Simple Bible Answers - A web site to further understand the Word of God.
•
|
Simple Bible Answers - A web site to further understand the Word of God.
• |
|
|
Q. Are movies evil? Q. Can people watch movies? Q. Should people avoid watching some movies?
Just as there are books that aren’t healthy for people to read, there are movies that should be avoided. Movies present a image that isn’t really ever forgotten. Even if you can’t remember at will, the image still remains, and can affect the thoughts, and has other effects in the area of desensitizing the viewer. Remember the old black and white movies that came out years ago. When Frankenstein, the mummy, or Dracula first came out, they actually scared people. Grown adults sometimes left the theater before the end, out of fear. Now when most people watch them they smile, turn the channel out of boredom, or say things like “I see strings” and laugh. Have we “evolved”? Has man become more mature? No, we have become desensitized. If you took, us at our ages, and transported us back to the 40’s, and we were raised the same as they were back then, we would be just as scared. We aren’t more “mature” by birth, we have just seen that much more. If that same movie is playing on the boob tube most people wouldn’t think about turning the channel if a preteen was in the room. Why? Because by the age of 10 they have seen far worst on film, DVD, in school, or just advertising, then what is in those films. Those once scary movies are now cute, silly, campy, and “family friendly”. Those old movies haven’t changed, society and culture has. The movie industry is a world wide multi-billion dollar business. To keep people coming back they need to up the ante year after year. From time to time Hollywood will put out a well written film that relies on a normal story, about normal life. This takes time, thought, and effort. It’s much easier to just make larger explosions, more graphic killings, show more skin, or become more foul or gross in the story line and dialoged. Desensitizing someone isn’t all that hard. We start the kids early with TV. Pre-school children are like sponges, before the age of 5 (and for others later) they don’t have the ability to separate reality from fantasy. They hear and retain just about everything. Ever swear with a four year old in the room? I can almost guarantee that you will hear that word repeated by them, at the most embarrassing time. They see films and without the maturity, they many times log it as reality. The mind then takes that information when repeated a few times and logs it as normal. When they grow older they understand its fantasy but the normal aspect still lingers. By the time they hit their young teens a higher level of excitement is needed to capture their interest. Why? Because what would have been pushing the envelope years ago, is now "normal". For 8 to 12 dollars a ticket they don't want "normal". In the age group of the teens, “hacker” films are popular. Most people have heard of the “Friday the 13th” films. I’m not saying these are the worst, just most have heard of them. In fact these are starting to look tame compared to the new ones. Teens flock to the theater for the excitement of them. They have no idea that these films are made to a formula. Keep the actors in a close age range to the teens. Maybe a little older but not much, old people are boring. The music and sound effects; tight on rhythm with loud spikes to evoke adrenalin release. Filming is fast paced at climactic scenes, and lots of blood. They try to hit the viewer hard and fast then tone it down, recharge them, and hit them again. Male viewers try to be macho, and the girls just get closer to the guys. In these movies they are seeing imagines that men who went to war may never have seen. Now to cement this in, something is done that adults, who raise the children, also do. They apply "positive reinforcement".. When a child helps clean the house we may give them cookies, does good in soccer, ice cream afterwards. Is good in the grocery store, candy at the checkout. If they're quiet in church, fast food after. Finish all their meal, dessert. This is a common use of positive reinforcement, and it works great. Not much different then training the new pup with treats. So now you have these kids sitting in a cushioned chair, air conditioned room, with their friends and a cornucopia of soda, popcorn, candy, nachos, hot dogs, etc. to eat. After, they head to the food court to talk about how cool it was and how they weren’t scared. They are self rewarding themselves to watch this goop. In a short time they have applied positive reinforcement which then encourages the person to watch more and more. Repeated viewings of what should be scary, immoral, and disgusting has become "normal". Add to this the weak family base today, and is it any wonder that as a society we have become more distanced, cold, uncaring and hardened? So when you read the papers and see 4 teens set homeless man on fire, teen girls with STV's or "hooking up" (one niters with people they don't really know), and the general lack of belief in the true God, is it any wonder. By way of positive reinforcement the worst of what man can do is subconsciously normal and accepted. With a little tweaking this same formula is used to change our outlook on sex. The positive reinforcement and repeated saturation of misinformation combined with the filmed image, has given us a extremely distorted view of love. No one who has sex in a film is married, and if they are married, they aren’t having sex with their own husbands or wives. Recent studies have shown that the people with the most rewarding sex life are married, you wouldn’t know it by the movies (for more on marriage click here). Love is something easy to fall