If Christ is really coming soon, how seriously should Seventh-day Adventists weigh the influence of entertainment?

Years ago the Queen of England held a parade to honor the great English hymn writer, Isaac Watts. Thousands lined up along the parade route through downtown London to get a glimpse of the great man. An aristocratic, wealthy woman rented a balcony apartment to secure the most advantageous view. As the parade approached the balcony, she strained her eyes to get just a fleeting glimpse of the man who had written some of the world's most majestic hymns.

Expecting to see a large man of giant stature, she gasped as Watts's carriage passed directly underneath the balcony. She had no idea that he was so small. Unable to control herself, she blurted out "What, you? Isaac Watts?" Standing erect, the little man gallantly declared (in spontaneous verse), "Madam, could I in fancy grasp the poles or hold creation in my span, I'd still be measured by my mind. The mind's the measure of the man."

Watts was right! And both God and the devil are concerned about your mind. The Bible is clear: whoever controls the mind controls the entire person. Whatever dominates your thinking dominates you. "As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he" (Prov 23:7).

Commenting on this passage, Ellen White gives us this penetrating insight: "Our thoughts are to be strictly guarded; for one impure thought makes a deep impression on the soul. An evil thought leaves an evil impress on the mind. If the thoughts are pure and holy, the man is better for having cherished them. By them the spiritual pulse is quickened, and the power for doing good is increased."1

Character is the sum total of our thoughts, feelings, choices, habits and actions. Repeated thoughts manifest themselves in actions. Continuous actions prompted by repeated choices become ingrained habits. Habits sown over a period of time reap character, and character determines our eternal destiny.

It is impossible to sow carnal thoughts and reap a spiritual character. This is why Solomon counsels us, "Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life" (Prov 4:23). It is why Paul encourages us to allow the Spirit to bring "into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ" (2 Cor 10:5).

Mind Control

The real issue in discussing movies, television or videos is precisely on this point. Who controls the mind? Make no mistake about it—the media gurus recognize that the key to making millions of dollars is capturing the minds and emotions of their viewers. David Lynch, 44-year-old director of ABC's heralded new series, "Twin Peaks," stated, "The show should cast a spell. It pulls me into this other world"2 a world of mystery, intrigue, sex and violence. Lynch has an insatiable desire to capture his viewers' emotions with the bizarre world of the unknown.

Time magazine described the sixty-million-dollar science-fiction movie "Total Recall" under the headline, "Mind-bending on Mars." After citing the slogan of eastern religions, "Open your mind," the article claimed that "'Total Recall' does just that for movie goers."3 In the movie, "everybody gets killed but nobody gets hurt." Opening the mind to such a world of illusion unfits it for careful, serious Bible study and destroys the finer spiritual longings. It hinders the working of the Holy Spirit on the thoughts. Bible reading becomes dull, the prayer life ineffective, and Sabbath sermons uninteresting.

The latest "in" thing for youth is dyna-movies, pitched directly to the emotions. According to Time, "they trade in sensation, in the jolts a movie goer gets at seeing a villain's body blow up real good. Their impact is the sum of their special effects".4

The mind and emotions are sacred, given to us by God. The mind is where the Holy Spirit makes His impressions with a "still, small voice." To surrender the mind to Hollywood's plots is to open it to Satan's most powerful, hypnotic, addictive seductions.

Basic Questions

Every Christian must ask some fundamental questions: Will this movie or television program influence my mind positively or negatively regarding Christ? In the light of Jesus' soon return, does it foster positive Christian values? To what nature does this production appeal—the carnal or the spiritual?

What goes into the mind shapes the character and determines our eternal destiny. By beholding—viewing, gazing at, looking upon—we are changed (2 Cor 3:18). Commenting on this concept Ellen White declares, "It is a law of the mind that it gradually adapts itself to the subjects upon which it is trained to dwell."5 Upon what subjects are our minds being trained to dwell?

In 1983 the average American home had a television set on for seven hours and two minutes every day.6 An article in Pediatrics concluded that the mass media, particularly television and movies, have a major impact on children's knowledge, attitudes and behavior. The research has demonstrated the association between television viewing and four specific areas: 1) children's aggressive behavior, 2) racial and sex role stereotypes, 3) decreased interest in reading and school activities, and 4) poorer health habits and attitudes.7

Concerned Leaders

As early as 1969, Jesse Steinfeld, at that time Surgeon General of the United States, became concerned about television violence and its relationship to rising crime in America. What is the effect on a child's mind to have witnessed 14,000 murders by the time he is barely in his teens? The overwhelming evidence is that all of this violence does have an effect. In 1972, the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) published its findings linking excessive amounts of media violence with the rising tide of violence in our society.

In 1984, then Surgeon General C. Everett Koop raised his voice in concern. In summarizing the NIMH research, he said the studies "zero in on the possibility of television having a serious, adverse effect on behavior, especially that of children, and that the chief behavior of concern is violent behavior".8

George Gerbner of the University of Pennsylvania confirms Dr. Koop's concerns. He asserts, "Our research shows that the most pervasive correlate of violence-laden television is the cultivation of insecurity and the corrosive effect of living in what is perceived by heavy viewers—compared to light viewers in the same groups and neighborhoods—as a very mean world".9

H. J. Eysenck and D. K. Nias are even more explicit. "The evidence strongly indicates that the portrayal of sex and violence in the media does affect the attitudes and behaviors of viewers.... Aggressive acts new to the subjects' repertoire of responses, as well as acts already well established, can be evoked by violent scenes portrayed on film, TV, or the theater. It can no longer be said that the evidence is ambiguous, or too contradictory to allow any conclusions to be drawn; the evidence is remarkably consistent and congruent in its major aspects".10

Values Shaped

Since by age 15 the average child today has spent more time watching television than attending school, an entire generation's values are being shaped by Hollywood. Secular, materialistic values which exalt physical beauty above character, make a god out of money, reward dishonesty and glorify premarital and extra-marital affairs are molding the minds of most of America's youth. A University of North Carolina review of the evidence concluded that "studies suggest that adolescents who rely heavily on television for information about sexuality will have high standards of female beauty and will believe that pre-marital and extra-marital intercourse with multiple partners is acceptable".11

The evidence is plain. Secular researchers are sounding an alarm. They are concerned about the effect of movies, television and videos on the lives of millions of American youth. They clearly see that the decadence in American society has led us to moral bankruptcy.

