What Should Christians Really Expect?

Also posted at First Things

It is being reported today that Christianity is undergoing yet an assault via loons in the entertainment industry. There’s not much new about that. In an episode of Curb Your Enthusiasm, Larry David urinates on a painting of Jesus, causing a woman to believe the painting depicts him crying, as if a miracle has occurred.

Two things cross my mind as I read more about this story. First, as Christians why is this so shocking? It is disturbing, but these are not followers of Christ perpetrating these actions. It’s not like we can expect them to act as believers if, indeed, they are not.

Secondly, perhaps we actually contribute to the problem of political correctness by demanding that we, as representatives of Christianity, be treated with the same so-called tolerance and respect offered to other worldviews. I hear it framed this way frequently by conservative pundits, let me apply it to this case: “Well if this was a picture of Mohammad you would act less offensively.”

No doubt Christianity is the red-headed step child (how’s that for pc?) of contemporary culture, but this provides for an opportunity to speak truth, not suppress it in some sort of worldview fairness doctrine.

Primetime Bioethics: Surrogacy on Fox

Glorification of multiple sexual partners, mocking of Christianity, trivializing of relationships, comedic gynecological visits....these are a few ways Fox is participating in our culture's affair with unfettered sexuality and science. The show is The Return of Jezebel James and is about the lives of 2 sisters, one who has a career as an editor with Harper Collins children's book division and the other who seems to be wondering life aimlessly and unable to make the simplest of decisions, except the one to carry her sister's child. Sarah is the sister unable to have her own child, given the options only to adopt, hire a surrogate, etc. This is the first time in her life she's been confronted with any serious challenge to getting what she wants, so she is able to profit from her sister Coco's lack of focus and rent her womb.

We are way past the point of asking what's become of this world, we can only inquire as to how we, as caretakers of God's creation, can participate in the restoration of a view of humanity that respects the dignity inherent with being created in the image of God. Correcting society's view of human dignity is fundamental to addressing the particulars of society, whether the issues are as basic as our treatment of each other in our families, work, and other relationships, or the very serious bioethics issues of our time that violate human dignity to the extent of compromising life.

While television is indoctrinating the intellectually vulnerable about how to treat one another, those who hold a strong view of human dignity need to work hard to have as much impact on the people around them. This is a high spiritual calling that belongs to the Church.

Primetime Bioethics

The 25th anniversary of the Roe v Wade decision was "celebrated" this week by the networks via Boston Legal and Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. On BL, the 'right to choose' on the basis of it being her body, was challenged by her male partner who insisted that she abort. An interesting consideration as our society considers father's rights. But is 'he' a father if the embryo isn't a human person?

Law & Order:SVU also challenged societies varied views on the moral status of the preborn in its portrayal of prolifers and our view of embryos. The plot detailed the theft of embryos from a clinic, orchestrated by prolifers, that were being cryopreserved. The embryos ended up dying and the prolifers charged-with theft...though they and the parents who lost their embryos wanted them charged with murder. Bottom line of this episode is that the law hasn't caught up with the truth that each of us ultimately recognize, life does begin at conception.
Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T

'Devout is Sexy'???

One of my new favorite shows is "Studio 60." Much is being discussed regarding the show's use of the real life story (with artistic liberties, of course) of actress Kristen Chenowith by developing a storyline around a young, blond comedienne named Harriet who made some comments to the media about gay marriage, thus ending her relationship with with the fictitious 'Women United' Christian organization.

Tonight's episode focused around Harriet's pursuit of revenge, to get back at 'Women United' by posing for some sort of centerfold. How this gets back at 'Women United' I'm not sure, but consideration of this opportunity reveals just exactly how the world sees and even expects hypocrisy from Christians. It took another character on "Studio 60" to tell Harriet that she serves God, not 'Women United,' so instead of doing something she might later regret, she should do something more constructive like start her own organization or something.

