Is frequent the theatre Sin?

I don't appreciate the snide insults. They're rather childish, even for you. Certainly you have it in you somewhere to be able to post and interact in a respectful manner?

No one who has gone to the movies is in need of "justifying" anything. They are not the ones making a claim. It is those who condemn the theatre who need to justify their claims. You're starting to sound a lot like the KJVO's who say "prove to me that the KJV isn't the sole preserved word of God in English. If they make the claim, they must provide support. And so must those who condemn the theatre.

Kindly tel me how I sinned by taking my family to see "The Incredibles", or where my sin was when I saw "Gods and Generals".

 

The internet, TV and the theater industry are owned and operated by this world's system and can all be used to do evil.

In fact the internet is the worst of the mass media, rampant with crime and pornography, with children being seduced and molested by pedophiles because parents allow their children unchaperoned access:

http://archives.cnn.com/2001/LAW/04/16/cybercrime.overview/

HankD

 

Aaron,

How about going to see a play, or a Broadway type musical, is that sin? How about renting movies? Would you say this is sin as well?

 

The reason that for so long Baptists have said that the theater is worng, is that there has been an obsession with behavior control. People feel like they are some how being holy if they can control their behavior, or the behavior of others, so they abstain from certain things In reality though, It is Chrsit who makes one holy, not the things which I do.

To much preaching simply been a spiritual "terror tactic" to modify and control behavior. This is not the answer to mens sin, what is need is Christ to work to the heart and sanctify each individual.

On the flip side, if I am allowing Chrsit to work in my heart, and I have a passion for His glory, I will not see things or partake of activities that would be a stumbling block to his work in my heart.

 

I'll give that a hearty amen. That was exactly my point earlier. Its not the medium, its the message.

What are you allowing yourself to view, what are you devoting your time and energy to. Not whether you went to see the movie in the theatre, rented it from blockbuster, bought in on cable, watched it for free on broadcast TV, or watched the neighbor kids act it out in the backyard.

Behavior modification works fine on toddlers, adult christians who are striving for maturity have to focus on their heart and how it is making decisions, not simply on the outward manifestations of conformity.

 

Dont' get too upset at Aaron for getting a little out of line, I use that as a meter to judge how off base he is, when he is right, and can support his positions biblically, he doesn't feel the need to resort to such tactics.

 

Here is your answer for the theatre, internet, tv, etc...
Ps 101:2
I will behave myself wisely in a perfect way. O when wilt thou come unto me? I will walk within my house with a perfect heart.
Ps 101:3
I will set no wicked thing before mine eyes: I hate the work of them that turn aside; it shall not cleave to me.

Works for me and my house!
In HIS service;
Jim

 

Question av1611,

How do you walk in your house with a perfect heart? Why is it perfect? Is it because of the things you do, the things you abstain from? Does not watching movies make you perfect?

 

By behaving yourself wisely in a perfect way. Set no wicked thing before your eyes.

 

I went to see the veggie-tales movie with my kids.
(HOPE I DON"T BURN) Just Joking!!!

 

__________________________________________________

In light of the Scripture and its context which I posted, you really need to ask such a question?

C'mon now, aren't we being a bit silly?

In HIS service;
Jim

 

^^^

Jim's right about the context, methinks.... walking in a way that is right with a PERFECT heart, not perfectly since we, as sinners, can't be perfect in the flesh.

Back to the topic, please. Is going to movies sin? Hmmmm..........

 

Au contraire! In all one's actions he is to prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. We are to prove all things. In things pertaining to Christianity, nothing enjoys a defacto standing.

I've neither approved nor condemned the theatre in this thread. I merely asked for those on one side to justify their claims. To date they haven't. All they've done is cry about it.

I asked first.

 

I haven't said one way or another. My original question was, how does one seek the Kingdom of God and His righteousness at the movies?

Could you venture to answer?

Maybe Dave has one, but I doubt it. Though he mentioned me by name, nothing he said dealt with any of the substance of my posts.

 

So jim, just being on the internet is OK for you (seeing that you had to be logged onto the internet to give us this message)?

