Comments on: What you Feed your Brain Matters — Entertainment and Moral Choices http://reflections.cyberpastor.net/spiritual-life/entertainment-and-moral-choices/ Thoughts on God, life, and truth Mon, 05 Dec 2011 22:15:41 -0700 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.2 hourly 1 By: PK http://reflections.cyberpastor.net/spiritual-life/entertainment-and-moral-choices/comment-page-1/#comment-21658 PK Sat, 29 Nov 2008 00:24:12 +0000 http://reflections.cyberpastor.net/?p=378#comment-21658 Most of us feel cheated if we are not able to spend an hour or two each day, or at least several hours a week, entertaining ourselves. We look at entertainment almost as a right. The Puritans as well as early Christians had a very different idea, and who is to say that they were wrong and we are right? Perhaps instead we are one of the most self-centered and self indulgent generations in history. That is why it is valuable to read what was written by thoughtful Christians from earlier periods in church history. It gives us perspective. Most of us feel cheated if we are not able to spend an hour or two each day, or at least several hours a week, entertaining ourselves. We look at entertainment almost as a right. The Puritans as well as early Christians had a very different idea, and who is to say that they were wrong and we are right? Perhaps instead we are one of the most self-centered and self indulgent generations in history. That is why it is valuable to read what was written by thoughtful Christians from earlier periods in church history. It gives us perspective.

]]> By: Lue-Yee http://reflections.cyberpastor.net/spiritual-life/entertainment-and-moral-choices/comment-page-1/#comment-21307 Lue-Yee Fri, 21 Nov 2008 21:30:51 +0000 http://reflections.cyberpastor.net/?p=378#comment-21307 Where lies the value of entertainment? Perhaps the Puritans were right to eschew many kinds of entertainment in favour of more constructive ways to take a break from regular work: it would at least lead Christians to think harder about what justifications there are for choices rather than coming at it with an innocent-until-proven-guilty mindset. Where lies the value of entertainment? Perhaps the Puritans were right to eschew many kinds of entertainment in favour of more constructive ways to take a break from regular work: it would at least lead Christians to think harder about what justifications there are for choices rather than coming at it with an innocent-until-proven-guilty mindset.

]]> By: PK http://reflections.cyberpastor.net/spiritual-life/entertainment-and-moral-choices/comment-page-1/#comment-20505 PK Tue, 04 Nov 2008 21:39:08 +0000 http://reflections.cyberpastor.net/?p=378#comment-20505 I think that watching "Hotel Rwanda" is good for the soul. It depicts human evil as evil instead of glorifying it. The protagonist risks his life to try to deliver a group of people from genocide. The film is very much in line with Christian values. Fighting injustice is a strong biblical theme. So I don't mean that we shouldn't watch movies that show evil for what it really is, but rather ones that glorify it ("Kill Bill" comes to mind--a movie that I would never want to see). I agree with you that a small dose of pop culture can help us to relate to those around us. But if it becomes more than a <strong>small</strong> dose, it will influence our thinking. I think that watching “Hotel Rwanda” is good for the soul. It depicts human evil as evil instead of glorifying it. The protagonist risks his life to try to deliver a group of people from genocide. The film is very much in line with Christian values. Fighting injustice is a strong biblical theme.

So I don’t mean that we shouldn’t watch movies that show evil for what it really is, but rather ones that glorify it (”Kill Bill” comes to mind–a movie that I would never want to see).

I agree with you that a small dose of pop culture can help us to relate to those around us. But if it becomes more than a small dose, it will influence our thinking.

]]> By: Elaine http://reflections.cyberpastor.net/spiritual-life/entertainment-and-moral-choices/comment-page-1/#comment-20503 Elaine Tue, 04 Nov 2008 20:38:30 +0000 http://reflections.cyberpastor.net/?p=378#comment-20503 What do you think about media that reflect suffering and poverty in the world? The reason I bring this up is that this type of media (e.g. "Hotel Rwanda," documentaries on the crisis in Darfur) is not necessarily spiritually edifying, but in some ways is necessary to prod us out of our apathy to fight against injustice. In some ways, I feel like a small dose of pop culture is fine if you have a critical mind about it. If we completely remove ourselves from an understanding of culture, in some ways we lose touch with what is influencing others and can't battle it as well. (It's not to say I watch "Sex and the City" or other shows that push promiscuity, though.) I think your risk of being swayed by pop culture is inversely proportional to the amount of the Word you get daily, though... being rooted in the truth kind of puts all of this into perspective. What do you think about media that reflect suffering and poverty in the world? The reason I bring this up is that this type of media (e.g. “Hotel Rwanda,” documentaries on the crisis in Darfur) is not necessarily spiritually edifying, but in some ways is necessary to prod us out of our apathy to fight against injustice. In some ways, I feel like a small dose of pop culture is fine if you have a critical mind about it. If we completely remove ourselves from an understanding of culture, in some ways we lose touch with what is influencing others and can’t battle it as well. (It’s not to say I watch “Sex and the City” or other shows that push promiscuity, though.) I think your risk of being swayed by pop culture is inversely proportional to the amount of the Word you get daily, though… being rooted in the truth kind of puts all of this into perspective.

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