Ahhhhhhhh! Is EVERYTHING I enjoy sinful?

[Lucis]

My anne rice novels are still in the bookshelf. I did throw away most of the ones about witchcraft/occultism though. You dont learn witchcraft by reading harry potter.

 

[JC_Crust]

My anne rice novels are still in the bookshelf. I did throw away most of the ones about witchcraft/occultism though. You dont learn witchcraft by reading harry potter.

but you dont have to learn witchcraft etc just by reading a book. people have to make a decision.

 

[SoundCard]

Honestly this was one of my largest hangups not even very long ago, but I started to think in more broad terms. Not to say I gave up on trying to discern, but what it boils down to is - learn to listen to the Spirit's discernment. Pray for that gift, pray He opens your heart to His guidance, trust Him to lead you in these matters.

But also realize, Person A may freak out and have a crisis of faith if there's a book about the Wizard of Oz in the same room as them. Person B may have grown up with it as a kid and just loves it as fantasy story. Person B has no problem with it, but for whatever reason, it compromises the faith of Person A. That's generally what depicts something as sin or not. Does it lead you to act contrary to the nature of love we're given in scripture? As if it leads you to stop loving your neighbor, then it's sinful. If it doesn't impact that, or hurt you in some way or fashion, then it's fine. But seriously, God gave you a conscience for a reason.

And also remember one VERY big thing: there is no more condemnation in Jesus Christ, whatever it is that's making you freak out about these minor issues, really, is more likely to detract you from your faith than all of a sudden trying to sort out all your novels and burning all your books that feature the word 'vampire' in them. I admit I have an interest in things like vampires or werewolves, or Transylvanian type settings, I don't think it's a problem, but if someone's weirded out by it I won't mention it or bring it up. I never once got the inclination that somehow God was angry with me because I found Dracula to be interesting. Now, if I started wanting to BE Dracula or a vampire, or getting carried away, then yes, I've gone overboard with it, but so long as you enjoy all these things in MODERATION you should be alright.

 

[Thankful For Grace]

Beloved,

You are on the right track, with your discernment. The Bible says this: "Without holiness, no one will see God." It seems to me that God is leading you into the way of Holiness. It is not an easy path, but it is the only one worth traveling. You may be called to be one who leads others into righteousness. Follow the inner guidance of the Holy Spirit, and read the Bible continually, so that you will be able to ascertain the Absolute Truth.

Prayers and God's Love to you,

tfg

I know what you are saying coz i feel like this about some things too. I love the movie Avatar and I used to love Harry Potter too.
But I realised that my eyes are the gateway to my soul. what I watch or read doesnt just stop at my eyes. What I watch and read is going deeper and having an effect not just on my mind, but also on my emotions and also my spiritual man.
I found that watching these types of movies often resulted in me thinking about them long after they finished and, maybe because I am quite creative and enjoy writing stories, I would make up new stories of my own. I didnt think there was anything wrong with this until someone pointed out that wizards etc are actually part of the occult and the bible clearly says we shouldnt get involved in this kind of stuff. I know some people would say that just watching a movie is not taking part in it, but I would rather not watch something that is rooted in the occult and therefore from the enemy.
Might sound a bit severe, but look at it this way....

We all know there is a spiritual world. In the spirit world there are two camps. Good and evil. If its not of God its of the devil. and as for me and my house... we will serve the Lord.

when it comes down to it... Jiminy Cricket was right. we all must let our conscience be our guide. my conscience said no on this one, so I chucked out all my Harry Potter dvds.

 

[Foster2010]

wait wait is having an imagination a sin? christians arent stupid...most can differentiate between fact and fiction. whoever is telling you that being imaginative or reading certain books and watching certain movies is sinful is trying to compensate for something that's ACTUALLY sinful that they're doing themselves.

