My first trip to the movie theater!

I intend to make this movie, The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe, the first one I see in a movie theater. This statement might raise your eyebrows for any of 3 reasons.

First, you might be floored that I have never been to a movie theater. And if you are amazed, that lets me know that you probably are generally clueless as to the practices of independent fundamental Baptists (IFBs) by and large. You will be surprised, then, to find out that the vast majority of IFBs preach against and generally frown on going to movie theaters, as do some other non-IFB churches. Many would also view people who attend their churches and also attend movie theaters as less than spiritual believers, a kind of sub-Christian to them. “These people definitely need to get right with God, they have not yet sold out to Him,” they might think.

Second, you might be floored that I would actually go to a movie theater. If this is your reaction, you most likely are an IFB. So, let me remind you that the IFB practice of not going to a movie theater is solidly rooted in a traditional taboo, and little else. Before the proliferation of TV and movies, and before the regulation (which included rating systems) of the movie industry, there was a generally widespread reaction against movies. And certainly today no one would doubt that the movie industry produces a whole bunch of garbage–morally deficient or rather immorally proficient. But does the fact that movies can be evil require that the audiovisual medium of TV or the movie be viewed as evil too? Since tape recordings can be made of extremely vulgar language or sexually explicit themes, should I trash my tape recorder? Or does the fact that I might possibly see a woman dressed immodestly during the summer, require that I wear blinders whenever I am outdoors in a public location? Or how about the medium of the magazine? Since the best selling magazines are pornographic, must I never purchase any magazine of any type at all?

As you can see, I contend that the IFB reaction to movie theaters is an over reaction. But I further contend that it is largely a dishonest reaction. In my experience at least more than 90% of IFBs who shun movie theaters frequent video stores! They reason that one can select decent entertainment and be more in control by utilizing the VCR or now the DVD player for entertainment. But let me suggest that you can equally be selective as to which show you view at the theater! The fact that so many people (and yes IFBs number in the millions possibly as high as 10 million or more, when you lump the various groups together) conscientously refrain from movie theaters while having no problem with going in to a Blockbuster ought to be just plain stunning! “How could this be?” does anyone wonder. I contend that it represents the mindless adherence to a tradition for tradition’s sake alone. (What is more amazing I wonder, that so many would mindlessly perpetuate a tradition and hold people morally accountable to it, or that so many people would not see the glaring inconsistency between going to a video store and preaching against movie theaters!) The tradition is enforced, though. People fear getting “written off” as unspiritual or just plain rebellious by their peers and leaders, if caught going to a theater. I must say there are some IFBs which have recognized the inconsistency and their solution has been to preach against video stores. Better to forbid Bugs Bunny than to possibly allow someone to watch a PG 13 movie. Of course, no cultivation of Christian discernment and no waiting on the Holy Spirit’s individual work in believer’s lives is furthered by this stand. Far easier, and simpler to just call for mindless submission to the often almost-cultic leader.

Before leaving this point, I must turn to the common argumentation for these stands. I believe that I can turn the two most commonly raised objections to attending movie theaters on their head. First, it is said that no one will know what you watched when you are seen coming out of a theater (of course if they look at the sign which lists a fairly new release of a popular kids movie rated G and you are seen holding your children’s hands, they must be blind not to put two and two together…) and so this is a potentially damaging testimony issue. Of course no one will know which movies you rented when seen leaving the local Blockbuster either. And no one will know whether you drank beer when you come out of a Pizza Hut or Apple Bees either! And no one will know if you bought a dirty R rated movie at Wal-mart when you are seen leaving that store, too. Ad infitum. Second, it is said that one must “avoid all appearance of evil” (1 Thess. 5:22). Beside the fact that that is a misinterpretation of the verse (based on the misunderstanding of the KJV’s 400 year old english, the Greek word means “form” and the verse is not addressing what things look like on the outside, but is saying avoid every kind or every form of evil, that you could happen to be involved with), there is as much “appearance of evil” coming out of a video store as a movie theater. The fact is there are many wholesome films which can be watched by discerning believers today. Yes, discernment is often necessary, but that is how God made this earth. To make everything really nice and easy, we could just go and join the Amish, now, couldn’t we?

[UPDATE: I posted this before my clarification. I do not intend by this argumentation to despise someone who concludes that it is best to protect their family from the wrong influence of Hollywood by avoiding the theater and using videos/DVDs with discernment. In fact, I feel that we as Christians have so much more to do than waste all our time on often mediocre (at best) entertainment! I am merely trying to point out that in this issue we cannot be dogmatic and insist that if anyone goes to a theater they are sinning or are not being careful with regards to sin. It is the fact that so many IFBs (and especially IFBxs {see clarification}) preach their position on theaters as Bible, ie. absolute truth, that deeply offends me. It seems the movement prefers to tout a list of authoritative regulations rather than encourage the independent and Biblically-informed use of discernment when it comes to dealing with the complexities of our increasingly immoral culture.]

Third, you might wonder why I would make it a point that a Narnia movie would be the first one I would attend. Well, to tell you the truth, with two girls under the age of 3, it isn’t as easy to go out and attend a movie for us, as you might think. Also, since I never have gone to a theater [other than to a couple IMAX theaters, those are somehow legal :-} ] it often does not enter my mind to go. But I was challenged to go to Narnia in the theater specifically, when I read Hugh Hewitt’s article in World Magazine (Dec. 17, 2005 issue). Let me quote briefly from it.

The Christian community has a question to answer as well: Can it wholeheartedly embrace a movie project like LWW that provides exactly what’s been desired for so long, even when it comes from a studio and a corporation, like Disney, that has often disappointed in the past? Those who would welcome more and more breakthroughs like The Passion and the Narnian adventures should hope the answer to that question is a resounding yes. [Read it all…]

Some may object that going to movies like the Passion or Narnia represents an evangelical fad (see this interesting post by James Spurgeon). And to some extent they may be right. But since we live in the world, and since the world happens to be talking about such movies, cannot we interact better by seeing them too. Also, from the standpoint of culture, we Christians have long decried the moral degradation of Hollywood (IFBs often louder than any), but when we are presented with films that are both morally good, and artistically good, should we not support them. With the hopes that our support could lead to more and more wholesome entertainment choices for our families? Not to say that entertainment should have a huge place in our homes, we are called to love, serve, and risk all in sacrificing for Christ. But in our era of 8-5 workdays, entertainment is inevitable. If Christians promote wholesome entertainment, they can in one way preserve the godliness of our culture (what little remains), and in that way fulfill part of our admonition to be salt and light to this earth.

∼striving for the unity of the faith for the glory of God∼ Eph. 4:3,13 “¢ Rom. 15:5-7