The Church of The Silver Screen

You can’t have clean thoughts if you drag your mind through the gutter. Likewise, you can’t expect to live a Godly life while exposing yourself to the basest forms of humanity. Hollywood is 97% filth, but I would say that almost the same percentage of Christians pay to see its movies. Drug use, pre and extra-marital sex, foul language, nudity, and violence characterize American cinema today. It is a sick cancer on the mind of society, and even worse for the Christian church.

Rome in their glory had their gladiatorial games, so we have our mini-coliseums, in every city and town, all across the nation. We watch as people are unceremoniously slaughtered, raped, and sometimes worse. But our excuse to ourselves is that it’s not real, it’s only a movie. But that’s the problem. We only get the glorified Hollywood version of the actual killing and debauchery, the real version includes the real consequences of those actions. Real gangsters are no-brained low-lifes that feed on the misery of others. But not in a cool way; in a If-I-Don’t-Repent-I’m-Going-To-Spend-Eternity-In-Hell way. Real life has those kinds of consequences.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again; Hollywood is the pulpit of this generation. Its teachings pervade our everyday lives. How many times in a week to you think of or draw reference to a movie? How many times do you sit for an hour-and-a-half sermon in front of the T.V. or at the theater? So you tell me, does your time with God even come close to your time with Hollywood?
I’m not saying I am above any of this. Actually I am writing this as a result of too much Hollywood influence in my life. I love a good movie. I get lost in it. I can forget reality for a while. But the outcome is a shabby, weak excuse for a Godly example to others.

Jesus said, “Come to Me all you who are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” Movies don’t give you rest, they give you nightmares. Peace can’t be found on the silver screen, or on the LCD for that matter. We must wake up from our Hollywood-induced comas, splash some water on our faces, and get moving in the race. Remember, there is much work, and little time. So please do yourself a favor and cut your membership with the Church of The Silver Screen.