Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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12 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Rage against the machine!!, September 6, 2003
The media is not a gray area as many Christians want to believe. There is a verse in 1 John which calls us to "not love the world". This book beckons us in a definite way to heed this call. There are in fact standards that need to be maintained. We are willing though, to compromise those standards and dig through the filth of most of the entertainment industry to find the one grain of truth. As the author, Wayne Wilson says, "Christian groups lavish praise on and even hand out awards to films that give any kind of approving nod to Christian beliefs, even if the film grossly violates any sense of decency in telling the story. That's how pitiful we have become. We are dogs begging crumbs of acceptance from the wrong table. I don't believe we need to be quite so desperate for the praise of the world that we forsake our Master's standards..." (pg 281)
Another reviewer wrote that the author wrote too much about Franky Schaeffer. There are two chapters where Pastor Wilson does write quite a bit about and against Schaeffer (son of Francis). This is because Shaeffer comes from the "anything goes if you can toss a 'redeeming' feature into the story somewhere" point of view(pg 250). Many Christians have this view. But what would Christ say? "Question: what do you think Jesus would say on the set of ___ ___ when the director tells the actors to disrobe? My guess is He would not say: 'It has a moral theme ladies, really.' I doubt He would compliment the director for his 'unblinking' portrayal of real life." (pg 224)
He also uses the movie the Titanic a lot as an example. This is because it was the most popular movie at the time that this book was written. He breaks it down and shows why a follower of Christ should not see this movie. Many Christians did and did not see anything wrong with it. There were movies that we used to watch that we thought were ok because we thought we could "handle" it. But we realized that our thinking was all wrong. We should not say, "that doesn't bother me" but "should this bother me?" Does it bother God?
You would think Mr. Wilson is just "cursing the darkness" and he is on one hand. But at the same time he is not against all movie watching. Neither is he just for poorly made "Christian" movies. He is all for good quality movies as long as they do not offend the One we say we love more than those films .
This is a book about changing the standards that we have come up with via our own deceitful heart, and forming standards that come from God's word. "The heart is deceitful above all things..... " (Jer. 17:9). It's so easy to love the world. You are thought of as a legalistic fundamentalist pietistic if you do not. Aren't we as Christians called to be different? Instead of loving ourselves and the things of the world we love Christ who bought us at a price. We will be different and look odd if we begin to evaluate movies and television with a standard that God has set forth for us in his Word. It is not easy to follow Christ. That he why He says we need to "take up our cross and follow Him." He also tells us that we will be persecuted if we choose to follow Him and if that means looking weird because we don't watch the same movies as everyone else then so be it. This book clearly and accurately helps us redefine a standard that comes straight from the Bible. It's time to reevaluate our hearts and our love for the media. Thank Mr. Wilson for standing up for truth and for helping us to think more clearly on this very important issue.
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Good, solid thinker, October 18, 2008
Pastor Wilson is a good solid thinker. He sets forth questions and answers in a thorough, logical manner. His first hand knowledge of Hollywood and the movie industry lends much credibility to his book and he is an articulate writer. He does not address other forms of worldly entertainment.
The Contents:
Wilson clearly delineates the necessity of this book in the first chapter:
"My contention is that we have grown too close to the world...The decadence prevails because it is largely funded by Christian dollars, viewed in Christian homes, and welcomed by Christian hearts. Somehow we have grown fond of the world. Christians have always been tempted by the world, but this is, I believe, the first generation of Bible-believing Christians ever to have embraced evil amusements so completely." (p. 9-10)
In chapter two, Pastor Wilson defines worldly amusements. "They are amusements, or entertainment, that do at least one (or both) of the following: 1. They promote an evil message...by celebrating sins. Sin is presented in an attractive way. 2. They use evil methods. Regardless of the point of the story, the performers are made to behave in ways that are shameless and immoral." (p. 19-20) See 1 John 2:16.
