Description
Is watching horror movies wrong for Christians? I don’t think the answer is a simple yes or no.
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Alley Beth Stuckey’s warning about scary movies raises a serious question: does deliberately seeking fear conflict with the Christian call to hope and courage?
I think the answer depends on the story. Bram Stoker’s Dracula can reveal the horror of evil and, by contrast, the goodness of Christ. But much contemporary horror leans on gratuitous shock without offering much moral or spiritual insight. Here’s why the choice calls for prudence, and why avoiding horror can be a reasonable choice even when it isn’t a universal rule.
Timestamps
- 0:00 A Christian debate about horror movies
- 1:28 The case against deliberately seeking fear
- 2:18 Is all horror wrong for Christians?
- 2:53 Fear of the Lord and fear of evil
- 3:34 Why Dracula is more than a frightening monster
- 5:06 The temptation of a life without God
- 5:58 Real Estate for Life Promo
- 6:34 What horror can teach us about virtue
- 7:13 Why modern horror may miss the deeper threat
- 8:47 When shock replaces moral purpose
- 10:00 Why we react more strongly to strict moral views
- 11:55 Prudence, risk, and whether horror is worth watching
- 13:11 Choosing examples worth following
Music written and generously provided by Paul Jernberg. Find out more about his work as a composer here: http://pauljernberg.com
Podcast Version: https://brianholdsworth.libsyn.com/