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Science fiction and horror movies

Discussion in 'General Baptist Discussions' started by Onlybygrace, May 16, 2010.

  1. Onlybygrace

    Onlybygrace New Member

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    Do you guys think it's okay for Christians to watch science fiction and horror movies or to read that kind of literature as well for that matter? I know the old saying is garbage in garbage out and we should guard our minds with all dilligence. I took a decision a while ago to get rid of all my sci-fi and violent movies. But truth be told I am a huge Star Wars fan and recently watched Avatar which I enjoyed. What's you opinion and your reasoning behind that opinion?
     
  2. Jedi Knight

    Jedi Knight Well-Known Member
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    Well I Love Star Wars! :wavey: I have used great truths of scripture by Star Wars. Example, Do you remember Luke: "With the blast shield down, I can't even see. How am I supposed to fight?" Obi-Wan: "Your eyes can deceive you. Don't trust them."
    Hummmm where is the scriptuiral principal of this truth? For we walk by faith,not by sight! Thats just one of many great power points....and Jesus used parables to point out truth in scriptures.
     
    #2 Jedi Knight, May 16, 2010
    Last edited by a moderator: May 16, 2010
  3. Martin

    Martin Active Member

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    ==I think this falls under Romans 14-15. Personally, I enjoy horror films such as Poltergiest and Ghost Whisperer. As long as it is not blasphemous or vulgar, and as long as you understand it is fiction, I don't see a problem. However if someone can't separate fact from fiction or if it bothers their conscious, they should not watch such films.
     
  4. sag38

    sag38 Active Member

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    I'm with Martin. Personally I'm hoping for another Harry Potter book. Maybe "he who must not be named" has an evil son seeking revenge.
     
  5. Peggy

    Peggy New Member

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    I do not like horror films at all and won't watch one.

    However I do selectively enjoy some sci-fi and fantasy movies and novels as long as they are not explictly immoral. Examples: Ghost Whisperer, Harry Potter, Katherine Kurtz's novels, Twilight series, Anne McCaffrey's Dragon books, Stephen Lawhead's Albion series. You just have to be discerning. There is a good as well as bad stuff out there.
     
  6. Jon-Marc

    Jon-Marc New Member

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    To me TV is nothing more than entertainment and a way for me to kill time. Hurting from my neck down to my feet, I had to retire early and hurt too much to do much of anything. I need TV to fill in my time--even though the TV shows are mostly reruns and boring, and the filthy language leaves a lot to be desires.

    Is TV sinful? I have no idea, but without it I would be bored out of my skull. As it is mine isn't working right now, and I won't have anyone here to do anything until Wednesday. I don't God is going to condemn me for watch I watch on TV. I LOVE Sci FI.
     
  7. RAdam

    RAdam New Member

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    I used to love Sci-Fi and Fantasy. In fact I also read many books in this genre. The more, however, I read the bible the harder time I have watching these movies. I think it is a personal decision, but for me I just can't watch a lot of these movies as I can easily spot the influences of false religion, morality, philosophy, etc. on these movies and notice their disagreement with the bible.
     
  8. Mississippi John

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    I'm more of an "Action" and "comedy" guy. To each, his own.
     
  9. dcorbett

    dcorbett Active Member
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    I can separate fact from fiction....but that doesn't stop my imagination
    from causing me to sweat, ny heart to race, and occasionally my stomach
    to turn when I watch a horror movie! And that tells me I shouldn't watch
    them, they are detrimental to my health and well being!
     
  10. saturneptune

    saturneptune New Member

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    I never thought of "Attack of the Giant Killer Tomatoes" as a sinful form of entertainment.
     
  11. saturneptune

    saturneptune New Member

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    I think the Twilight Zone is one of the more thought provoking series for its time. Some of the series growing up were a waste of film and time, such as "Lost in Space." I must say though, until this thread, I never considered such shows in the realm of sin, or causing me to drift away from the Lord. Sometimes I think threads take more imagination that the shows we are talking about.
     
  12. Speedpass

    Speedpass Active Member
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    As a child I was a fan of Gerry Anderson's "Supermarionation" shows like Thunderbirds, Captain Scarlet, and Stingray. I still am, as I have the complete DVDs for all 3 shows.
     
  13. Trotter

    Trotter <img src =/6412.jpg>

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    The key here is discernment. GIGO can most definitely apply, but fiction is fiction no matter what the genre.

    I don't care for horror movies. I don't mind one that is suspenseful and bizarre, but I don't want anything with gore and mayhem. Part of that is just me, but a larger part of that is personal conviction.

