Phil Ryken, Sr. Minister of Tenth Presbyterian Church in Philadelphia, wrote briefly on the subject. Read it here.
This is especially relevant in light of the new movie The Golden Compass. The movie is based on Phillip Pullman’s trilogy of books called His Dark Materials. Pullman hopes to lure younger readers to his anti-God books.
December 7, 2007 at 11:58 am
Should non-parents advise youth about what they should and (mainly) shouldn’t read, or should we give a de facto deferment to parental judgement. I’m thinking about some interaction with some youth I had over “The Golden Compass” movie. I advised them to NOT see the movie, but should I have deferred to the parents without expressing my judgement?
December 7, 2007 at 12:20 pm
Tom, these things are easy for somebody like me to talk about, but not as easy to actually practice.
But you as a youth volunteer are in a very unique place. You can have enormous influence over the young folks. If you recommend something, they really take that to heart. If you recommend NOT something, that is to not read/see, that is powerful too.
I think in your case on the movie you can say what you think and in all cases urge them to talk to their parents about it. Now, in the case of a negative recommendation, I think you are more free to say, “I am not going to see it and here is why.”
But in the case where you plan on seeing it, you should exercise more restraint and caution. Because you are in effect giving approval to something which may lead them to follow your lead. i.e. they might be more harmed in something like this by your positive plan to see it (if they follow your lead) than if they follow your plan to NOT see it. Am I making any sense?
Anyway, as you have care responsibilities over other people’s children you should exercise great caution in what you lead them to do (except of course leading them to abey the Word of God).
These are just my thoughts. I am no expert by far.
December 7, 2007 at 9:22 pm
Yeah, good question, Tom. I tend to be a lot stronger in my prohibition when I know the movie is really raunchy in terms of sex, drugs, language, etc. For example, I came down quite strongly on American Gangster in youth group, telling the youth quite frankly that they should not go.
The Golden Compass is in another realm, because it presents challenges in terms of worldview. This is little more gray, because I think the parents will know best if their kid is mature enough to interact with the movie with Christian discernment. Over on my blog, I have argued that we should not be boycotting this movie, but of course this assumes that one is mature enough to discern. If I know their parents don’t care, I have no problem saying it’s okay to go see The Golden Compass.
But parental perspective definitely trumps ours as youth leaders in this area.
December 8, 2007 at 1:50 pm
Wes, I would say that if their parents don’t care, I would probably advise just the opposite, if you mean their parents are uninvolved in their kids’ lives. My tendencty would to err on the more cautious approach with youth. Age is important as well.
December 10, 2007 at 1:04 pm
Wes, I agree that the story of the Golden Compass (I have read the book but have yet to see the movie) is one that each parent should discern for their child based on age and maturity (both emotional and spiritual). I’d say it would be advisable, even in cases where the child is deemed mature enough, that the parents watch the movie with their kids.
The logic behind the idea that we should not see the movie because it poisons us and our kids with its anti-Christian agenda creates a dangerous slippery slope, in my opinion. If we follow the logic to its conclusion, then we could also theoretically say that our children should be taken out of public schools because their heads are being filled with Darwinist trash. This way fo thinking can produce a result that is the opposite of challenging and nurturing a young person’s faith: when we decide not to educate ourselves on what the world believes, we are made bereft of a counterpoint to strengthen our Christian faith and worldview. The end result of this mindset, if we are not careful, is isolationism. Should we take our kids out of public schools? No! Their faith is being challenged in wonderful ways by the adversity they encounter. Should we talk to our kids about what misinformation they are being fed? Of course.
Now, I should reiterate that this movie could very well be damaging for those children or even adults who are weak and insecure in their faith. Such people should most definitely NOT see The Golden Compass or any other media that presents similar challenges. I do believe, however, that over time it is the duty of every Christian to educate themselves on the various anti-Christian agendas of the world. How exactly this is done may vary from one person to the next. There are some things that are so corrupt from stem to stern that it would be immoral to “educate” ourselves any further than a second-hand review. This is obviously a matter of discernment, and I, being a young man and lacking an MDiv, etc., am not claiming by any means to hold a corner on the truth market.