Actually yes, the bible makes it very clear being imaginative can be sinful. Like when it says to lust after a married woman is to have already comitted adultery in your heart. This is why the bible tells us over and over to guard your mind, renew your mind, to bring even your thoughts into the captivity of obedience to Christ. This can all be very difficult, and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit is the only way we can come close to accomplishing these things.

 

[marklbernard]

You dont learn witchcraft by reading harry potter.

Not so, investigate it for yourself on the net, there are a number of Witches who have gladly welcomed Harry Potter becasue it has been a growing boom for the Occult, with many young people turning to witchcraft (particulary Wicca) becasue of the book. In addition, a ministry that I am involved with, keeps in contact with a former high level witch who plainly states that there are incantations and rituals in the book that are the same as practiced within the art itself. This has led many to speculate that JK Rowling either is a witch or has direct knowledge of occultic practice. I have been invovled with the Occult in the past, but have neither read the book or the seen the movies to directly know where these parallisms lie. All I know is that my children will never read those books or see those movies, not becasue I am being a meanie, but because of my former involvement with the occult, I know the power that these things are invovled with

 

[Avniel]

You know I find this thread funny because even before I became serious about my walk I never watch horror movies, or read books that had anything to do with horror. THey always made me feel weird they just rubbed me the wrong way. I think a great deal of these movies/books have an agenda behind them.

 

[sbbqb7n16]

Actually yes, the bible makes it very clear being imaginative can be sinful. Like when it says to lust after a married woman is to have already comitted adultery in your heart. This is why the bible tells us over and over to guard your mind, renew your mind, to bring even your thoughts into the captivity of obedience to Christ. This can all be very difficult, and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit is the only way we can come close to accomplishing these things.

Ever heard the phrase "throw the baby out with the bath water"? Cause that's what you just did.

Have you read Song of Solomon? or Psalms? or Proverbs? or the parables of Jesus?

The most famous Psalm (23) is about David imagining that God is like a shepherd and David is like a sheep. You must imagine in order to understand the similarity. Jesus loved to use word stories about fictional people in imagined scenarios (The rich man and Lazarus, the good Samaritan, building a house on the rock vs sand, "plank in your own eye", etc.) because God created us with an imagination and knows we can use it. In fact, I would say He encourages it when it leads to bringing Him glory.

And if you don't see how fictional literature could bring Him glory, please see my post above.

 

[JC_Crust]

Ever heard the phrase "throw the baby out with the bath water"? Cause that's what you just did.

Have you read Song of Solomon? or Psalms? or Proverbs? or the parables of Jesus?

The most famous Psalm (23) is about David imagining that God is like a shepherd and David is like a sheep. You must imagine in order to understand the similarity. Jesus loved to use word stories about fictional people in imagined scenarios (The rich man and Lazarus, the good Samaritan, building a house on the rock vs sand, "plank in your own eye", etc.) because God created us with an imagination and knows we can use it. In fact, I would say He encourages it when it leads to bringing Him glory.

And if you don't see how fictional literature could bring Him glory, please see my post above.

thank you! i think people might get scared that they're GOING to imagine things that arent good and they decide to not imagine anything at all...but what about when you were in school and you had to write a fiction story? i dont think the teacher had an evil agenda.

 

[Johnnz]

We are to be the light of the world, examples of really living, salt, people who go against the grain and preserve values worth living for. Yet I see so much fear and negativity about actually living as redeemed human beings exhibiting the redemption of our lives in ways that would fulfil Jesus' promise of abundant life of life in all its fullness.

Holiness is much less about what we refrain from doing than how much we are becoming fully alive and fully human, which is God's design for us.

John
NZ

 

[janman345]

Help!!!!

I'm trying to grow in my faith but have come to a huge hurdle...

I really love vampire novels and movies. I don't believe they exist and would never drink blood but I am fasinated by them. I also love brokeback mountain and victor Victoria which have homosexual themes in their storyline.

I also love Harry potter books and other fantasy novels.

Oh and I think sweeney Todd and avatar are awesome!

