We’ve been thinking quite a bit about what our children read and watch lately. When our eldest two, now 26 and 23, were younger, it seems we were more discerning in what we brought into our home. Looking at our book and movie shelves, it’s apparent we’ve grown complacent somewhat, lulled into thinking that some of the books and movies we’ve allowed to creep in aren’t *that* bad, that there are some redeeming qualities about them. But deep down Paul and I know that isn’t the case. We’ve just grown lazy. The battle has been long and lonely and if truth be told, we’re weary.
In February, like countless other parents, we took our
children to see Disney’s newest release, Frozen. We’d like to be able to say that we didn’t
know what we were doing, that we were blindsided by the message it ultimately
portrayed, but the truth is, we knew. We
knew that it wouldn’t have passed the smell test in our home 20 years ago, but
we went anyway, and we went because we were looking for “something to do”, like
spoiled children who get into mischief when they have too much idle time on
their hands.
We’re not going to do a review of the movie itself, quite a bit has already been written and said about it by those in favour and against, but we are going to try to encourage you, Christian parent, to step back and ask yourself if what you’re bringing into your home and exposing your children to lines up with Psalm 101:3 and Philippians 4:8?
“I will set no wicked thing before mine eyes: I hate the work of them that turn aside; it shall not cleave to me.”
“Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.”
The degeneration of the arts over the past century or more is very evident and, in exceedingly large part, has contributed to the decay of Western civilization. In previous centuries, according to David Sloan in his Introduction to the book, A Landscape With Dragons, written by, Michael D. O’Brien, “fiction in the Western World wrestled with the issues of life and it always did so from the experience of Christianity”. He goes on to say that, “An author may have supported or attacked the faith, but he would always have to contend with it”. He continues, “That world is rapidly changing. Beginning in the late nineteenth century and gaining momentum in the early part of this century, a new yet ancient force began to press in to displace Christian principles from the realm of literature. That force is paganism.” We couldn’t agree more, and increasingly so since “A Landscape With Dragons” was first published back in 1994.
We Christians ought to be extremely discerning and selective concerning what we feed our minds and those of our children. If you’re like us and have grown somewhat weary of swimming upstream, can we just encourage you to take stock of the consequences of complacency? Our children have been entrusted to us by God, we’ve been commanded to raise them up in the fear and admonition of the Lord, not under the spell of pagan deceit. This isn’t the time to cave in to our weariness, but to renew our vision and to put feet to same. We’re in. How about you?
In addition to the book mentioned above, we'd also like to recommend, Apostate, by Kevin Swanson. "This book faces head-on the spiritual forces that levelled a full-out attack on the Christian faith in the Western World... It is the story of apostasy on a massive scale. But it is also a story of hope and victory for the last men standing in the ashes of Western civilization. It will be a testimony to the inevitable triumph of Jesus Christ over the great men of renown who picked the wrong fight in the history of the West."
We’re not going to do a review of the movie itself, quite a bit has already been written and said about it by those in favour and against, but we are going to try to encourage you, Christian parent, to step back and ask yourself if what you’re bringing into your home and exposing your children to lines up with Psalm 101:3 and Philippians 4:8?
“I will set no wicked thing before mine eyes: I hate the work of them that turn aside; it shall not cleave to me.”
“Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.”
The degeneration of the arts over the past century or more is very evident and, in exceedingly large part, has contributed to the decay of Western civilization. In previous centuries, according to David Sloan in his Introduction to the book, A Landscape With Dragons, written by, Michael D. O’Brien, “fiction in the Western World wrestled with the issues of life and it always did so from the experience of Christianity”. He goes on to say that, “An author may have supported or attacked the faith, but he would always have to contend with it”. He continues, “That world is rapidly changing. Beginning in the late nineteenth century and gaining momentum in the early part of this century, a new yet ancient force began to press in to displace Christian principles from the realm of literature. That force is paganism.” We couldn’t agree more, and increasingly so since “A Landscape With Dragons” was first published back in 1994.
We Christians ought to be extremely discerning and selective concerning what we feed our minds and those of our children. If you’re like us and have grown somewhat weary of swimming upstream, can we just encourage you to take stock of the consequences of complacency? Our children have been entrusted to us by God, we’ve been commanded to raise them up in the fear and admonition of the Lord, not under the spell of pagan deceit. This isn’t the time to cave in to our weariness, but to renew our vision and to put feet to same. We’re in. How about you?
In addition to the book mentioned above, we'd also like to recommend, Apostate, by Kevin Swanson. "This book faces head-on the spiritual forces that levelled a full-out attack on the Christian faith in the Western World... It is the story of apostasy on a massive scale. But it is also a story of hope and victory for the last men standing in the ashes of Western civilization. It will be a testimony to the inevitable triumph of Jesus Christ over the great men of renown who picked the wrong fight in the history of the West."
What exactly is the problem with "Frozen?"
ReplyDeleteThanks for asking. :-)
ReplyDeleteThe problem with Frozen is pretty much the same problem with most every Disney movie in the past 25 years; the sorcery/witchcraft which is portrayed as ok, or even good and to be celebrated, the seductive attire on the young woman/women, and in this particular movie, the lyrics to the popular, "Let It Go" fly in the face of every biblical standard. There's more, but that was enough to do it for us.