Torch, Summer 2004

always struggled with how and how much to interface with movies, television, music, and, now, the Internet. Let’s look at a biblical rationale for why it’s crucial to reorient how we look at the world and culture around us. From a worldview perspective, we must remember that every book, every song, and every film has at its roots a worldview. These media are telling us to believe certain truths about the world, to adopt certain values, and to allow certain behaviors. As thinking Christians, we must look beyond the façade, see what most people cannot see, and uncover what is there. The Apostle Paul reminds us to “Test everything” (I Thess. 5:21). We cannot let anything go by us (or into our minds and hearts) without discerning its meaning and purpose. Historically, Christians have confronted culture in one of three ways. The first is to respond to our gut level disgust at culture and therefore withdraw from it. We are offended when we see something that is immoral, vile, or blasphemous. As a result, we pull away and form our own subculture so we don’t have to interact with those outside. In fact, for many Christians, that has been the way they’ve been taught to respond. They’ve been instructed by well-meaning people to disengage. They don’t even want to think about those things that might be antagonistic to the Truth or to our Savior. “Stay away from it!” is the battle cry. Admittedly, there are a lot of things that are very, very offensive. For example, the Internet is choked with offensive Web sites. One such site (which I will not identify) is visited by thousands every day. It instructs on how to commit suicide. There are many Web sites giving honor to the memory of Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold, the Columbine killers. One particular site calls these young men “our heroes.” Why? Because they lived what they believed and paid the ultimate price for their principles. Offensiveness is not limited to the Internet, of course. Television programs such as “South Park” have elevated offensiveness to an art form by regularly portraying Jesus Christ in a despicable manner. It is easy to find Howard Stern offensive, Michael Moore Summer 2004 / TORCH 5 Editor’s Note: The following article is an edited version of a chapel message by Dr. Bill Brown, president of Cedarville University. By Dr. William Brown So, how do we go about it? For now, let’s focus on American pop culture: the part of our society that influences the most people. In America, the entertainment industry is said to be both our largest industry and our largest export. Everywhere, our entertainment is the world’s entertainment. Christians have As thinking Christians, we must look beyond the façade, see what most people cannot see, and uncover what is there.