actually a few questions. in fact, ALOT. in 2 main categories.
which have been burning inside me for quite some time now.
nagging.
pestering.
boiling.
raging.
QUESTION NUMBER ONE is..
u see, i have friends in the showbiz industry. in particular, modelling, miss singapore universe runner upping, and singapore idol second runner upping.
so i have been thinking,
- WHAT'S it like for a Christian to be in the showbiz industry? i know its possible, but..
- WHAT are the boundaries?
- IF u were a Christian and miss singapore universe, is it biblically possible to appear scantily clad on the cover of 8 Days? or,
- IF u were a Christian model/actor/actress, and were told to do a kissing scene, is it wrong?
do u go ahead? or do u say no? what if ur miss singapore universe and have no choice but to wear the bikini anyway? or ur a model and have to do those suggestive poses. do u have to quit the job? and then all miss singapore universes and models have to be non-Christian?
ok. very random. was just releasing the buzzing bees in my head.
QUESTION NUMBER TWO is..
about music. we all listen to, but of course not dwell on, secular music. but, are there boundaries? my musical influences are wide and varied, and although i know the difference between satanic, secular, christians-in-a-secular-band, christian bands, and worship songs,
- ARE there genres that are totally no-no? genres like, say, growling howling deathmetal?
- WHAT IF they are Christian-themed growling howling wailing?
sorry, alot of WHAT IFs, i know. but these have been at the back of my mind for quite some time already: QUESTIONS regarding the BOUNDARIES of a Christian - we are to go into the world and preach the gospel, but is there actually a limit?
i sincerely hope we can share our views here, and discuss the topic openly so that we can all benefit from the clarity of the conclusion.
thank u for ur time!
6 comments:
Question one
1) In my own opinion, it is extremely challenging to be christian in the showbiz industry because of the values of the industry itself. look what happen to britney spears. however, it is not entirely impossible. if you ask me what it is like? i guess it is the same as you are in church as you are in the industry. that should be the way of true christians. i guess you just have to bear with a lot of persecutions, temptations and persevere on.
2)boundaries? same as any other boundaries in the typical workplace.
3)biblically, the bible doesn't explicitly say anything about appear scantily clad, i think. however, i believe the principle of not stumbling others and glorifying God with your body applies. So i think it's a NO.
4)it is not technically wrong. but same thing. does it stumble others ? does it glorify God? what kind of values are you promoting when you do the kissing scene? you get the drift.
Question two
1) that depends on the origins and influence of the genre. demonic and ungodly genre are definitely no no.
in fact i think some people will go as far to analyze the lyrics to see if they are edifying and what kind of subconscious influence it will have on you. you know...those love songs sometimes tend to shape you into a person who desires romantic love more than love for God is also not encouraged.
2)my personal opinion is NO. It seems that the person singing such howling growling music is engrossed with the form of music rather than the meaning of worship. it is man centric rather than God centric. Christians should be meek, just as our Lord is meek. Such music and meekness just doesn't go well together. That's just my own opinion.
thx for sharing ur comments and views.. :)
QUESTION 1
ok, so ppl in showbiz have to avoid these notsorighteous stuff.. like how u choose not to do kissing scenes or suggestive shoots.
but what about say, beauty pageants, where everyone has to wear swimsuits and showcase their bodies. does that mean all christians cannot join beauty pageants? can we glorify the Lord through beauty pageants? hmm.
QUESTION 2
we know that worship should be all about God, and 'christian' music should be accurate in portraying his character. that, no problem.
i think the key importance is knowing our God well. what is his character like? what values does the Bible promote? then we can know what kind of song content is acceptable, which values are wrong and whatnot. we may listen to secular songs but we know what are the wrong values, and what should be right.
but what about in the secular context, ie. not talking about worship or christian songs. is screamy growly music wrong as a whole, collectively? what if there are a group of christian guys in this genre who want to sing about the right values, albeit in an extreme way? can they do it, or is it totally wrong? is this better than no-meaning, wrong-valued love songs?
sorry ah, not meant to sound argumentative, but just wanting to explore these seemingly grey areas and seek clarity. :)
may the Lord grant us wisdom.
With regards to showbiz, we must first recognise that this is an industry that was created without the consideration for Godliness and holiness. So when you try to put on God into the picture, obviously you are going to have problems. The nature of the industry in one that is man-centred and profit driven. Even many shows with good values are done that way only because the producers can make money from it.
So to approach this question, we must first ask ourselves what are Godly values and then decide what is permissible. Can we glorify God through beauty pageants? Well, my most instinctive response is no. Look at how beauty pageants are organised today. They are at best superficial. What are they celebrating? Outward appearance, slim figure, etc. Is it wrong to celebrate all these? No it's not. But it becomes unbiblical when you kind of suggest that this is the standard that we have to follow.