Interestingly, a core message that was written into the script was that our society believes that being "devout is sexy." I don't think that's exactly what they mean. When the "devout" shame themselves and look more like the world, then there is a certain [sex] appeal, a certain attraction of nonbelievers. This sort of exploitation of the "devout" is not without the assistance of the "devout." I think Studio 60 hit the nail on the head - and I think that Senator Obama's invitation to Saddleback is nothing less than the "devout" seeking to be sexy. It works....but as Studio 60's writers so helpfully point out - we serve God so we shouldn't sell ourselves in a way that assists in the exploitation of Christianity.

Horror Film Frenzy: Is America Becoming a Sick Society?

Fox's Bill O'Reilly asks this question on The Factor tonite. He points out how cannibalism and dismemberment are more and more accepted as entertainment for the whole family. He ponders why this form of dehumanization is so rampant today. The short answer: any society that aims to destroy its most vulnerable members as we do through abortion, ESCR and SCNT, PAS, and euthansia, why should we expect that watching a graphic depiction of death to be anything other than entertaining? A culture of death will always struggle to avoid dehumanizing, but will fail in its attempts. Because of the overwhelming rejection of the inherent dignity of all humans, I don't think we can expect much more.

I took notice of this horror film frenzy, as Bill calls it, when the film Hostel was released this year. I've never seen it, but I found the ads to be extraordinarily frightening. I remember visiting the website for Hostel (research!!!) and couldn't handle it.

America has been so desensitized to graphic violence - that's what this stuff is, not 'horror' - for entertainment purposes. The battle for life is only going to get more difficult.

Is America really interested in relieving suffering? I think America takes joy in it...

Culture Watch: Save the Cheerleader. Save the World.

If you haven't watched "Heroes" yet this fall, it's worth checking out. Though I've watched most of the episodes thus far, I admit it hasn't been without distraction. But this is what I do know. There are a bunch of people who have discovered that they have superhuman powers. A guy, a politician I think, can fly. One guy can stop time, something he enjoyed trying out in a Vegas casino so that he could rig the games to win. Another guy is able to paint the future - it's kind of cool. The most interesting character seems to be the cheerleader. Her father is involved in some dastardly plot to kill or kidnap the politician that can fly. But back to the cheerleader....apparently she gets raped and killed and miraculously wills herself to be healed as she lays on the autopsy table, chest wide open. Is there anything worse than an angry cheerleader? She finds her way home, school, and back in the life of the young man who killed her. Knowing, of course, that she has the power to regenerate, she tries to kill him in a head-on car collision with a building. She, or course, cannot die.

So I ask, does this girl need saved by someone else? I suspect that saving the cheerleader has more philosophical implications. Could it be that saving her means finding a way for her to lose her power of regeneration? Or is this some sort of Hollywood parallel to God - that somehow God needs saved. I guess we'll find out.

Trading Spouses/Wife Swap - What Christians can learn from Television

Ok, I don’t watch that much tv. And the one thing I stay away from is reality tv except for the shows where one family gives up their mom for a week or two and gets some other family’s mom for a week or two. I am addicted. Why? I’m glad you asked.

First of all, the producers of Trading Spouses and Wife Swap do their best to pick polar opposite moms/families. You can end up with a home schooled, free-wheelin’, hygienically relaxed, “us four, no more, close the door” home against a public schooled, overly scheduled, antiseptically clean, family boot camp.

Second of all, these homes tend to be extremist families - every week I wonder where in the heck did they find these people? Oh, yeah, they apply.

You couldn’t write stranger fiction than the family of modern day pirates, or the religious mom who wigged out at the pagan house seeing Satan everywhere, or the medieval family who didn’t have a home phone, or the beauty pageant mom sent to the antithesis of pagentry family, or even the mom who smoked and slept her way through the stress of the adventure.

But lastly and most importantly – you realize that each family can and should learn something from the other. Because they are polar opposites and extremists (read weirder than my family or yours) they can both afford to come towards the middle ground. And most of the time they do – which is where we as Christians can learn something.

It isn’t about compromise – it’s about growth - being mature enough to realize that sometimes we can actually learn something from someone who lives his/her life a little differently than us.