Exposing a Clever Trick to Make Unsuspecting People Disrespect God
How harmful will it be if we let this offense slide?
Have you noticed, especially over the past few years, the rise of a special type of disrespect that occurs more and more frequently in movies and TV shows?
I’m referring specifically to attaching the F word with God’s name, including the name of Christ. Going back three or four years, it was a rare occurrence. Now it happens more frequently and with repeated exposure, perhaps we are all becoming desensitized.
Just a few short years ago, I heard this for the first time in a movie and it took me aback. I kept watching for a few minutes in shock before stopping and then giving it a thumbs down. Of all the words and phrases to express anger or surprise, why would a writer, actor, or director choose this particular phrase? Especially in a country like the United States that claims to have a large Christian population.
When I ask friends what they thought about this, many of them couldn’t recall hearing it or if they did, they just said that’s how people talk now. And that’s what made me aware this offense is intentionally designed to hide in plain sight and fly below the radar.
People in the entertainment business may think this isn’t a big deal. After all, there’s little to no perceived downside. The creatives who push this content are highly accomplished, highly compensated, and recognized within the industry. The movies and shows that contain this dialog perform well in the market. And if this is displeasing to God why would things be going so well for them?
The root concern
This phrasing is the opposite of acknowledging God. It is a phrase that does not honor God and rejects the reverence He is owed.
Ac.knowl.edge: accept or admit the existence or truth of
The writer in Romans 1:21 gives us a stern warning: Failure to acknowledge God results in us proceeding through life without his guidance. In the short term, there may be no apparent negative impact. However, this is modern-day judgment leading to increased separation from God and, ultimately, destruction. This separation means losing access to wisdom and God no longer “ordering our steps.” It doesn’t get much worse than this.
After encountering 70+ movies on Netflix with this dialogue, I decided to cancel my subscription. I was hoping that another streaming platform might be better, but I was sorely disappointed. On the Amazon Prime and Apple+ streaming platforms, these newly released productions all include this blasphemy:
- Siloh
- Servant
- Loot
- Severance
- The Power
- The Consultant
- The Rig
- Jack Ryan
- The Peripheral
- Homecoming
This is not a comprehensive list, it’s just the shows I began watching.
This is a deception from our adversary, who seeks to undermine us at every turn. If he can just get us to compromise a little, it can be the beginning of immense trouble.
How do we respond?
Because this type of disrespect breaks our relationship with God, I suggest that we treat it with extra caution and discernment. Let’s not rely on a filter or some other mechanism to screen this particular offensive material.
Don’t give it a pass and say it’s just the way people speak now. Of all the things that we must deal with, including our natural human nature to resist the Holy Spirit, let’s not add to our burden by dabbling in this type of dishonor.
After all, to pursue Christ means turning away from certain indulgences. And letting go of a movie or series, no matter how entertaining, is a small sacrifice.
When we talk about God or speak His name, remember who He is. Consider the image of the Laniakea supercluster. Our Milky Way is a tiny member of this super-structure of over 100,000 galaxies.
The scope of a supercluster is barely comprehensible to the human mind, it is truly awe-inspiring. This is the handiwork of God whom we serve. The One who created us loves us and intimately knows us, including exactly how many hairs are on our heads! He is worthy of our praise, honor, and respect.
What are your thoughts about why this type of disrespect is occurring? And as a people of faith, how should we respond?
