Christian=Family Friendly?

Why do people think that something being Christian automatically mean "Family Friendly"?

Christians are generally moral people and generally refrain from things that a parent would not want children exposed to. Notice I'm speaking in generalities there because there are some things that are a bit "gray" (I hate using that term!). What I mean is that some things would be acceptable (i.e. not sinful) when done in moderation and/or in the right context. But children have not developed and cannot distinguish the proper context or the proper level of moderation, so it is better to refrain from totally.

The same analogy can be used of an immature Christian, and we should strive to not be a stumbling block to other Christians, just as we don't want to be a stumbling block to a child.

Context is a key piece. In a public venue, that typically falls to being "family friendly" so as to try to not cause others to stumble. But among my closest friends I could possibly use language that will not offend them but would offend other friends or the gray hairs at church. An exception would be if the public item is put in a proper context. An example would be Scott Roche's Archangel podcast novel. It is a Christian novel that has stronger language and violence than would not be considered family friendly. He however puts it in proper context by disclaiming it up front and saying that if you are offended by such you should not listen.

That's honestly not as complete an answer as I'd like to give, but all I have time to write right now.

I'm on the same page with Whiteboy here.

I personally have a playful hatred of the term, even though I'll certainly acknowledge that "family friendly" entertainment is very much needed.

I've been known to comment to my wife that if something is said to be "fun for the whole family" that means it will be "no fun for Paeter".

I can't read anyone's mind, but I would guess that one reason the concept has become so popular is because it "allows" Christians to relax and turn off their discernment. (Dangerous no matter what we're doing.) Limiting oneself to "family friendly" material can also quickly become a form of legalism. And although we can think of legalists as being prideful and arrogant, many choose legalism because it gives them a false sense of security. They feel that they are playing it safe and so are not the bad people that they fear they are.

Unfortunately, if we forget that we have an essential sin problem, our need for Christ is ignored.

Anyway, blah blah blah. My son needs me to do some "family friendly" playing with him. See ya!

Paeter wrote:Limiting oneself to "family friendly" material can also quickly become a form of legalism.

Amen to everything said. To piggyback off Paeter I think the "family friendly" mentality fails to properly understand the process of our sanctification. We clean the outside of the cup, but fail to clean the inside.

Spiritual transformation occurs from the inside out. Without spending serious time allowing God to transform our external lives, we become "white washed tombs." And we all know plenty of "Family friendly" people who gossip, back-bite and are terribly judgmental.

There's a Christian publishing company that has a list of words and situations you can't put in the book if you want to be published by them. Their list is so extensive that there is no way they could publish a Bible.
Now I don't have problem family friendly movies tv shows etc. my problem is when people judge Christian products on a family friendly scale and saying if it's not "Family Friendly" it's not Christian

Rickster wrote:Their list is so extensive that there is no way they could publish a Bible.

I can remember reading my Bible for the first time as a young teen and feeling like I had been cheated out of the story of David and Goliath. In Sunday school the story ended with David slinging a rock into Goliath's head. In the Bible it ends with David chopping Goliath's head off with his own sword!

I'm not saying that we should teach our kids more than they can handle, but life is too imperfect, gritty and fallen to tell true-to-life stories in a purely "family friendly" format.

I'm not saying that we should teach our kids more than they can handle, but life is too imperfect, gritty and fallen to tell true-to-life stories in a purely "family friendly" format.

Yeah, it's almost like you're being dishonest if everything is always sugar-coated.

Whenever this comes up with my parents I always bring up how "The Bible should really be censored and not read to children, because of the nasty stuff in it like demons, sexual situations, very graphic violence, etc."

My favorite story (atleast for this conversation) is in the Book of Kings and it talks about this guy assinating one of the kings (sorry it's late and I don't want to look it up now) Anyways it goes into great detail how he stabs the knife into the guys stomach and the folds of fat falls over the knife and he can't get it out and how the guys gets out of a window... Then the servants think that the king is on the John and that's why he's not coming to his door... Makes my mom shudder in horror
LOL

Hackmodford wrote:Whenever this comes up with my parents I always bring up how "The Bible should really be censored and not read to children, because of the nasty stuff in it like demons, sexual situations, very graphic violence, etc."

My favorite story (atleast for this conversation) is in the Book of Kings and it talks about this guy assinating one of the kings (sorry it's late and I don't want to look it up now) Anyways it goes into great detail how he stabs the knife into the guys stomach and the folds of fat falls over the knife and he can't get it out and how the guys gets out of a window... Then the servants think that the king is on the John and that's why he's not coming to his door... Makes my mom shudder in horror
LOL

That's Judges chapter 2 or 3 [or at least somewhere around the beginning of Judges, I'm ready for bed too.] I always loved Judges just because it was so violent, like with your example of Ehud with his southpaw dagger style, LOL. And remember you've got Deborah who drove a tent spike through a guys temples to pin his head to the ground.

