Does being a nerd make you less of a christian?

[MISFIT]

This was talked about on another thread, and to keep it on topic I started this one.

I am a big Sci-Fi nerd! I love Star Wars, Star Trek LOTR, Narnia, Final Fantasy, V, Dungeons and Dragons and many many more. So since none of this stuff is real and does deal in things like magic, aliens, evolution and other non-christian themes, is it "wrong" for a born-again christian that loves GOD and has dedicated his/her life to Jesus to enjoy these things?

Also I hope I put this in the right forum if any moderator feels it should be placed elsewhere feel free to move it.

PEACE~Your friendly neighborhood MISFIT.

 

[Rick W]

"none of this stuff is real"

I used to play Unreal Tournament quite a bit a few years back. It wasn't real either.
Christ is.
The forum where the "clan" called home is still going today though nobody's playing the game. Not UT anyway. All through those years there was and still is a discipline to be expected. No cussing etc. Ingame there was an etiquette expected also. And being that I was co-founder those rules/regulations were Christian in form.
Yes, some are playing other online games but the members still around look at the others as their online family. 8 years we've seen people get jobs, buy houses, get married, have children etc. There have been serious questions concerning life that have been asked, discussed and acted upon. And there has been a couple that actually recieved Christ into their life.
UT is about killing your competitor. Some folk would look at this as unchristian. And of course there's been the everpresent claim that some kids can be influenced by such violence. But the game itself isn't the culprit but the gaming community one hangs around with online and there are many. The influence lies in the interaction with that community, that set of people for it's that interaction that has the real influence. And I suppose one can "join" a group that isn't even gaming based. Chat rooms are popular also and again it's that "community" from which the influence is taken.

"none of this stuff is real"
And that's the key. :wink:

 

[MISFIT]

Amen potluck, Amen!

 

[Rick W]

Once upon a time there was a fellow (Christian) totally immersed in baseball. Baseball this and baseball that. There was nothing he wouldn't do for baseball. Including snubbing his family, running into debt for memorabilia, tickets... it drained the household income.
He finally repented of his ways, sold all the things concerning baseball etc. He got "back" with his family and the time he put into baseball he spent with his wife and children.
Lo and behold his church decided on a communty "get-together".
Attend a baseball game. :-D

Baseball isn't a sin unto itself but it could be.
The above fellow could very well view baseball a sin for it's influence on him. And he could view others who partake in baseball as sinful. Depends on how far one allows it to influence one's life.

Now I certainly don't propose drugs, sexual lust and serial killing be taken in the same light. :-D

 

[MISFIT]

So very true. I have a friend whose wife recently divorced him because he was spending too much time playing World of Warcraft. A game's a game and a hobby is a hobby, but it's when you let these things become the focal point of your life that you have a problem.

 

[A-Christian]

Moderation

 

[handy]

Yes, even spending too much time on a Christian talk forum can be problematical. :wink:

Before I was married, every Friday night, for several years, and the Sunday night, for at least another year, I would pick up pizza's and go over to some friends house and we would eat pizza and watch X-Files. In my view, before it jumped the shark, the X-Files was the best television produced since the Twilight Zone. Sure, the Star Trek franchise had it's defenders, but I really couldn't see any difference between any of the Star Trek shows and any other drama on televison except for better costumes, make-up and special effects. But X-Files, now that was great television! And to this day, I don't think there has ever been a creepier antagonist, no better downright scarier individual that Eugene Toombs. Just the other day, my daughter and I caught the episode where Toombs was released from prision. Whew! Now that's my idea of a 'scary' movie.

Oh, the friends that I watched X-Files with? My pastor and his wife and kids. His wife and I were bf's, and we all loved the show.

 

[Rick W]

I'm not trying to be a wet blanket on Sci-Fi, fantasy etc. because I too was fascinated with it. I read Tolken's "Lord of the Rings" a couple times long before any movie came out, was an avid techno-military fan, Clancy, Dale Brown etal, Star Trek (the original series) was my fav TV show back then and I loved anything to do with outer space real or not.
But as the years rolled by I slowly lost interest in favor of the real things around me. Sci-fi and fantasy still have their charm but lost that "phizazz" if you know what I mean. And no, that doesn't mean I've become an old fuddy-duddy sitting in a wheelchair with a shawl and a cat in my lap. The simple things have become a lot more profound simply for their, well.. simplicity... things I used to pass by without really seeing them, especially things in nature.
I've found there's a lot more to experience in the real world than in the minds of authors of books or the writters of fiction. Nonetheless I do like a good Sci-Fi book once in a while. "The Abyss" I'd never seen the movie but I just got through the book not long ago. Read it twice. Fascinating tale!!

 

[Vic C.]

Moderation

Agreed. "Everything in moderation" was one of my grandpa's favorite sayings.

 

[Rick W]

"Everything in moderation" was one of my grandpa's favorite sayings.

So you became a moderator.
Simple genetics.



I work midnights and I really need to get some sleep.
:-D

 

[Vic C.]

:-D

:

 

[MISFIT]

I love the X-files!

 

[OnFireForChrist]

Moderation

:-D Indeed.

 

[Malachi45]

Hi Guys,

Great stuff in your comments, but I am an old fuddy-duddy, and have been around the traps since Adam was a boy, and I find that over the past 30 years the "snares of the fowler" are getting more enticing, more deceptive, and more destructive than ever before.

What many view as being harmless these days is in fact extremely dangerous to spiritual discernment and well-being of the "temple", because over the past 40 years we have been desensitised and brainwashed by the infiltration of new age and other religion's practices, which have slipped in under the pretence that it is all good fun and harmless.

