Christians and Entertainment? (Gospel, hell, woman, church)

[SkylightMike231]

Hello, I'm new here, but I have been familiar with forum usage in the past (so I ain't afraid to use it !). Anyways, I've been looking at various Christians on the net (especially on YouTube), and I'm getting the consensus that Christians are not to touch entertainment AT ALL (James 1:27). But then again, I remembered what Paul wrote in Romans 14:13-23, about there being no "restrictions" of things, with them being good for some but not for others, basically.

So if we can't touch entertainment or things of this world, then what is that verse speaking of if not that? And by entertainment, I mean things like TV, movies, video games, books, music, technology (like smart phones and ipods), and even hobbies (fishing, hunting, painting, going out to places for fun, crafting, etc).

Or do you have the view that these things are not that meaningful in determining your eternal destination? I would like all possible viewpoints of those who are interested. Because of college life (another topic for another day!), I won't be on this thread as much as I'd like, so forgive me if I'm not responding frequently.

With that all said, let's begin!

[plain and simple]

Leonard Ravenhill once said, "America has a king and his name is 'Sport.' He has a wife and her name is 'Entertainment.'" This is very true. America is a nation of people addicted to sports, TV, Movies, video games, technological gadgets and every other form of entertainment and instant gratification.

Yes, Christians have liberty, not legalism. Yes, there are good things about TV and movies. They CAN be educational, informative and help spread the gospel. (But is this what people are really choosing for their "entertainment"? Nope.) They CAN be tools. Sadly, they've become more like beloved members of the family most people can't do without.

Entertainment has become a "right" in people's eyes. Don't you dare mess with their entertainment. Many people have become mindlessly addicted to whatever show may be on. Silence scares them and they at least have to have the TV or music on in the background. The television is a thief, taking people away from family, friends and time with God.

The most popular shows on TV today focus on the WORST that mankind has to offer, and evil is glorified as good. 2 Timothy 3:1-5 and Isaiah 5:20 are good scriptures regarding this. Then there's the damage most televangelists do with their claims to be ministers of God that are more concerned about money and prestige than about saving souls. This is warned about in 2 Timothy 4:3-4.

Entertainment, for most, is an addiction, whether it's TV, movies, video games, music, plays, reading, sports, etc., For the overwhelming majority of people entertainment is an addiction that eats up your time, money and mind, which, in turn, affects your soul and spirit. For the last 12 years, I haven't had a TV, radio, stereo, CDs, DVDs, video games, etc., I have a lot more time on my hands than most people and my thinking isn't a product of the constant bombarding of advertising, media, politics, etc., (Only those who haven't watched TV for about two years will understand what I'm saying there. It's so easy to see how TV watchers thinking is influenced.)

Christians who care about honoring and glorifying God (those who aren't are not true Christians anyway, they only claim to be), there ARE scriptures to consider when you're making your entertainment choices:

Matthew 5:28 -- "But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart."

Matthew 6:22-23 -- "The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are good, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eyes are bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!"

Romans 12:2 -- "Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is - His good, pleasing and perfect will."

Romans 13:13-14 -- "Let us behave decently, as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and debauchery, not in dissension and jealousy. Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the sinful nature."

Philippeans 4:8 -- "Finally brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable - if anything is excellent or praiseworthy - think about such things."

1 Thessalonians 5:21-22 -- "Test everything. Hold on to the good. Avoid every kind of evil."

A true, bold statement is this: Most people who call themselves Christians will try to argue and defend all of their entertainment choices with lame excuses so they can feel better about their poor choices. They don't think to realize that God isn't fooled, even if other people are.

[RomaniGypsy'sWife]

I am a Christian woman and I totally agree with both of your posts. I live in Texas which is a state that worships football and other sports. My husband and I run a music business that teaches private music lessons to elementary students through adults and we've come to the conclusion that music is not important if they are involved with sports.

We just recently lost a student because his football practice got in the way of his guitar lessons. I don't have a problem with sports because they're a good way for exersise and making friends, but when it becomes so important that it takes precedent over other things, that's when it bothers me. I have never been a sports fan of any specifics....I feel that they are over paid for just running around catching balls all the time.

Yeah, they're using their talents that God has given them, but do they turn around and thank God for the ability to play sports? The only one who has done that to my knowledge is Tim Tebow, and he got ridiculed for it!

