Is there a difference?

[spiritusvult]

I wonder if there's a difference between the kind of entertainment that a Christain indulges in and the kind that suffices for the rest of the world. Please, let me know your opinions. BTW, this is not trying to start an argument or a debate. I'm actually curious about popular opinion.

[glitch1501]

i believe there is a differnce

[Fsiphskilm]

If only there

[Debitt]

Well, Volt took everything I was gonna say and multiplyed it by 23542623125, so I'll just have to say that he pretty much hit the nail on the head.

[Mr. SmartyPants]

philosopher in a clown suit volt is

[Kaori]

Volt made the obvious point by mentioning porn. Obviously, there are some things that Christians will universally condemn, but in the case of entertainment that is not actually pornographic, it can be extremely difficult to tell where one should draw the line of what is and is not acceptable. Because what we watch, read, etc. can have an influence on how we think, Christians ought to be more careful than nonchristians about what we expose ourselves too, but ideas of what is acceptable seem to vary highly from person to person.

[HikariChan]

no doubt

[kodachrome64]

There is totally a different market for Hollywood films and "made-for-Christian" films out there (with a few exceptions like The Passion). So I guess there is a divide between what movies are intended to promote, but it can depend greatly on how it affects the person watching it.

So yes, there is a difference.

[mitsuki lover]

In the main I don't see much difference,except for in cases like porn.Certainly no Christian worth their salt would care to even take a peek at porn of any type.
As far as Christian music,for example ,goes,well the bands might be different and
they might sing different lyrics and for different reasons but the style is still the same.
Of course more secular people won't go to Christian films,etc.but then again we don't expect them to.Still a really good Christian film would have much of the same sort of ingredients in it as a good secular film.After all one does not go to a film for a sermon.
I remember on the news a couple days ago they were talking about Christian and other Religious comics who use their faith backgrounds as part of their material.
This is no different from secular comics who do the same thing.
Then I think I have begun to digress a bit so will stop for now.

[Mithrandir]

Hmm. I'm seeing a bit of confusion on a few points here. I think, yes, there is a definate market for "safe for christians" media out there. Any marketing or sales person with half a brain will try and fill in any gap. It may come as a surprise to some of you to learn that some worship music isn't written by Christians. So we have "Christians" as another nitch market. The point, I guess is that we live in a fallen world. Part of living in this world involves tempation. You WILL be tempted, but God will not allow anyone to be tempted beyond that which he has equiped you to handle. So, no, I disagree with the "no christian worth his salt" statement above. EVERYONE has a struggle, and part of following Christ is becoming more like him.

What you do should make him happy. I do not think it would make Christ happy if I just sat at home and read my bible all day long; that would definately not be an example of a higher calling. That being said, I don't think I would walk into a tripple-X movie, either; again, that's not something I CAN do.

Jon's original point, I think, was vague on purpose; I'll keep my answers pointing in one direction, however. "The kind of entertainment a Christian induldges in" is kinda a misnomer, in my opinion. I'm assuming you are talking about real Christians, not just people who check that box on a survey they fill out. These surveys will show that there is no difference between our "standard of living" (the verb form, not the noun form) and the rest of the world. I think there is a fundamental flaw there (two actually) but I won't go into that right here. (Totally a divergence, but a "keeping up with the Jones" style skit that focuses on that word play above could be VERY powerful - and funny...)

All that being said, I would answer as follows:
* There is more to being a HUMAN who is CHRISTIAN than just the CHRISTIAN aspect of it. We can't be totally seperate from the world, or we'll have no witness to it.
* Given the above, I will propose that you think of Christianity as an aspect of our lives (the most important one) - but not the entirity of it.
* Given that I would suggest that we as Christians, should strive to have a standard in our lives. This should not involve shunning the world (its entertainment being an aspect of its whole) but, on a deeper level, analyzing it and using each instance as an oppertunity to evaluate our own place in the world; perhaps we chould ask ourselves "What about this makes me uncomfortable? Should it? Why?" Actions like this this will allow us to use these parts of our lives as an aid to our daily walk.

But - as a very wise man once said - in all things, moderation. SOMETIMES it has to be OK to just have fun.

NOTE: The above represents my opinion. Opposing views are probably the majority. Try not to focus on flaming...

[Fsiphskilm]

sort of made y

[spiritusvult]

That's cool, Volt, and I think that's what real art does. It takes the humanity in us and amplifies it, perhaps making us laugh(Mr. Deeds) or cry(The Elephant Man), cringe(American History X) or even angry at injustice (Shawshank Redemption).

I guess the question I'm really asking is, where is the line between what should be shown in church (regardless of the rating(and for those who disagree see The Passion which was shown in many churches and was also rated R))because it makes us better, and carnage for the sake of entertainment (like Resevoir Dogs (also rated R))? Just my feeling but I think that some things really warp us as people and may in fact have effects that we don't see at first, but perhaps hinder our relationship with the Lord, such as the frequently mentioned porn (as a very extreme example).

[Rogie]

*Applauds oldphil's response.*

*Applauds the lack of fighting among CAA members in this thread thus far.*

Now, after all that applause, I would have to say that any film is indeed entertainment of some form. While the Passion may not be obviously entertaining, it does contain a plot, and therefore offers entertainment. What is important to note here, however, is that the Passion had an important message and a reason to show its violence to communicate that message. So while it entertains, it communicates the passion of Christ far more. Therefore, the line should be where movies display violence or crude content for the ultimate purpose of a strong message, usually moral. Examples of secular movies include Schindler's List, Saving Private Ryan, and Hotel Rwanda (of which I've only heard bits and pieces about).