Also remember that David cutting off Goliath's head was tame in comparison to David's price he had to pay for his marriage to Saul's daughter Michal around the middle of 1 Samuel. [hint: 100 Foreskins]

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Tim wrote:

Hackmodford wrote:Whenever this comes up with my parents I always bring up how "The Bible should really be censored and not read to children, because of the nasty stuff in it like demons, sexual situations, very graphic violence, etc."

My favorite story (atleast for this conversation) is in the Book of Kings and it talks about this guy assinating one of the kings (sorry it's late and I don't want to look it up now) Anyways it goes into great detail how he stabs the knife into the guys stomach and the folds of fat falls over the knife and he can't get it out and how the guys gets out of a window... Then the servants think that the king is on the John and that's why he's not coming to his door... Makes my mom shudder in horror
LOL

That's Judges chapter 2 or 3 [or at least somewhere around the beginning of Judges, I'm ready for bed too.] I always loved Judges just because it was so violent, like with your example of Ehud with his southpaw dagger style, LOL. And remember you've got Deborah who drove a tent spike through a guys temples to pin his head to the ground.

Also remember that David cutting off Goliath's head was tame in comparison to David's price he had to pay for his marriage to Saul's daughter Michal around the middle of 1 Samuel. [hint: 100 Foreskins]

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Yep that's it! Wasn't there a guy that had some dead lady cut up into a bunch of pieces and sent to all the different parts of Israel?

And yeah the tent spike is such a good story. I remember when adventures in Odyssey did that bible story they left that part out and said go read what happened with your parents if you want to know. Course I already knew

Interesting subject... when I wrote Countless as the Stars (copies still available here ) I stuck pretty closely to Biblical accounts, with the end result being plenty of violence, sex, incest and drug use (ok, poetic licence with that one!) scattered through the pages. I still harbour a suspicion that my local Christian bookshop wouldn't stock it because the nice lady who ran the place skipped straight to one of those pages...

Of course I could be wrong, she probably just took offence to the inclusion of spaceships in a so-called Christian novel.

I am not a fan of the "safe for the whole family" standard of Christianity -- we can teach the kiddies to drink milk, that's fine, but let me move on to meat, OK?

Christianity is not for wimps, and it is a not a G-rated faith.

And how we have let "christian" become an adjective is crazy-making for me, oto .... "christian bookstore," "christian radio station," "christian movie," etc .... these are absurd phrases -- not to mention really bad theology.

One of my Christian filmaker friends on facebook was talking about a movie he edited called "Holyman Undercover" and he said that the people loved it in the theaters but when it came to putting it on DVD they had to edit it down because "the gatekeepers of the Christian film market thought it was too racy" the movie was made for teenagers dealing with the temptaions that they are facing (Drinking, Sex, etc.) they also hated the fact that "he (John Schneider) played an appealing Satan". I've only seen the edited version but that was edgy enough I'd love to see the full version someday

Hackmodford wrote:

My favorite story (atleast for this conversation) is in the Book of Kings and it talks about this guy assinating one of the kings (sorry it's late and I don't want to look it up now) Anyways it goes into great detail how he stabs the knife into the guys stomach and the folds of fat falls over the knife and he can't get it out and how the guys gets out of a window... Then the servants think that the king is on the John and that's why he's not coming to his door... Makes my mom shudder in horror
LOL

One of my favorites! Reads almost like a screenplay. Just before stabbing the king we hear what you'd expect just before a death blow like that in a movie: "I have a message from God for you..."

Paeter wrote:

Hackmodford wrote:

My favorite story (atleast for this conversation) is in the Book of Kings and it talks about this guy assinating one of the kings (sorry it's late and I don't want to look it up now) Anyways it goes into great detail how he stabs the knife into the guys stomach and the folds of fat falls over the knife and he can't get it out and how the guys gets out of a window... Then the servants think that the king is on the John and that's why he's not coming to his door... Makes my mom shudder in horror
LOL

One of my favorites! Reads almost like a screenplay. Just before stabbing the king we hear what you'd expect just before a death blow like that in a movie: "I have a message from God for you..."

YES YES

We should do a quick radio play of this scene and horrify people and then say it's taken from The Bible to horrify people even more

YES YES

We should do a quick radio play of this scene and horrify people and then say it's taken from The Bible to horrify people even more Twisted Evil

LOL...I love it!

Paeter wrote:I would guess that one reason the concept has become so popular is because it "allows" Christians to relax and turn off their discernment. (Dangerous no matter what we're doing.)

