I read an article the other day about how Hollywood and the entertainment industry is slowly observing that there is a large market for spiritual and pseudo-Christian material. Of course, Hollywood has long opposed biblical Christianity and has overwhelmingly produced movies that undermine the Bible’s message, that distort what the Bible says, or that contradict the Bible’s teachings of morality, etc. Many of the actors in the industry have outright professed to hate Christians, while others take a more cunning approach by saying they love the “themes” of faith and love in the Word, while simultaneously supporting unbiblical causes. But, nonetheless, money-hungry executives have noted a strong undercurrent of “Christian” people who will pay for entertainment that is more accommodating of their perspectives. And thus, there has been a whole slew of movies (and other media) that have been produced over the last several years that have tried to pander to this audience.
Recently, studios have made biopics of the lives of prominent “Christian” figures of the recent past, and instead of casting them in a bad light, they reportedly have rather tried to portray them from a more nuanced perspective – I don’t really know personally, because I haven’t watched them. But I do know that many of the “Christian” figures they have keyed in on for these films are ones that are responsible for bringing in and supporting numerous heresies, and who have brought disrepute to the true church (Like Tammy Faye for instance). And others that they highlight are ones that have brought “revolution” or serious changes to church practice (Like the documentary on the Jesus Music, etc.). For some reason, many of these highlighted figures and other countless films are greatly influenced by charismatic doctrines and ideas. And as such, they tap into a great under-swell of people who have been themselves caught up with such ministries. Add to that the resurgence of other forms of “Christian” entertainment in the film industry and we can see a large market and growing appetite for such material is clearly present.
There is a great danger to the church in all of this. And the discerning Christian must be able to pick up on what is going on. The world has keyed into a chink in the Christian’s armor. In their felt need to be entertained, they have left open a window for the thief to enter. Believers spurn more grotesque forms of entertainment, but if the form of amusement can be called “Christian” they are far less leery of it. Thus the window is left open, but a curtain is drawn – And they feel more or less safe behind the curtain called “Christian entertainment.” O, but Satan is so crafty because he knows that the curtain only keeps you from seeing his approach. In the end, it will be seen that through various forms of “Christian entertainment” Satan has found an ample conduit through which to gain entrance and influence Christians’ homes. Look, I am not here saying that every form of entertainment is inherently wicked. But I am issuing a strong caution to you about everything that is supposedly called: “Christian.” We know that most of the “Christian” books that are published are full of heresy and error. And we know that there are countless false teachers gone out into the world – Of whom many are hard to distinguish, whose errors are subtle at first, and who lead people astray bit by bit. And so, ought we not to be even more cautious of supposedly “Christian” entertainment?
A.W. Tozer once provided a powerful corrective for us, he wrote – “Religious shows leave a bad flavor. When they enter the holy place, they come perilously near to offering strange fire to the Lord. At their worst they are sacrilege; always they are unnecessary…” Thus, perhaps we ought to rethink whether biblical subjects really ought to be used as “entertainment” at all. The truths of the Word are not for carnal enjoyment and ease, but rather for our edification. I think that if we truly looked at such things with edification in mind, rather than entertainment, we would be a lot more selective about what was portrayed in the material, and we would be a lot more focused on who was producing that material. In the end, we have to remember that most things that are marketed as “Christian,” are often the furthest thing from it. And lest we inadvertently absorb heresy through such mediums, it is high time that the church saw things for what they are.
Comments