Randy, I believe Wes’s point above was something like this (Wes, jump in if I butcher your logic): American Gangster contains direct offense to the eyes, the window of the soul. The eye cannot filter before seeing. The mind, however, can filter what the eye sees and the ear hears. Even the most devout Christian pair of eyes, particularly male eyes, will be tarnished by seeing copious nude women. The mind sifts the information after the fact, but the images stay whether we like it or not. Seeing nudity portrayed on screen offends Christian women and creates temptation for Christian men, across the board, without fail.
Hearing an adverse worldview, on the other hand, does not necessarily create a temptation. Perhaps in a brother or sister lacking in spiritual maturity, but not a Christian who is firm in their knowledge of salvation and faith in Christ.
I personally am interested in seeing how this atheistic worldview is presented so that I can intelligently engage with it, should the subject arise with my non-Christian colleagues and friends. In reading the first book, I detected no atheistic agenda…but then again, I was younger, my family had no idea about Pullman’s beliefs, and I didn’t know I was reading anything more than a somewhat compelling work of fiction. I am interested in seeing the film now that I have gained some awareness to the author’s agenda.
As far as putting money in Pullman’s pocket, the guy had already made a handsome profit on his books before the movie began production. I’m not particularly thrilled at the idea of an atheist becoming rich by marketing a story that “kills God” (although I should point out the “God” in question in the books is a pathetically shallow straw man and doesn’t represent the true Jehovah), but I think the value of knowing the specifics of his agenda is ultimately more valuable. I am aware that older, wiser brothers and sisters than I disagree with this stance, and I am not declaring that such people are necessarily in the wrong.
One thing that concerns me about this discussion is the hype factor. I have seen so many kid-oriented movies that have a humanistic, agnostic or atheistic agenda. The difference between these movies and The Golden Compass is that the former were not openly hostile to the Gospel in their presentation and marketing. I think, for example, of Bridge to Terabithia. It is a seemingly innucuous film that kids love – I personally know several little Christian kids who are big fans. There is a scene when the two main characters, a boy and a girl, are riding in the back of a pickup. They are talking about church and God. The girl basically declares to the boy that she has rejected God and the church because she doesn’t believe the God of the Bible is a loving God (my incomplete paraphrase). This statement is obviously counter to the Gospel. It rang alarm bells in my head when I saw the movie. And yet, I have not heard a SINGLE WORD of controversy about the film. Why? Because this one slipped under the radar. Brothers and sisters, this is much more dangerous than a writer who comes right out and declares his motives to be anti-Christian. As you all know, the Devil much prefers to slip in through the backdoor while we’re asleep.
Do I think it is therefore bad to see Bridge to Terabithia, or anything like it? No. I simply think Christian parents should carefully screen what their kids see, discuss the philosophies with their kids, and judge as led by the Holy Spirit on a case-by-case basis…and I also think parents should be careful to avoid being sucked in by media scares and exaggerated hype.
Please note that I am not a parent yet and cannot speak from much experience with kids, I am certainly no expert, but I am a bit troubled by certain aspects of the dispute over this film and wanted to add my 2¢, for whatever it’s worth.
December 10, 2007 at 4:11 pm
I’ll see your 2 cents, Matt, and raise you 1. You definitely got my point about the difference between barring youth from seeing American Gangster and cautioning them to use discernment in seeing The Golden Compass. The other difference is that I think that after engaging another view such as Pullman’s we can actually be the better for it! My views are strengthened and my the fortress of my faith will be fortified in the places were attacks were attempted. I am never the better for having seen gratuitous nudity.
Matt, I’d be interested in what you think of the film after you see it. Feel free to drops some a couple more cents off at my blog on it.
December 10, 2007 at 4:13 pm
wow, that was full of mistakes. i’ll try to type slower.
December 10, 2007 at 4:41 pm
So, how many non-gratuitious nudes are acceptable for us men and women these days? And, youth?
December 10, 2007 at 4:45 pm
gratuitous or not, I don’t think nudity in film is ever a wholesome thing.
December 10, 2007 at 4:57 pm
I agree, and am prodding Wes a bit on his statement above. Wes?
December 10, 2007 at 5:40 pm
I agree with Matt. Did I imply otherwise?
December 11, 2007 at 1:47 am
Wes, you wrote, “I am never the better for having seen gratuitous nudity.”
What I am asking is what is your view on non-gratuitous nudity? What is non-gratuitous nudity? As an aspiring pastor, and current youth pastor, what is your view on how Christians should deal with nudity in film and other forms of art?
You qualified nudity with “gratuitous.”