Recently, I was having a conversation with some friends where we lamented the fact that so many Christians, including many within our own church, are comfortable with not just watching, but publicly endorsing Game of Thrones (GoT). For the record, I have never watched an episode of GoT, for reasons that will follow. Therefore, if in anything I speak inaccurately, please feel free to correct me. Even though this series is over, the topic is highly relevant to all forms of entertainment.
Pornography is Sinful
Most Christians I know would be very adamant about saying they do not believe that willfully watching pornography is something that a faithful disciple of Jesus would do. After all, it was Jesus who said that a man, even looking at a woman with lust for her, is committing the act of adultery with her in his heart (Matthew 5:27-28). Furthermore, anyone familiar with Jesus’s teachings would know never to interpret His teachings in such a way as to not look into the very heart of the principle that He was expounding.
Certainly pornography could be, and is, a struggle that many Christians (unfortunately, if not most) war against, and at times succumb to. However, to willfully and unrepentantly indulge in sexual stimulation and pornographic imagery is something very few Christians would endorse. After all, it was by the authority of Jesus Christ that the Apostle Paul, inspired by the Holy Spirit, wrote very clearly, “For this is the will of God, your sanctification; that is, that you abstain from sexual immorality” (I Thessalonians 4:8). In a Christian Church constantly in search of God’s will, it doesn’t get much more clear than that.
Do You Understand?
So, I ask my fellow Christians, why is it that so many of you are okay with watching GoT? If the descriptions I’ve heard of this show, from Christian and non-Christian alike, are even remotely on par with its reality, what on earth justifies a disciple of Jesus Christ filling their eyes and their minds with overflowing sexuality? How is that not being conformed to the pattern of this world? How is that possibly being renewed in the spirit of your mind (Romans 12:1-2)? Has our fear of legalism led you into blatant disobedience? Has our understanding of grace led you into a twisted license to sin (Jude 1:4, Romans 6:1-2)? I don’t understand.
Or, is watching vast amounts of explicitly naked image bearers performing (or pretending to perform) sexual acts not equivalent to porn? Is viewing acts of sexual immorality committed by others okay as long as we don’t do those acts ourselves? Is covering our eyes and turning our heads really fleeing sexual immorality (I Corinthians 6:18)? Does your heart not weep as you are entertained by those who are slaves to sin and death committing acts of rebellion?
Christian, forgive my bluntness, but how on earth are you fine with being entertained by a mockery of God’s good creation of sex? How, my dear brothers and sisters, do you find it acceptable to indulge in watching, episode after episode, a show that demonstrates such willful disregard for the body of your neighbor? Or, perhaps the worst of it was in Season 1? Can you ignore that reality? Can you justify your endorsement? Will your support for the show not encourage your fellow Christians to take the full GoT journey? I don’t understand.
But is it Really Porn?
So the big question: Is watching shows like GoT really equivalent to watching porn? The world (aka Webster) defines pornography as, “the depiction of erotic behavior (as in pictures or writing) intended to cause sexual excitement.” The details I have are sparse, but with all sincerity, my dear Christian, do you really think that the producers are not intending to cause sexual excitement with this material? They are in the business of attracting and seducing us. Just what do you think is their motivation in parading naked people in front of your eyes?
Is it just art? Is it just for the good of the story? Or, is it porn? Soft-core or really soft-core, who cares?!? Is it porn? This isn’t like reading of David and Bathsheba. This isn’t like reading about Israel’s spiritual adultery. This is being entertained by sin, not reading a description of it. Finally, does Webster hold ultimate authority on what defines what is pornographic or does Jesus Christ, whom belongs all authority in heaven and on earth, get to define that?
What would He say? What does He say? Read your Bibles and tell me, my brothers, my sisters, what does God’s Word say? Are you satisfied with your defense for watching GoT? Can you read Matthew 5 and be satisfied? Can you meditate on Psalm 101 and be content? Can you memorize I Corinthians 6 and sit there being entertained in peace? I don’t understand.
The Speck In Your Eye
But, then again, maybe I do. I know of many things in my past that make me tremble and weep for the obvious nature of those sinful actions. By God’s grace, He has given light to those areas—one time, the most influential, was by the means of a very blunt rebuke from a loving heart. By His grace, He has further aligned my conscience to His will. I’m sure that there are areas where this is still needed. If you see them, I beg you to tell me! If I am blind, let your eyes bring light! For the glory of Christ, I beseech you to expose clearly sinful areas in my life!
But Christian, my friend, my brother, my sister, my dearly beloved, I see sin. I see it clearly. I see it black and white. I see it beyond a mere issue of conscience. I see it clear as day. I will love you as myself. I will tell you what I see. I see you soaking in the spirit of the age. I see you indulging the desires of the flesh. I see you besmirching the name of Jesus Christ, our very master who purchased us with His blood. Christian, I see you watching pornography with complete disregard for the will of God. May God awaken your conscience. May you repent. May you rest in His grace. May you love me enough to show me the logs in my own eye as I tell you the speck in your own. But, forgive me, the speck I see is hideous.
Notes
Image by Iris, Helen, silvy from Pixabay
Further Reading
Moore Thinking 
Amen. I’ve never watched this show either. I’ve heard about it and that was enough to make me feel sick. I’ve also asked those same questions…..how do christians watch things like that? How do christians want to be entertained by things that God calls sin? I think the more we grow in Christ , obviously we should keep changing more and more. We should be constantly conformed more and more to His image. It seems like christians don’t want God to have access to their “entertainment”. As christians, no part of our lives should be off limits to the Lord. He knows . He sees it all. I get a lot of flack for being very cautious about what I watch , listen to etc. I’d rather be cautious and not expose myself and others to garbage. I remember when I was a teenager , there was a show I used to watch. It was very tame compared to the shows these days. It had verbal innuendo in it though. I think a lot of it went over my head, but some of it, well I caught the meaning. I became a Christian at 19 & fast forward through the years to now….I saw a DVD set of the show I used to watch as a teen. I was tempted to buy it, until I remembered about all the innuendo. Long story short( well none of my stories are short LOL) , but I didn’t buy it. If u would’ve told me years ago that I’d willingly walk away from the show, I’d have said you’re crazy. Simply put, I love Jesus more than anything in this world. I count my losses as gain. I’ve got much better than worldly crap. I’ve got the Lord.
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Absolutely! I think that our entertainment can really be a sneaky path for sin to get a foot in the door. I think it is important to understand that many times it will be a matter of personal conscience as to whether this or that is okay to watch, but I fear too many people just watch whatever with very little reflection about how their entertainment choices relate to their discipleship. I know I’ve watched shows that, looking back, I can’t even believe I tolerated, so I do hope that more Christians wake up to what they are willing to watch.
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