the slow numb

• Author: Brad
• Filed under: culture, media, movies, social issues, television
• Date: Feb 4,2009

Jonathan Leeman of 9Marks is reviewing chapter-by-chapter, the new Crossway book, Worldliness, edited by C.J. Mahaney. Today, he reviewed chapter 2 entitled, “God, My Heart, and the Media,” written by Craig Cabaniss. He has some great reflections on the chapter:

…media makes up the continual background of many of our lives, and he [Cabaniss] provokes one to ask whether or not we’re aware of all the assumptions that are slowly filtering into our hearts and minds as we imbibe thoughtlessly imbibe the media.

…many Christians take care to avoid the more explicit moments in movies…Yet we often don’t give a second thought to the fact that entire storylines are premised upon, not just secular, but sinful worldviews…

And when we let storylines undergirded with these kinds of worldviews comprise our “entertainment,” our “down-time,” our “rest,” there’s an effect: “Filling our minds with these media deceptions dulls our sensitivity to God’s holy hatred for sin” (Cabaniss, 53).

Leeman notes that Cabaniss lists several pages of questions to ask of our hearts about one’s media viewing. Here are the ones Leeman reprinted (57-59):

“Why do I want to watch this program or film? What do I find entertaining about it?”
“Am I seeking to escape from something i should be facing by watching this? Am I seeking comfort or relief that can be found only in God?”
“What sinful temptations will this program or film present?”
“Do I secretly want to view something in it that’s sinful?”
“Am I watching because I’m bored or lazy? If so, what does that reveal about my heart?”