Horror movies and being a Christ-follower: How do they go together?

With a brother several years older than myself, I started watching horror movies when I was quite young.  Friday the 13th, Nightmare on Elm Street, Texas Chainsaw Massacre; you name it.  It surprised me that, even when I got older, disturbing images from these films still were very vivid in my mind and sometimes came to me at moments when they were less than useful!

I simply decided that I didn't want this kind of stuff in my brain.  So at some point in my 20s, I stopped watching horror films and haven't looked back.

My motive was largely practical.  I don't think I fully processed through the spiritual implications of watching these movies.  For that reason, I thought it would be good to quote those who have.  Below is an article I found online that does a good job at looking at the issues that a Christian faces concerning the implications of watching horror films.

I do not have an agenda here.  I picked this one particularly because it doesn't come down fully on the "don't watch them" or the "who cares?" side.  That I believe is the freedom of the believer in Christ.  We each interact with our Savior individually and therefore can seek him for clarity that may or may not apply to others.

Here is the article from 412teens.org:

Should a Christian Watch Scary Movies/Horror Films?

Over the last hundred years, movies have moved from being a curious and magical novelty to something so ingrained in mainstream culture that to have never seen a movie is similar to having never ridden in a car or touched a computer. And over that period of time, movies have become not just a tool for mindless entertainment, but also a tool for spreading messages—both positive and negative. Healthy and unhealthy. Storytelling is a powerful tool for things deeper than just "entertainment" and often reflects some grain of truth from Romans 1:18-21 about the hearts of men.

The Point of Horror

A horror movie is, by definition, a story that produces "an intense feeling of fear, shock, or disgust." Scary stories that would fall into the horror category have always been around, tailored to their cultures of origin. Many classical fairy tales (which are just as brutal, if not more so, than a lot of today's "horror") were told to teach lessons to children, or to discourage wrongdoing.

But with people becoming more and more desensitized, something that used to be considered a nightmares standard might now be used as a cheap thrill that's tame enough for a TV commercial. As such, it is harder to shock an audience that has grown up around stylized carnage and a less solid standard of good and evil, right and wrong.

Horror tries to shock people in a variety of ways: gratuitous gore, psychological terrors (What's around the corner? Is there actually a monster in the house?), spiritual warfare, or even just jump-out-of-your-seat scenes that make the audience hit the ceiling from an adrenaline rush of fear. Often the shock is there for the shock itself—not for any grand, overarching point.

That's not to say that you can't learn anything from a horror movie, but you should still exercise discernment when watching or reading or playing anything.

Should Christians watch horror movies?

As Christians, we should be extremely aware that "our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places" (Ephesians 6:12). We know that very real demons are out to "steal, kill and destroy" (John 10:10). Satan and his servants are trying to trip us up at any chance they get; spiritual warfare is not a subject to be taken lightly.

Regardless of what type of decision we're making—whether it be about life or media choices—we must always listen to what the Holy Spirit is saying to us through our conscience. Is He saying, "No, don't watch that"? Then don't! Are you not sure if the Holy Spirit is saying no? Then it would be safer to avoid whatever it is you're wondering about, just to be on the safe side—at least until you have a clearer answer. Nothing is worth stifling God's voice (1 Thessalonians 5:19; Ephesians 4:30)!

Secondly, have your parents told you no? Then no matter of what movies you think are okay, you are to respect and obey their decision (Ephesians 6:1-3).

How can I have discernment about horror movies?

As we grow in our faith, we should become increasingly more sensitive to sin and evil. We are supposed to be different, standing out as beacons of light in a dark, sin-filled world (1 Thessalonians 2:12). We should keep our minds on "whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute" (Philippians 4:8).

That said, there are some who can still find the things listed in Philippians 4:8 in horror/scary films. There are movies that fall under the category of "horror" that show more truth and ask deeper questions than one might expect. Some horror films even come from Christian filmmakers, either using their unique view on the world to reach a different audience that may not otherwise be exposed to God's Truth or to show the reality of struggles that a lot of other Christian media won't touch. We all know that life is not always a happy and uplifting romantic comedy; sometimes darker stories are needed to portray a certain message.

In the end, you know yourself best.

For some people, they need to avoid superfluous scares because they struggle with fear enough as is;

they don't need any additional stimulant in that area. If horror and scary movies will affect you in a way that makes you go against your morals and conscience or makes it more difficult to rest in God's secure embrace or even leads you to search for a way to justify watching them, then STEP AWAY.

If you decide to give these types of films a shot, check your motives, check your heart, and if possible, do your research. Be aware that very few review websites will ever be completely accurate, and all are biased, even if slightly, one way or the other. Know your own limitations. Know your weaknesses. Ask God for guidance. Perhaps you are one of those who will find horror movies to your personal edification.

"Test yourselves to see if you are in the faith; examine yourselves! Or do you not recognize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you—unless indeed you fail the test?" —2 Corinthians 13:5

Men can't control themselves: True?