HankD

 

I'll go out on a limb here, and say that it might depend on what your going to see. This would mean you would be watching something that contained nothing objectionable to the Christian conscience (you should have one of these, if not please read the Gospel according to John.) If this hypothetical movie met with all the high standards of entertainment a Christian ought to hold (no wicked thing before my eyes) then I suppose it would be fine, in moderation.

What if the movie did not meet all the criteria for being a movie you would take the Holy Spirit to see? (Don't forget that you are the temple of the Holy Ghost and that God's Spirit dwells in you. When you go to the movies, He is going with you.) Would you want to be sitting in a movie theater with the Lord when the actors in that movie used the Lord's name as a cuss word? What about when they perform simulated sex? Would this be pleasing to the Lord? If you don't think God would want to watch such things, don't take Him to see such a movie. Anybody with me so far?

Supposing you go to a movie that you have heard was 100% family friendly and every Christian needs to see this film. You buy your $8 tickets, you get your $7.00 popcorn and $4.50 cup of sugar water and you settle down for some quality Christian entertainment on the silver screen. The lights go dark and the pictures start moving on the wall and your mesmerized. For the first 30 minutes, you watch previews for other movies that are not the 100% wholesome family friendly film you came to see. What movies are they? Who knows. They are advertisements for other films that someone hopes people seeing this film might be enticed into seeing later. How do they entice someone into seeing a movie? Do they appeal to man's spirit enlightened by the Word and give scripture references? Or do they appeal to man's flesh and try to excite lust in the heart to make someone desire to see these movies? Might it have caused you to lust a little bit? Just tell the Lord 'I'm sorry, I didn't know those previews were going to be there.' Afterall, You (and the Spirit) didn't even come to the theater to watch previews, and you were caught unawares. Surely God wouldn't hold that against you.

Ah now, it's time for our Feature Presentation. 1 hour and thirty minutes of wholesome family entertainment. When it is over you can look back on it and reflect on the great wholesome experience you just had. The acting was superb, the story was compelling and there was only a couple of mild curse words. And they took Jesus' name in vain a couple of times. And there was that homosexual innuendo (Hollywood doesn't have any agendas though.) And was that monkey praying to a statue? But overall, much better than all that other trash at the theater. Can't wait for the next family friendly film!

Are we supposed to be viewing the cleanest trash we can find? God said David was a man after His own heart. David said he would set no wicked thing before his eyes. Should we be setting some wicked things before our eyes just because we lust after entertainment and the best we can find has some leaven in it?

 

James...by the standard you just stated I can only say that I'll be glad when I hear a trumpet blow one of these days.Personal holiness is a definite challenge these days for the child of God with all the things we are bombarded with in the media and the streets.I will say from a personal standpoint that it is difficult to maintain purity.I will also say that I agree 100% with your assessment of the movies as given above.I have never watched a Hollywood movie that didn't in some way violate the pure biblical standard of holiness.I have watched many over the years but I never tried to justify them from a biblical standpoint.I don't watch many these days...and those that I did watch left me feeling spiritually COLD.

Greg Sr.

 

So jim, just being on the internet is OK for you (seeing that you had to be logged onto the internet to give us this message)?

HankD </font>[/QUOTE]__________________________________________________

Sure, why not?
I control it. IT does not control me. Unlike much of the scuz-bucket junk on tv, and in the theatre. How MANY times have I/you/we gone to view what was billed a decent movie, (whether in the theatre or by way of rental) and been assaulted by junk? Innuendo, indecent clothing or behavior, inappropriate jesting, etc, ad infinitum , ad nauseum? If once, I could try again, but, after many many times, one gets SICK of it, and does NOT do it again.

The principle of Scripture stands, whether we like it or not.
I will place no unclean thing before my eyes. At least on the Net, I can control that.

In HIS service;
Jim

 

BTW;

A GREAT BIG AMEEEN TO JAMES AND GREG, SR.!!!

In HIS service;
Jim

 

I don't go to the movies that often but when I do, I can honestly say that those things dont offend me anymore and I just ignore them.

Maybe I'm just getting too old.

HankD