What should I do? Some are saying give it all up and others say as long as you know it's fiction and/or sinful then you're okay. I am so confused and the thought of giving up my beloved anne rice novels is tearing me apart! I can't beleive I am so upset about giving up some books and movies... I need help working out what to do.

Go to faith comes by hearing.com and get an audio bible or read your bible you will find that alot of agendas that churchs push are not found in the bible. Base your faith and what you enjoy on what is writen and I would take church dogma and agendas with a grain of salt.

 

[Foster2010]

thank you! i think people might get scared that they're GOING to imagine things that arent good and they decide to not imagine anything at all...but what about when you were in school and you had to write a fiction story? i dont think the teacher had an evil agenda.

Both of you are taking what I said to an extreme that I did not say. Yes, I have read all the scripture you mentioned numerous times. I did not say "do not imagine anything". I don't know where you are getting that. We are commanded to bring even our thoughts into obedience to Christ (2 Corinthians 10:5). I'm sorry you guys don't like that, but that does not change what scripture says.

 

[JC_Crust]

Both of you are taking what I said to an extreme that I did not say. Yes, I have read all the scripture you mentioned numerous times. I did not say "do not imagine anything". I don't know where you are getting that. We are commanded to bring even our thoughts into obedience to Christ (2 Corinthians 10:5). I'm sorry you guys don't like that, but that does not change what scripture says.

i know you didn't say that. i was in a hurry and obviously worded my whole response wrong. i was asking your opinion on what i said or for you to add something to it. i wasnt saying that you said we're not allowed to imagine anything. sorry!

 

[sbbqb7n16]

wait wait is having an imagination a sin? ...

Actually yes, the bible makes it very clear being imaginative can be sinful...

I did not say "do not imagine anything". I don't know where you are getting that...

That's where.

Your post reads as an answer to her question "is imagination a sin?" as a "yes" and then places further emphasis on the "very clear" instructions about how imagination can be sinful.

 

[Chris81]

The walk of faith is process by which we slowly grow to have a heart more and more like Jesus. Much of the focus on this thread has been purely about eliminating those things that you see and hear that may cause you to sin. We could isolate ourselves from the world and build our perfect society as Essenes tried to do, or we can engage the world to transform it and bring to light the kingdom of god. I do not focus so much on eliminating those that may cause sin but rather I choose to focus more and more of my time on those things that will help me grow in my walk with Christ. This includes reading biblical history, devotionals, and scripture. For as I allow more of Christ to enter my life, he has renews my mind and has helps me to discern what is both sinful and what is pleasing in Christ own eyes. Over time those things that are truly bad have natural fallen by the wayside as they had distracted my mind from following the road laid out by Jesus. Additional though, I have not isolated myself from the outside world but I too read strange books that may include fantasy and mythology for entertainment. However, the powers of discernment that Christ has filled in our hearts helps shield us from the may untruths and flat out evil teachings that may be preached within fiction. It also give us an opportunity to engage the world outside the universal church about the true nature of god through the use of contemporary fiction.

Let me give you an example. Dan Brown about five year ago wrote a book called the Da Vinci Code, which as many people know was a book about how Jesus escaped Israel with Mary Magdalene to marry and produce offspring which would form the French Royal bloodline, this was suppose to be the Holy Grail the Catholic Church has been hiding from the rest of the world. Had we had been like the Essenes, we as Christians would have never read it because of our fear of losing our faith from believing the lies presented in the book. What would that achieve other than continuing our ignorance regarding the controversy of the book and allowing non-christians to be deceived by the books manipulation of history. Instead, it was right that many Christians instead, comforted by the strength of their faith, read the book, enjoyed the elaborate mystery that developed within the story, and engaged their non christian friends about the untruths of the book and the true nature of Christ. In many ways one could contend that it is a Christians duty to read controversial fiction!

 

[JC_Crust]

In many ways one could contend that it is a Christians duty to read controversial fiction!

hmmm! i never thought of it that way. good eye.

