Is it really only entertainment?

Excellent topic!

I believe we are extremely affected by the media. I don't think we have to be, but I believe we are. I believe we could prayerfully watch just for entertainment value, having asked God to cover our minds from being affected by anything that is not of Him, and also this would regard listening to Him if He says, "this is too much for you, child, turn it off now."

Having said that, most of us are not praying, and particularly immature believers, I believe are vulnerable. And one can be a Christian for decades and still be immature. It's as though our propensity for being sheep, His sheep, has been stolen. We maintain the sheep-like qualties but follow just about anything, and this is dangerous.

We don't even have to explore the sexual issues stated in your post and can avoid all the debate that might ensue against your cautions, by looking at something as basic as food. I'm a nutritional counselor so this one stands out for me. We have been told again and again, both verbally and by example, very dangerous messages about food, and they go largely unquestioned. It is a widespread, standard belief that food that is good for you tastes bad and you will have to sacrifce the enjoyment of eating in order to be healthy. It is widely accepted, but completely untrue.

Yet, we see and hear it everyday in ads and tv shows. We see people brag about how unhealthy they are because of the foods they love, and they joke about it in camaraderie, so we do it too. Yet, in a vacuum, how stupid an assumption it would seem to us that God who is good and loves us would force us to be unhealthy if there is any enjoyment to be had. How silly it would seem to us that He couldn't make healthful foods that taste good. Yet the media tells us all the reasons that we must destroy our health with food. So we as a culture do. And it is completely unnecessary.

Media plays a huge role in the way we think as a culture. It is very powerful. as individuals we do not have to give it the power, and we can still enjoy it if we continually place it under the shelter of His wings.

Nothing is "just entertainment." Yes, it all adds up to what people consider "normalcy."

This is not new and it's not secret--if you take some courses in political propaganda (which will be part of a poli sci curriculum, especially if you study classical Communism) you will see those discussions.

Or, for that matter, you can take media courses in advertising and learn the same thing. It's a matter of normalizing a particular sociopolitical position.

Sometimes it's a good thing, sometimes it's not.

Christians in this world need to stop frequently and remember: This is not our home, this is not our culture. We are deployed here to perform a mission of limited duration, then we are going home.

So just like an American diplomat stationed in the old Soviet Union, we realize that the native media broadcasts their own version of normal morals and culture, and that it's at odds with ours.

We apply the "Philippian Prescription" to what we ingest into our minds and spirits:

Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable--if anything is excellent or praiseworthy--think about such things.

Alot of younger believers or new ones tend to be ok with most anything they see like very gory, swear filled movies. Where as the older christians tend to avoid the stuff. In my 20s I mostly didn't care what movie I seen because it wasn't real (as I would say). But now I've changed my mind and try to avoid that kind of stuff.

Glee is a great example because many christians will watch it and when I ask why considering one of its themes. They say things like "Its just a tv show!" or "But I don't watch it for that one theme!". We (christian or not) tend to make excuses for things we like. I did it often as stated... "Well theres a bit of sex in this movie, but its very brief so its ok to watch!". Looking back I feel stupid for making excuses for that stuff because honestly the more I clear my life of swearing, gore, nudity...etc the better I feel inside.

Its like a weight lifted off my shoulders. And now when I see those things I am instantly turned off to them. Another example if Game of Thrones. I watched the first season. By the time the second one came around I was starting to realize I was watching something that was far beyond what a christian should watch. Before the season was over I stopped watching it. Mind you I had the devil in my head saying things like "Just watch it until the end of the season so you can see what happens!" and "But if you don't watch it you will miss out...you've come so far into it. Don't give up now!".

I'm so much better without the show. The only show I watch now that is questionable is The Walking Dead. But theres no nudity and swearing si limited so I feel relatively comfortable watching it.

i am going to be honest and negative here.

Media is a business that does whatever it takes to captivate viewers attention to eventually be presented with ads. As we become accustomed to one level of interest barriers need to be pushed to maintain interest.

In the 70's tv was more wholesome and in the 80's the movie sex scene emerged pushing boundaries of tv to acceptable inappropriate content.

The media is a soulless machine that thrives on exploiting stars and viewers for profit.

Ever seen those bollywood gossip shows on the news the mornings? Gossip and slander and it all looks so innocent!

News shows destroy the credibility of people and missrepresent them for the purposes of ratings and advertising revenue. They only answer to themselves and can manipulate the outcome of an election in a country.

dont worry about gays, thats trivial compared to the media.The Media and entertainment industry is an evil machine at the right hand of Satan instilling dissatisfaction, greed, gluttony and lust into 4 generations of humans. it makes routine lying an acceptable welcome artform. we dont even notice it anymore..