The author of The Prisoner of Zenda wrote a prequel called The Heart of Princess Osra.  Basically, every chapter follows the life of a different man who falls in love with Princess Osra.  Every one of them either must leave the country or die because her beauty has driven them mad with love.  In one case a man, who has disguised himself as a soldier to get close to her, ultimately decides to kill the princess so that honest men will no longer suffer because of her beauty.  He, of course, can’t do it, but instead dies to protect the Princess.  After this Osra asks the King to make her a nun so “that she might trouble honest men no more.”

This is an entertaining story to read, but is a pack of lies for girls.  Let me address five myths:

Myth #1: Men can’t control themselves.

Bull.  There are men who don’t control themselves, but that’s true of anyone, right?  What you wear, or how you look, doesn’t make a guy do anything.  In the Christian world we talk about girls causing guys “to stumble” by wearing clothing that might cause them to lust.  Girls don’t cause this.  This is important because lots of girls feel ashamed of themselves when they have been violated (physically or verbally or by text etc.) by a guy.  There is part of them that feels like they caused it or “asked” for it.  I’d like to drive 100mph on the highway because it would be a thrill, but I choose not to do it.  But, if I did, and got a ticket, I can’t say “movies with chase scenes” made me do it.  If a guy blamed you for a violation of his, he is lying. 

There is another side this coin: how you look does have impact.  Here's a post where I addressed this.

Are you ever surprised by your anger or anxiety?

Are you ever surpsied by yourself?  As in: not in a good way.

Does anger flare up at things that other people don't necessarily get angry about?

Does anxiety incapacitate you over things that others are able to handle normally?

Recently I listened to a psychologist, Dr. Steven Marmer, who had some interesting insights about these.  Here's what he suggested.

Nearly everyone of us has been hurt, betrayed, or slighted in life.  It's just the way life is.  Whether you've had terrible parents, wonderful parents, or no parents, they probably have hurt you.  Friends hurt us, relatives hurt us, strangers hurt us, and the list could go on.

We're able to move past most of these issues, but some hurts run deep and affect us repeatedly throughout life whether we realize it or not.  

Dr. Marmer says that many of us do what is called "transferrence."  This means that when someone does something to us that is even remotely like what a painful experience was like, we tend to transfer the same feelings there.  For example, if you had a critical dad, you may find yourself receiving any criticism, no matter how well-intended, the same way you received your dad's criticism.  In essence, you transfer those past feelings to the present situation even when it's not warranted.  

Marmer goes on to say that, unconsciously, we exert a "force multiplier."  Continuing the example above, let's say a coach corrects your form when shooting lay-ups.  The coach was just being helpful and wants to see you succeed, but without realizing it, your brain multiplies the force and interprets it as something you got from your critical dad.  So, correction about your lay-up form now has turned into you feeling worthless and like a failure.  

 So, what do you do?  Go back to your past.  

Spend time with God, yourself, or someone you trust and try to figure out if there is something in the past that is causing your strong reactions in the present.  Then begin to work through it.  Talk it out, face the anger, hurt, fear, disappointment, or pain surrounding that past situation.  Ask God, in time, to help you forgive those who wronged you.  And ask Him to help you see how your life now is being affected by what happened then.  Then ask Him to help you find a new way to live and react in new, healthy ways.  

You'll need to learn to see those transferrence situations and work to stop multiplying the force.  Also, don't avoid getting counseling.  It's not just for "screw ups."  It's for normal people who want to see change and admit that they need help to do it.  

Finally, remember that the Lord is the Lord of the future, the present, AND the past.  Go with him back into those painful memories and let Him begin the healing process for you.

Prisoner of Zenda Audio files

For my students: You can listen to the audio tracks by clicking on the arrow.  If you would like to download it to put it on your ipod etc., click on the title (i.e. PoZ Chapter 5).  You will be taken to Soundcloud.com.  There you will see a "download" option.  After you have downloaded it, you can add it to your iTunes library.
***UPDATE: if you play these tracks from my blog and hit pause, for some reason you get a screen asking you to go to Sound Cloud.  To start playing the track again, just click the X in the right corner and you'll see the play button once more.

Mean Girls

Mean Girls was a great movie.  What's so fun about this and other movies is that we know who to hate and who to love.

The Plastics are so fun to hate because they're so bad...all bad.

Real people aren't typically like this, though.  Mean girls, for example, are sometimes wonderful and sweet in class or at home, but nasty at lunch or at sports practice.

They, like others, are real people with hurts, fears, ambitions, feelings, and dreams.

The mean girl needs to be seen as a whole person, but the trouble for the mean girl is the same.  They need to see others as whole persons.

Are you a mean girl?  I'm sure you have your reasons.  But consider that you are judging someone on one detail that you criticize.  As much as you don't want to be pigeon-hold on one detail of your life, that same is true of the other person.

You must fight your nature.

Men are told to fight their natures all the time.  The male sex drive is very strong and, without morals, guys can be lewd, sexually aggressive, and take advantage of women.  But most men learn to control themselves and channel their sexual nature toward love and marriage.  Sure there are playboys out there, but men are constantly told, directly and indirectly, to control themselves.