    I am a huge sci-fi/fantasy buff. But, even there, I shy away from movies/books that are counter to my beliefs. I also am wary of anything involving magic (Harry Potter is propaganda for all manner of such, as are any other books/movies like it). The Lord of the Rings books/films, while involving magic, illustrated it as something beyond the grasp of mere men, quite unlike Harry Potter et al.

    I haven't seen Avatar (way too much hype about it), but I do plan on going to see Iron Man 2 this weekend (my daughter is taking me).
     
  14. Alcott

    Alcott Well-Known Member
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    I am not a fan of science fiction, or horror, generally. But a few movies or TV eps have been among my relatively short list of favorites at times [I have very limied 'taste' in motion pictures or literature.] I have to agree that The Twilight Zone presents an interesting and thought-provoking prospect. Most episodes, if they have any basis in reality, IMO is that they explore psychotic minds... a man who normally does not gamble wins a trip to Las Vegas, gets 'hooked' on a slot machine, and imagines that slot machine is chasing him and wants to kill him... an army offier suddenly finds himself in a small confined space with 4 other characters with no background-- as if that could be an insane asylum from which he is determined to escape.

    As a kid, I had a fascination with tarantulas. My grandmother's house was on a large tract in a tiny town, and there were many holes for me to flood them out, just for the fun of it. One result is that Tarantula (1955) became a favorite of mine, just imagining if our sizes were reversed.

    For Star Trek, I have 2 favorite eps which most "trekkies" would probably regard as 2 of the worst: "Shore Leave" and "Spectre of the Gun." Since I am much more a fan of westerns, I am interested in what ST has to 'say' [supposing that's the case] about the Old West or the fancied notions thereabout. For "Shore Leave," it's just thought-provoking about having our fantasies made manifest for us, only we don't know how or why; thus it being very dangerous. When I have posted on these episodes on message boards, I get a lot of thumbs-down and dislikes, for pointing out the inconsistencies. It's like Star Trek is their religion and I am committing blasphemy :laugh: .
     
  15. John of Japan

    John of Japan Well-Known Member
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    I'm surprised that you lump SF and horror together this way. I see them as completely different genre. I read a lot of SF and like some SF movies, but read no horror novels and watch no horror movies whatsoever.

    What is the difference? Horror movies show evil (murder, dismemberment, etc.) for the sole purpose of entertainment. If the perpetrator gets his, it's all part of the entertainment. Watching portrals of evil as nothing more than entertainment is, for me, simply wrong. I am ruled by Psalm 101:3--"I will set no wicked thing before mine eyes: I hate the work of them that turn aside; it shall not cleave to me." Watching evil simply as entertainment would be condemned by this verse, I believe.

    On the other hand, the scholarly definition of SF is that it depicts the effects of new technology on society. So I see SF as a useful form of literature. SF portrays justice (ie, Darth Vader and the emperor being defeated and justice beg restored to the galaxy), and can be a parable (a kind of fiction with a lesson).

    Now, consider the Scriptures. The Bible does sometimes portray evil. However, its portrayal of evil always involves justice. We know that God not only hates evil, but punishes it. To apply this to our problem, any fiction that portrays evil without justice would be worthless and maybe even harmless, in my opinion.

    I hope this helps.
     
  16. blackbird

    blackbird Active Member

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    Horror flicks will give me a good case of insomnia usually dragging out for 2-3 nites in a row or at least till my brain is washed out

    Now---SciFi---I can watch Star Wars and Star Trek all the day long

    Captain Kirk version "Kirk to Enterprise!! Scotty, you can beam me up now!!"

    Captain Picard verson "Make it so, Number One!!"
     
  17. RAdam

    RAdam New Member

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    Please find the part of my post where I said Sci-Fi was sin. I said for me I just can't watch many sci-fi or fantasy movies and read those books anymore. You can do whatever you want to. It's a personal decision.
     
  18. sag38

    sag38 Active Member

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    The last horror movie I watched was A Nightmare on Elm street. That was back in the late 80's. Kind of made me not want to go to sleep that night. More so, I really wonder about folks who come up with that kind of stuff. I'm with John. Horror and Science Fiction should not be lumped together.
     
  19. jaigner

    jaigner Active Member

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    I think this is clearly an area of conscience.
     
  20. matt wade

    matt wade Well-Known Member

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    You need to come up with a better argument against Harry Potter. The books (and in turn the movies) clearly represented that only people born with magic abilities could use magic. The non-magic users were called muggles, and there was no represntation that "mere men" could do magic.

    Your position with Lord of the Rings versus Harry Potter is inconsistent.
     
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