The Christian and Horror Movies

[tiggertoddy]

First off: I have not seen all horror films (thank God.). Is it okay for me to watch ANY horror films? I think not. As far as the violence in the Bible, I'm, at the VERY LEAST, capable of discerning that God wasn't condoning the violence, nor did He ever have a bloodlust to destroy.

Furthermore, for me to "get help" as far as reality, let me ask you this: Since when does psychology/psychiatry have any validity concerning my walk with Jesus? the reality is this: The ONLY "counselor" I will EVER take seriously is Jesus Christ. Psychology and psychiatry is meant for people who refuse to admit that they are sinners, and would rather place the blame on others, when the fact that they are suffering is because of sinfulness of THEMSELVES and their actions. Psychology and psychiatry are smokescreens. Jesus Christ is the ONLY one that can take away our sins.

 

[Carly33]

To equate the truths of scripture and the depiction of future events with fiction (flights of fancy or glorification of evil for entertainment), is to me downright blasphemous.

The words contained in the bible are all truth, and all profitable for us.....many modern christian authors don't use sound doctrine to construct a story, and they don't edify anyone spiritually. I have read Frank Perretti, and I am not of the opinion that it equates with the bible.

That is the weakest argument I have ever heard. If you are offended by the book of Revelation, Song of Solomon, or any other that you think similarily describes events contained in some of the other fiction mentioned, you need to get your heart right.

I agree about Nefurt....whatever....it is a glorification of satanic forces....that influence can only draw you closer to demonic activity. Resist the devil!

I don't appreciate Perretti, Lewis, or any other that uses fantasy, occult, or demonic content to justify serving the Lord, in the name of Christian entertainment.

It is so sad to me....really sad....

 

[tiggertoddy]

Originally posted by Carly33:
That is the weakest argument I have ever heard. If you are offended by the book of Revelation, Song of Solomon, or any other that you think similarily describes events contained in some of the other fiction mentioned, you need to get your heart right.

I hope you don't seriously believe that I reject ANY of God's Word. Anything that is of the devil is AGAINST God. At least, that's what I believe. I find horror movies of ANY kind reprehensible. I don't need to see them all to KNOW that they are a weak argument. What is wrong with people when, if they are professing christians, they EMBRACE deviant lifestyles or ideologies, such as psychology or Alpha Course, or A Course IN Miracles? I can tell the difference between something that glorifies God, as opposed to "somewhat glorifying God."

Even though the Bible doesn't SPECIFICALLY mention "Don't see horror movies", it DOESN'T endorse such behaviour, either. The Bible doesn't use the TERM "abortion", but, any sane individual would conclude that shoving a metal vaccuum tube into the base of the skull of an infant, and DESTROYING the infant IS murder. Likewise, the Bible does list getting drunk on booze as a sin, even though some so-called "christians" unabashedly guzzle the booze and say that Jesus approves. Sheesh! Ya know, the funny thing about this? I ain't the only Christian who believes what I do. therefore, you CANNOT single me out and CLAIM that I don't know what I am talking about. If I WAS the ONLY one who believed the things that I do, then, some WOULD have a right to call me "not based in reality", but, Nne does.

 

[Mike McK]

Originally posted by tiggertoddy:
First off: I have not seen all horror films (thank God.).

Then how is it that you make such sweeping generlizations and at one point speak definitively about "ALL horror films"?

Is it okay for me to watch ANY horror films? I think not.

I commend you for standing by your convictions, but I don't think it's fair or correct of you to assume that God has impressed all of us with those convictions.

As far as the violence in the Bible, I'm, at the VERY LEAST, capable of discerning that God wasn't condoning the violence, nor did He ever have a bloodlust to destroy.

In some cases, He not only condoned it, but ordered it.

There is a lot more of a morality play mentality in horror movies than you think.

Much of the violence done in horror movies is done as a direct result of someone's misdeeds and they are swiftly punished for it.

Furthermore, for me to "get help" as far as reality, let me ask you this: Since when does psychology/psychiatry have any validity concerning my walk with Jesus?

None, but you seem to have trouble discerning reality from fantasy.

The ONLY "counselor" I will EVER take seriously is Jesus Christ.

So, in the Psalms where it encourages us to seek counsel, you would ignore that part of the Bible?

 

[Matthew 16:24]

Wow! I cannot believe what professing Christians are watching nowadays.

Well, you will not have to answer to anyone but Jesus Christ about it.
I know when Jesus returns that I do not want be caught in a movie theater promoting killing and horror.
"Ah gee Lord I was just watching some fake movie, it's not real or anything."
Horror movies as well as others damage our youth and by paying to go see those movies you are promoting it.

Let see what the Bible says,

Galatians 5:17 For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.
5:18 But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law.
5:19 Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,
5:20 Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,
5:21 Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall NOT inherit the kingdom of God.

The works of the flesh sounds like a good horror movie as well as other hollywood movies.

LIKEWISE ALSO AS IT WAS IN THE DAYS OF LOT…EVEN THUS SHALL IT BE IN THE DAY WHEN THE SON OF MAN IS REVEALED-Lk 17:28,30.

[ November 03, 2002, 01:03 AM: Message edited by: Matthew 16:24 ]

 

[Helen]

There's a word for this: gigo

Garbage in, garbage out.

Tests have shown that even one short glimpse of a porographic scene will stay in the person's mind for a very long time -- much longer than the facts on the Civil War he had to learn for history! These things burn themselves, almost literally, into our brains.

