The following "Question" was asked by a member of the congregation at Grace Community Church in Sun Valley, California, and "Answered" by their pastor, John MacArthur Jr. It was transcribed from the tape, GC 1301-J, titled "Bible Questions and Answers Part 12." A copy of the tape can be obtained by writing, Word of Grace, P.O. Box 4000, Panorama City, CA 91412 or by dialing toll free 1-800-55-GRACE. ©1980. All Rights Reserved.
Question
My question is pragmatic and threefold, arising out of a discussion that
some of us had concerning whether or not we should be working in the movie
industry. First of all, what percentage of movies and television produced today
would you say are detrimental to the morals of our country and shouldn’t be
shown at all anywhere, or—I didn’t want to assume there—or is the percentage
high enough that while someone working on the movie set might not always know
the nature of this movie he was producing or helping produce, by virtue of the
fact that they knew the percentage was high of bad movies, then that would
dictate his involvement in it.
Or is it wrong for someone such as a sign painter, a set builder, a vehicle
driver, a camera operator, etc. to do their job on the movie that they know
will, that they for sure know will show fornication, drunkenness, homosexuality,
etc. in a positive light, even though their actual job in and of itself is not
immoral?
And lastly, what affect do you think it would have if all the Christians in the
movie industry from secretaries to actors to set painters, etc., to directors,
were to refuse to work on movies that promoted immorality?
Answer
I can answer the last question. You know what would happen? They’d dump them all
and they’d get some other people to do what they do, and they’d keep doing the
same think they’re doing. I don’t think it would have any affect at all. We have
had people in our church who were very capable actors who moved into Hollywood,
and as soon as they started saying, "I won’t do this I won’t do that, I won’t do
this, I won’t do that," they were out--that fast. I can think of one young man
who was being paid thousands of dollars every week just to be on the list. He
didn’t even have to be in a movie. But the moment he began to turn down a nude
scene, or turned down some other deal, they began to blackball him, and finally
he was just washed out, even though he was a real shining light in his career.
Let me really speak to that issue. And I’m not sure I can gather up all the
ramifications, because I’ll be very honest with you; I don’t go to movies. OK? I
just don’t go. I mean, to me they don’t have any redeeming virtue. I mean I
might go see, I might, I don’t know, I might go see, what might I go see? What?
Joni. I might go see Joni. I might go see, in fact, I did have the
experience of seeing The Black Stallion which was a fabulous
cinematography and a wonderful wonderful story of a horse. And I think that’s
the only movie I’ve seen in, I don’t’ know, three years. And, so I really can’t
say that I can speak, you know, knowledgably for the whole of the industry.
But let me just tell you where my experience would come from. I have occasion to
fly on airplanes a lot. And I’ll be very honest with you, I cannot bring myself
to watch movies on airplanes, to pay whatever, two dollars or three or something
to get those earphones, because the language and the innuendo and what is
implicit or explicit, is always the same; it’s always the same. There are no
movies except, Walt Disney or G-rated movies, that don’t imply something sexual
or something wrong. And even some of the ones that don’t have the sexual thing
and that might be G-rated, have the basic ethics that the "end justifies the
means." And you see this all the time, people, the good guy lies to get his own
ends, and things like that. Basically, I just don’t go. I don’t see any virtue
in sitting their and letting people pump garbage in my brain. I don’t care what
they are. And I’m not going to sit there and listen to four-letter words.
I. I don’t see any value in that [going to movies].
It isn’t that I’m prudish; my family when I grew up permitted me to go to films, movies. And they maybe should have been a little more stringent, because I wasn’t as discerning. Fortunately, I was protected because the industry wasn’t as bad as it is now. So I had that choice. But at a conscious point in my life, I chose not to go. I just won’t go.
1. The first reason is: why?
2. The second reason is: Is that the best thing I have to do, priority wise?
3. The third reason is: I don’t want to go there, because for sure somebody will see me there.
And they’ll say, "Oh! You go to movies." And they don’t have discernment that they should have. They just accept that as a blanket recommendation, and off they go.
II. The second thing is that I monitor the television, because the television is full of garbage.
I mean, it’s just garbage from morning till night. It’s just plain garbage all day long. My own personal feeling is—and I’ll be very honest with you—you could take about 99% or maybe 95%, somewhere in there, of the TV and the movies and just blow it all up for what’s good in it. And if you just expose yourself to that stuff, just for a social evening, I don’t think it has redeeming value. I think it puts the wrong kind of things...what it does basically...you may not go out and do the things that are there, but what it’ll do, is it’ll weaken your conscience against those things. You’ll become more and more tolerant, less and less firm and rigid in a Biblical standard of morality.
And so bringing it down to a practical thing, I can only speak for myself. My conscience would never permit me to work in that industry. That’s just where I’m at. I couldn’t do it. I’m too much of a purist. I won’t even go speak somewhere where I think there might be somebody there, in the program, whose life isn’t right—if I know about that. That’s just a strong perspective. I mean I know there are some Christians who drive a beer truck, and you know stuff like—that’s just very difficult for me. I’d like to see, and I’ll be very blunt,I’d like to see all the Christians just pull out of that whole deal, mess, and I have enough faith to believe God will put you somewhere better. That’s what I believe.
I don’t see any purpose in any of it. It just robs little kid’s minds. You know the average kid who sits home and watches stuff on TV and by the time...that’s what I told you about the age of puberty going down and down and down and down and down and down and kids getting pregnant earlier and earlier and earlier. Why? Because they’re exposed to this stuff all the time. And the music, you know, it’s unbelievable. Do you ever listen to the words? I heard some words the other day; I was down at a place getting my car fixed. I couldn’t believe it; I couldn’t even repeat them, blaring over there, and this guy in there. I mean, he might’ve been a doper or something; I don’t know. But he was in there, and he was working in there. And he was listening to this stuff, and just all day long, beating that stuff into his brain—filth.
The other night they had a movie on television called the Deer Hunter. And it was suggested that our kids watch it for extra credit. So I said, I don’t know what it is, but I opened it up, and I couldn’t believe it. I turned it on, and it came on. We watched it about two minutes. And I was very upset and called the school. So I just can’t see any virtue and value in it.
Now, let me just back up enough to say that maybe once in a while there’s
something that comes along that has beauty and artistic value. And maybe there’s
something wholesome about it, but all in all I just can’t see it. People say to
me, oh you know that’s just such a great movie—oh, I really enjoyed it. And you
find out, "Well," they’ll say, "it’s got a lot of profanity, but apart from
that—and there’s only one scene where, you know, they’re in bed and..."—who
needs it? All right, we’ve all got enough trouble with that, huh? You’re going
to go sit there and go ohhhhhh-see? Why? It’s like beating your head against the
wall, I mean, what do you want to do that for? So, you’ve got enough of a battle
without sticking your head in that kind of a place. Anyway, that’s probably a
longer answer than you wanted. Thanks for a good question.
Added to Bible Bulletin Board's "MacArthur’s Questions and
Answers" by:
Tony Capoccia
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