You can't watch Star Trek! [awake! 1984 p. 13]Who Should Decide—Moviemakers or Parents?
Another director, Nicholas Meyer, “agrees that many movies are too gory. ‘Lots of movies are gratuitously violent. They pander to audiences—certainly, it’s a form of pornography.’” Then he was asked if he was concerned that children might be disturbed by the scorpion scene or by the sight of the bloody corpses in the movie Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan. His answer? “It’s a PG [Parental Guidance] movie. I never thought that either ‘Star Trek’ or ‘Time after Time’ should be seen by young children. . . . You can’t blame the film maker for the parents who don’t heed the rating system.”
That comment puts the responsibility where it should be—squarely on the shoulders of the parents. Do you as a parent take an active interest in the movies that your children watch, whether on TV or at the local cinema? Official film ratings are somewhat of a guide as to the moral content of a film, even though measured by present low standards. Film critiques published in the press are another way of knowing whether a film is suitable fare for your children. Do you check these opinions and the TV program résumé before allowing your child to see a film?
Just as a loving parent pays special attention to the food his child eats, making sure that nothing bad or poisoned gets into a meal, likewise care should be taken with regard to the kind of information and images being fed into a child’s mind. Much attention is being paid these days to having a healthy body; yet relatively little care is taken about the more vital factor of a healthy mind. As a consequence, hatred, violence and prejudice easily get ingrained into a youngster’s mind.
Jesus’ illustration of a loving father applies in this case: “Indeed, which father is there among you who, if his son asks for a fish, will perhaps hand him a serpent instead of a fish? Or if he also asks for an egg, will hand him a scorpion?” (Luke 11:11, 12) When it comes to choosing entertainment for your children, and even for yourself, do you make sure you do not end up with a “serpent” or a “scorpion”?
Remember that the apostle Paul’s wise counsel also applies to our entertainment: “Finally, brothers, whatever things are true, whatever things are of serious concern, whatever things are righteous, whatever things are chaste, whatever things are lovable, whatever things are well spoken of, whatever virtue there is and whatever praiseworthy thing there is, continue considering these things.” Or as The New English Bible concludes that verse: “Fill all your thoughts with these things.”—Philippians 4:8.
With this definition of what is upbuilding, there should be no room for gratuitous violence and horror in Christian entertainment. The decision whether to watch such films or not should be easy for the trained conscience and the conscientious parent.—Hebrews 5:14.
[Picture on page 14]
Is your child’s mind feeding on violence and horror?
[awake! 1992, p. 13] Will Man Ever Reach the Planets?
The famous American Star Trek films have whetted the appetite of millions for space travel. What are the future prospects for manned exploration of other planets? There are two perspectives to be taken into account—the human and the divine. After all, the Bible says that Jehovah is “the Maker of heaven and earth. As regards the heavens, to Jehovah the heavens belong, but the earth he has given to the sons of men.”—Psalm 115:15, 16; Genesis 1:1.
(*I'm going to barf in a minute!)
You can't watch Star Wars [awake! 1995, p. 6] Science Fiction Hits the “Big Screen”
Science-fiction films have been around since 1902 when Georges Méliès made the film A Trip to the Moon. A later generation of young moviegoers was mesmerized by Flash Gordon. But in 1968, one year before man landed on the moon, the film 2001: A Space Odyssey received artistic recognition and was a commercial success as well. Hollywood now began allotting huge budgets for science-fiction films.
By the late 1970’s and early 1980’s, such films as Alien, Star Wars, Blade Runner, and ET: The Extraterrestrial accounted for half of all U.S. box-office receipts. Indeed, science fiction provided one of the biggest hit movies of all time, Jurassic Park. Along with the film came an avalanche of some 1,000 Jurassic Park products. Not surprisingly, TV also jumped on the bandwagon. The popular show Star Trek spawned a number of programs about outer space.
Many feel, though, that by catering to popular demands, some science-fiction writers have compromised the qualities that gave science fiction a measure of value. German author Karl Michael Armer claims that ‘science fiction is now simply a popular trademark defined no longer by content but by marketing techniques.’ Others lament that the real “stars” of today’s science-fiction films are, not persons, but special effects. One critic even says that science fiction is “abominable and abysmal in so many of its manifestations.”