Take a look around if our society has a crapo moral attitude thank that TV!
I would watch the news on ABC for an hour a day (federally funded unbiased and no ads) and not much else that contains ads!

If you see it for what it really is it is evil and bad thing that has generations sucked in..

I cant imagine Jesus watching our TV stations and if he was in my house I would be too ashamed of it to let him see it.

It depends on the person.

I'm a film buff and love movies from all genres, with the exception of Westerns. I've never really felt compelled to swear more often, commit vioent acts, or have sex with a cowboy on a mountain as a result.

Frankly speaking, if you let television or cinema mold your personality, you're probably pretty frail to begin with.

Purge187 said:

It depends on the person.

I'm a film buff and love movies from all genres, with the exception of Westerns. I've never really felt compelled to swear more often, commit vioent acts, or have sex with a cowboy on a mountain as a result.

Frankly speaking, if you let television or cinema mold your personality, you're probably pretty frail to begin with.

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What kids arent gullible? What do you think south park or the simpsons does to kids?

I cant imagine Jesus watching our TV stations and if he was in my house I would be too ashamed of it to let him see it.

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Pretty sure he would smite my tv then me for watching it. lol

Frankly speaking, if you let television or cinema mold your personality, you're probably pretty frail to begin with.

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I agree that it depends on the person. But as christian we need to stop using that as an excuse and ask the better question.... should we fill our heads with this stuff even if it doesn't effect us? As pointed out in the above quote would Jesus watch what you or I watch? No.

BTW I say that how I did because I watch shows I know Jesus would not. Such as tonight I am watching Walked Dead. I myself don't think its really to bad. But I also know Jesus would not watch it. Which technically leads to the point of then why am I watched it? My answer is I am not sure. I guess since Jesus is not physically with me watching it then in my head I see it as ok to watch. Despite the fact He is with me really.

Sadly for most of us we refuse to not watch this stuff because we want to do it out of free will. Which we are allowed to. So I watch Walking Dead full well knowing Jesus would not. And I know because of this God will have alot to say to me. I don't want Him to be mad but I don't know what else to do. My weak human brain and morals say I don't feel convicted therefor its ok to watch. But my bible says otherwise.

What kids arent gullible? What do you think south park or the simpsons does to kids?

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We all known South Park is ok. Its just like watching Mickey Mouse or Bugs Bunny. Although some say even those old cartoons were violent for kids to watch.

BTW I say that how I did because I watch shows I know Jesus would not. Such as tonight I am watching Walked Dead. I myself don't think its really to bad. But I also know Jesus would not watch it. Which technically leads to the point of then why am I watched it? My answer is I am not sure. I guess since Jesus is not physically with me watching it then in my head I see it as ok to watch. Despite the fact He is with me really.

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Hmm.

Like the last time I was about to walk into a bar in the Philippines and I heard the Holy Spirit within me protest, "Hey! I'm in here!"

As I say so frequently: Asking "is this is a sin?" is the wrong question.

"Everything is permissible, but not everything is beneficial."

The right question is: "Is this beneficial to me as a Christian? Does it bring me closer to Christ? Does it forward the mission of Christ? Is it beneficial to some other brother or sister for me to do this? Does it edify the Body of Christ? If the answer to that is "no," then I have to question my use of Christ's resources. The hour I spend watching a worthless program is an hour I'll never get back.

Okay...does that mean I don't waste time watching worthless stuff on television? Sometimes I do, and it annoys me afterward to have wasted the time on something with no edification effect. But I do make an effort to apply the Philippian Prescription to what I watch:

Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.

Serendipity.. said:

What kids arent gullible? What do you think south park or the simpsons does to kids?

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I'm not sure I'd call kids "gullible." They're just ignorant--and don't necessarily know what on television conveys truth and what does not.

Nor do they know whether it portrays genuine normalcy.

I remember when my son was about five years old back in the early 80s, he suddenly became utterly terrified of leaving the house. We couldn't figure out what the problem was. Suddenly he was afraid to go to kindergarten or to the playground.

Eventually we got him to tell us what had frightened him. It was Cable News Network, which I watched most of the time. He was also watching it (while I thought he was just playing). So for hours he had absorbed all the war, murder, and mayhem collected from around the world--all in glorious color with eye-catching graphics and dramatic sound scores.

My son could not understand that this was all mayhem collected from around the world--his world only extended from our how to the playground. He believed all that chaos was happening right where he lived.