Girls, however, are rarely taught to fight their natures.  Their challenge is not so much strong sexuality as it is emotional manipulation.  Women are very in tune with emotions and relationships.  This can, of course, be good, but can also be used to take advantage of others.  Uncontrolled, girls by nature scheme, gossip, ostracize, criticize, and reject.

You must fight your nature.

Paul told Titus to "avoid foolish controversies because these are unprofitable and useless."  People who continue in causing divisions after being warned, are called "warped and sinful" and "self-condemned."  Granted he's talking about arguments related to Jewish law, but I think the issue of the destructive nature of petty disputes is applicable.

Animals simply follow their natures.  Humans bear the image of God, though, and one way they do this is by living unlike their natures.

Turn from your teasing, sarcasm, and rumors and be an agent for change, for love, for grace, for bringing the Kingdom of God on earth as it is in heaven.

An Ugly Romance: Love Without Legs

This story is cute.

But it's actually quite ugly.

Check out this video that shows their story.


Andrew and Tori Smith rushed their wedding to marry before Andrew's military deployment.  Within a short amount of time Andrew, stationed in in Afghanistan, stepped on an IED and lost both of his legs.

The vigorous commitment of his wife Tori is inspiring.  She drove hours to reach the last-minute location of the landing of the plane with her injured husband.  When he arrived at the hospital, she ignored protocol, breaking through the acceptable distance in order to hold his hand, kiss him, and tell him she loved him.

Hospital personnel instructed Tori that she was not to stay with her husband in the hospital room.
She disregarded them and stayed, even sleeping in a chair.

She stayed with him through every bend in the road and helped learn to walk again with prosthetic legs.  Today they are still together.

So cute, right?  But think about how ugly things really are.  What is it like to lay in bed with your husband who has no legs?  How might this affect their romantic relationship?  What limits might this put on their future?  Will he ever be able to run around with their future children?

One article said, "Shrapnel from the explosion ripped through his groin and slashed apart his abdomen...He lost his abdominal muscles on his right side.  Doctors performed 15 surgeries on his intestines."  I have no idea the implications these injuries have on Andrew's daily living, but there's got to be lots.

To me, though, recognizing these 'ugly' factors shows what real beauty is: love, commitment, affection in the midst of sadness, or even in spite of it.

It is proof that light can conquer darkness, that love can stomp on destruction.

Jesus' love is like this.  His cross-bearing is disgusting when you fully understand crucifixion.  And look at us, our failings, our messiness, yet love, His love pushes back the darkness.

Andrew and Tori have seen the evil, the destruction, the darkness that life tries to flood us with, and yet have said, "No, our love, and romance spits in the face of evil."

And there is beauty.

Is there someone you are trying to love, but it is messy?  Do you see the real beauty of your love?  Is there someone who loves you in your imperfections.  Do you honor the beauty of that love?

Do you, now, see why "Jesus loves me" is not just an old-hat, clichéd phrase?  In those three words there is universe-shattering, shocking, excessive beauty.

Here's the article that first introduced me to the Smith's and where I got a lot of the info above.

Is peace possible during finals?!

Exams.  Woo hoo!

Just fills the mind with delight, don't they?!

Not quite.

In fact, I had a student in speech class today deliver a speech about a school that brought in therapy dogs for students to help them relax between final exams.  Apparently, stress and finals are enough of a concern that people concoct weird remedies.

I'd like to offer an alternative.

Okay, let's answer the question: what is stressful about finals?

Well, it affects your grade.

Ok, What is stressful about a grade being affected?

Here's where the root really is.  The answer is one of three things (or a combination).
1. Parents may be upset.
2. It might affect your college (and eventual job) prospects
3. You may be upset with yourself

Paul, a guy who experienced a lot of old friends and family being upset with his faith switcheroo, wrote the following: "Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God.  Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.  For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God."

The "you" that died is the you that used to live in the world's system, the system that judges worth on accomplishment and acceptability.  For those of you who have followed Christ from an early age, you may not recognize that this part of you ever existed.  Some, like myself, experienced it for many years before receiving Christ.  But even if you don't remember it, I'm sure you can recognize it's tug.  It's the pull that says, "Please her, please him, do this, don't do that, make sure you have this person's approval."

When it comes to exams, the ultimate question is "Whose am I?"  See, if you're a Jesus follower, your life is hidden with Christ in God.

You rest there.

You are whole there.

You are loved there.

You are accepted there.

We don't always realize the position we're in.  That's one of many reasons Paul writes and reminds the folks in Colossae to "set your hearts on things above" and "set your minds on things above, not on earthly things."

You see, it takes work to believe the truth, that God's assessment of you is what matters.

If you can settle where your soul is at rest (hidden with Christ in God), then exams can just be that: exams.  They don't determine your worth or your happiness.

Now you can tackle them for what they are: a way of representing what you learned this semester.  Yes, you'll still be anxious, because you want to do well.  Everyone gets anxious at a performance whether a concert or basketball game.  But you don't need to let it determine your worth.

So, go do a good job on those finals, but remember: set your hearts on things above.