I do not see how your argument follows. "He saw X so I can see Y." That doesn't logically follow. I am consenting to only what I personally view, not what everyone else is viewing. Personally, I am not a frequent movie goer, because I do not find much that there that I wish to watch. But when there is something there that I consider worth seeing, I go.
Indeed but that is not what your normal self-justifying natural man thinks. This however is simply a tertiary concern for the more pressing issue is whether we should be watching drama in the first place.
I do not think that an unbiblical worldview necessarily makes a movie forbidden to the Christian--we should be discerning enough and rooted enough in Scripture to identify those for what they are, and reject the ideas, while still enjoying a form of entertainment which is nonetheless well done and therefore indicative of God's common grace.
A drama founded upon an unbiblical world-view is not going to promote good. Can a lepard change his spots, can good fruit come from a bad tree etc etc.
The doctrine of common grace is a lie propagated by Abraham Kuyper. It has no foundation, absolutely none, upon the word of God. The ploughing of the wicked is sin. Every act that the wicked man does is sinful. He is unable to do good and God's wrath rests upon the fruit of their labour.
But again, I am an advocate of being very careful in what we watch.
Again, I simply do not see that logical connection. What the world knows isn't necessarily the issue (not denying natural law or conscience). Fraud is not a crime because it impersonates someone, it is because it steals their identity to use it for unlawful ends. That is entirely different than pretending to be Julius Caesar in a production of Shakespeare's play.
On first glance, yes but what of the prinicple. The principle is that you would be pretenting to be someone you are not. That is a lie and is under the wrath of God.
In what way is someone involved in bearing false witness against his neighbor by pretending to be Julius Caesar?
From the
Westminster Larger Catechism:
Question 143: Which is the ninth commandment?
Answer: The ninth commandment is, Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor.
Question 144: What are the duties required in the ninth commandment?
Answer: The duties required in the ninth commandment are, the preserving and promoting of truth between man and man, and the good name of our neighbor, as well as our own; appearing and standing for the truth; and from the heart, sincerely, freely, clearly, and fully, speaking the truth, and only the truth, in matters of judgment and justice, and in all other things: Whatsoever; a charitable esteem of our neighbors; loving, desiring, and rejoicing in their good name; sorrowing for, and covering of their infirmities; freely acknowledging of their gifts and graces, defending their innocency; a ready receiving of a good report, and unwillingness to admit of an evil report, concerning them; discouraging talebearers, flatterers, and slanderers; love and care of our own good name, and defending it when need requires; keeping of lawful promises; studying and practicing of: Whatsoever things are true, honest, lovely, and of good report.
Question 145: What are the sins forbidden in the ninth commandment?
Answer: The sins forbidden in the ninth commandment are, all prejudicing the truth, and the good name of our neighbors, as well as our own, especially in public judicature; giving false evidence, suborning false witnesses, wittingly appearing and pleading for an evil cause, outfacing and overbearing the truth; passing unjust sentence, calling evil good, and good evil; rewarding the wicked according to the work of the righteous, and the righteous according to the work of the wicked; forgery, concealing the truth, undue silence in a just cause, and holding our peace when iniquity calls for either a reproof from ourselves, or complaint to others; speaking the truth unseasonably, or maliciously to a wrong end, or perverting it to a wrong meaning, or in doubtful and equivocal expressions, to the prejudice of truth or justice; speaking untruth, lying, slandering, backbiting, detracting, tale bearing, whispering, scoffing, reviling, rash, harsh, and partial censuring; misconstructing intentions, words, and actions; flattering, vainglorious boasting, thinking or speaking too highly or too meanly of ourselves or others; denying the gifts and graces of God; aggravating smaller faults; hiding, excusing, or extenuating of sins, when called to a free confession; unnecessary discovering of infirmities; raising false rumors, receiving and countenancing evil reports, and stopping our ears against just defense; evil suspicion; envying or grieving at the deserved credit of any, endeavoring or desiring to impair it, rejoicing in their disgrace and infamy; scornful contempt, fond admiration; breach of lawful promises; neglecting such things as are of good report, and practicing, or not avoiding ourselves, or not hindering: What we can in others, such things as procure an ill name.
You are lying to them.
No one thinks he is genuinely Caesar. No one thinks he is trying to steal Ceasar's identity. He is merely reenacting what a historical novel might do--putting flesh on the words. I would object that it is a lie. It would be a lie if I said in all seriousness, "I am Henry V." But if I am playing Henry V in a drama, I am not seriously saying that I am he. I am fleshing out a story.
"Drama is, by definition, the presentation of the life of another person, whether real or fictitious, by the assumption of that person's personality for purposes of entertainment. The key point here is that drama is possible only by assuming another's personality. Any textbook on drama will emphasize this. The "gifted" actor is the person who is able to suppress completely his own personality and assume the personality of another. The more he is able to do this, the better actor he is. He must, to be successful, assume to himself all the thoughts, all the desires, all the emotions, all the feelings of the person whose role he plays. He must, as much as he can, make himself that person. He must make himself feel as that person feels, think as that person thinks. He must, so to speak, crawl behind the skin of that man and get into his bones and marrow to lay hold of that person in the very depths of his being. He must put himself deeply inside that person so that he looks through the person's eyes, down that person's nose, and experiences all that that person feels and thinks....In the second place, the sin of this can be demonstrated by means of another consideration. All will have to agree that in assuming another personality there are only two possibilities. The one possibility is that of assuming the personality of a sinner. But if an actor assumes the personality of a sinner, he must, in the nature of the case, assume all that person's sin. He must think his evil thoughts, experience his evil emotions, will his evil desires, speak his evil words, and do his evil deeds. He must assume all those sins and make them his own in a very deep and intense way."
Moreover, should the acts of these historical figures be played out? Who wants to see the incest of Nero pretend or otherwise? Who wants to see marriage scorned? To laugh at such things is to sin.
No one denies that lying should be avoided. I just do not see the connection between lying and drama.
I trust you will in time
I would simply urge you, when you next feel the need for a fix of movie, to stop and do something wholesome with that time, sanctify your time brother. Blessings shall abound for sure.
http://sb.rfpa.org/printissue.cfm?issue=467