With that said, any film can affect us spiritually, emotionally, mentally, etc., whether we realize it or not. If you watch horror movie after horror movie, you're likely going to become desensitized to the violence, gore, and blood. That doesn't mean you'll go kill somebody, but it can put you in a negative mood, a more depressed state. Think about it: if you watch a ton of horror movies back-to-back, are you gonna feel all "sunshine and giggles?" I seriously doubt it.

And as you noticed, I avoided the porn example, because it is extreme and doesn't really apply to most people. I thought the violence of horror movies was a more universally applicable example in this case.

[spiritusvult]

While the Passion may not be obviously entertaining, it does contain a plot, and therefore offers entertainment. What is important to note here, however, is that the Passion had an important message and a reason to show its violence to communicate that message. So while it entertains, it communicates the passion of Christ far more. Therefore, the line should be where movies display violence or crude content for the ultimate purpose of a strong message, usually moral.

You hit my point right on the head between what constitutes art, in my opinion.

But the question remains, is there a "universal" line that SHOULD differentiate the kind of entertainment of those who are truly Christian (see oldphil's post) from those who aren't?

[Stephen]

If you watch horror movie after horror movie, you're likely going to become desensitized to the violence, gore, and blood. That doesn't mean you'll go kill somebody, but it can put you in a negative mood, a more depressed state. Think about it: if you watch a ton of horror movies back-to-back, are you gonna feel all "sunshine and giggles?" I seriously doubt it.

Actually, I can watch 3 or 4 horror films, and then go to sleep and dream about fuzzy teddy bears. Would I recomend someone watching a whole slew of horror films? No..Thats because everyone is different, as are there convictions. I really don't think your logic holds up...Saving Private Ryan is ok because it has a good message, but say, Texas Chainsaw Massacre is bad. Violence is violence. If somthing bothers your spirit...don't watch it. But if it does not...you should not have to feel weird about it. I will however agree with you on the point that things desensitize you. But, sadly life does that over time. TV, movies, everything. It all comes back to my main point...if your convicted over somthing...trash it. But don't go around trying to make others feel awkward if they don't share your convictions. Now, if you don't mind me...I am going to go watch Killer Clowns From Outer Space, and then make cookies and giggle whilst I do it.

[termyt]

Well said. Even though I do not generally appreciate the horror genre myself, I agree completely.

[quote="Shatterheart"]Now, if you don't mind me...I am going to go watch Killer Clowns From Outer Space, and then make cookies and giggle whilst I do it. ]

Still, the vision this statement places in my head is not the least bit settling. A chainsaw is not the best way to mix dough, Shatterheart.

[Fsiphskilm]

Hey what abou

[Rogie]

[quote="Shatterheart"]Now, if you don't mind me...I am going to go watch Killer Clowns From Outer Space, and then make cookies and giggle whilst I do it. ]

Honestly, if I were to watch a movie named Killer Clowns from Outer Space, I would probably giggle while watching it, too, regardless of the violence. Of course, I'm reminded of the clown from "It," I think it was, and to a kid, that clown was certainly scary.

[Ashley]

For me at least, the entertainment a Christian enjoys is one they can watch/listen to without the Holy Spirit convicting them (I doubt you could find anyone that could enjoy something with God on their conscience). A non-Christian will enjoy anything that satisfies any urge at any given time, sinful or not.

[Doubleshadow]

I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. - Galatians 2:20

If someone wants to be the kind of person that others can see Christ in, they would be aware of how what the watch affects them and affects others. This will most likely result in Christians having a different movie play list if for no other reason than they want to make sure they watch nothing that might make it more difficult for Christ to work through them. Isn't CAA a prime example of Christians being mindful of what they watch? I would elaborate further, but the rest of my thaoughts have already been posted.

[Fsiphskilm]

Well i've been e

[Mr_Ross]

Well i've been emotionally affected by moviest that were rather... Disturbing.

Satan doesn't make movies, people make them, while he might influence certain movies, in the end, a movie is a movie, you are a spectator, you have the choice over weather you wish to obsorb or simply comment on it's content.

There's a reason why Rated R movies are for 17+ years olds, as a adult, your minds stops soaking in, and begins spectating, as a kid you are constantly soaking up as much as you can, weather it's good or bad.

I'd agree with that.

Even a violent or somewhat.... bad-language containing (x_x) movie can be a good thing to watch. The key is discernment. If watching something makes you lose faith, it's probably not best to keep viewing it. However, if something doesn't bother you too bad, there isn't too much harm in watching it. For instance, one of my favorite movies is Magnolia. Yes it is sexually graphic, yes the language is bad, yes it is violent, but the theme and end moral of the movie and the way it all tied together was so beautiful that it made me cry at the end. Just ask for God to help you figure out what's best for you, personally. And take my advice.....
Do not EVER watch An American Werewolf in Paris. Trust me on that.

[spiritusvult]

So, the answer to my question seems to be that there is not really a difference (with a few extreme exceptions)between what Christians will watch and what non-Christians will watch. It's all based on the individual. That doesn't happen to be the view that I hold, but it is an answer to my question. I thank you all for contributing. Also, please don't consider this a kind of formal end the thread. I'm just a standard user, doing a survey.