Comics and Worldliness?

[boxman144]

Ok, so the new Miles Morales Spider-Man video game trailer dropped today and I am so excited to play it on the PS5. Anybody can tell you that I am a HUGE geek. I love all things comics and easter eggs.


But after I watched the trailer and got excited, I felt a swirling pit of darkness inside me. I do remember seeing a video a long time ago made by Peniel Ngonde saying cartoon characters and superheroes are Satanic and will take you to Hell and I don't watch this guy anymore because he said babies can go to Hell and I so disagree with that. But is reading comics and liking superhero stuff worldliness? Jesus did say to focus on the things above, so is liking comics worldliness? I don't think so, but I do want to know why I felt that pit inside of me.

 

[Duke of Stratford]

Ok, so the new Miles Morales Spider-Man video game trailer dropped today and I am so excited to play it on the PS5. Anybody can tell you that I am a HUGE geek. I love all things comics and easter eggs.


But after I watched the trailer and got excited, I felt a swirling pit of darkness inside me. I do remember seeing a video a long time ago made by Peniel Ngonde saying cartoon characters and superheroes are Satanic and will take you to Hell and I don't watch this guy anymore because he said babies can go to Hell and I so disagree with that. But is reading comics and liking superhero stuff worldliness? Jesus did say to focus on the things above, so is liking comics worldliness? I don't think so, but I do want to know why I felt that pit inside of me.

Sometimes, when we have a certain mindset engrained into our heads, it can be very hard to shake it. It’m can be especially bad for us anxious folks when we struggle with legalistic behavior. Sometimes we see something we know isn’t true, but it can still leave us shaken. I think that’s what you’re experiencing. There’s nothing wrong with liking superheroes and comics (provided they don’t become idols, but that doesn’t seem to be the case from what I can tell). The lead singer of Skillet, a super-popular Christian rock group, is apparently a MASSIVE comic book nerd. It’s also his mission to spread the gospel through music! You’re in good company.

 

[Aussie Pete]

Ok, so the new Miles Morales Spider-Man video game trailer dropped today and I am so excited to play it on the PS5. Anybody can tell you that I am a HUGE geek. I love all things comics and easter eggs.


But after I watched the trailer and got excited, I felt a swirling pit of darkness inside me. I do remember seeing a video a long time ago made by Peniel Ngonde saying cartoon characters and superheroes are Satanic and will take you to Hell and I don't watch this guy anymore because he said babies can go to Hell and I so disagree with that. But is reading comics and liking superhero stuff worldliness? Jesus did say to focus on the things above, so is liking comics worldliness? I don't think so, but I do want to know why I felt that pit inside of me.

There is such a thing as false guilt. Just about everything is worldly unless you are a monk who is starving himself to death. If you are born again, you are already seated in heavenly places in Christ Jesus. You will not end up in hell. What can happen is that you defile your spirit and you need to get clean. If you ignore your spiritual life, you will miss out on the blessings of the Kingdom of God.

The question you need to ask yourself is how something affects you spiritually. If you find yourself drifting away from God, not reading your Bible and praying, then it may be that a hobby or recreation is not doing you any good and you need to stop. If not, enjoy, but don't obsess. It also is an issue of maturity. I had to give up competitive sport because it was feeding aggression and pride. Other Christians may not be inclined that way.

 

[Junia]

Sometimes, when we have a certain mindset engrained into our heads, it can be very hard to shake it. It’m can be especially bad for us anxious folks when we struggle with legalistic behavior. Sometimes we see something we know isn’t true, but it can still leave us shaken. I think that’s what you’re experiencing. There’s nothing wrong with liking superheroes and comics (provided they don’t become idols, but that doesn’t seem to be the case from what I can tell). The lead singer of Skillet, a super-popular Christian rock group, is apparently a MASSIVE comic book nerd. It’s also his mission to spread the gospel through music! You’re in good company.

amen! yes i can testify as an OCD sufferer raised in legalism, this is what happens- the brain gets stuck in a groove. you really need mental health treatment, and i say that kindly, as someone who has been there.

