There was a definite theme at this week’s 2006 Golden Globe Awards. As the Associated Press put it: "It was a triumphant night for films dealing with homosexuality and transsexuality." The gay cowboy romance "Brokeback Mountain" won four awards, including best dramatic film and best director (for Ang Lee). Best actress went to Felicity Huffman for her portrayal of a man preparing for sex-change surgery in the film "Transamerica." Philip Seymour Hoffman won the best actor award for his portrayal of gay author Truman Capote in the film "Capote."
Movies are usually not made merely for mindless entertainment. They are made to shape values. In his acceptance speech, Ang Lee noted the power of film to change people’s worldviews. The agenda that is being pushed is that we should uncritically accept homosexual practice as morally acceptable. These films and actors were not being recognized primarily for their artistic merit but for their messages.
What is a Biblical Christian to do? Sadly, many nominal Christians will be unknowingly influenced, not just by films like these, but by the constant barrage of "Gay is OK" media messaging. Each tv sitcom these days seems to have the standard gay character. Some shows like "Will and Grace" make it their main theme. New lows are reached for pushing the envelope of taste and sobriety.
How are Christians to respond? Some suggest that the thing to do is support films that carry good messages. These suggest that we should go see "good" films like "Because of Winn Dixie" or "The Chronicles of Narnia." The problem is that money made on these movies goes to the same people who promote the movies with "bad" themes. A few Christian production companies are trying to break into the closely guarded movie industry by making and marketing their own independent films. An example of this is Every Tribe Entertainment’s "End of the Spear" (www.endofthespear.com) which opens January 20, 2006. This movie is based on Elisabeth Elliot’s Through Gates of Splendor, recounting the death of her husband Jim Elliot and four other missionary martyrs at the hands of an Ecuadorian Indian tribe they were attempting to evangelize. Another example of this effort is an independent Christian film festival held each year in San Antonio, Texas, sponsored by the Vision Forum (www.visionforum.com).
Others would suggest a more radical approach. Namely, they would recommend that we simply unplug our televisions and cease attending movies.
A Christian must be led by his conscience to live a godly and Biblically faithful life. The first step in making an informed decision is to take a step back and scrutinize the messages that we are receiving in the media we consume. Does it edify us or tear us down spiritually? We are fast approaching a time (if we’re not already there) when the Christian moral position on sexuality will be the minority position in our culture. Do we have the strength to hold to Biblical positions?
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