Christians and Media
By Lillie Ammann
Courtesy of http://www.lillieammann.com

What is the media? The term is often used to describe the means of communications: television, radio, movies, newspapers, magazines, the Internet. Sometimes the media refers to the messages delivered by those tools: movies, newspaper stories, magazine articles, music recordings, Web sites, and television and radio programs. Many times the term refers to the people involved in various aspects of the communications industry: journalists and other writers; actors; musicians; television, radio, and movie producers; and others who create and distribute information and entertainment.

And Christians often view the media as an evil monolith — a temptation to be avoided. After all, the media shows the world at its most tempting, but the Bible (1 John 2:15-16, NIV) says the opposite: "Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For everything in the world—the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does—comes not from the Father but from the world."

And there are many evils and temptations to sin in the media to be avoided: pornography on the Internet, mindless entertainment on television that wastes time and distracts Christians from their walks with the Lord, enticements to accumulate material possessions, inducements to trust in man-made creations and values instead of the Creator.

However, by lumping all media together and considering it evil, Christians miss out on some valuable educational and inspirational opportunities. They won't benefit from Christian books or Christian Scoop or Christian music — after all, those are all part of the media as much as the pornography and mindless entertainment are.

Yes, there's plenty of evil and sin in the media, but there's plenty of education, inspiration, and opportunity for spiritual growth as well. Christians just need to use judgment and discernment — and avoid lumping all the media together in one basket. Evaluate each television program, each song, each newspaper or magazine, each Web site on its own merit.

The Bible says (3 John 1:11, NIV): "Dear friend, do not imitate what is evil but what is good. Anyone who does what is good is from God. Anyone who does what is evil has not seen God."

Christians should avoid media that tempts them to sin. But if it draws them closer to God, encourages them in their Christian walk, inspires, and uplifts them, not only enjoy it and learn from it, but also, as St. John says, imitate it.