Jack Chick used comic strip tracts to spread the gospel- they been going for decades- very successful. it is the content of the comics that matters- are the storylnes glorifying evil? are they causing you to sin? if not, they probably ok.

if they taking up more time than God or things ypu should be doing maybe limit how much time you spend on them? i have to do that with novels- i absolutely love them but i try not to let them get between me and God.

don;t worry- i think you have a heart that seeks to honour God- if you born again and keeping on in the faith you wont go to hell. please avoid those who tell you otherwise. many of these "revealtions" from youtube ministers are pure opinion. or they hearing from another spirit. stick to the Word of God

 

[Junia]

There is such a thing as false guilt. Just about everything is worldly unless you are a monk who is starving himself to death. If you are born again, you are already seated in heavenly places in Christ Jesus. You will not end up in hell. What can happen is that you defile your spirit and you need to get clean. If you ignore your spiritual life, you will miss out on the blessings of the Kingdom of God.

The question you need to ask yourself is how something affects you spiritually. If you find yourself drifting away from God, not reading your Bible and praying, then it may be that a hobby or recreation is not doing you any good and you need to stop. If not, enjoy, but don't obsess. It also is an issue of maturity. I had to give up competitive sport because it was feeding aggression and pride. Other Christians may not be inclined that way.

and Aussie Pete is 100 per cent correct on this one theologically!

 

[crossnote]

Ok, so the new Miles Morales Spider-Man video game trailer dropped today and I am so excited to play it on the PS5. Anybody can tell you that I am a HUGE geek. I love all things comics and easter eggs.


But after I watched the trailer and got excited, I felt a swirling pit of darkness inside me. I do remember seeing a video a long time ago made by Peniel Ngonde saying cartoon characters and superheroes are Satanic and will take you to Hell and I don't watch this guy anymore because he said babies can go to Hell and I so disagree with that. But is reading comics and liking superhero stuff worldliness? Jesus did say to focus on the things above, so is liking comics worldliness? I don't think so, but I do want to know why I felt that pit inside of me.

It’s heart check time. If it is something drawing your heart away from devotion to God to itself (whatever it be) then it is an idol.

 

[venksta]

Superheroes, and heroes in general, have Christ like qualities, especially when it comes to risking their own life for the sake of one, or many. Superman, Batman, and Spider-man are usually great examples.

I guess if you wanted to be safe, be aware of anti-heroes, who go beyond and take lives of others, even if it means justifying their cause. Punisher and Deadpool come to mind as examples. I'm not saying to stay away from them, but just discern their actions, and if they reflect Christ at all.

 

[WDSobieski]

I've stopped connecting such thoughts in my hobbies like shounen manga and other school life series. Very typical in shounen manga the main messages are positive values like hard work (particularly in sports series like Haikyuu and Kuroko's Basketball, friendship and often in more sci-fi or fantasy settings it's like as in superhero films, the good guys prevail over the bad ones. Meanwhile, I'm also ok with or even very into darker series involving morally grey characters or simply with more mature themes, most of the case they actually reflect the ugly side of humanity and reflecting the problems, nonetheless the writers don't intentionally justifying the darker aspects. However, these works are not really for everybody who have a lower threshold of some more questionable content, either for feeling queasy or their faith being shaken easily. Personally know a Russian Orthodox Christian who's very into classical and complementary literature, especially those with a more complex plot and some of her favourite works have some quite questionable stuff, nonetheless she sees these works as a warning or a dark fable on issues like morality.

At this moment I'm writing a dystopian (or pseudo-utopian since the story is set in a utopian like city, but with numerous of problems lying inside) novel dealing with different social problems and morality, also having anti-heroes who're all terribly flawed in different ways. Still the novel is still a young adult work (though might be unsuitable for kids for the darkness) and still has a hopeful side in the plot, such as emphasising friendship and support in difficult situations, personal growth and having a subtle Christian message inside. The novel isn't intended to preach people but merely for personal fun, dealing with my OCD/ terrible memories regarding to toxic church cultures, and also providing some discussions regarding to morality to the potential readers. I also don't see this as a stumble but a deep reflection, and I write everything down from the reflection into my work.

