"Why dont you watch Game of Thrones?"

[Jack K]

I'd just tell the truth, pointing out the one temptation that's most obvious to me. Probably something like this: "I hear that show tends to include naked women. For me, that's a strong temptation I need to avoid. I could easily end up watching in order to leer at the women, and that would be unkind and unfaithful to my wife. So I have to say no."

The advantage of this approach is that rather than cite a commandment and pronounce judgment on the show and those who watch it, I instead confess my own weakness, which is a more winsome way to begin. I also frame the issue (rightly, I think) in terms of faithfulness to my wife, which is something an unbeliever can relate to more readily than if I went straight to it being a violation of God's law.

Even if this answer doesn't lead directly to a discussion about Jesus, such an answer from a known believer can be a powerful witness. Unbelievers expect believers to be accusatory. This makes it feel unsafe for them to discuss spiritual matters with us. When we instead explain our moral choices by admitting weakness, we pave the way for discussions about the need for a strong Savior.

 

[C. Matthew McMahon]

Everything, for any Christian, ought to revolve around Philippians 4:8, "Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy-- meditate on these things."

If things we think about, watch, read or engage in, in any way, are not noble, just, pure, lovely, of good report, virtuous and praiseworthy, they are rubbish and ought to be jettisoned from our Christian conversation.

Just memorize Phil 4:8 and quote it like you mean it (unless you don't.)

 

[Stephen L Smith]

If things we think about, watch, read or engage in, in any way, are not noble, just, pure, lovely, of good report, virtuous and praiseworthy, they are rubbish and ought to be jettisoned from our Christian conversation.

Thank you Matthew. Wise advice.

Here is some food for thought from Spurgeon. He was speakng of those who do Soul winning, but his advice is relvant for all Christians:
"Then I am sure that another thing that is wanted in a soul-winner is holiness of character. It is no use talking about "the higher life" on Sundays, and then living the lower life on week days. A Christian minister must be very careful, not only to be innocent of actual wrong-doing, but not to be a cause of offence to the weak ones of the flock. All things are lawful, but all things are not expedient. We ought never to do anything that we judge to be wrong, but we ought also to be willing to abstain from things which might not be wrong in themselves, but which might be an occasion of stumbling to others. When people see that we not only preach about holiness, but that we are ourselves holy men, they will be drawn towards holy things by our character as well as by our preaching....There must be a prevailing seriousness about our whole lives, otherwise we cannot hope to lead other men to Christ."
http://www.romans45.org/spurgeon/misc/sw03.htm

 

[Stope]

I'd just tell the truth, pointing out the one temptation that's most obvious to me. Probably something like this: "I hear that show tends to include naked women. For me, that's a strong temptation I need to avoid. I could easily end up watching in order to leer at the women, and that would be unkind and unfaithful to my wife. So I have to say no."

The advantage of this approach is that rather than cite a commandment and pronounce judgment on the show and those who watch it, I instead confess my own weakness, which is a more winsome way to begin. I also frame the issue (rightly, I think) in terms of faithfulness to my wife, which is something an unbeliever can relate to more readily than if I went straight to it being a violation of God's law.

Even if this answer doesn't lead directly to a discussion about Jesus, such an answer from a known believer can be a powerful witness. Unbelievers expect believers to be accusatory. This makes it feel unsafe for them to discuss spiritual matters with us. When we instead explain our moral choices by admitting weakness, we pave the way for discussions about the need for a strong Savior.

So gracious, and such salt of the earth there. beautiful. Thank you dear brother

 

[KGP]

There are many ways we can respond to the question of "Why dont you watch Game of Thrones?"

"That is wicked and evil!"
"I wish I could, but it makes my mind wonder"
"The way they created the sets and the wardrobe is brilliant and beautiful, but the way they arouse passions is dangerous"

How can we respond in such a way that we are the salt of the earth and not just "anti"?

Good question! My honest answer to that question?

'I just don't care about it'

Clean and easy, and almost guaranteed to illicit a sideways look. So 3 for 3

 

[RamistThomist]

Everyone is expecting you to say, "I don't watch it because it is torture p0rn and graphic nudity." True. It's also openly nihilistic.

 

[Reformed Covenanter]

Jack's advice is probably the best way of giving a reason why you do not watch that particular program without sounding self-righteous. Admitting that we are not totally consistent in our avoidance of this sin might also be useful, but I will leave that to you.

 

[Wayne]

How timely:


Skipping All Nude Scenes, Christian Makes It Through Six Seasons Of ‘Game Of Thrones’ In 20 Minutes

 

[ZackF]

I don't think this is the spiritual answer you're looking for but I was asked about GoT a few days ago at work. My employees were taken aback that I hadn't watched it. I said most of what I watch is with my wife and she can't handle the violence and I understood it to be over the top raunchy besides that. I said we were not prudes but it had way too much of what we didn't want in entertainment.

