Weekly Resources, Ideas and Articles from The Source for Youth Ministry
Tuesday, February 24, 2009

Years ago I wrote an article about using discernment with our media choices as parents and youth workers. Since then, my kids have grown older and I have gained some new insight (as well as numerous grey hairs). The following is a total "revamp" of that article. -Jonathan



Yes ... it's true. My son Alec and I recently watched the 'R' rated The Last Samurai together. But I won't let him watch the PG-13 rated Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist.

Nick & Norah's?

Sure, this was a really well done film. But think about it: hookups, non-stop sensuality, orgasms, graphic sexual references and crude humor... is this really what you want your kids watching? And more importantly, is PG-13 or R really the line you want to use when discerning what to let your kids watch?

So how do we know what films are appropriate to show to our families? What about our church youth group? Or what's appropriate for a married couple watching a film together?

WHAT LINE DO YOU USE?
First, let me warn you that I love movies. Any of my close friends know that if they go see a movie with me I usually give the run-down on who directed it, the director's past films, and the history of many of the actors. I studied film in college and I have even dinked around filming a few shorts. But it's difficult being a movie-lover in today's world. Films that the critics rave about like Sideways and Eyes Wide Shut are so often filled with graphic sex scenes and other superfluous garbage. Some people argue that it's okay to watch these films as "art." I won't judge these people, but I have trouble agreeing.

Most people would agree a line exists somewhere in the expanse between Michelangelo's "David" and pornography. But where is that line drawn? And more importantly, what standard do we use to draw that line?

Some people are upset about the violence in film. But can we "rubber stamp" a film as violent? Can you put films like Saving Private Ryan, Glory or even The Passion in the same category as Sin City or Kill Bill? Should we edit or avoid the violence in the Bible? (Matthew is fine, but avoid I and II Kings!)

Some like to use the MPAA rating system as a guide for what we can watch. Pardon my candor... but that's just ignorant. What about the raunchy, sexually explicit film Don't Mess With the Zohan? Are we to allow our kids to see PG-13 films like this, but not the R-rated Saving Private Ryan? I'm surprised how often Christians make the 'R' rating, a secular rating system based on secular morals, their line.

And what about TV? I'd rather my high school aged son watch the R-rated Gladiator than any 5 minutes of a rerun of TV's Two and a Half Men. And that is Sesame Street compared to the average programming on MTV. I watch MTV twice a year, their two award shows (when the kids are asleep), just to keep up with youth culture. Every year I think I'm prepared for the content I'll see... but it never ceases to shock me.

If you've never taken a peek at the channel for yourself, maybe you don't realize just how bad it is. The Parents Television Council (PTC) released a study, "MTV Smut Peddlers: Targeting Kids with Sex, Drugs and Alcohol," which examined the programming content of 171 hours of MTV "Spring Break" coverage between March 20-27, 2004. Overall, there were 1,548 sexual scenes (3,056 sex depictions or nudity and 2,881 verbal sexual references) and 1,518 unedited (3,127 bleeped) profanities. The PTC released a report four years later, in 2008, against MTV and BET claiming they were "assaulting children" with "offensive and adult content." According to their 21 page report, during their rap music programming there were 1,342 instances of offensive/adult content in a mere 14 hours of programming analyzed. (That's 95.8 instances per hour... one every 38 seconds.) Letting our kids watch this kind of TV is pimping them out to some of the lowest filth the world has to offer. (More about MTV shows here)

So how do we draw the line when discerning what to watch?

DRAWING THE LINE
So, if the MPAA isn't our guideline, what is? Scripture, like Ephesians 5, offers some great parameters.


Jonathan McKee, president of The Source for Youth Ministry, is the author of numerous youth ministry books including the brand new 10-Minute Talks, and the award winning books Do They Run When They See You Coming? and Getting Students to Show Up. He speaks and trains at camps, conferences, and events across North America, and provides free resources for youth workers internationally on his website, TheSource4YM.com.

Episode #23 (2/21/2009)


Listen to it now for free on iTunes! (CLICK HERE) Or, if you don't have iTunes already... jump on Apple's web page for a free download, then click on our podcast page.


Walt: We need to see ourselves as cross cultural missionaries. So, a BIG SIN is when youth workers fail to see themselves as cross cultural missionaries. We don't just have to know the Word, we have to know the world, changing kids and their changing world. So, youth workers have to be about the business of knowing what those kids are swimming in everyday.

Jonathan: It's funny, cause if someone goes to China, of course they would engage in six months of study. But youth work, they're like, "Hey, I live here. I don't need to study."

