Surely You Jest!?

"It's a fool who says 'I don't tell my child what to believe' because if you don't, some one else will!"--Dr. Tony Evans, Pastor, Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship, Dallas, Texas

Just a few days ago, I posted that I was working toward my movie diet being less PG13 and R rated stuff.

I distinctly remember, many years ago when I listened to Glenn Beck's radio show and he announced his family was doing this.  I was a committed Christian and I remember thinking "Is he an IDIOT?"

So, in some way, this post is my "Hey, I'm not an idiot" response to my own post, which you can view here.

Two summers ago I watched "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo", the first version with subtitles.  That was the last time I really just decided to see a movie without checking it out first.  Truly, I should have turned that thing off before the first half hour was over.

That one movie had a long-term effect on my desire to watch "reality" being played out by actors/actresses.  I think there is something to be said of subtly.  And, watching something so vile that you can't shake it from your head, even two+ years later, is not good.

After that occurrence, I did a Kelly Minter study where she recommended we examine everything that we are considering putting in our minds (music, books, movies).

I was changed.  I no longer cared that everyone was seeing the latest movie, reading the latest book, listening to the latest music.  I wanted to be different.  I wanted to stand out for my own good.  I didn't want to expose myself to crap that would poison my mind.  I didn't want that for my kids.  And, I was one of their biggest examples!

If I was going to go to the latest R-rated movie, my kids were old enough to know.  If I was listening to inappropriate music, my kids would want to listen along.  If I was reading a book, my kids would want to know the plot.

So, I began consulting "Plugged In Online" for all our movies.  Surprisingly, not every PG movie even passed the test!  The chipmunks movie, for example, is chock-full of inappropriate lyrics from "popular" music that my kids don't/won't listen to.  I began looking up lyrics for songs and explaining to the kids WHY they wouldn't be able to download them, including the REASON for my concern (which often came down to glorifying premarital sex).

Books have been a little tougher--Nickels recently went with a friend to Barnes and Noble and picked up "The Hunger Games" because "everyone is reading it"*.  I had just read the bio on the upcoming movie** and knew, immediately, it was not a good book for him to read.  Add to the bio glowing commentary on the dust jacket from none other than Stephen King, horror-writer extraordinaire, about the "violent" content and I knew I was making a proper decision. 

Now, here is the God part of the story:  the woman who returned the book for us was a Mother of four boys, which I didn't know until Nickels attempted to find the pot of gold at the end of his broken rainbow.

See, he is still trying to find an in for the Nook Color, which boasts Internet access but has no parental controls for controlling content.  He currently has the "inferior"/no-Internet Nook version.

Never one to back down on what he wants***, Nickels decided to ask our salesperson whether the Nook Color now had Internet lockout ability.  In front of our salesperson, I re-explained that the functionality hadn't changed and, therefore, he couldn't upgrade.

That's when this woman jumped on my bandwagon, explaining she was a Mom of a tribe of boys.   She said she agreed with me and that there were things on the Internet that Nickels wouldn't want to expose himself to.  My message, exactly, from a seasoned veteran with grandchildren.  And, as we parents all know, when a complete stranger says the same thing you've been hammering home for nine months?  It's GOSPEL, baby!****

After that?  Zach walked over to the B&N Cafe and downloaded Tim Tebow's book, which he says is "AWESOME".  Side note:  finished it in about two days and can't wait to read more of Tim's stuff.

So, in my mind, it comes back to Dr. Evans' quote up top:  If I am going to walk a path for Christ, I can't be trying to walk the world's path at the same time!  I have to make choices, not only for myself, but also for the protection of my own children.  I live in a very transparent bubble, a place my kids peer into moment-by-moment to figure out what is right in life.

Now, not everything that is in the world is horribly bad, but so much of what we do on a weekly basis needs more critical thinking thrown against it to determine "Should I expose myself, my family, to this?"

The jury of popular opinion is no longer the rudder that should steer entertainment decisions.  If we allow that, we get a head-full of murderous or sexually-explicit lyrics, movies portraying torture, rape and vengeance, and pictures stuck in our mind through our reading that we can't shake.  I don't want to find myself constantly coming to God's throne, confessing my weakness in choosing inappropriate entertainment!

So, there you have it.  I am not out to judge anybody else.  I see clearly the path I am going to take (which, incidentally, will be the boy's path but NOT necessarily Mike's--he has to come to this on his own) and I'm sticking to it.  But, I know I am not your average person when it comes to this train of thought.

Take a look at this topic with fresh eyes, if you dare.  The world will try to tell you your freedom is being taken away, but, in reality it is the exact opposite.  You are giving yourself boundaries, such as you give your children, that are ultimately for your own good.

When you choose to walk a path that is more narrow, it is a transition that isn't always easy.  But, it is completely worth it.

I can tell you from being on both sides:  the freedom associated with being on the cusp of society is so incredibly worth the peace that comes with it.  And, eventually, you will no longer care what those around you think or say or wonder about your "sheltered" life.

And, I dare say, you will be a better, happier person for the change.


*Yes, that has started in our house.  My hair may be a little thinner by the time we are finished with this exercise in adolescent reasoning.  Or, as I think, LACK of fully-thought-through-reasoning.

**Coincidence?  You know what I think!

***My side of the family.  Has its good and bad points.

****One of the biggest irritations of parenting, in my book.