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Yesterday I posted one of my “Tim’s Rants” on the rebirth of “the Good” that I saw in Top Gun: Maverick. I contrasted the Good in it with what seems to be the norm in Hollywood: championing the anti-hero, where Good and Evil are blurred.
Today on IG, I posted about the new Disney/FX series, “Little Demon,” which is an animated series that includes full nudity and profanity, not to mention the plot line which is that Satan impregnates a human. Their daughter—a little antiChrist—is the star of the show.
In light of these articles, I want to hear from you guys. How important is our media & entertainment diet?
Should we care about it?
Does it shape us more than we know?
What practices or rhythms do you use to curb your diet of media?
Should Christians be involved in boycotts of Disney, for example?
How should the Christian family approach media and entertainment?
What are your general thoughts about the Good being banished from culture?
Please leave comments below and interact with others with elegance and grace.
What we consume is crucial - we become what we behold. Stories of all forms are intrinsic to humanity; they help us learn and think about things from new perspectives. Since this includes media and entertainment, what I allow in my life and thoughts is very important. I have gradually restricted what I watch and scroll through to a very small amount. I read news headlines only to stay abreast, which contributes to a much better mental state. This is partly from my increasing awareness of the garbage, and partly from the garbage increasing. Good has been very much banished from mainstream culture, and so has the naming of evil - what was the last time a sin was called a sin?
While I want to remain aware of current topics in order to connect with others, there is so much to life outside of a screen that I want to experience. I have recently become aware of the privilege of feeling - of experiencing life, of finding gratitude in the middle of pain, of the details of music and color and personalities. God's goodness, and reality with all its terrific ups and downs, have continued, even while we have our minds numbed by media. So we need stories in every format that reflect and echo God and goodness and truth, but I don't think that just being selective about what we watch is the answer. We need a different focus in life.
One discipline that I have used for many many years is to pray to God for a passion for the truth and a passion for him. I believe he has alerted me to things that would be harmful to my spiritual life and so I keep away from them. Yes of course we should care about what media is doing in our culture. And I think we should express our concern in whatever sphere of influence we have, whether writing or speaking in some form. Prayer also is a mighty weapon that I think we sometimes seal has a little power that is a mistake. God listens and he answers, whether we are aware of it or not. I don’t feel boycotts accomplish much although there should be some messages given to a company such as Disney for this awful series. But boycotts in general I think just draw more attention and curiosity to see what is not worth seeing. Thank you for the opportunity to express my opinion. Loved your book the beauty chasers.
Over the past ten years my wife and I have become more aware of what we watch and have started to select shows that might not always promote the same values we have but still have positive value. We have found many more shows on the BBC that tend to fit that bill. We stay away from "reality tv" just because it is normally horrible programing! I get most of my news from NPR and BBC to stay away from the entertainment stations who identify as news stations.
I don't agree with boycotts because they don't tend to work and just cause division. We have always felt strongly about teaching our children to have strong values so that they can make decisions on their own about what to watch. To be honest, we have adults and not children now. We are proud of them even though they may not necessarily believe exactly as we do they have conviction around their beliefs.
We need more "good guys" in our culture. I believe it helps provide some type of example about how to think beyond ourselves. As we become a more selfish society, that is important.
What we consume is crucial - we become what we behold. Stories of all forms are intrinsic to humanity; they help us learn and think about things from new perspectives. Since this includes media and entertainment, what I allow in my life and thoughts is very important. I have gradually restricted what I watch and scroll through to a very small amount. I read news headlines only to stay abreast, which contributes to a much better mental state. This is partly from my increasing awareness of the garbage, and partly from the garbage increasing. Good has been very much banished from mainstream culture, and so has the naming of evil - what was the last time a sin was called a sin?
While I want to remain aware of current topics in order to connect with others, there is so much to life outside of a screen that I want to experience. I have recently become aware of the privilege of feeling - of experiencing life, of finding gratitude in the middle of pain, of the details of music and color and personalities. God's goodness, and reality with all its terrific ups and downs, have continued, even while we have our minds numbed by media. So we need stories in every format that reflect and echo God and goodness and truth, but I don't think that just being selective about what we watch is the answer. We need a different focus in life.
One discipline that I have used for many many years is to pray to God for a passion for the truth and a passion for him. I believe he has alerted me to things that would be harmful to my spiritual life and so I keep away from them. Yes of course we should care about what media is doing in our culture. And I think we should express our concern in whatever sphere of influence we have, whether writing or speaking in some form. Prayer also is a mighty weapon that I think we sometimes seal has a little power that is a mistake. God listens and he answers, whether we are aware of it or not. I don’t feel boycotts accomplish much although there should be some messages given to a company such as Disney for this awful series. But boycotts in general I think just draw more attention and curiosity to see what is not worth seeing. Thank you for the opportunity to express my opinion. Loved your book the beauty chasers.
What a great reminder about prayer - the limitless power of God!!
Over the past ten years my wife and I have become more aware of what we watch and have started to select shows that might not always promote the same values we have but still have positive value. We have found many more shows on the BBC that tend to fit that bill. We stay away from "reality tv" just because it is normally horrible programing! I get most of my news from NPR and BBC to stay away from the entertainment stations who identify as news stations.
I don't agree with boycotts because they don't tend to work and just cause division. We have always felt strongly about teaching our children to have strong values so that they can make decisions on their own about what to watch. To be honest, we have adults and not children now. We are proud of them even though they may not necessarily believe exactly as we do they have conviction around their beliefs.
We need more "good guys" in our culture. I believe it helps provide some type of example about how to think beyond ourselves. As we become a more selfish society, that is important.
My 2 cents...