 

[bèlla]

I do remember seeing a video a long time ago made by Peniel Ngonde saying cartoon characters and superheroes are Satanic and will take you to Hell.

All things are lawful,” but not all things are helpful. “All things are lawful,” but not all things build up. —1 Corinthians 10:23

If you eat spoiled food you’re going to get sick. You’ve devoured many opinions that support legalistic thinking and diminish your quality of life. I suggest you combat the lies with the truth and limit your consumption to the bible for a year.

You need to purge the false ideas from your head. Constant contamination will keep you in this state for life. Speak with a mental health professional to determine if your fears have a medical basis. Viewing compromising materials may exacerbate the problem.

In respect to your question, that depends on your moral compass and if comics would lead you to err in your thoughts or behavior.

For example, I saw Joker a month ago. I didn’t enjoy it. I thought he was mentally unstable (understandably so) and the film glorified lawlessness. Nevertheless, it wasn’t a stumbling block for me.

But that wasn’t the case for this person. He emulated the same recklessness and set a police car on fire during the riots. It was clearly not the right film for him to watch! His susceptibility led him to sin.

That’s the bottom line. I prefer wholesome entertainment. But I’ll watch something outside the norm on occasion to get a read on the culture and where we’re heading. I had similar feelings about The Purge and saw people wreaking havoc wearing masks.

As you’re aware, getting rid of things is much harder than digesting them. Look for edifying morsels that add to your person positively.

~Bella

 

[ViaCrucis]

Story-telling has been part of being human for as long as there have been humans. Jesus Himself was a story-teller, remember the parables?

Comic books, movies, video games--these are simply new mediums for doing what we have been doing as a species for millennia: telling stories.

Anyone who says telling stories is evil is quite clearly a raging idiot.

-CryptoLutheran

 

[WDSobieski]

Story-telling has been part of being human for as long as there have been humans. Jesus Himself was a story-teller, remember the parables?

Comic books, movies, video games--these are simply new mediums for doing what we have been doing as a species for millennia: telling stories.

Anyone who says telling stories is evil is quite clearly a raging idiot.

-CryptoLutheran

Agree totally that story-tellings, in all forms are actually reflecting things happening around, whether they're the good, bad and ugly side of the world.

However it seems that there're often prejudice against newer forms while threads/ discussions/ controversies over newer forms of entertainment than "high culture" or older forms. In older forms of entertainment there're no short of questionable contents and sometimes the modern versions are abridged/ censored. So, cultural elitism for video games/ comics/ movies being branded as more evil than their older counterparts bruh. Like one parent permitting a 14-15-year-old girl reading Fifty Shades of Gray while frowning upon when she was watching more risque PG13 films or playing video games (true story on a book fair years ago).

 

[grasping the after wind]

Story-telling has been part of being human for as long as there have been humans. Jesus Himself was a story-teller, remember the parables?

Comic books, movies, video games--these are simply new mediums for doing what we have been doing as a species for millennia: telling stories.

Anyone who says telling stories is evil is quite clearly a raging idiot.

-CryptoLutheran

Anyone who dismisses the possibility that what stories we tell and what ones we listen to shape our lives is clearly in denial. Storytelling is not the issue, what stories we tell is. What stories we listen too as well. If we spend our time immersed in stories that are nothing more than foolishness, we become more foolish . If we spend our time immersed in stories that give us wisdom, we become wiser. The parables are intended to make us wiser. All stories have some intent behind them or the storyteller would not bother telling them. If the intent is to make us wiser and the storyteller is competent, then the story that is told should be helpful to us. If the intent is less benevolent and the storyteller is competent, then the results might be harmful. A particular type of story may be a stumbling block for someone with a tendency to become addictive. That tendency can arise in many areas of a person's life. As LaBella pointed out there are individual differences that can cause something that is harmless for one person to be harmful to another. It is not my place to tell anyone that I am not intimately acquainted with that they have such a problem. I would only suggest that one examine oneself honestly and answer for oneself the question "Is this something that is a problem for me?".