Our Responsibility

Should God's people remain silent when the minds of thousands of our youth are being polluted by the media? Should Adventists be sleepily asking, "What's really wrong with the movies?" when even secular researchers—some of them America's brightest minds—are sounding the warning? Are the children of darkness wiser than the children of light?

Ours is a movement brought into existence to "lift up a standard for the people" (Isa 62:10). We are to make ready a people for the coming of the Lord. We are to point the way to the heavenly Zion. Ours is a high calling. We have been brought into existence for noble purposes. Shall we remain silent when thousands of our youth find church boring?

It's obvious that if you attend a 35 million dollar Hollywood movie depicting imaginary scenes as real, Sabbath morning sermons describing heavenly realities will seem uninteresting. Hollywood masterfully exploits human emotions. Each successive movie must be funnier, bloodier, or more sensual than the one before it, or it will not pull at the box office. Each suspense thriller must be more sensational than the one before it. Each war scene must be gorier. If this year's movies don't stimulate the emotions more than last year's, why go?

But to the Christian, the emotions are sacred. They have been created by God to be under the daily control of the Holy Spirit. To surrender our emotions to Hollywood is to place them under the control of the spirit of this world rather than the Holy Spirit. Since our brains are like intricate computers with amazing storage capacity, the scenes of violence, immorality and greed are deeply etched within our memories. Ellen White puts the matter in straightforward terms: "There is no influence in our land more powerful to poison the imagination, to destroy religious impressions, and to blunt the relish for the tranquil pleasures and sober realities of life than theatrical amusements".12

Addiction

Some people try to convince themselves that all this television watching, movie attendance and video viewing is not really affecting them, while at the same time they are being mesmerized by Hollywood's hypnotic power. Thomas Mostert, Pacific Union Conference president, was right when he asserted, "I consider this [movies, television, video watching] as the number one reason why we have so little interest in spiritual things. Ellen White calls it a 'powerful poison' that's even greater than their spiritual food. Yet, we assure ourselves, like a drug addict, 'I'm not really, really hooked. I could stop anytime I want!'"13

The effect of movies and television is not only upon our minds, but upon our lifestyle practices as well. A study of 394 teenage students revealed a significant television-alcohol association. Heavy viewers consume alcohol significantly more often than light viewers. Students who watch television and have a heavy diet of movies are also more likely to smoke cigarettes and develop obesity.14 Is there possibly a correlation between our television, movie and video diet and the foothold that alcohol consumption is gaining in some Adventist circles?

How to Break the Movie Addiction

Good Choices

Are all movies, television programs and videos wrong? Of course not! Mass media can be used effectively for evangelism. Doesn't the church sponsor TV programs like It Is Written, Breath of Life, and Christian Lifestyle Magazine? Can't God use the media? Certainly! And He is doing so. But let's not deceive ourselves. Most of us are not spending hours watching It Is Written. Would to God we were.

Scripture gives us a prescription for spiritual and mental health. Paul encourages us to think about things which are true, lovely, admirable, excellent and praiseworthy (Philip 4:18). He urges us not to conform any longer to the pattern of the world but to be transformed by the renewing of the mind (Rom 12:2). Very little in movies, videos, and television passes these tests. They appeal to the carnal, not the spiritual, nature. They come from beneath, not from above. They do not foster prayer, Bible reading or deep spirituality. They don't encourage giving one's life to world missions, witnessing and evangelism. Rather, they promote self-centered, idolatrous hero worship.

The idols of today are the screen heroes. But through Ezekiel God still says today, "Cast ye away every man the abominations of his eyes, and defile not yourselves with the idols of Egypt: I am the Lord your God" (Ezek 20:7). Why let the world's value system shape our morals?

Isolation?

Sometimes the question is asked, "Are we to isolate ourselves? Aren't movies and television part of the real life of which we are a part?" The world is real, and we cannot possibly isolate ourselves from it totally. Nevertheless when we deliberately choose to fill our minds with violence, immorality, foul language, and a materialistic value system, these things influence us insidiously. When our characters are shaped by their influence, we become part of their system.16

Ellen White admonished us to "avoid reading and seeing things which will suggest impure thoughts."17 She declared, "It is within the power of everyone to choose the topics that shall occupy the thoughts and shape the character."18

Ask yourself these questions. Is my devotional life more exciting than watching television? Am I more interested in Sabbath morning church or in Saturday night videos? Are my priorities straight if I pay $5 gladly for a feature film but give the same amount to world missions grudgingly? Is this particular movie one I would be perfectly comfortable having Jesus watch with me? Is it compatible with His standards?

Life for the Christian is exciting. Each day is a new adventure in drinking at the wells of wisdom and fountains of knowledge in His Word. If Bible study has become boring, if Sabbath morning services are uninteresting, why not try a "movie fast"? Why not select only those videos or television programs which are compatible with Christ's standards? Why not ask God to give you a new love for heavenly things? Why not kneel before Him and ask Him to make Paul's words a reality in your life: "If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new" (2 Cor 5:17)?