He also describes "the shifting standard," which Christians must be quick to identify and avoid. "It is a mistake to define `mild' evils by comparison with our culture's greatest deficiencies. When the church does that, Christian standards also decline. We live to a lower standard than previous generations because we measure ourselves by the bottom, and the bottom keeps sinking lower." (p. 21)
The third chapter is most excellent as he wisely answers the question, "What does the Church say? Because we have centuries of wisdom and experience behind us, we are fools to ignore those voices...." (p. 25) He quotes church leaders from the early church to modern eras unequivocally denouncing movies and the precursor of the movie, the stage, as worldly entertainment to be avoided by the body of Christ. "The capacity of the arts to touch the soul has made art's influence a concern for the church and rightly so. The church is the shepherd of the soul." (p. 56)
Chapter Four is titled, "The Movies: Four Views." Here Pastor Wilson carefully leads the reader through 4 basic positions a Christian can take, including possible objections to each position.
1. Avoidance--an outright ban on all movies. He presents 4 arguments in favor of this stance and 5 objections, although three of the objections are weak (in my estimation).
2. Silence--pastors simply don't talk about movies, positively or negatively. This approach is "cowardly and negligent." (p. 61)
3. Engagement--Christians should immerse themselves in the culture of the world, always seeking good artistic standards and ignoring vulgar elements in films, looking for a higher good.
4. High Standards--"Christians should hold the arts to a clear standard of morality in order to justify Christian patronage." ( p. 64)
The only positions which can possibly be Scriptural are numbers 1 and 4. Pastor Wilson's personal position is #4.
Wilson then asks, "What is good art?" He defines good art as good in the moral sense, not "good" in its ability to "hold" us. Cinema is the most powerful form of art existent today. What we see changes us. "It prioritizes emotions...Even innocent love in the play creates in us the subtle desire to have what we have seen, even if that means...possibly submitting ourselves to an unhealthy situation in order to have it." (p. 37)
He then addresses the all important question, "What does the Bible say?" We must use Scripture as our sole, external, objective standard. "To rely on what `bothers' me is trusting my heart, the very thing the Bible warns I should not trust." (p. 92) He cites:
Ephesians 5:3-12--forbids the slightest hint of sexual immorality, any kind of uncleanness or lustful impulses. This applies to language and humor, too.
Genesis 2:22-3:11, 21; Genesis 9:23--nakedness (male or female) is always a shameful condition with one exception: marriage, where the innocence of Eden is remembered.
Exodus 20:26, 28:42; Ezekiel 43:17, 44:18--God says cover up, cover up.
Proverbs 6:25-27--Men, to keep from the strange woman physically, you must first keep from her mentally.
Job 31:1; Matthew 5:28-29--Men, it's not what you touch, but what you look at.
1 Timothy 2:9--Ladies, dress with men's eyes in mind. You must go the extra mile to discourage lust. "Lust is more demanding, more easily influenced, and more prevalent than we care to admit." (p. 102)
In subsequent chapters he cites other Scriptures as well, including Galatians 5:19-21, 1 Peter 3:2-4, Romans 12:2, 1 John 2:15-17, and James 4:4. We are not to be friends of this world nor conformed to this world.
Pastor Wilson challenges the reader to consider and apply the law of love to the cinema. "Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself," Matthew 22:39. "Treat older women as mothers, younger women as sisters, in all purity." 1 Timothy 5:2 (p. 112) "I believe the most practical expression of the law of love for performers is to shun works that misuse them." (p. 122)
Wilson makes a profound comparison between violence and physical intimacy. The similarities are as follows: Both warrant objective, Scriptural evaluation, both have a role in the social order, and both have tremendous potential for perversion and abuse.
The primary difference is in the public/private use of them. The Scriptural boundaries for physical intimacy include complete privacy. By contrast, appropriate violence in Scripture (God's judgment, human execution of divine judgment, and the military) is always public. When physical intimacy (or nudity, which is practically synonymous in Scripture with physical intimacy) becomes public by portraying it in drama, or when violence is shown as a private act, these acts are outside of God's boundaries and therefore sinful.
