{"id":65172,"date":"2023-12-29T09:43:55","date_gmt":"2023-12-29T15:43:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/?p=65172"},"modified":"2023-12-29T09:43:55","modified_gmt":"2023-12-29T15:43:55","slug":"evaluating-movies-and-shows","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/evaluating-movies-and-shows\/","title":{"rendered":"Evaluating Movies and Shows"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\t

by Doy Moyer<\/p>\n

While it is difficult to find movies or shows that are worth watching (for various reasons), I do believe Christians need to consider how to evaluate what they watch and hear from the biblical perspective. In recently reading Unraveling Philosophy<\/em> by Groza and Moreland, I found these questions helpful:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. What is the point of the movie or show?<\/strong> Movies are not made in a vacuum. There will be an ultimate message, and we need to be able to find it. “Spend some time ascertaining the point of the movie and then ask the all-important question: Is that true? Is the movie telling me the truth or is it lying?” (239)<\/li>\n
  2. What is the story of redemption?<\/strong> Story plots typically involve something that goes wrong. What is the resolution to the problem? “Another word for resolution, in this sense, is redemption. How is the wrong made right?” … “Knowing the story of redemption enables a greater appreciation of the movie. It also helps explain why its message resonates” (241).<\/li>\n
  3. “What is the perspective on sin?<\/strong> Does the movie make clear the ‘folly of sin’?” Is sin painted in a positive light or not? Are the consequences of sin shown or is the sin glorified? “Movies can tell the truth by exposing the bad consequences of sin, or movies can lie by painting sin in a positive light and minimizing (or excluding altogether) those consequences.” If good is painted as evil and evil as good (cf. Isaiah 5:20), and the consequences of this are not shown, we might want to look elsewhere.<\/li>\n
  4. What virtues are promoted or denied?<\/strong> “A good movie celebrates characters for the right reasons; characters who exhibit virtues such as hope, courage, and loyalty” (242). Or are the “heroes” of the movie bad guys who are celebrated in their wickedness and irresponsibility?<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Groza and Moreland finish with this:<\/p>\n

    “The goal is to provide a framework for thought and conversation for the purpose of discerning beauty and its relation to truth. The goal is not to read Christian themes into art where such themes do not fit, or to impose a Christian worldview against the evidence within the movie. The principle of charity requires that Christians seek to understand the message of a film as it is presented and not as we will it to be understood. Not every story is a Christian story. It is legitimate to see Christian themes where they exist. It is not legitimate, charitable, or honest to force such themes.” (243)<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

    Perhaps we just want to watch shows for entertainment purposes. We don’t want to overthink it. But we cannot afford not to think at all. We are inviting ideas and philosophies into our minds and we will either interact with them with a godly perspective or we will mindlessly imbibe what we see and hear. Let’s be careful, therefore, how we hear, and seek to walk with wisdom and understanding even in our recreational time. If there is nothing redeemable about a story, will the time spent on it be redeemable?<\/p>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    by Doy Moyer While it is difficult to find movies or shows that are worth watching (for various reasons), I do believe Christians need to consider how to evaluate what they watch and hear from the biblical perspective. In recently reading Unraveling Philosophy by Groza and Moreland, I found these questions helpful: What is the…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[27],"tags":[759],"class_list":["post-65172","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-article","tag-entertainment"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":18740,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/do-you-think-a-movie-with-a-good-storyline-but-some-immorality-scattered-in-should-be-watched\/","url_meta":{"origin":65172,"position":0},"title":"Do you think a movie with a good storyline but some immorality scattered in should be watched?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"May 25, 2009","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: I read\u00a0your comment on a question about movies and video games. I believe you even referred to watching the Lord of the Rings movies if I'm not mistaken. I totally agree that there are movies that Christians should not watch. What do you think of movies, though, that have\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":43319,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/is-it-wrong-to-scold-someone-do-i-rebuke-every-bad-thing-a-person-does-does-a-little-bit-of-immorality-make-a-show-bad\/","url_meta":{"origin":65172,"position":1},"title":"Is it wrong to scold someone? Do I rebuke every bad thing a person does? Does a little bit of immorality make a show bad?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"August 10, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: Hi Mr. Jeff, I really enjoy your website. Thank you for sharing it with others. I just wanted to ask you about three questions: The first question I had was: As followers of Christ, our speech and conduct is supposed to give grace to those who hear. Sometimes I'm\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":1230,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/what-do-you-think-about-the-movie-the-gospel-of-john\/","url_meta":{"origin":65172,"position":2},"title":"What do you think about the movie “The Gospel of John”?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"April 1, 2004","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: What are your comments on the movie \"The Gospel of John\" Answer: I have not seen the movie \"The Gospel of John,\" so I cannot comment on it. I have difficulty watching religious movies. I continually see the flaws in their representation of the Scriptures and it annoys me\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":13490,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/is-it-sinful-to-download-movies-or-songs-from-the-internet\/","url_meta":{"origin":65172,"position":3},"title":"Is it sinful to download movies or songs from the Internet?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"December 28, 2007","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: Like many people, I download movies and music and I was just wondering if that is considered stealing and therefore is a sin? Answer: Just because someone makes a movie or song available on the Internet, it does not imply that they had the right to do so. The\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":17711,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/are-movies-that-depict-jesus-violating-the-rule-to-make-no-image-of-god\/","url_meta":{"origin":65172,"position":4},"title":"Are movies that depict Jesus violating the rule to make no image of God?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"January 3, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: Hello, I have a couple of questions. Does the movie \"The Passion of Christ\" violate Exodus 20:4-5? I understand that there is no idol worship here, but making images from that which is in heaven would apply, it seems. I read your article about the review of the movie\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":58398,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/obscene-movies-and-tv-programs\/","url_meta":{"origin":65172,"position":5},"title":"Obscene Movies and TV Programs","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"January 24, 2009","format":false,"excerpt":"by Gary Henry via, Lost River Bulletin, Vol. 58, No. 3, Aug. 2008. Few things frighten me any more than the passing comments I hear brothers and sisters in the Lord make about movies and TV programs they've permitted themselves and their children to see. 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