What should Christians Watch?

Developing Media Boundaries for Christians

“Jason, just wanted to let you know we all skipped Bible study last week to go to the movie theater.”  This was a surprising admission from one of my senior leaders for the upperclassmen Bible study I was leading.  It did explain the poor attendance for that week, but I chocked it up to another case of “senior-itis”.

“Yeah, we went to see the new Deadpool movie.”  That part got my attention, because Deadpool was making headlines as it wasn’t your average superhero movie. 

Producer Ryan Kinberg explained it this way.  Unlike the previous X-Men films, Deadpool is "a hard R. It's graphic. Nothing is taboo. You either commit to a truly outrageous boundary-pushing kind of movie or you don’t.” (Wikipedia)  Kinberg was committed to pushing the boundaries, but as followers of Jesus, how do we determine our boundaries of what we should and should not consume in media?  

In the short term, it’s difficult to hear that your disciples skipped studying the Bible to watch objectionable content.  But it did open the door to a discipleship conversation.  And as a Navigator staff, here are three lenses I use to consider my personal media boundaries.

My Calling:

My seniors’ media habits were not anomalous among Christians.  In his book titled, “Addicted to Lust”, researcher Samuel Perry noted that “conservative Protestants are often indistinguishable from other Americans when it comes to media consumption.” In other words, what difference does naming Christ as Lord make in what we will and won’t watch?  For American Christians, absolutely nothing.  With over 60% of Americans still identifying as Christians, movies like Deadpool are big business.  Deadpool was a huge success and was the highest grossing X-men film and highest grossing R-rated film when it was released.

To me this is a crisis of calling and shows that Christians have not connected with what our lives are to be about.  The more I connect with Christ’s calling in my life, the more I am willing to bring everything in my life into submission to pursue that calling.  Why am I here?  What is my life about?  Can I help my disciples understand that what I consume impacts me?  What I meditate on determines my beliefs, values, and actions.  The first lens for building media boundaries is to ask myself if the content helps me pursue the calling God has given me.

Isn’t this why we encourage our students to get into the Scriptures?  We want their minds to be shaped by the truths of God’s Word as they hear, read, study, meditate, and memorize. Ephesians 5 sets a high standard for what we should participate in. “Therefore do not become partners with them; for at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light (for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true), and try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord. Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them…making the best use of the time, because the days are evil.” (Ephesians 5:7–11, 16 ESV)

My Neighbor:

After the Deadpool admission I asked my student if he supported the pornography industry.  This question shocked him and he quickly assured me he did not, and Deadpool was simply an action movie with some parts that required him to close his eyes.  But exactly how much porn would it take in a movie for you to consider it porn?  If the best movie of the year contained three minutes of pornography is that OK with you?

Recently Salma Hayek was on a podcast where she described participating in her first sex scene as a young actress.  As she read the script and what she was supposed to do with this older male actor as the cameras roll, she immediately began to cry.  She said all she could think about was her brother and her father, and what it would be like for them to see this scene.  As she was paid to engage publicly in what should be the most intimate and private of moments, she was overwhelmed with shame.  Salma Hayek is a real person, but In order to consume this type of material you have to dehumanize those involved.

While I don’t recommend violent content, the violence in media is fake.  It’s not real blood or bullets, and typically no one has lasting scars.  Sexual exploitation is all too real.  Multiple actresses in the popular show Game of Thrones said they were traumatized by the debased sexual content they were forced to do.  As one of the producers pressured an actresses into performing a particularly depraved scene, he told her that he was trying to represent what the perverts in the audience wanted to see.  Love for my neighbor forces me to ask whether it is loving for me to participate in their exploitation and trauma.

We get to vote with our eyeballs.  Will I consume content that exploits men, women, and children, and therefore vote that the producers and production companies continue to make this content?  Years ago author Tim Challies issued a challenge that if we wouldn’t want our father, mother, husband, wife, or children to have to act that scene out, then how can I watch someone else do it? “For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”” (Galatians 5:14, ESV)

My Disciples:

Years ago our staff team had to challenge some of our Bible study leaders with their behavior in their dating relationships.  One of the questions I asked them was, “Do you want the freshmen in your Bible study to model this behavior?” They quickly told me no, but assured me that they weren’t going to tell them.

The reality for disciple makers is that we model for those we lead.  As a young Navigator staff I was challenged to keep in mind that whatever behavior I model my disciples will replicate.  As leaders and laborers our boundaries need to be even higher than those who follow us.  “Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness.” (James 3:1, ESV)

“Do I want my disciples to watch this?” is a fabulous question for working on boundaries.  With the popularity of The Bachelor and The Bachelorette, I’ve often asked myself, “Is this where I want to learn about relationships?” Or “Is this how I want my students to learn about dating and marriage?”  

So, as you consider what you will and won’t watch, consider using these three lenses.  Will it help you advance your personal calling?  Does consuming this content show love for your neighbor?  And is it something that you want your disciples to model? These boundaries realistically force me to abstain from a lot of content, so is that worth it?  I’m reminded of the description of Moses in Hebrews 11: “He considered the reproach of Christ greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking to the reward.” (Hebrews 11:26, ESV) Brothers and sisters, look to the reward as you consider your entertainment!