 

[marklbernard]

The walk of faith is process by which we slowly grow to have a heart more and more like Jesus. Much of the focus on this thread has been purely about eliminating those things that you see and hear that may cause you to sin. We could isolate ourselves from the world and build our perfect society as Essenes tried to do, or we can engage the world to transform it and bring to light the kingdom of god. I do not focus so much on eliminating those that may cause sin but rather I choose to focus more and more of my time on those things that will help me grow in my walk with Christ. This includes reading biblical history, devotionals, and scripture. For as I allow more of Christ to enter my life, he has renews my mind and has helps me to discern what is both sinful and what is pleasing in Christ own eyes. Over time those things that are truly bad have natural fallen by the wayside as they had distracted my mind from following the road laid out by Jesus. Additional though, I have not isolated myself from the outside world but I too read strange books that may include fantasy and mythology for entertainment. However, the powers of discernment that Christ has filled in our hearts helps shield us from the may untruths and flat out evil teachings that may be preached within fiction. It also give us an opportunity to engage the world outside the universal church about the true nature of god through the use of contemporary fiction.

Let me give you an example. Dan Brown about five year ago wrote a book called the Da Vinci Code, which as many people know was a book about how Jesus escaped Israel with Mary Magdalene to marry and produce offspring which would form the French Royal bloodline, this was suppose to be the Holy Grail the Catholic Church has been hiding from the rest of the world. Had we had been like the Essenes, we as Christians would have never read it because of our fear of losing our faith from believing the lies presented in the book. What would that achieve other than continuing our ignorance regarding the controversy of the book and allowing non-christians to be deceived by the books manipulation of history. Instead, it was right that many Christians instead, comforted by the strength of their faith, read the book, enjoyed the elaborate mystery that developed within the story, and engaged their non christian friends about the untruths of the book and the true nature of Christ. In many ways one could contend that it is a Christians duty to read controversial fiction!

So abook that blasphemes the Lord of creation should be read by christians, validating it to those who dont believe?

 

[Foster2010]

i know you didn't say that. i was in a hurry and obviously worded my whole response wrong. i was asking your opinion on what i said or for you to add something to it. i wasnt saying that you said we're not allowed to imagine anything. sorry!

Sure, I think people can get carried away and then try to smother their imagination to an unhealthy level, I've seen that happen to good Christians. I think it's kinda like the concept John Wimber had of striving for "the radical middle", so many go either to one extreme or the other.
Fiction in and of itself is not inherently evil, it's both a great creative release for the writer, and a nice reprieve from the monotony life can be for the reader. Personally, I've found I need to monitor the intake of what I read and watch, and make sure it lines up with God's will, that it's something Jesus would read or watch, because what I put into my mind is inevitably what will be in my heart.

 

[Foster2010]

That's where.

Your post reads as an answer to her question "is imagination a sin?" as a "yes" and then places further emphasis on the "very clear" instructions about how imagination can be sinful.

Thank you, I see how that could be taken that way when read over quickly.

 

[Chris81]

So abook that blasphemes the Lord of creation should be read by christians, validating it to those who dont believe?

How is reading a book that espouses ideas for which you are against the same thing as validating them? It would be as though a Christian reading the Koran to get a better understand of Islam instead was endorsing the teachings of its false prophet Mohammad.

It is entirely because the book the Da Vinci Code blasphemes the Lord of creation and was popular in the secular world that we as Christians needed to read the book. The church that I attended, approximately five years ago, actually devoted an evening to discuss what was written in that book and discuss how we engage the outside world about the untruths presented in that book and the true nature of Christ. Looking back to that time, I truly believe we did the right thing and we did a lot of good in speaking with our friends and family about that book.

Though we may consider ourselves counted among the citizens of Heaven, let us not forget that our mission is here on Earth. We are to engage the world about the true light of Christ so that our unbelieving friends are no longs stumbling in the darkness.