We also are DJ's who won't play dirty music. This means, mostly ALL of the hip/hop and R&B that's out there today. The first school dance that we did in 2011 was a middle school, I had a student come up to me to request S&M by Rhianna. I looked up the lyrics to the song and said absolutely not - that song is all about sex, and without skipping a beat she turned around and said "what song isn't about sex?" She was completely correct - and it's scary.

What happened to the music that was good in the early 80's and 90's? Oh, wait, I'm sorry, it's dorky and "out of date" to listen to it.

What happened to the clean hip/hop music, like "Can't Touch This" by MC Hammer, and "Ice Ice Baby" by Vanilla Ice? That's the CLEANEST hip/hop that is out there and it's not acceptable in this day and age. And on top of that, why are parents allowing their kids to listen to this crap?

Okay, enough of being off subject. I think that Entertainment is around for us to use with discretion. I don't think God would've provided certain people with musical talent, or acting talent if it wasn't supposed to be used to entertainment.

[SkylightMike231]

Great input! I hold shared beliefs with all you said, but to some degrees. Since Fall 2011, I've stopped watching TV, and it felt really great! Well of course at the first few moments it was "weird" but I am a guy of the night with all of its sounds, so I instantly took to the silence that was impending all around me. It was soo goood. And then it felt like "stuff" was being lifted off of my soul, like all the pollution was going away.

But since I love to draw, I'm a sucker for cartoons and stuff like Pixar, but even then I've found in some of them things that were uncomfortable to me that I wouldn't have a problem with before.

So I enjoy coming to a silent room from school each and every day . But yet the TV blares in other parts of the house I have no control of , such as the living room.

I agree all of these things have to be to a degree, but when I see other Christians not even have anything to do with ANYTHING, it makes me feel guilty for things I don't even take as idols (such as listening to tunes on the web while I'm studying, or playing a game once in a while, and I mean a while).

I don't wanna put restrictions on others, but then again I always look to the Bible and see what the feelings really are to all of these things, and I keep going back and forth.

RomaniGypsy'sWife
LOL, you're not a dork at all to listen to it. I like listening to that era, but even then you find some songs that still can't measure up. But I don't believe EVERY song is related to sex. Just like all good things though, you're gonna have to dig to find 'em (like I did), like "Say You Will" by Fleetwood Mac . But I'm gonna have to disagree on the song "Ice Ice Baby". I looked up the lyrics, and it didn't seem good.

[allenk893]

God created entertainment for us to enjoy. It's us as humans that taint the fun and innocence out of it. There are all kinds of entertainment in Heaven. I read about this in a book called Revealing Heaven where a woman had been taken to Heaven by God several times over the past 15 years to reveal to the church what things await them there. She said that everything on Earth is simply a shadow of what already exist in Heaven. The clean things anyway. There are movies, libraries, museums, parks, theme parks, beaches, and etc. all kinds of fun entertainment in Heaven.

One of the things she mentioned in her other book was things on Earth that typically are shunned by many older Christians. Such as Christian rock music. She said that at these concerts when kids and the musicians are rocking out to the music, they are literally shaking the foundations of Hell. Every time they jump and stomp at these concerts is like sending an Earthquake through Hell. So that just tells you right there. Anything you do for God is for his greater glory. Every since I read that book, I am no longer as wary about entertainment as I once was. Any good, clean, and fun entertainment is all from God.

[hljc]

See the answer for Christians is to be prudent in the Spirit , knowing right from wrong , through the authority of the Spirit .... See being entertained by death and fighting and perversion of sexuality, coarse language and hatred and occult preferred entertainment which witchcraft is strong , then it is best to turn it off or miss that movie for sure ,..... Or pass that song with foul mouth and strange ideas , and false ideas which devalue man or woman or the truth of Jesus Christ , which can still leave a lot of entertainment which Prudent in the Spirit Christians can be busy enjoying the time ....And if you engage in the new worldly entertainment Christians must rebuke the offense and it authority in the spirit when Christians accidentally come across an offense .... See Christians have the presence of Jesus Holy Spirit and must never be e-reverence to His Holy Spirit

[Jenmar1024]

It is NOT just Americans that has a "wife" called Enternainment. On a tiny island in the South Pacific where they have no running water and sanitation is scarce but they (the tribe) has used the money from the coconut crops to buy generators to supply electricity for thier cell phones, T.V.'s and DVD players so they can watch movies.