into, and easy to fall out of. If they do find a life long love, most of the time someone is hurt and left behind to free the person for this love. Think fast, how many films do you know that has the main actors fall in love, get married, and they were virgins? Believe it or not some stats have up to 25 percent of women as virgins when they marry. Other studies lower. Films would have you think no one saves themselves for marriage. Films tell us, if your in love, it’s all right to have sex with out marriage. Now “hooking up” is even becoming accepted (“hooking up” is sex for the sake of sex with anyone you may have a interest in, very popular with collage kids, yes even the girls). Along with this is a lowering of all standards. Films show us lying is fine with good intent, or sometimes if you just don’t get caught. Families are just a social structure of people with the same address (a village maybe?). Parents are buddies who more often then not, learn from the kids. Christians are closed minded, simple, bigots, or leftovers from bygones pass. Religion is a relic to be studied or a hypocritical set of laws that don’t fit with modern man. When religion is shown in a virtuous light, it’s some new view or insight unknown to us till now, and not Bible based at all. Now of course movies weren’t around when the Bible was written but that doesn’t mean there aren’t principles that can’t be applied here. Let’s take a look at some of them. We are told to flee from sin (1 Cor.6:18, 1 Cor. 10:14, 1 Ti. 6:11, 2 Ti. 2:22), not to pay 10 dollars for a ticket and enjoy it with fast food. We are told that if our eye causes us to sin, to pluck it out (Mk. 9:47). Jesus didn't really mean to pluck it out, for the eye can't make us sin. How we use our eyes and what we view with them can help us to sin, or is a sin itself. Before doing any optic surgery, how about just closing them, turning your head, or leaving the theater? Try to be in this world, not of it. Just because the film is a "must see", you don't need to see it. Really. As a side note, don't pick up those movie based magazines, or view to much of those TV shows about the actors. Film stars have become the worlds new royalties, and for some their gods. They are just as much idols as any god of old. They will do just fine without your interest or hard earned cash. If you turn on those shows, from time to time, just to "stay in the loop" of what's going on to better counteract it, that's one thing. Even then the news stations and papers will do that for you. There isn't any real reason for them. If your one of those people who read the globe, worldnews, enquire, etc., they're only good for one thing, and a roll of Charmin is cheaper, and a lot softer. Remember that under Grace all things are permitted, but not all things are right. Don't take Grace to license. Even if your mature enough, and some how you have rationalized it enough for you to watch, try to remember there may be a less mature Christian that will see you leave the theater. That younger Christian will take your viewing of it, as a, "seal of approval" and they may not be able to handle it as you would. Always remember you need to be watchful of yourself, and watchful of how you present yourself to others. You are Gods ambassadors here on earth. Now let's take a look at "Christian films". Don't ever get your doctrine from any film. All film has to be referenced with the Bible, even the best ones out there. Just a few of them to get a idea. The Ten Commandments; I like this film, Technicolor of the time gives it a rich feel. The acting is good, the story I know, it's entertaining. And a good 90 percent of the film is made up, in the wrong time frame, is the wrong Egyptian dynasty, unknown dialogue, has a added made up love story, etc. Yet a lot of people get their knowledge of the Exodus from the film. One night with the king; A recent film of the story of Esther. Pretty film, again good story. They hit many of the high points but again they make it a love story, add a necklace as a focal point, and makes Xerxes look like not too bad a guy. The Passion; Also a good film, but not all Biblical. The stations of the cross are highlighted. The scene with Jesus going over the bridge is from the writings of a mystic nun who claimed to have visions from God. Mel is a believer of this mystic nun's writings, and it comes out in the film. Most Christians don't even know it. The film is good in that it shows some of the horror Jesus went though, shame it's mixed with these mystic writings and Catholic doctrine. The "Left Behind" films; Again nice films but a lot of license taken to events and how it's going to play out. Yet some people think they're a blow by blow of the end times. They aren't, the writers are good guys, and they tried to stay to the Bible, but I'm sure they want you to read the Bible over any of the films or books. Make sure you know the Biblical facts and accounts before seeing any film based on the Bible. Then the film can add color to the story and you know what to over look. Where they are wrong can even give the opportunity to witness to people and open discussions with the unsaved, or ill informed. After seeing any film based on a Bible story it's a good idea to reread the Bible account so not to be mislead. Remember only the Bible has the facts and is trustworthy. In fact save your money and take the time you would have spent at the theater and read the script yourself, penned by the greatest playwright there is, God.
|
Last modified: 12/15/07For a FREE downloadable KJV Bible click here. Opinions or questions: Mail@SimpleBibleAnswers.com
Re:22:18: For I testify unto every man
that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto
these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book:
|
