I always say that if anything at all makes a person wonder “is this in line with true Christianity?” It needs to go.

No additional questions required.

This, of course, applies equally to such things as hobbies, occupations, choice of fast food eating establishments, or, as mentioned in a heated discussion between a self-proclaimed “Christian METALHEDD” (sic) and a bloke decrying and denouncing any and all “black metal” and/or “death music” after giving his life To Jesus (PRAISE GOD!), since “Jesus didn’t Die so we could turn around and listen to Cannib– Cor-se and people claiming Him but listening to the aforementioned ‘band,’ son.”

(And this chap was serious about distancing himself from even the appearance¹ of evil, too; he disbanded his own musical outfit and stopped listening to and watching anything secular, devoting his time to learning Scripture and fighting the good fight in various and sundry FaceBook Groups dedicated to the marriage of heavy metal/horror movies and Christianity.

Talking of marriage, I would extend the above-mentioned question (Would Holy Spirit stand for this beverage or burrito?) to even and especially DATING and FRIENDSHIP and OCCUPATIONALNESS, since you can’t just up and leave your family or your already-spouse for not believing The Truth (there are, however cases where this is not only ok, but needed), whereas if you’re not In Covenant yet, or they’re your BRO, but they ain’t bros With HOLY SPIRIT, yo… like… you know? Good company doesn’t seem to “corrupt” non-good company quite as expediently, does it? (Well, not quickly enough for my attention span, though Only God can fully See the FULL story and Intervene and give chances or be like “THIS IS THE LAST STRAW, AND NOW I’MA LET YOU SEE WHAT YOUR LIFE WOULD BE LIKE IF I REALLY DIDN’T EXIST, AS YOU SEEM SO *VERY* FOND OF MENTIONING A MINIMUM OF 17 TIMES PER HOUR.”)

Back at the ranch, though, even working with people who are into shady stuff can taint your peace if you’re not careful; sure, you LOVE Jesus and are super-sold-out To Him, but bona fide demonic attack is hard to detect–well, for the average person claiming Christ (in the USA), anyway).

Why?

No, not because anything reminiscent of Silence of the Lambs makes me wonder about their devotion To The Lamb.

Not because anything with horror, gore, low necklines (or more), or scary things, death, creepy clowns, bullets, skulls, blood, or anything that 2/10 “average peeps” (not metal fans) might consider “disturbing,” violent (including violent video games or super-hero films, and for the rec I was hardcore gamer for 30+ years and still miss them! 😭 and still adore The Crow) et cetera…

So not coz ANY of that stuff can cause anxiety, help along (not help but help it to progress and develop, like the deeper pink shades of manic panic, which really need to stay on for more than ten minutes) a depressive episode, trigger grief over an old loss or even flashbacks of trauma, ptsd, panic, even psychotic episodes or episodic disorders. (To say naught of suicide, self-mutilation, depersonalization, alleged dissociation, trauma responses and other stuff). Tho it of course can. (Call me a square but I deal with dozens of people in any number of these situations per WEEK.)

Not because some of us feel (VERY STRONGLY) that mentioning death and gruesome trash of any sort feels like a mockery or trivialization of both The Suffering Of Our LORD (not because they’re talking About Him but simply because of the fact that He Was Literally Tortured and Murdered “Unjustly” (yes I know He Accepted It and Chose it coz He Love us) but ALSO those of us who have seen or been subjected to gruesome things ourselves. (Does it make me a wuss that I cringe at certain sorts of images because I saw a savage act unfolding in a reasonably-crowded back street in Egypt when I was four, and what they did to the victim afterward?)

Again, it’s not for any of those reasons; mayhap stuff like that doesn’t trigger you or make you angry or get you hyped up in a bad way or even encourage demons to show up, maybe those vocalisations don’t sound like the wailing and moaning of the dead in hell, or a demon growling, or someone that’s yelling at someone and about to whoop the trash outta them, maybe those guttural squawkings and muted beats don’t get your blood pumping in all the wrong ways and make you want to aggressively jump on barnyard animals or go Ted Bund Mode or get you frustrated (they could, in fact, help you deal with that frustration).

In sum, NONE of those things are the reasons a Christian is well-advised to stay away from ANYTHING that, at first blush, doesn’t automatically trigger in one’s mind “thoughts Of Jesus”² and whatever is good, lovely, noble,³ all that.

But SIMPLY because someone less-strongly rooted in our Beauteous Faith may stumble because of our decision.

We’re not to be stumbling blocks.⁴

Yes, everything is permissible ⁵for me, but it may not be beneficial for me⁶… or someone else. (check out my article “Christian Cleavage,” heh 🙂 yep for bros as well as gals).

YES, it’s not “officially” my responsibility to live my life 24/7 for other peeps more than I live For Him (and my relationship With Him).

BUT.

We are to be the watchmen7.⁸ And the peace–makers9¹⁰. And¹¹ the peace-keepers12. And our brothers’ keepers¹³.

Take a stand and take action, friends.

The world is trashy enough today without us trashing each other.

And for what?

Well done, T (original poster from the FaceBook Kiddies); I pray God’s Brightest and Best Blessings over your ministry and your family! (And I pray for all the lost. And for all the Christians to be drawn ever-closer To His Love—and to Living As Did He… For everyone in the world (but especially the brothers that we (hope to) keep.

Orig Pub Date: March 20, 2024

1. 1 Thessalonians 5:22 ↩︎
2. John 15:12-13 ↩︎
3.  Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. Philippians 4:8 (ESV)
   
   
   
   ↩︎
4. Matthew 16:23 ↩︎
5. 1 Corinthians 6:12 ↩︎
6. 1 Corinthians 10:23 ↩︎
7. Ezekiel 3:17-19 ↩︎
8. Ezekiel 33 ↩︎
9. Matthew 5:9 ↩︎
10. John 14:27 ↩︎
11. Psalm 29:11 ↩︎
12. Colossians 3:15 ↩︎
13. Genesis 4:9 ↩︎