Interestingly enough, even adults get skewed impressions of reality and normalcy from such things. We see it most clearly when we talk to foreigners whose impression of America is what they see on television.

We also see it when television portrays something we know personally about. Ask a police officer whether there is any truth in the average cop show. Ask a doctor about doctor shows. They will all laugh at you.

It seems laughable...but we need to realize, that's what people soak up, hour after hour, and the things they don't personally know...they tend to accept as truth.

RDKirk said:

I'm not sure I'd call kids "gullible." They're just ignorant--and don't necessarily know what on television conveys truth and what does not.

Nor do they know whether it portrays genuine normalcy.

I remember when my son was about five years old back in the early 80s, he suddenly became utterly terrified of leaving the house. We couldn't figure out what the problem was. Suddenly he was afraid to go to kindergarten or to the playground.

Eventually we got him to tell us what had frightened him. It was Cable News Network, which I watched most of the time. He was also watching it (while I thought he was just playing). So for hours he had absorbed all the war, murder, and mayhem collected from around the world--all in glorious color with eye-catching graphics and dramatic sound scores.

My son could not understand that this was all mayhem collected from around the world--his world only extended from our how to the playground. He believed all that chaos was happening right where he lived.

Interestingly enough, even adults get skewed impressions of reality and normalcy from such things. We see it most clearly when we talk to foreigners whose impression of America is what they see on television.

We also see it when television portrays something we know personally about. Ask a police officer whether there is any truth in the average cop show. Ask a doctor about doctor shows. They will all laugh at you.

It seems laughable...but we need to realize, that's what people soak up, hour after hour, and the things they don't personally know...they tend to accept as truth.

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There is a few things in our societies we have have become normal that we should limit our kids access too. TV, Junk food, fizzy drinks and being couch potatoes.
Just because it has always been there or done doesn't automatically make it good or right.

Serendipity.. said:

There is a few things in our societies we have have become normal that we should limit our kids access too. TV, Junk food, fizzy drinks and being couch potatoes.
Just because it has always been there or done doesn't automatically make it good or right.

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Those of us who are citizens of Heaven must remember where our home is and what our culture is.

We are aliens in these worldly nations--pilgrims and sojourners. We are deployed to these nations--China, India, Kenya, Japan, the US-- to perform a mission of limited duration, then we're going home.

This is not our culture; our culture is defined by the Sermon on the Mount and the Beatitudes. This is not our economy; our economy is defined by Luke 12 and 2 Corinthians 8.

The sooner we learn--and teach our children--that what is shown in the media is alien and foreign to us, the better.

I'm really bothered by these so called " reality shoes" like the only way is Essex. Don't people realise how staged it is? And then there are a plethora of magazines about soaps operas that are written as if it's all real...what is that all about?

Does it affect my moral view on the world? ...no, I know the difference between reality and fiction

I agree with many of you who say that we need to be careful what we "consume" in the media and always ask ourselves honestly whether the content will affect us negatively. It is so easy for us to justify watching certain programs because we simply enjoy it so much!

I believe the repetitive nature of TV messages will affect us in the long run and it does not mean we are weak. It is simply that old saying "garbage in, garbage out" in practice. Being affected by the media is not a conscious process or decision you make. Once you put yourself in its presence for hours every day, you pretty much open yourself up to it affecting you, whether you like to believe it or not. That't what I have seen in my own life at least.

This is true.

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And it doesn't matter if we know intellectually that what we're consuming is junk.

If I consume nothing but junk jood, then my body has nothing to grow on but junk. If I ate a diet of three Happy Meals a day, even if I exercised hard I would still suffer from the lack of proper nutrients. I would not grow as well as I might if I ate healthy food.

It's the same way with my spirit. I need to consume good spiritual material in order for my spirit to grow properly.

And I keep in mind that I'm in a spiritual race for a spiritual prize. An athlete in competition does not eat junk food because it does him harm and no good to accomplish his goal--he casts aside anything that would encumber him. As we run our race, we should cast aside all encumbrances in this spiritual race, including bad spiritual food.

RDKirk said:

And it doesn't matter if we know intellectually that what we're consuming is junk.

If I consume nothing but junk jood, then my body has nothing to grow on but junk. If I ate a diet of three Happy Meals a day, even if I exercised hard I would still suffer from the lack of proper nutrients. I would not grow as well as I might if I ate healthy food.

It's the same way with my spirit. I need to consume good spiritual material in order for my spirit to grow properly.

And I keep in mind that I'm in a spiritual race for a spiritual prize. An athlete in competition does not eat junk food because it does him harm and no good to accomplish his goal--he casts aside anything that would encumber him. As we run our race, we should cast aside all encumbrances in this spiritual race, including bad spiritual food.

