Tip #58 Be Careful, You Might Go Blind
Apr. 17th, 2016 01:37 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
wingedbeastJust recently, I learned of the movie "I'm Not Ashamed". It's a Christian movie about Rachel Joy Scott, one of the victims of the Columbine Massacre. Specifically, it's about now commonly told tale of how one of the shooters asked her if she was a Christian before shooting her. (Note: The actual surviving witness to that particular shooting says that didn't happen.) If the trailer is indicative, it'll show her being uniquely virtuous in her whole school.
Numerous previous tips already apply. Research your history first, as in Tip #6. Be very careful around tragedies, as in Tip #22. Don't overestimate your virtue, as in Tip #28. Look for the signs that you might be the bad guy, as in tip #8. There are so many reasons why making this particular movie isn't a good idea.
But, let's look at one more. As you read this tip, I encourage you to remember Tip #10 "Adjust Your Relationship With Curse Words".
Let's take a moment and consider this kind of Christian movie as a form of pornography. It's not sexual pornography. It's tribal pornography. It's there to make Christians (of the type that the makers of the movie would recognize as Christian) feel good about being Christians and feel superior about not being non-Christian. Without actually engaging in the act, you get the feeling of being more virtuous than non-Christians, winning in debates against them, and converting them to your faith. Sometimes, you even use them to get you in the mood or as an attempt at getting other people in the mood to play their part in that with you.
Now, consider the fears associated with pornography. The unrealistic expectations of image, both in self and in others. The unrealistic expectations of personal interactions. The unrealistic expectations of how the act, itself, actually works. In general, all the problems that happen when you mistake the fantasy displayed on screen for something approaching reality. And, there's the risk of people being trained to see each other as things to be used for their own pleasure and purposes.
Consider all of that and, now, consider that the movie "I'm Not Ashamed" got made. According to IMDB, four writers, one director, and ten variations on the role of producer were involved in making this movie, without thinking that they'd be taken for vultures abusing a not-very-long-ago tragedy for their own purposes. They not only view this as an accurate representation of human dynamics, but as something that will make other people want to be Christians, as opposed to want nothing to do with so egotistical and opportunistic a group.
All of this good, Christian, non-sexual masturbation (again, please remember Tip #10) has left so many blind. So blind that these tips I'm giving are actually tips that can be useful, rather than such common sense as to be difficult to put into words.
The only fear remaining is that a showing of The Encounter might attract demons.
Now, I'm not saying that all Christian movies are bad. I've praised "Saved" before. Despite some people objecting to how all the antagonists are Christian, it is a movie about Christianity. The movie has a positive view of Christianity and the main character remains an enthusiastic Christian throughout. It's made by and for Christians. But, it's far more respectful of other people and tells a story that is truer to some of the flaws to be found in conservative Evangelical culture.
So, there are non-pornographic Christian movies to be found. I encourage you to find them. For things like "I'm Not Ashamed" any of the "God's Not Dead" movies (I'm certain a third movie is in the works), or "The Encounter" or "C Me Dance" or the like... I encourage you to do as I would encourage a fan of "50 Shades of Grey" to do, enjoy the fantasy, but remember that it has nothing to do with reality.
Numerous previous tips already apply. Research your history first, as in Tip #6. Be very careful around tragedies, as in Tip #22. Don't overestimate your virtue, as in Tip #28. Look for the signs that you might be the bad guy, as in tip #8. There are so many reasons why making this particular movie isn't a good idea.
But, let's look at one more. As you read this tip, I encourage you to remember Tip #10 "Adjust Your Relationship With Curse Words".
Let's take a moment and consider this kind of Christian movie as a form of pornography. It's not sexual pornography. It's tribal pornography. It's there to make Christians (of the type that the makers of the movie would recognize as Christian) feel good about being Christians and feel superior about not being non-Christian. Without actually engaging in the act, you get the feeling of being more virtuous than non-Christians, winning in debates against them, and converting them to your faith. Sometimes, you even use them to get you in the mood or as an attempt at getting other people in the mood to play their part in that with you.
Now, consider the fears associated with pornography. The unrealistic expectations of image, both in self and in others. The unrealistic expectations of personal interactions. The unrealistic expectations of how the act, itself, actually works. In general, all the problems that happen when you mistake the fantasy displayed on screen for something approaching reality. And, there's the risk of people being trained to see each other as things to be used for their own pleasure and purposes.
Consider all of that and, now, consider that the movie "I'm Not Ashamed" got made. According to IMDB, four writers, one director, and ten variations on the role of producer were involved in making this movie, without thinking that they'd be taken for vultures abusing a not-very-long-ago tragedy for their own purposes. They not only view this as an accurate representation of human dynamics, but as something that will make other people want to be Christians, as opposed to want nothing to do with so egotistical and opportunistic a group.
All of this good, Christian, non-sexual masturbation (again, please remember Tip #10) has left so many blind. So blind that these tips I'm giving are actually tips that can be useful, rather than such common sense as to be difficult to put into words.
The only fear remaining is that a showing of The Encounter might attract demons.
Now, I'm not saying that all Christian movies are bad. I've praised "Saved" before. Despite some people objecting to how all the antagonists are Christian, it is a movie about Christianity. The movie has a positive view of Christianity and the main character remains an enthusiastic Christian throughout. It's made by and for Christians. But, it's far more respectful of other people and tells a story that is truer to some of the flaws to be found in conservative Evangelical culture.
So, there are non-pornographic Christian movies to be found. I encourage you to find them. For things like "I'm Not Ashamed" any of the "God's Not Dead" movies (I'm certain a third movie is in the works), or "The Encounter" or "C Me Dance" or the like... I encourage you to do as I would encourage a fan of "50 Shades of Grey" to do, enjoy the fantasy, but remember that it has nothing to do with reality.