The Walking Dead is a show I watched but quit a few years ago. It didn't have the sex but enough was enough of the gore. TWD played out the what-various-people-will-do-in-extreme-survival-situations shtick in the first three seasons. After that it was a rehash. Zombies need to be given a 20 year hiatus as a story telling piece.

I get the impression (since I haven't seen the show) in GoT that rape and violence are the end and not means to an end (which is bad enough).

The only reason I posted this that I consider myself on the 'liberal' end of what constitutes an acceptable use of Christian freedom. I hate giving/recieving lists, spying, book burning, ratting, pants/dress measuring, judging foods, guilt by breathing in the same rooms as someone who doesn't use your home school curriculum, and whatever someone doesn't want someone else to do that isn't clearly stated or deduced from Scripture. That being said it seems GoT is so bad I refuse to watch just to be able to speak to my neighbor my problems with it. That takes a lot for me.

 

[Alan D. Strange]

I don't consider myself sheltered, but I have to say that I am shocked that this program, according to those reporting here, has so much on and about it that is so obviously inappropriate and wicked.

I just looked to see where it aired and it is apparently HBO, which, from what I've gathered, seems to be a network that will show anything. We really are at a sorry place in American and Western culture.

Peace,
Alan

 

[Dachaser]

I don't consider myself sheltered, but I have to say that I am shocked that this program, according to those reporting here, has so much on and about it that is so obviously inappropriate and wicked.

I just looked to see where it aired and it is apparently HBO, which, from what I've gathered, seems to be a network that will show anything. We really are at a sorry place in American and Western culture.

Peace,
Alan

Being a premium Cable network, subscription only, they have no standards enforced over them.

 

[Ask Mr. Religion]

Made me smile:
http://babylonbee.com/news/new-service-replaces-game-thrones-sex-scenes-glaring-kevin-deyoung/

 

[TrustGzus]

I've enjoyed Deyoung's articles and the second one where he responds to responses to his first is particularly good in my opinion.

I'm like ZackF. I consider myself fairly liberal with my freedom in Christ.

I don't watch it for two reasons. First, its reputation for extreme amounts of sexual content precedes it. One can find out if they want to watch something or not by the parental comments on IMDb. This show is over the top. I don't need to feed my appetite in that area. It's strong enough without me feeding it more.

Second, I just don't care about it. I'm not lacking in things to watch. I don't have to watch every show that receives off the charts popular viewing. So everyone is watching it and I'm clueless at work about it. So what. No one at work is talking about SoA or Breaking Bad anymore. In a while they won't be taking about this anymore and I won't be sitting there with regrets thinking "I wish I had/hadn't watched GoT."

 

[Dachaser]

I've enjoyed Deyoung's articles and the second one where he responds to responses to his first is particularly good in my opinion.

I'm like ZackF. I consider myself fairly liberal with my freedom in Christ.

I don't watch it for two reasons. First, its reputation for extreme amounts of sexual content precedes it. One can find out if they want to watch something or not by the parental comments on IMDb. This show is over the top. I don't need to feed my appetite in that area. It's strong enough without me feeding it more.

Second, I just don't care about it. I'm not lacking in things to watch. I don't have to watch every show that receives off the charts popular viewing. So everyone is watching it and I'm clueless at work about it. So what. No one at work is talking about SoA or Breaking Bad anymore. In a while they won't be taking about this anymore and I won't be sitting there with regrets thinking "I wish I had/hadn't watched GoT."

I think the posting here that stated that they could only get 20 minutes from 6 years of shows, once the sex scenes were scrubbed off, says it all.

 

[arapahoepark]

I think the posting here that stated that they could only get 20 minutes from 6 years of shows, once the sex scenes were scrubbed off, says it all.

It was satirical...but I though I have not seen it for all the aforementioned reasons I do not doubt a lot could be cut out.

 

[TrustGzus]

I think the posting here that stated that they could only get 20 minutes from 6 years of shows, once the sex scenes were scrubbed off, says it all.

That was a Babylon Bee quote. As arapahoepark stated, BB is satirical. However, how close can you get to truth where you aren't satirical anymore?

They were making Deyoung's point with humor.

 

[Dachaser]

It was satirical...but I though I have not seen it for all the aforementioned reasons I do not doubt a lot could be cut out.

Thanks for the update, and do also agree with you that if we did prune the bad stuff out of this show, not very much would be left over to view.

 

[PuritanCovenanter]

I don't live a very sheltered life. I love a good beer, a great glass of wine, a yearly cigar, maybe a bowl of black cavendish, and some of my friends appreciate the Bohemian Hippy smoke (which I am very opposed to). They already know where I stand on the issues. Even my new acquaintances have a knowledge of what I am about, I suppose, because I had never heard of it till last year. I have never been asked about the subject. I first heard about it in a Sermon last year. I didn't even know it existed till then. My kids haven't even talked to me about it nor told me about it. And I am not a condemning person.

