You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles
YUMPU automatically turns print PDFs into web optimized ePapers that Google loves.
Appendix F—Biblical Approach to<br />
Evaluating Objectionable Elements<br />
in Entertainment<br />
A Christian’s entertainment choices should reflect Christ and encourage him to<br />
be more like Christ.<br />
While it can be beneficial to be culturally literate, every Christian should selfcensor<br />
his entertainment choices. Below are common categories of elements that are<br />
biblically objectionable and should be censored:<br />
• Profanity<br />
• Scatological realism—pertaining to excretory functions<br />
• Sexual perversion—adultery, fornication, homosexuality<br />
• Erotic realism—explicit descriptions of sexual acts<br />
• Lurid violence<br />
• Occultism<br />
• False philosophical or religious assumptions—the most dangerous, yet the<br />
most overlooked, of all objectionable elements<br />
Evil in the Bible appears dangerous and repulsive. Reflections of evil appear<br />
in the Bible in the form of negative examples so as to create a defense against what<br />
they represent or to give hope to the fallen for forgiveness and recovery from sin.<br />
Entertainment choices should treat evil in the same way that it is treated in the<br />
Scriptures. Such entertainment can be edifying reading, listening or viewing for<br />
someone of sufficient maturity.<br />
Scripture itself includes notable examples of each type of objectionable element,<br />
but the intent of the presentation is to instruct, the details are presented with restraint<br />
rather than gratuitousness, and the tone makes clear what is evil and what is good.<br />
Certainly no Christian should take pleasure in reading, listening to or<br />
viewing content that draws him away from personal holiness; but neither will<br />
a mature Christian unreflectively seclude himself from worthy literature or<br />
other entertainment choices simply because they contain offensive material, if<br />
that material is presented in the same manner in which Scripture presents it.<br />
Edifying entertainment choices expose the believer to works which enhance his<br />
understanding of the world and strengthen the credibility of his testimony by<br />
enabling him to become “all things to all men” (1 Cor. 9:22) and develop moral<br />
perception in order to “by reason of use have [his] senses exercised to discern both<br />
good and evil” (Heb. 5:14).<br />
64
Change language