[Torpedos]

i have not had cable in over 10 yrs. i dont care for it. even the basic channels are never watched. i do have netflix, usually watch documentaries. my kids can only watch netflix on weekends. and even then it is limited. i dont own a cell phone either. but i do have an ipod. I did not give these thing up because of the my religious belief, i did it because i refuse to let my kids spend more time with the TV than with me. He can get cable when he is out of the house. I dont watch football or any sport. TV is usually a lazy way to let the kids be safe. i say throw them outside and let them scratch their knees once in a while.

[Mikelee81]

Christianity is not a list of does and don'ts. As soon as one makes a list they have gone from Liberty to Legalism. God is interested in the motive from the heart. He's interested in relationship in fellowship. He wants you to draw close to him through Jesus Christ. Obedience should come from a loving heart for your God Savior not by attempting to keep a list of do's and don'ts. God wants sacrifice to be given in thanksgiving.

1 John 2:15
Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.

The world is in rebellion against God. The only individuals that are not, are those that have been born again by the Spirit of God. God gives us the heart to obey and seek to do the will of God.

John 1:10-14

10 He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not.

11 He came unto his own, and his own received him not.

12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:

13 Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

For the born again child of God, all things are lawful but not expedient.

1 Corinthians 6:12
All things are lawful unto me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any.

Sin is powerful and without Christ we are enslaved to it being led by the power of it resulting in eternal separation from God. For those saved by being born again freely by God's Grace in the Spirit of God by faith in Jesus Christ, we can now and are expected to overcome through God's Holy Spirit conquering our old sin nature to his glory. Anything less is falling short of what God wants to give us receiving the fulness of what God has for your life. He can't bless fruitlessness however.

The three enemies of the Christian are the Flesh, Satan, and the World. The flesh is at emnity and war with the Spirit. Satan is the "god of this age" and utilizes his tactics through deception and subelty to bring people under the bondage of sin to their destruction. A Child of God must be aware of his tactics as they are his primary target as they are his only threat. No one goes to battle without knowing their enemy. According to the Scriptures, Christians are on enemy turf in a spiritual warfare. In ephesians 6, it talks about the "fiery tarts of the wicked one". This includes things that arouse the flesh nature. It appeals to the five senses. The TV and music industry are filled with this as it is geared toward the unregenerate. Beautiful woman barely dressed, music that entices pride/strife, etc are all included in the tarts that bring us into the destructive nature. It's why the proverb says "I will set no wicked thing before mine eyes." It is a lesson on spiritual warfare.

As for the world, we are told to be in but not of the world. Christians can and should be in positions of authority in the world system. Our job is to hold back the corruption (thus be the "salt) and be a living witness of God's life changing power in Jesus Christ (putting our light upon a hill). Every Christian's life desire should be to produce fruit. This is the mark of a life that has purpose.

Those justified have liberty to play video games, watch movies, et al, but it is a waste of the most precious resource you have - time. Also the video game addictions are clear evidence that what the Scriptures say is true - one is brought into bondage to what they obey. You won't regret not spending the precious time given playing video games. You will regret not spending your time alloted producing fruit for God.

This life is but a mere dot on a globe when taken in the context of eternity. All will reap what they sow - even the redeemed by Christ. Those faithful producing fruitful lives for the Lord can be coheirs reigning with Christ. We have no idea what that truly means. Those unfaithful/unfruitful will suffer loss.

The choices we make determine our eternal destiny. One of the greatest attributes of a Christian is their perspective. Looking to the eternal not the temperal. Looking for a city built without hands.. the Kingdom of God.

Christian is not a list of do's and don'ts. God's looking at the heart. Every person will be judged depending upon their response to what he did for us on Calvary 2000 years ago. Not only the actions but motives will be weighed.

God bless.

If you are looking for an amazing line by line commentary to feed the inner man with the whole council of God, I highly recommend..

Blue Letter Bible - Audio & Video Commentaries - Chuck Smith - The Person and Gifts of the Holy Spirit

[Follower Of X]

Christ first. Everything else next.