
This article came out yesterday: “I Don’t Understand Christians Watching Game of Thrones.” The author Kevin DeYoung is a rad Presbo pastor who’s written some fantastic pieces that are exceedingly helpful.
This is not one of them.
And not because it’s dumb or gravely mistaken; it’s just poorly thought-out. It reads like a single magnetic pole, one side of an opinion, without another magnetic pole to bring tension; because it’s usually within tension that we find the best way forward. Read a choice selection of the piece:
True, I haven’t seen it. Not an episode. Not a scene. I hardly know anything about the show. I know many people consider it absolutely riveting — full of compelling characters, an engrossing story, and excellent acting, writing, and aesthetics. But isn’t it also full of sex? Like lots and lots of incredibly graphic sex? Kevin DeYoung
Maybe DeYoung should post a blog titled “I Don’t Understand Christians Talking About Things They Admittedly Know Nothing About.” Now: I’ve written previously on my struggle with lust and pornography; it’s no joke, and something that plagues men in our society. Game of Thrones—the show—does have explicit sexual content, quite a bit of it. And that’s a problem, because it contributes to rampant sexual immorality in our culture.
That’s why I do not watch or endorse watching Game of Thrones. I just don’t do it; it’s too tempting for my eyeballs. The books, however: I’ve read every single one. A Song of Ice and Fire (the book series that Game of Thrones is based on) is some of the best writing and storytelling I’ve ever read. It’s simply amazing, with its “compelling characters” and “engrossing story” (as DeYoung puts it).
But even though I don’t watch GoT, I disagree with such a simplistic assessment of media that says, “If there’s nudity, thou shalt not watch.” That’s why I feel Kevin DeYoung’s post is lopsided.
What about The Godfather, arguably the best film ever made? Nudity. And Schindler’s List? Nudity. Our conviction of what Christians can and can’t watch cannot be so simplistic, because then we lock ourselves out of the culture in a way that severs our influence. Now you might object: “Well, you shouldn’t watch those movies either! Anything and everything with sexual content and nudity should be off-limits.”
How about Braveheart? It’s on many best-movies-of-all-time lists. It’s also many pastors’ favorite movie; I’ve heard it used as a sermon illustration multiple times by many preachers. That’s understandable: It’s an engrossing movie about a compelling character leading his country to freedom.
But isn’t there a drawn-out sex scene in Braveheart? Isn’t there extended shots with nudity in them? Yes. But many people (I’ve asked around today) forget that there’s any nudity in it, because—well—it’s just such a good movie, and hey! it’s my fav, don’t tell me I can’t watch it.
A way that I decide whether or not to watch is “The Braveheart Rule,” which states: If it’s in Braveheart, Christians can watch it. (Note: That doesn’t mean you should; such is my case with GoT.)
Here’s the point. Half-ideas like DeYoung’s need to be held in tension with other magnetic poles, such as: Watching an engrossing story with compelling characters has merit, and its aesthetic/thematic/dramatic contribution should be taken into account. Christians do well to consider a story’s plot and themes (what does this tell me about the world?), its characters (who’s the hero of the story?), its dramatic contributions (what questions does it raise and purport to answer?), what it’s rated (what kind of content will I be subjected to?), in addition to whether he/she is mature enough to handle that content.
And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. (Colossians 3:17)
In the end, the goal is to glorify Jesus in all things. At this point, many will begin questioning whether watching anything can accomplish that end. To which I say, “Praise God that we can even attempt.”