Pastor Wilson then addresses the profusion of coarse and sinful language in entertainment. The ears, as well as the eyes, are a channel to the soul, therefore Christians must establish standards for listening as well as viewing. There are two reasons the entertainment industry widely uses various forms of sinful language. One is their desire to shock, humiliate, and assault innocence. The second reason is a desire for more money. The most lucrative rating for a movie is PG-13, therefore producers purposefully add the language (and other elements) necessary for this rating. As he more fully addresses in chapter 12, the ratings system is tied ONLY to profit and marketability. It bends with the winds of culture and acceptability, and is not a reliable standard for Christians.
The topic of chapter 9, "Stumbling Blocks," is the long lost goal of protecting the moral innocence of children. Sadly, many Christian parents do not see the necessity of, or are too lazy to employ the necessary diligence to guard their children from exposure to carnal things. Many children today are permanently scarred from early exposure to both auditory and visual filth. "Woe unto the world because of offences! For it must needs be that offences come; but woe to that man by whom the offence cometh!" Matthew 18:7 (I contend that if "viewer discretion is advised," it's probably not fit for adults either. Should not we treasure innocence for ourselves as well as our children? I Corinthians 14:20)
Finally, the author answers the question "Is the Bible Rated X?" as some have purported. The answer is no. When Scripture relates sinful acts, explicit details are omitted. Even the Song of Solomon is protective of innocence because it is written in a discreet manner that can be understood only by the initiated.
The Recommendation:
I would recommend this book only for the spiritually mature. While the spiritually immature are perhaps more needy of the information, I have serious reservations about the explicit illustrations used by Wayne Wilson. He even quotes foul language that I chose to blot out of my copy of the book.
I question the wisdom of his stance on the following bases. First, does it give a greater place to entertainment than is actually needed? It is true that a balanced life includes some recreation, however, I submit that most of us devote far more time and importance to entertainment than is dictated by wise stewardship.
Secondly, I ask, is it a wise use of the time it takes to evaluate every movie and TV program produced or being produced?
Thirdly, is there not a myriad of alternative forms of entertainment superior to TV and Hollywood movies? Many other forms of entertainment allow interaction with other people, which I submit is more valuable than entertainment that limits interaction with family and friends. Many other forms of entertainment do not have the power over the human heart and mind that cinema does. If I truly desire to keep my heart and mind pure for my Lord, why not choose one of these forms of entertainment instead?
Wilson justifies his position by stating that "a complete ban on film is legalism." (p. 59) I simply ask, is it legalistic to avoid something completely, risking erring on the side of caution, when the motivation is to achieve greater personal purity out of love for our Lord and Savior? Dozens of sinful sounds and images unavoidably bombard us daily as we walk in this world. Why take a risk to add that which CAN be avoided? Which is my greater concern: personal pleasure and enjoyment or the state of my heart and mind?
One of the best quotes in the book is by Rev. Harry J...
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4 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent, Bold Exhortation, February 11, 2002
Reverend Wilson is a bold and passionate man of God who is jealous for godliness and purity in his family, church and society. I pray for more heads of household and clergy with his backbone! I agree with the author's basic premises i.e., the necessity of submission to Christ's Lordship in our movie viewing; and that the moral decadence so pervasive in our society (Hollywood included) is the fault of Christians. We have been given a cultural mandate and have retreated from it. I agree that if Christians stopped supporting Hollywood's paganism, it would change overnight. But how much more it would
change if Christians actively worked in film to promote true beauty - God's holiness, majesty, and salvation! I was disappointed that Mr. Wilson seems to endorse the popular evangelical view that things will only get worse.
Hollywood, (like politics or education) will never produce what is godly until Christians apply the Lordship of Christ to
these areas. We need to support churches and Christian organizations that are dedicated to pressing Christ's crown rights into the arts. While I was encouraged deeply by Mr. Wilson's passion for purity in the hearts and minds of the saints,I was disappointed by his constant criticism of the
Schaeffers who just happen to have more of an "engagement view". (See chapter 4) I would have been more encouraged had there been more optimism about the future of the arts as Christians fulfill the cultural mandate in this area. As Christians we have more than just a responsiblity to watch movies that encourage our sanctification. We need to be proactive in the arts and support those who make movies that spread and celebrate the gospel of our glorious Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Then we will see not only high art, but a world where the knowledge of the Lord covers the earth as the waters cover the sea.
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