Yes, we need to see more people who are strong christians in the media and entertainment industry so that it can be transformed into what God meant for it to be. But it certainly is not easy. I'm not saying therefore it should not be done. But seriously, I am not sure we have seen many who are survivors or influencers. I would think that Gurmit Singh is one. But they are far too few.
Would you think it is ok for a pastor to act in a kissing scene? Why yes, why not? If yes, can you say that is what you are encouraging your people to follow in? We are all called to be pastors over our schools, workplaces etc. What does it mean for us then? What kind of examples do we set? What would you think if one day I take part in Mr Singapore and wear a swimming trunks that is so small it shows of my butt crack and so low it is almost repulsive?
Then ask yourself, what would Jesus have done? How did he respond to the values and pressures of society of this time when he was one earth? How should we respond today?
it is true, the entertainment industry is sad. it is a depressing battle. i wonder if it is possible at all that it can be revived. actually, nothing is impossible with God. just, hard, i guess. faith! pray for our media!
and as i said, this concerned question of mine arose becuz of a particular friend i know, who is said to be a "strong" christian and was somehow involved in the miss singapore universe pageant and came out runner up. and swimsuity and all. and so the question crossed my mind. yeah. :)
hmm, ur views on the screamy secular music with christian ideas in the lyrics?
e.g.
lyrical excerpt from a metal band with 'christians' in it:
only You know my pain inside
You've been there when no one else could be
when tears fall from my eyes i know that You are always there
no matter what's in my heart, You are the One who cares
when i doubt, You stand by me
so i'm not ashamed to say the way i feel
i love You, You are my Everything
as compared to:
oops, i did it again
i played with you heart
Hmm.... I guess we have to make a distinction between secular songs with christian lyrics and christian praise and worship songs. For example, many country folk songs have the word Jesus in them and speak about relying on God, eg Jesus Take the Wheel by Carrie Underwood. However, are they songs written with the intention for worship? They might not.
In this context, I don't get it how a screamy (in the death metal way) song with christian lyrics can be used to worship God. Songs with rock beats are ok. But if you tell me that singing christian lyrics in a black sabbath bay amounts to glorifying God, I will be very hardpressed to accept that. I mean, if I were to tell you I love you and care for you in a scolding and shouting voice will you be convinced of my heart for you? I believe that the outward expression has to match the intention.
So do we stay away from most songs then? Well, I would think so since most songs do not portray the right biblical values we should live by. Then again, it is not such a compromise when you realise that most songs are not written with glorifying God in mind. We should not try to fit God into our culture and society. Rather, we should ask ourselves how we can live a holy life in an unholy world.
Of course, we do not have to be so paranoid as to turn off the radio each time a song is played. I think it is one thing to listen to a song, and another to indulge in it. It is one thing to appreciate good vocals and melodies, and another to idolise the people who sing the songs. We should not cut ourselves off from popular culture as it is important to remain relevant. Having said that, fill yourselves with holy things and you will be holy. Fill yourself with constant singing of heartbreaks and sex and you get exactly that.
Therefore, it is important to be discerning when you listen to songs. Fill your mind with the right things. Many songs are written out of heartfelt experiences, of a loss or some form of love. They are not necessary bad. For example, is it wrong to write a love song to your wife or girlfriend? I don't think so. But when it becomes a song that is written by a singer who has gone in and out of relationships, living a promiscuous life, I do wonder what kind of spirit the song is influenced by. Certainly not the holy kind. Songs like How Deep Is Your Love, You Needed Me, My Heart Will Go etc... I think they are perfectly fine.
And so are many others. I think the important thing is to ask God for wisdom to discern the spirit behind the song. If you ask me, music was created chiefly for worship unto God. But did God limit it to that and does he frown on us using music to write about our personal experiences? I think our God is a lot bigger than that.
secular it is. ok. established. i guess the whole screamgrowl genre is an extreme form of expression. a tricky genre it is. one must tread carefully in this arena. because sometimes even the seemingly 'christian' lyrics may be off tangent or are of a questionable spirit. it really calls again for knowing our God well. are the characteristics of God biblical? do the values contradict the attributes of Christ?
i agree that in a secular context, it is ok to write a song about instances surronding your life. e.g. a 'christian' metalcore song talks about the singer's close friend dying abruptly by accident and he is a non-believer and it shocks the singer into reality and he conveys a challenge to the listener about the urgency of our loved ones' salvation. excerpt: "in a time of quietness i reflect on childhood memories..words spoken were not cherished on the last day of our friendship and those words were possibly the last..i awaken to a nightmare after a gentle nudge i find out you're gone..did you ask Him to forgive you before you passed on..i hope you are with Jesus"
the lyrics are definitely not about God or worship, but talk about issues that happen around his life with a christian perspective. he has another song dedicated to his mother and her sacrifices and undying love.
hmm, interesting..?
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