Hollywood or Holiness?

 Whose side are you on? The side of holiness, or the side of Hollywood? 

Many preachers who stand against Hollywood are called, "the folks who take the fun out of fundamentalism" and believers often run to the aid of Hollywood rather than the support of the preacher.

But it's not just preachers who find themselves getting attacked when they take on Hollywood.  A layman may write a blog waxing eloquent about the blood of Christ, and at best receive a nice pat on the back, yet if that same layman hints at the idea that the Star Wars saga has objectionable eastern religion permeating the messages of the film, then that layman is vilified as an extremist fundamentalist who gives all other fundamentalists a bad reputation.  This layman may not even prohibit the films—only warn of the eastern mysticism. 

Here are a few examples of men from different backgrounds at different stages in their life who dared to challenge Hollywood, and had New-Evangelical/New-Fundamentalists(Neos) come to the defense of the entertainment industry, rather than a defense of the separated stance concerning the Word of God.

The first, Ron Cooke, an Evangelical Methodist of Max Meadows VA.  Dr. Cooke has a writing ministry in which he deals with many contemporary issues such as the Roman Catholic and Ecumenical movements.  

When Mel Gibson’s popular film, The Passion  debuted, Dr. Cooke warned of the godlessness of the film and it’s idolatrous Roman Catholic foundation.  While Dr. Cooke has seen his share of push back by papists and liberal protestants concerning his militant exposing of the error which Rome is built upon, according to his own testimony, nothing he’s ever written has received more vilification and hatred than his simple article showing how a movie was unbiblical.  The sad reality was that the shots being fired were not from the Romanist camp, but from Neos.  The reactions were not because Dr. Cooke exaggerated something in the film or because he lied about the film exalting Roman Catholicism. No, the pushback came from evangelicals who were offended that Dr. Cooke would apply Scriptural principles to the entertainment industry.  This upset them because he taught that they were being entertained by a film which was unholy.   

Mel Gibson's The Passion

Years later Dr. Cooke stated that the second most contentious issue he’s had to deal with was his exposing C. S. Lewis as “a Romanist in everything but name”.  Once again the pushback he experienced was from the Neo camps because he charged that the author of the beloved Chronicles of Narnia  was an unbelieving Anglo Catholic. 

C.S Lewis

On this very blog, Machen White addressed in passing  the foolishness Of Dr. Andy Nasselli’s comparison of biblical theology to the Harry Potter series. This struck a nerve.  The issue which was at hand was that Nasselli was using a secular series to “help us understand biblical truth”.  This is unscriptural. We are to use biblical truth to help us understand a secular saga. But when that blog was posted, folks took more offense that Machen had implied that the Harry Potter series(something full of witchcraft) could possibly be unholy, than they did with the fact that Nasselli was teaching something unscriptural.

About a year ago at a non-denominational fundamentalist bible camp, my curiosity was piqued as the staff started arguing about Disney.  A young man who had only recently been saved had mentioned that Disney was sinful. At that statement, one would have thought that he denied the virgin birth!  Instant refutation! A group gathered and the poor young man who had only two years before been in the bondage of Satan worship was informed that his conscience was too “uptight” and legalistic because he dared to give his spiritual discernment about worldly entertainment when talking to a peer. 

Disney Plus Home Page

The reader may rightly note that there is a vast difference between the examples given above. There is very little comparison to be made between The Passion and Frozen. Harry Potter’s witchcraft and sorcery, though fantasy, has only a few similarities with the Chronicles of Narnia. Yet all four of those responses overlap in one alarming area. from the letters and emails and phone calls to Dr. Cooke, to the Facebook comment section on Machen’s Blog, to the strong rebuke of my friend at camp, all of these responses run to the aid of the enemy--Hollywood! 

And to be clear, this blog is not against those who draw the line at a different point than I, it's against those who back the world rather than faithful men.

Hollywood is no friend of grace to lead us on to God. They are by definition the enemy of God’s people.  Hollywood is the media and entertainment of the world. And no friend of the world is the friend of God.  It is one thing to stomach some of the “cleaner” films and tv shows, and believers may disagree on what is too much of the world's philosophy/dress/language in a film to permit.  yet to advocate for Hollywood against someone concerned about anti-god messages, this is traitorous. 

Movies are messages from the hearts of depraved writers and actors. The question is, how much of this depravity are we as believers willing to put up with to entertain us.  

 When trying to decide where I should personally draw the line, my mind is often drawn to the end of Romans one.  The last verse is particularly convicting.  There is a phrase which we as believers would do well to apply to our entertainment choices.  After dealing with the terrible base sins including Sodomy, fornication, envy, murder, backbiting, hating God and so forth, Paul ends the chapter by writing, “Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, BUT HAVE PLEASURE IN THEM THAT DO THEM."  How much pleasure do you place in the Hollywood actors? How much admiration do you have for Ellen DeGeneres as she takes on the role of Dory?  How much admiration do you have for Ian McKellen's portrayal of Gandalf?  Both of these examples are public perverts leading youth and society astray in a war against righteousness.  What business do we as believers have in taking pleasure and delight in them?  Though we may put up with a certain amount of the world by simply being in it, yet we must NEVER take pleasure in the sin even of a relatively "clean" show.  And we CERTAINLY have no business standing up for Hollywood over holiness.  

Psalm 101:3 is often quoted when entertainment is in question. But sadly, only the first half is usually applied. "I will set no wicked thing before mine eyes" is usually applied by conservative Christians to the immoral scenes of Hollywood productions.  But what about, "I hate the work of them that turn aside, it shall not cleave to me."  The majority of celebrities should not be put up and admired, for many are outspoken advocates of sin.  We need to be careful about admiring these entertainers, as we often imitate those we admire, and unfortunately, that which we imitate is often the worst characteristic of the one we admire

Whose side will you come to? Hollywood's anti-god films? Or the side of fellow believers who are merely pointing out (not necessarily even prohibiting) the lack of holiness in these films?

John Paul Lauger