For example, many so-called science-fiction films are not really about science or the future at all. Futuristic settings are sometimes used merely as a backdrop for graphic violence. Writer Norman Spinrad observes that in many of today’s science-fiction stories, someone gets “shot, stabbed, vaporized, lased, clawed, devoured, or blasted.” In many films this mayhem is portrayed in horrifying detail!
Another area of concern is the supernatural element that is featured in a number of science-fantasy books and films. While some people may see such stories as nothing more than allegorical battles between good and evil, some of these works seem to go beyond allegory and promote spiritistic practices.
The Need for Balance
Of course, the Bible does not condemn imaginative entertainment as such. In Jotham’s parable of the trees, inanimate plants are pictured as talking to one another—even spinning plots and schemes. (Judges 9:7-15) The prophet Isaiah likewise used an imaginative device when he portrayed long-dead national rulers as carrying on a conversation in the grave. (Isaiah 14:9-11) Even some of Jesus’ parables contained elements that could not happen literally. (Luke 16:23-31) Such imaginative devices served not merely to entertain but to instruct and teach.
Some writers today may legitimately use a futuristic setting in order to instruct or entertain. Readers who are conscientious Christians keep in mind, though, that the Bible exhorts us to focus attention on things that are pure and wholesome. (Philippians 4:8) It also reminds us: “The whole world is lying in the power of the wicked one.” (1 John 5:19) Some science-fiction films and books serve as a platform for ideas and philosophies that are irreconcilable with the Bible, such as evolution, human immortality, and reincarnation. The Bible warns us not to become prey to “philosophy and empty deception.” (Colossians 2:8) So caution is in order when it comes to science fiction, as it is with all forms of entertainment. We should be selective about what we read or view.—Ephesians 5:10.
As mentioned earlier, many popular films are violent. Would our consuming a diet of gratuitous bloodshed be pleasing to Jehovah, of whom it is said: “Anyone loving violence His soul certainly hates”? (Psalm 11:5) And since spiritism is condemned in Scripture, Christians would want to exercise good judgment when it comes to books or films that feature such elements as magic or sorcery. (Deuteronomy 18:10) Realize too that whereas an adult may separate fantasy from reality with little difficulty, not all children can. Again, parents will therefore want to be observant as to how their children are affected by what they read and see.
Some may decide that they prefer other forms of reading and entertainment. But there is no need for such ones to be judgmental of others in this regard or to make issues over matters of personal choice.—Romans 14:4.
(*Get your flip-flop thongs out here!)
On the other hand, Christians who choose to enjoy various forms of fiction as an occasional diversion do well to remember Solomon’s warning: “To the making of many books there is no end, and much devotion to them is wearisome to the flesh.” (Ecclesiastes 12:12) Many in today’s world have clearly gone overboard in their devotion to science-fiction books and movies. Science-fiction clubs and conventions have proliferated. According to Time magazine, Star Trek fans on five continents have devoted themselves to learning the fictitious language Klingon, which was featured in Star Trek TV shows and movies. Such extreme behavior does not harmonize with the Bible’s counsel at 1 Peter 1:13: “Keep your senses completely [“keep balanced,” footnote].”
(*THIS IS JUST LAUGHABLE -- I'LL LAUGH SO HARD I WON'T BE ABLE TO BREATHE IN A MINUTE!!)
Even at its best, science fiction cannot satisfy man’s curiosity about what the future holds. Those who really want to know the future must turn to a source that is certain. We will discuss this in our next article.
STAR WARS
[watchtower 1983, p. 16] Science or Fiction?
Interest in extraterrestrial life has gained a tremendous popular following in recent years owing, in no small measure, to space travel, science fiction and the movie industry. Indeed, the two most popular motion pictures in history—Star Wars and E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial—are both on this subject. At the same time, costly scientific projects are going on in real earnest to find life and/or intelligence in outer space. The result is that for many people, especially the young, it is becoming increasingly harder to tell where science ends and where fiction begins. The existence of extraterrestrials and the possibility of communicating with and being influenced by them have crept into people’s consciousness subtly through the back door, as it were.
Commenting on this phenomenon, Jack Catran, a scientist in the space industry, writes in a Newsweek magazine article entitled “E.A. = Enough Already”: “Writers and moviemakers have the right to speculate on any scientific subject, but let’s call it what it is: science fiction, not science. And let’s label their objectives what they are: exploitation and sales, not education.” Surely, the Bible’s advice to distinguish between facts and what is “falsely called ‘knowledge’” is the course of wisdom.—1 Timothy 6:20.
