I've seen a lot of stigmas associated with being a Christian. I'm sure you have too. "Christians don't know how to have fun." (Whatever that means, anyway. I guarantee my definition of "fun" and your definition are totally different). "Christians think everyone's going to hell." "Christians only listen to Christian music and don't watch movies with swearing or sex or any of that stuff." "Christians are so hypocritical." "Christians don't drink or smoke or any of that." "Christians are so judgmental." "Christians think everything is BAD!" You get the idea, right?
I'm going to debunk ALL of these by saying that they're all full of crap. Last night, Kelly and I went and saw "The World's End" in theaters. I will be the first to say that it's filthy. There's a lot of bad language and a lot of inappropriate-ness. However, we saw it anyway. Why? Because it's JUST A MOVIE. It's not like Kelly and I are going to suddenly embark on a mile-long pub crawl. No. And that's where I debunk all of these stigmas. Movies, tv shows, books, etc, things that are "questionable" are merely in this world for the sole purpose of entertainment. It's just a movie. It's just a book. They're not real. There's a quote from Facing the Giants in which someone asks "So you think God cares about football?" The rebuttal is that God cares about our faith. We can indulge in a totally stupid and funny 2 hour movie and keep our integrity in check. Watching a movie is not a sin. As for music...give me Mumford and Sons any day of the week.
Kelly: I remember at the first church I attended when I was about 8 years old. As you all know, Harry Potter had just come out and was starting to get well known. Holly and I were in our Sunday School class and our Sunday School teacher was very anti-Harry Potter because of the magic, witchcraft and wizardry that obviously happens. She blatantly said that Harry Potter was a sin. I remember going home and being very upset because I was thinking about reading it but because of what she said I didn't. Maybe that's why we waited so long to read them...anyway.
Last night, like she said, Holly and I enjoyed an R rated movie. I also have been known to enjoy the occasional alcoholic beverage. (Bear in mind I said OCCASIONAL). I think what it just boils down to is ignorance. Just because we carry the name of Christ doesn't mean we're these sheltered, Bible-thumping fire and brimstone kind of people. No. When I was in Scotland 2 summers ago, I was the oldest in my apartment and my roommates were into that kind of party scene that included bar-hopping and the such. I am not really into that. Never have been. I remember I was in the kitchen making dinner and after repeatedly declining their invitations one girl asked me if I was a Christian. I said that I was. She then asked "oh so you don't drink because you're a Christian?" I'm going to use a Martin Freeman picture again to express my frustration then and now.
Again, I think it just boils down to ignorance. It's frustrating. So if anyone out there asks me how I spent my weekend, please please PLEASE do not gasp and be all flabbergasted if I reply that I went and had a drink with my friends. I believe there is absolutely nothing wrong with alcohol and R-rated movies. It's just if we let the drinking go farther than our limits and we start behaving in the way that R-rated movies sometimes are, then that in my opinion is when they can become problematic. Yet again there's another struggle, because today's culture is immersed with this type of behavior ALL the time. More often than not these types of behaviors are just casual, brushed off with "oops it just happened" or "oh it's ok. I'll clean up better next time." Now I ain't trying to preach, but it seems to me that the line between right and wrong has been so blurred in the past few years or so. And let's face it, our society has become so accepting of basically just a "doing it your way" type of lifestyle. Hey, that's great and all, but in my world living for myself is too small a thing to live for. God made me as the person that I am today; I think I owe it to Him to take care of this vessel He made in me. He's built something in my head that started young, because I've never been one to follow with what is "right" in today's world. So in the meantime, I'm going to enjoy what I enjoy and live my best for God. That's all any of us can do really.
3 comments:
You say the line between right & wrong has been blurred so much, but how do you think it got that way? I think accepting sin as entertainment value is a start.
Yes, it might just be a portrayal of sin, it might be fake, but you're still basically being entertained by the very thing which Christ died because of, do you realize that?
As far as movies and books and stuff, and the sin, language, & inappropriate behaviour portrayed, would you sit around for 2 hours and laugh with a group of people whose every second or third word was filth? Would you be okay with watching two actors portray a sex scene in front of you, live? In your living room? On a stage in a theater? Recording in on a screen doesn't make them less naked. You're still watching naked people. It doesn't make cuss words less vulgar. They are still cuss words. I guess in the instance of violence, murder, etc. on screen, it IS just pretend, as it's not actually happening. But the rest of it ACTUALLY IS. And is recorded, and played over and over for the entertainment value for the world.
You have both touched on something I've been feeling lately too, a bit with the "Christian" box, but for me a lot with the "Mom" box. That's, sadly, how the world likes to see things: in a way easy to categorize that they don't have to put any deeper thought into.
But you both exemplify the love of Christ to me and to everyone else lucky enough to be part of your lives, and I love reading your thoughts and examinations :)
There is a lot rules going around in the church today. Then you have the churches that has no rules at all (the Bible still states what not to do). What it comes down to is that one day you'll have to give an account to God for everything in your life...actually, He'll keep you accountable long before you meet Him face to face.
What it comes down to is that you follow what God tells you today and if anyone looks down on you for that you'll have to be ok with that. I've stopped watching R-rated movies because it bothered me and it was getting in the way of my relationship with God. One day, they may start to bother you too and you'll have to be willing to take a stigma and do what is right before God...no matter how dumb it seems.
I'm always reminded of when an issue was brought up in one of Paul's letters about eating meat sacrificed to idols. The "old" Christians might be a stumbling block to the new ones who just left idol worship. So for them it was sin...it had little to do with the meat itself. A lesson I've applied often in life.
I don't watch R-rated movies, but my sister and her husband do and we all get along just fine and neither one is more holy than the other.
A lot of people take this as being relative with no clear standing. But in truth it's called being a mature Christian and learning discernment. The Bible is very clear on many things, but sometimes something is between just you and God and sometimes you have to take a stigma and be okay with it.
Try being a 28 year old virgin who lives with her parents and was homeschooled as well.
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