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Excellent points!

I used to think it was mostly harmless but Joel Osteen opened my eyes to how it harms your mind.

thinkingcap said:

I am doing my undergraduate thesis on the media and specifically how it could affect our morals, attitudes or even behavior. As a Christian this is something I think about a lot. I would love to hear how other Christians approach this important issue.

I believe that due to the repetitive nature of television messages, we are slowly but surely affected by these messages. Just as constant rain and wind can damage a rock face, so even our strong values can be affected by the media. Let me give you some examples.

In the television show “Glee” there are some couples and homosexuality is a constant theme of the program. Of course the show portrays these characters as perfectly normal and paints opinions to the contrary as bigoted or intolerant.

Now, if someone were to consistently receive this sort of message in the media they consume, would it affect the way they view the issue of homosexuality and the rights given to this part of society?

Please note, the debate here is not about homosexuality and whether it's right or wrong. I am trying to point out the potential of a TV program to depict a controversial issue in such a way that it slowly erodes the beliefs of even conservative people.

Another example may be less controversial. As a young Christian growing up, you are exposed to almost daily examples of sexual promiscuity on TV, so much that it hardly bothers anyone. As you get older and start dating, how would your attitudes towards pre-marital sex, for example, be affected by all those bad examples?

So, basically my question is how much are we affected and changed by the media and how are we as Christians dealing with this issue? How do we approach content that shows moral behavior so different from our own? Do we continue watching it, thinking it's only entertainment?

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Good post, I was just thinking about that very subject. I notice this trend growing exponentially in mainstream media over the past decade.

1. Humor, for example, allows offensive material to bypass our normal inhibitions much more easily. Activities and behaviors which most Scripturally conservative believers would consider offensive is recast in a "normal" environment, and in a positive, feel-good light. Combine that with humor to get the audience to laugh ... we feel good, our defenses are lowered, we start to associate the offensive behavior with the same ... and so we are much more easily reprogrammed on a subconscious level.
2. Alternatively, intensely aggressive programming with heart-thumping, adrenaline-producing scenes increase our general level of anxiety. We become conditioned - like animals - to believe that the world "out there" is full of bogeymen "out to get us". We lose our love for our neighbors - literally. Or, we start to associate those anxious feelings with the elements in the programming (even if those elements are Scripturally OK). Good is repainted as bad, bad is repainted as good.
3. Then, there are programming that feel like they're made for this ADHD generation: scenes which change every 3 seconds with flashy content and outrageous behavior on the actors' part. This kind of programming changes the wiring in our brain, addicting us to dopamine surges. We get bored with mundane, everyday life, which often turns into depression and anxiety - until we get more of the same programming, or new cars ($$), new relationships, new partners (adultery), new idevices ($$, false gods), etc. to drive our intense feelings of boredom and dissatisfaction (temporarily) away by fulfilling our reprogrammed addiction to crave dopamine in our brains.

These are just a few examples of how we are being reprogrammed subconsciously.

I think, as believers, we should be very aware of these things - and tread very carefully - especially when it comes to modern media. Even being consciously aware of these things does not easily block the subconscious from reprogramming our minds.If "they" can't program our mind through the defense mechanisms of our consciousness, "they" go around it:"He that walketh with wise men shall be wise: but a companion of fools shall be destroyed." - Prov 13:20

Good topic for an essay! And I'm a college student so, yay! Lol

I DEFINITELY think the media has a huge influence on people. They try to normalize things so that they become accepted. Like with your Glee example. They try to indoctrinate these ideas into our minds so that we get used to seeing them and so they become commonplace.

And the scary thing is, they're starting to do this with programs aimed at younger and younger kids. Now it's pretty uncommon to have a show on TEENick where all of the high school kids aren't having sex.

Also, I was watching a newer episode of Degrassi one day and I noticed that there doesn't seem to be a single character that's Christian who isn't considered a freak for it, or who doesn't start to question their faith and eventually turn away from it. But I've only seen a few episodes of that show so maybe I'm wrong.

Now, how do I think it affects me personally? Well, I like to think that I'm not really influenced by the media too much. I recognize that some of these things they show are sins and I personally do not engage in behavior like that. And that's pretty much the extent of my moral involvement in TV. Lol maybe I'm affected more than I think I am but as far as I know, I still think sin is sin no matter how 'common' it becomes.

I agree that can indeed lead us the wrong way. On the other hand I have seen shows like Law and Order: SVU that really bring to light the unforseen consequences with sin.