YOU ARE NOT EVEN ALLOWED TO PLAY SPACE INVADERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
[awake! 1982, p. 16] What’s Happening With Video Games?
Many video-game arcades have grown out of onetime pinball parlors and pool halls. Though the sounds and sights are different, the atmosphere remains largely the same. Outbursts of bad language, fits of anger, screams and kicks when a player loses his game are common occurrences in such places. More seriously, however, Time magazine reports that “homosexual cruising is a problem in Amsterdam’s arcades. In Stockholm, the games are associated in the public mind with teen-age hoodlumism involving drugs, prostitution and illegal hard liquor.” When fourteen- and fifteen-year-olds are thrown into such an environment for hours on end, day after day, the results can be disastrous.
Well aware that many parents are becoming concerned over what the arcade video games can do to their children, enterprising manufacturers have turned out home versions of these and other computer games for children of all ages. While such home games may protect children from the undesirable elements at the arcades, the effect is largely the same. Besides, children soon find out that these are stripped-down, slower versions of the real thing. The lure of the arcade is as strong as ever.
To Play or Not to Play
Whether video games are here to stay or they will come and go as other fads have done, only time will tell. But the fact is that there is much more than meets the eye about these games. What starts out as innocent fun turns out to be an addictive, compulsive game that controls the players—mind and body. Responsible parents, therefore, must consider whether video games are suitable entertainment for their families, to what extent they will go if allowed to play them and whether the investments in time and money can be better used in other areas of family life. They would do well to acquaint themselves with the facts and decide what their families should do.
Pacman is Satanic! [watchtower 1983, p. 30] The Video-Game Craze
In recent years, a new fad has swept the world: video games. Each year, billions of dollars are poured into arcade machines, and billions more are spent on home video games. Are the games harmful? ‘No,’ say some. ‘They may even be beneficial.’ But they are banned in some lands, and local communities in other lands have tried to keep them out. Is this an overreaction?
Well, consider the kind of games that are played. Some are based on sports, but most are not. “The ultimate object of virtually all video games,” says the magazine Natural History, “is survival. In the space games you must shoot them before they shoot you. In the Pac ‘person’ genre, you eat them before they eat you. And in the comic character games, you assault the creature . . . before it assaults you.” Why is it the violent games that have caught the imagination? Historian Jack Colhoun feels: “These games are a product of our times.” We live in a violent world, and young people are trained to view violence as exciting rather than repugnant. Yet the Bible says: “Jehovah himself examines the righteous one as well as the wicked one, and anyone loving violence His soul certainly hates.”—Psalm 11:5.
The magazine Psychology Today indicates the harmful effect these games may have: “The video games . . . may not only be socially isolating but may actually encourage violence between people.” Young people can be especially harmed by such an influence. Hence, columnist John Rosemund insists: “Video games are junk food for the mind. The younger the mind, the more detrimental their effects.”
Video games may even be addictive. A university professor explained that addiction to video games is both physical and psychological. He said: “Players experience adrenaline rushes, elation and, finally, despair, as well as whole ranges of aggression and violent reactions.” A mother in England says this about the addiction of her 14-year-old son: “It is like having a teenage alcoholic in the house. These machines have corrupted him . . . He is like a caged animal if he can’t get to them.” An extreme case? Perhaps. But the widespread occurrence of “Pacman finger,” “Space Invader wrist tendinitis” and other game-related physical problems shows that addiction is not uncommon.
Youths naturally crave excitement and are fascinated by novelties. But how wise it is for Christian youths to be careful to let nothing prevent them from living “with soundness of mind and righteousness and godly devotion amid this present system of things”! (Titus 2:12) They thus will not allow the Deceiver to rob them of their time, or their mental and emotional energy, by getting them addicted to video games.
Some physical exercise, certain music, many games and various movies are entertaining and relaxing. But remember: Such things can also be a vehicle for unwholesome influences. Be alert and on guard against these. The Great Deceiver, Satan, may seem interested in your having a good time. But in the end, his influence will harm you. Do not let him into your home or into your life. “Oppose the Devil, and he will flee from you.”—James 4:7.