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Day 9
Is the Joke on You?
By Al Menconi
One
of the most popular teen movies in recent
years is the gross-out flick, American
Pie. It is the story of four high
school seniors who make a pact to lose
their virginity before they graduate.
It features some of the crudest sexual
humor ever put on screen. Even some of
the movie reviewers couldn't believe
how prurient the themes were, but they
still gave it a highly recommended review.
Some of the sexual situations were so
offensive I can't even mention them.
That's how bad it was!
It was so bad, it was popular! It was
so popular, they made popular sequels!
As I read the interviews and reviews,
I was bothered to find out that three
of the main characters claim to be Christians.
How disappointing! These young men had
an opportunity to make a statement of
faith by identifying with Christ and
choosing not to be in such a disgusting
movie. But they chose their career over
their morality. One of the boys justified
his actions with, "It is a character
on the screen, not me!" In other
words, it's just a movie, it doesn’t affect me.
Even the movie reviewer for Rolling
Stone writer couldn't understand
how a Christian could be identified with
such a ground breaking, sexually crude
movie. (RS, August 19, 1999)
Before we condemn these young men for
their behavior, however, ask yourself
if you've ever watched a movie or television
program that was morally offensive? If
so, then aren’t you just as guilty
as the young men who acted in American
Pie?
Let me explain my reasoning with a
story of two boys: Billy and Johnny.
Billy is telling Johnny gross stories
on the playground at recess. Billy tells
a dirty joke and Johnny laughs. Billy
tells another and Johnny laughs again.
Billy laces the next one with a lot of
profanity to make it even funnier than
the first two. And again Johnny laughs.
The bell rings and the boys go back to
class. Before class can get started,
Johnny tattles, "Billy was telling
dirty stories on the playground!"
What do you suppose Billy will say
in his defense? That's right, "Yeah,
but Johnny was laughing!" In other
words, "He is just as guilty as
I am because he was laughing along with
me!"
What’s true for Billy and Johnny
is just as true for us. When the entertainment
media shows us immoral pictures and tell
us dirty stories and we passively smile
and enjoy them, aren’t we just
as guilty as Johnny? After all, we are
paying to help make immorality popular.
You see, when Hollywood tells a dirty
joke, and we buy it, the joke’s
really on us!
Reflection: Have
you ever thought much about your sense
of humor? What shapes it? What do you
laugh at? What did you think was funny
when you were younger? Is it still
funny today? Has your sense of humor
changed much since then? What changed
it?
Response: Make a list
of some of your favorite sit-coms. Make
another list of some of your favorite
movies that could be described as comedies.
What percentage of the humor of the programs
on your list is based on sexual situations?
On lies and deception, or on a premise
of deliberate dishonesty? How much of
the humor is based on ‘put-down’ jokes
and insult humor? What does this say
about your sense of humor?
Verse of the Day: Philippians 3:19
"Their destiny is destruction,
their god is their appetite and their
glory is in their shame. Their mind
is on earthly things." (NIV)
From their immoral lifestyles to their
destructive habits, no one “glories
in their shame” more than today’s
movie, television, and rock stars. If
you doubt this, tune into nearly any
award show from the entertainment industry
and examine how they treat moral issues.
There is a very good chance they will
be “glorying” in attitudes
and behaviors that would cause a moral
person to be shamed.
Notice also that this verse says that
their destiny will be destruction. The
people referred to in this verse are
destroying themselves because their god
is their appetite for pleasure. Notice
that their shame is not that they are
Satanists or axe murderers. They are
shameful because their mind is focused
only on earthly things.
How about you? Today’s entertainment
and music are able to focus your mind.
Where do they focus it? Does your entertainment
focus on life from a biblical perspective
or does it focus on a life based on earthly
values? Scripture doesn’t say our
shame is in Satanism or perversion. Our
shame comes from a mind set on earthly
values (one that leaves God out of the
equation) instead of godly ones.
Remember, if we continue to listen
to (and are entertained by) ungodly “teachers” and
entertainers, we will become just like
them (accept their values). What can
you do to avoid meeting the same end
as those whose destiny is destruction?
Change your focus!
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