 

[ViaCrucis]

Anyone who dismisses the possibility that what stories we tell and what ones we listen to shape our lives is clearly in denial. Storytelling is not the issue, what stories we tell is. What stories we listen too as well. If we spend our time immersed in stories that are nothing more than foolishness we become more foolish . If we spend our time immersed in stories that give us wisdom we become wiser. The parables are intended to make us wiser. All stories have some intent behind them or the storyteller would not bother telling them. If the intent is to make us wiser and the storyteller is competent then the story that is told should be helpful to us. If the intent is less benevolent and the storyteller is competent then the results might be harmful. A particular type of story may be a stumbling block for someone with a tendency to become addictive. That tendency can arise in many areas of a person's life. As LaBella pointed out there are individual differences that can cause something that is harmless for one person to be harmful to another. It is not my place to tell anyone that I am not intimately acquainted with that they have such a problem. I would only suggest that one examine oneself honestly and answer for oneself the question "Is this something that is a problem for me?".

I don't disagree that stories shape our lives and so what is good and what isn't isn't something we shouldn't be concerned about and discern for our ourselves. Rather, I'm addressing the OP who is getting fed an idea that amounts to, "stories are bad"--that's simply, and quite obviously, not true. And given their post history of being fearful, being fed a diet of extreme and fanatical opinions that everything from comic books to rap music to having depression means they are going to hell, and their admission to struggling with their own mental health issues, it seemed best to simply squash the obviously terrible extreme ideas they are being told which are nothing more than an attack against their confidence in the Gospel.

The Apostle invites us to think and to dwell on those things which are good and uplifting, and ultimately the kinds of media that we digest and how we process it, and how we choose what we allow to shape us and what we reject is going to come not with fiat pronouncements, but through a lifetime of growth and experience as we are shaped and molded by the grace of God.

For someone who says they were an atheist until this recent February, and is therefore brand new to the faith, the most important thing I can think of is to affirm and reaffirm again and again the Gospel--we all need that of course, but especially someone who is new and especially someone whose present experiences are with particularly toxic forms of religion, as the OP mentions.

-CryptoLutheran

 

[grasping the after wind]

I don't disagree that stories shape our lives and so what is good and what isn't isn't something we shouldn't be concerned about and discern for our ourselves. Rather, I'm addressing the OP who is getting fed an idea that amounts to, "stories are bad"--that's simply, and quite obviously, not true. And given their post history of being fearful, being fed a diet of extreme and fanatical opinions that everything from comic books to rap music to having depression means they are going to hell, and their admission to struggling with their own mental health issues, it seemed best to simply squash the obviously terrible extreme ideas they are being told which are nothing more than an attack against their confidence in the Gospel.

The Apostle invites us to think and to dwell on those things which are good and uplifting, and ultimately the kinds of media that we digest and how we process it, and how we choose what we allow to shape us and what we reject is going to come not with fiat pronouncements, but through a lifetime of growth and experience as we are shaped and molded by the grace of God.

For someone who says they were an atheist until this recent February, and is therefore brand new to the faith, the most important thing I can think of is to affirm and reaffirm again and again the Gospel--we all need that of course, but especially someone who is new and especially someone whose present experiences are with particularly toxic forms of religion, as the OP mentions.

-CryptoLutheran

You are referencing stories as well. Stories that are told by Christians that are meant to instill fear. As we are both Lutherans we are likely to tell stories that are grace centered not fear centered. Other denominations differ in their approach to such story telling. I hesitate to become self righteous by saying my type of stories are more edifying and more likely to bring one closer to God( though I tend to think they are). I must continually remind myself that every person is a unique individual and what fits one may not fit another, what helps me to be closer to God may not be effective for someone else and vice versa.