We don't forget them easily.

Horror, violence -- the same. They burn themselves in. One remembers the scenes, the screams, the blood. One remembers the descriptions of evil much more readily than the descriptions of good. That's just the way it is.

So while the garbage may go in and go out, there seems to be a part of it that stays and infects the recipient.

In the name of art, of course...

Or freedom of expression...

Or not wanting to seem weird to others....

Or maybe just because the viewer is so used to it that he or she doesn't think it is bothersome anymore.

The word for that is a hardening of the heart and sensibilities. It should be kept as far away from any Christian as possible. There is no possible good it can do, and a world of harm.

[ November 03, 2002, 01:18 AM: Message edited by: Helen ]

 

[Ransom]

Carly33 said:

Psalm 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."

If you're going to use this verse as an argument, then in order to be consistent you will have to eschew all movies/programs/literature that features villains, not just horror. Because "no wicked thing" doesn't mean just demonic apparitions in horror flicks, but no murderers, no gangsters, no Klingons, no corrupt CEOs, no gunslinging outlaws, no mustachio'd villains tying damsels to railroad tracks.

In fact, you'd probably want to skip most of the book of Judges, a brutally honest account of the darkest period in the history of Israel. Stabbings. Disembowelings. Dismemberments. Betrayals. Heads impaled on tent pegs. Graphic descriptions of all sorts of wicked behaviour.

 

[Wisdom Seeker]

I don't like horror movies. I like Sci-Fi...funny how the media puts them in the same catagory...doesn't make sense to me.

I would have to agree with Helen. Me no likey

 

[Helen]

Ransom, there is a difference between history as it happened and the horrific imaginings of men's minds in print or picture done in order to shock.

I bet you already knew that...

 

[Ransom]

So, in other words, there's a "Factual Exemption Clause" for Psa. 101:3? It should really read "I will set no fictional wicked thing before my eyes"?

 

[Carly33]

Ransom...what you fail to grasp is that the Holy Bible, God's word was not given to us for entertainment purposes....God is not glorifying evil or death to entertain christians.

There is a major difference here. History might be horrific, but I have not said that reading historical accounts of things are wrong. I am saying that to set before your eyes, and minds, glorification of evil, for the sake of only entertainment is definitly what satan prefer you do.

 

[Ransom]

Well, then, let me restrict my original anathema somewhat: if you take Psa. 101:3 at face value, you are therefore prohibited from any reading of fiction, because all fiction is driven by conflict.

 

[Carly33]

You still haven't shared any scriptures to support the viewing of gratuitous violence, and occult material.

Until then I think this has become striving and foolishness. You do as you see fit.

 

[Johnv]

You wouldn't find any scripture that supports us watching romantic comedy, musicals, sci-fi, or action films either, so I don't think that's a fair statement.

I was once told that my watching of Toy Story was viewing occult material

[ November 05, 2002, 11:56 AM: Message edited by: Johnv ]

 

[Ransom]

Carly33 said:

You still haven't shared any scriptures to support the viewing of gratuitous violence, and occult material.

I never said I supported gratuitous violence or occultism. Not all horror fiction is necessary violent or occult.

Please argue against what you see, not what you think you see.

 

[Kiffin]

I don't think anyone here is for glorifying the occult or anything else demonic by watching "Horror" movies no more than Stephen Spielberg glorifying the Nazis in Saving Private Ryan. I am amazed how many of the older Western movies and TV shows sanitized death and violence yet we often call them family movies.

Most movies regardless of the genre are bad but one cannot make a blanket statement and say all are bad. Someone told me that Mary Shelley was a Christian and that Frankenstein is a morality play of what happens when man tries to become God. I read THIS PRESENT DARKNESS by Frank Peritti and while I don't agree with much of his theology in the book he does bring out a central truth-There is a spiritual war going on. This Christian genre of "Horror" certaintly does not glorify it. One could argue that there is a HORROR element in Bunyan's PILGRIM'S PROGRESS yet I do not think Bunyan was glorifying Satan in this novel.

I have just ordered a study guide to C.S. Lewis THE SCREWTAPE LETTERS (which Christian Reader magazine ranked as one the top 10 devotional books of all times) and this book which has a fictional correspondence between Demons I think is much better than Perretti's books on the subject of Spiritual Warfare. Lewis certaintly does not glorify the demonic but like Peretti makes it clear that there is a war going on.

I do not think you can make a blanket statement on the Horror genre but each movie must be judged by it's content.

 

[Kiffin]

Interesting, I read a website that stated that Jack Chick's Cartoons may have helped influence many of the images and scenes in Hollywood Horror movies. Probably not true...but I found that interesting.

 

[tfisher]

2 Timothy 1:7
7 For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.

I don't think that we should watch anything that is going to generate fear. I would say the label "horror" is irrelevant.

[ November 05, 2002, 03:23 PM: Message edited by: tfisher ]

 

[Ransom]

Careful about context. Paul is telling Timothy to be bold to "kindle afresh the gift of God which is in you" (cf. v. 7); in other words, not to be ashamed of the testimony of the Lord (v. 9).

He is not talking about the kind of shock or thrill that horror literature provides. Otherwise, roller coasters will have to go on the forbidden list too.

 

[JonHenry]

I have based my options on Phillipians 4:8, and it has really helped me change my viewpoint on entertainment.

Whatever things are noble,
whatever things are just,
whatever things are pure,
whatever things are lovely...
& i think you know the rest.

jh