Yeah I agree the other day I was reading a review for a movie for Christian teens called "To save a life" and it's a movie the deals with everything (and I mean everything) that teens deal with. but since the movie was a Christian movie the reviewer ignored the PG-13 raiting and took his kids. to his shock when there was a (tasteful) sex scene and there are a couple of words you wouldn't want your little kids to hear, so he gave a bad review. It was supose to be a family movie it was a teen movie

sorry this is a pet peeve of mine

You mentinoed the PG-13 rating, and that brought to mind my own pet peeve with Christian parents who limit themselves to movies of a certain rating (no "R" movies, for example) -- why would Christian parents who are ocncerned about mainstream movies let a secular agency determine what movies ar and aren't appropriate for their kids?

To me, that is a huge disconnect that some Christian parents fall into.

I know this is an old subject but I just had a observation that it's not just Christians but even the world veiws on children programin has changed. the other day I was watching some old darkwing duck cartoon and relized there is now way that show would have been produced today. To many jokes about guns and and explosions for a kids show today.

And yet, its a relief to have something out there that is family friendly. You don't really realize it until your watching shrek w/ your 6 year old and then they cuss. You never noticed it before but you catch it then and you eye them to see if they missed it. Sometimes I think people have gone so far out of their way to avoid the family friendly = christian stigma that they cause more harm than good. It is disturbing to me when people add in more than necessary details or random inappropriate scenes. You can tell they stand out and were only added as a shock-and-awe value. There are many "family" things out there that go farther than is needed for kids.

Maybe they could release 2 versions of everything. One for kids and one for adults who think they must hear cussing or see blood in an animated movie designed for kids! Sure the older cartoons had a different type of "violence" than todays. However, it was never as graphic or tramatic as now. It never really felt "real" then. The stuff on the cartoon channels now is horrific! I can't let my kids watch alot of it. I've turned to finding the old cartoons for them to watch.

Sorry for the rant, got on my little soapbox for a min there.

CreatorsPixels wrote:And yet, its a relief to have something out there that is family friendly.

I absolutely agree. For all of my personal frustration with Christian culture's obsession with family friendliness, the other extreme (not having high quality family-friendly options) would be just as bad.

As I mentioned in the review I just posted for the new Narnia flick, these are movies that will one day serve as an introduction to more serious (though not too scary or violent yet) fantasy entertainment for my sons. They may be a bit tame for my tastes, but I'll be grateful to have them someday to "meet my sons halfway".

For someone like me who someday wishes to produce movies (Christian and Secular) it's a catch 22. Do I make the Christian movies that I want to see and risk not having the Christian Community suport them or do I make the "video Tract" type movies where everybody is perfect and say Jesus and God 2,000 time per movie So I'll be able to sell tickets and DVDs?

Rickster wrote:For someone like me who someday wishes to produce movies (Christian and Secular) it's a catch 22. Do I make the Christian movies that I want to see and risk not having the Christian Community suport them or do I make the "video Tract" type movies where everybody is perfect and say Jesus and God 2,000 time per movie So I'll be able to sell tickets and DVDs?

Great question. I think it will come down to you spending time and prayer considering your purpose. Some questions to ask yourself might include:

Is film-making what God has wired me for and seems to be calling me to do?
If so, is the product itself my ministry, or a significant part of it?
If so, who am I most passionate about reaching with the truth? Christians? (If so, what kind?) Non-Christians? (If so, what kind?)

Personally, if I were a mainstream film maker, I would probably aim to make genre movies without obvious ties to Christianity, but that had parallel themes or that focused on truth or the nature of faith. But I knew I would want to be free to deal with biblical themes and ideas directly and obviously. So film was out. I knew I was most passionate about reaching geeks first(both Christian geeks and non-Christian geeks who are not antagonistic toward Christianity) and Christians (and non-antagonistic non-Christians) who like big "special effects movies" in general second.

I'm always a little bummed when I interact with someone who is bothered by the "cussing" in Spirit Blade or some other content issue. And while I do what I can to present what I'm convinced is the biblical argument for permissive use of these elements, at the end of the day in those situations I have to simply sigh and keep my eyes on the goal in front of me, recognizing that they are likely not part of my mission field and God will bring someone else to speak to them.

My particular focus noticeably limits my audience. So I don't recommend it for those hoping for financial security. Even so, thinking this through and starting with a very precise focus which you then widen as you "zoom out", will give you a direction to navigate in.

You won't please everyone. Prepare yourself for that. I'm convinced the best route is to figure out what God has wired you for and made you passionate about and figure out how you can channel that into service to him, then go for it with everything at your disposal.

And don't forget to have fun!

Here's what I've adopted as a writer over the last few years:

1. On the one hand I work hard to deepen my relationship with Jesus through prayer, reading/studying the Word and fellowshipping with older and wiser Christians.

Then I set all that aside and tell a story.

I do not set out with an agenda: "I'm going to tell the gospel message and get people saved."

Neither do I keep any Christian themes out.

What I find during the revision of the story is that much of my own Christian worldview has made it into the story sub-consciously . . . and then the story can work as its supposed to without feeling preachy. (I can also pause here and decide whether or not to amp up the Christian message or tone it down depending on the audience.)

Just my thoughts.