From what I heard in the Sermon I figured out why I haven't heard about it. People know I think it is foolish to stick your hand in a fire and playing with adultery is so damaging and death spreading.

 

[Dachaser]

I don't live a very sheltered life. I love a good beer, a great glass of wine, a yearly cigar, maybe a bowl of black cavendish, and some of my friends appreciate the Bohemian Hippy smoke (which I am very opposed to). They already know where I stand on the issues. Even my new acquaintances have a knowledge of what I am about, I suppose, because I had never heard of it till last year. I have never been asked about the subject. I first heard about it in a Sermon last year. I didn't even know it existed till then. My kids haven't even talked to me about it nor told me about it. And I am not a condemning person.

From what I heard in the Sermon I figured out why I haven't heard about it. People know I think it is foolish to stick your hand in a fire and playing with adultery is so damaging and death spreading.

The show basically glorifies adultery and murder.

 

[PuritanCovenanter]

The show basically glorifies adultery and murder.

Either that or the producers want to infuse an idea that this was normal and accepted living. Therefore, why should we care? I am sure some who watch it don't indulge in murder or adultery. They want to numb Society to God's will for all men. They want evil to appear normal and accepted as good.

 

[Reformed Covenanter]

Anyone who thinks you can watch what is basically a pornographic show and concludes that "it does me no harm" is lying to themselves and others. If you consult the Westminster Larger Catechism on the seventh commandment, not to mention what Christ says in the Sermon on the Mount, it is fairly obvious that even as much as listening to filthy talk or indulging in so much as a lustful glance will affect us. How much more watching shows with explicit sex scenes. While we should avoid judgmentalism and acknowledge our own hypocrisy in this area of life, I think it is fair to say that there is far too much licence regarding such matters in the modern Reformed church.

 

[ZackF]

The show basically glorifies adultery and murder.

Game of Psychopaths

 

[Pilgrim]

The insidious nature of this was brought home to me the other day. I saw where a leading conservative commentator, a notable "Never Trumper" (and member of a PCA congregation) had posted a review of the season finale, saying what a great achievement it was. And he wonders how the culture is the way it is and a man who is so vulgar could be elected to the highest office in the land. (I'm not out to make a political point, but the ultimately the culture cannot be divorced from politics.) I wonder if he has even made the connection? HBO, Cinemax, etc have always had nudity. But from what I understand, this goes beyond what they were showing 25-30 years ago.

I've heard prominent Reformed ministers denigrate old "fundamentalist" sayings like "Be careful little eyes what you see." Sure, it is to be repudiated if it leads to a moralism in which you are saved by outward conformity to certain norms. But it is not an altogether invalid saying.

 

[Dachaser]

The insidious nature of this was brought home to me the other day. I saw where a leading conservative commentator, a notable "Never Trumper" (and member of a PCA congregation) had posted a review of the season finale, saying what a great achievement it was. And he wonders how the culture is the way it is and a man who is so vulgar could be elected to the highest office in the land. (I'm not out to make a political point, but the ultimately the culture cannot be divorced from politics.) I wonder if he has even made the connection? HBO, Cinemax, etc have always had nudity. But from what I understand, this goes beyond what they were showing 25-30 years ago.

I've heard prominent Reformed ministers denigrate old "fundamentalist" sayings like "Be careful little eyes what you see." Sure, it is to be repudiated if it leads to a moralism in which you are saved by outward conformity to certain norms. But it is not an altogether invalid saying.

Another show that really crossed the line was one called preacher, as one of their recent shows had Jesus having an affair on same night was caught in Garden and taken to trial, and had a baby born to him, and the Vatican had been keeping his blood line secret, and his latest descendant, 25 one, was to the the new messiah, but ended up being shown peeing in a mans face and exposing his genitals...
And there were some who no doubt find it amusing.

 

[Pilgrim]

Another show that really crossed the line was one called preacher, as one of their recent shows had Jesus having an affair on same night was caught in Garden and taken to trial, and had a baby born to him, and the Vatican had been keeping his blood line secret, and his latest descendant, 25 one, was to the the new messiah, but ended up being shown peeing in a mans face and exposing his genitals...
And there were some who no doubt find it amusing.

That's a lot more obvious. Getting into the cool new show because it supposedly depicts sin or depravity in such an accurate manner (or whatever) is something that all too often snares Christians who don't want to be considered total squares from a cultural standpoint.

 

[BGF]

I have better things to do (or at least I should).

 

[Dachaser]

That's a lot more obvious. Getting into the cool new show because it supposedly depicts sin or depravity in such an accurate manner (or whatever) is something that all too often snares Christians who don't want to be considered total squares from a cultural standpoint.

I really think that anyone involved in researching so to speak these items need to be really called to such a ministry, in same fashion as say those in cult ministries, as too much of a bad thing can turn us away from living as we ought for God.