Tuesday, January 03, 2006

language in films...

Todd:
I appreciate your questions and that you visit often. It is a touchy subject for many people and I am not going to speak for anyone else than myself. Many good people have different views and standards about the issue.

I personally don't feel that the presence of sin in culture prevents me from interacting, engaging or communicating with culture. I am in the world but not of it.
 
For some people that means avoiding things like germs...I don't live out my faith like that.
 
That reminds me of the old testament view of being defiled. There were countless laws aimed at protecting purity and contamination. I see a different law in the gospels, one that is more powerful and ends up purifying others instead of contaminating me.
Priests were defiled by lepers...Jesus touched them and cleansed them.
Priests couldn't even touch a dead person...Jesus raised the dead.
Sinners contaminated holy people...Jesus sanctified sinners.
 
I have more faith in the power of the gospel to permeate than the power of sin to contaminate. That doesn't mean I embrace sin but in my interactions with the world that I am in and trying to understand and communicate with are governed by a higher law.
 
The movie had parts that were not appropriate for certain ages or even some peoples faith but I feel it also showed restraint in areas that other films wouldn't have. I applaud that and want to see more restraint in films concerning sexuality, violence and language.
 
Here is a great post on another blog about language that might add more fuel to the fire.
 

5 comments:

Michael McMullen said...

"I personally don't feel that the presence of sin in culture prevents me from interacting, engaging or communicating with culture. I am in the world but not of it"

That's an important distinction, one that needs to be really discussed more in the church.

How can you reach the lost if you can't go near them?

jen said...

He is not visiting real people and spreading the gosple...he is giving money to a movie that uses Gods name in vain several times. That excuse just doesnt fly in the "no spin zone". If you want to see those kinds of flicks , fine ,but dont try and say that is doesnt grieve the Spirit when it hears g.. d... . And I dont think Jesus would have

Unknown said...

ouch... :(

Spanking not withstanding, I still stand by what I said in my spin zone.

If one takes the time to read the link I posted you will get a host of very raw passages from the Holy Bible that will make ones Victorian hair stand on end.

The bible is one potent piece of literature and if it was really put to screen most Christians would boycott it with a vengeance.

Anonymous said...

Media is the creative expression of society. When you can't get into the dirty face of the people, you get into the theatre. You cannot address your enemy without knowing it. You can never reach the people successfully if all you do is avoid them and tell them they are going to hell for their actions.

All you look like is a fool and you give the rest of us a bad name.

Unknown said...

hey now lets not get too worked up or nasty. Everyone gets their opinion but its not gospel. I tired to start it off in a cordial way lets not end it in flaming one another. It is a big issue with a lot of emotion for some people, but lets remember we all are seeking to walk in the light that we have so far.