Walt: Yeah. Actually, if you go to China it's going to be a lot more than six months, language and culture. And the problem is, if we don't see it as cross cultural missions work, we can have a calling, we can have a great knowledge of the message we're communicating, but if we don't know our audience, we can communicate that message clearly to us, but they never hear it. It falls on deaf ears because they don't have categories for it, they don't understand it, or we don't bring the truths of God's Word and that wonderful life-giving message, to bear on the realities that exist.

I remember Francis Schaeffer said, "If we don't understand our calling as cross cultural missionaries, not just in youth ministry, but people in general, we are only beating the air" when we go to speak to truth. You know, we're out there throwing stuff out, but nobody can hear. We speak to a world that no longer exists.

Jonathan: Let me be the Devil's advocate, or as my wife says, "a pain in the butt." What about the person that comes up and says, "We don't need to know all this crud that's out there in the world, all we need to know is the Word of God and if we know that..." and then some people will actually elaborate enough to even share the illustration of the Secret Service, how, when it comes to counterfeiting, they only need to study the US currency, and if they know that US currency, then they're able to spot that counterfeit. They don't study the hundreds of counterfeits out there; they only know the real thing, and so that way, they can spot a counterfeit. And then they'll say, "In the same way, we just need to know the Bible and then when we go out there that's all we need."

Does that conflict with what you're saying?

Walt: I remember the first time that I heard that—and I've heard it probably like you have, cause you talk about culture—dozens and dozens of times, if not hundreds. And it drives me nuts because it really is a horrible analogy, because it does break down for them. Because what the Secret Service is looking for is the counterfeit.

Jonathan: Yeah.

Walt: And they have to know the truth to be able to look at the counterfeit to know that it's not real.

Jonathan: Sure.

Walt: But they have to look at the counterfeit. And part of what Secret Service people will do, is like at my local Kmart, they'll sometimes swipe a bill with some sort of a magic marker, and hold it up to the light. And I don't know what they're doing there, but they're looking at it, and they're comparing, and they're working to understand. Those Kmart clerks were taught what the truth is and what lies are. Isn't that what we want to do with our kids? You know, I want to be able to talk to my own four kids and say, "Here's the truth, here are the lies." To expose the lies, I need to know the truth. But I need to know the lies, too.

Jonathan: Yeah, but wouldn't they argue, "Well you only need to know the truth because then you'll be able to recognize the lies."

Walt: Well, in a way, that's true, but you're still looking at the lie.

Jonathan: Sure, and when they come, you have to say "Oh look, here's a common lie we're seeing."

Walt: Exactly. And part of my responsibility as a dad and someone in youth ministry, and everyone who's listening who is in youth ministry, is to say to kids, "Here's the truth, and here's how it shines on the lies of your world."


Episode Highlights:

• Learn how to develop a biblical theology of faith and culture
• Learn why Brandon no longer wears his nose ring
• Hear why Walt calls youth culture "the soup kids are swimming in today"
• Take an in-depth look at problems with self-esteem and depression, and their dangerous side effects

Many people get led astray by searches. I've seen it happen frequently. Someone pops on our website searches for the word "crowdbreakers" and the search will come up empty. They'll think, "Oh, there are no crowdbreakers here!" and leave. It's a shame. We have tons of "crowdbreakers"... we just call them games and icebreakers.

Similarly, people will type in the words "Bible lessons." We have a ton... but we rarely use the word "Bible lessons." We might use "talks" or "discussions" instead. If you look on our MOVIE CLIP DISCUSSIONS, or MUSIC DISCUSSIONS, or our CURRICULUM page (all from the FREE RESOURCES & IDEAS drop down menu on the top of the page) you will find a gold mine of studies and discussions that really dig into God's Word, provide small group questions, etc.

If people really want a game, they should access our game page from the FREE RESOURCES & IDEAS dropdown menu. We even offer a custom game search on that page that is amazing. If people want "Bible Lessons" using movie clips as a jumpstarter, they should acces our MOVIE CLIP DISCUSSIONS page from the FREE RESOURCES & IDEAS drop down menu. That provides a ton of these "lessons" divided by topic.

But this is the "Google" generation. People want a search bar. I don't blame them. Sometimes we are searching for a narrow topic. It would be handy to search our entire site for anything about "integrity."

Our web guy, Anthony, has been working hard on this new SEARCH feature for months now. We've tried to work out the bugs and fine tuning so it will help you find what you're looking for.

Enjoy!

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