Sad as it is, people's rights and "we are one" syndromes have removed the Christian heritage from most countries of the world, and those inroads that have been allowed to come in under the rules of political correctness and multilevel marketing has destroyed any commonsense, particularly spiritual commonsense in the Body of Christ.

Today, the 21st Century is the latter days of perilous times where the doctrine of demons, that is, the worldly philosophy has buried itself deep down within the Body of Christ, as the so called Watchman allowed these things through the doorways of their churches, because it all seems practical as everyone else is doing it.

This is called complacency, and because of curiosity the enemy's snare was set, and they got caught.

Now, I watched certain movies that have been mentioned, and throughout all of those movies I could see the evil and the work of the powers of darkness behind the scenes. I've been around the traps far too long and know that Isaiah 5:20-24, such words as "woe to those who call evil good and good evil; who put darkness for light, and light for darkness...to those who are wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight...because they have rejected the Lord of Hosts."

Today, the people of the latter days of perilous times are at the root of the moral, social, and theological corruption and have become insensitive, arrogant, and egotistic.

Now, getting back to the movies, let all be aware, and beware, and most of all don't be unaware, because the spiritual hosts of darkness will gladly accommodate your thinking, feelings, mind, will and heart.

Stop, and be very cautious. I remember a Christian who suffered from much anger, and violence. He was involved in Christian martial arts, and because it had "Christian" attached to it, then it must be harmless. Well, martial arts, is martial arts, and it is engrossed in other religion's deities. When he left that practice, and confessed and repented of his involvement, and asked our Lord Jesus Christ for HIS forgiveness he changed completely.

Now, I am not opening for a debate on this, because it's not a debatable subject.

Woe is the day when evil is called good and good is called evil!

 

[Vic C.]

Sad as it is, people's rights and "we are one" syndromes have removed the Christian heritage from most countries of the world...

I hear ya, but that's one point of view. When I hear the phrase "we are one" it's usually in the context of The Body. Now when I hear that phrase outside of that context, I ask, "at one with what?"

Lets also remember that people's rights also ensure them the right to worship as we do. Take away the rights and the right to worship God will also vanish.

Now, I watched certain movies that have been mentioned, and throughout all of those movies I could see the evil and the work of the powers of darkness behind the scenes.

I guess we all see what we want sometimes. You see the "evil" and I see what is good and can use it to engage in Biblically based conversations, which may eventually lead to witnessing.

A good example:

This week on American Idol, the contestants closed Wednesday's show with "Shout to the Lord", albeit the name Jesus was changed to Shepherd, but they did open up Thursday's show with the name Jesus inserted in the proper placed. Either way, it made for some pleasant conversations for me at work this week.

Let God be glorified and lets not pass up opportunities to spread the Good News.

 

[MISFIT]

I say to each their own, if you want to do thing the "old" way fine, but why condemn those of us that do things different? If the message is the same and Jesus is the same who cares if we do things a little different? Look at it like this, all the stuff you "old school" types hold dear at one point were also new. Times change, people change, Jesus remains the same.

Also my point to this topic was simple, I don't believe for a second that when I'm face to face with Jesus that would just over look the fact that I love him, work for him and live for and send me to Hell just because I like Sci-fi and fantasy.

 

[Vic C.]

Hey, be careful. I can be old school at times too. ;-)

I say to each their own

Oops, that can a more dangerous statement than "we are one". 8-)

 

[Laudate Dominum]

I say to each their own, if you want to do thing the "old" way fine, but why condemn those of us that do things different? If the message is the same and Jesus is the same who cares if we do things a little different? Look at it like this, all the stuff you "old school" types hold dear at one point were also new. Times change, people change, Jesus remains the same.

Also my point to this topic was simple, I don't believe for a second that when I'm face to face with Jesus that would just over look the fact that I love him, work for him and live for and send me to Hell just because I like Sci-fi and fantasy.

We can't all be right, and we may all be wrong, but I think it is worthwhile to try to get closer to Christ.

But we should also remember that entrance to Heaven isn't based on a theology test :wink:

 

[Malachi45]

Hi VicC,

The reason why I see evil, because I know evil!

And by the way, Shout to the Lord is an Aussie song, and in Aussie they used the same gimic to get the Christian votes, but isn't it amazing they changed some words in your country, like they have changed the Bible, just to make people feel comfortable. Doesn't get my vote!

The "we are one" syndrome came from the New Age meeting that was held soon after 9/11, and that meeting was led by the then New Age leader of America, and was attended by a number of Christian leaders who have changed the words in the Bible and have their own ulterior motives. No names, no pack drills! But, the New Age leader suggested that it's time that a new gospel was preached and that we all become one. All other reglions also attended that meeting.

Be blessed in Jesus' Name.

 

[Vic C.]

Hi Mal,

Yes, I am well aware of who Darlene Zschech is and where she's from. I don't know anything about the phrase "we are one" and it's relation to new age, but as I said, I relate the phrase to the The Body of Christ.

John 17:22 And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one:

As far as I'm concerned, that is my source of the phrase.

Mal, did you catch what I said about Shout to the Lord? They righted their "wrong" by singing the song the next night with the proper lyric. God had His way, as He always does. His will always prevails.

Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Mat 6:10

Hey, check this out:

Christians Inside Fox

A Christian woman named Beverly posted what I thought was a helpful inside perspective from Fox. It helped me to see that, for Christians who work at Fox, having the song played was a triumph. It's easy for me to be cynical as I watch and forget that there are believers working at this network who are looking for any chance to shine the light of the gospel. She goes on to share that positive feedback from Christians would be helpful. Thanks for taking the time to post, Beverly.

I work on one of the "sister shows" of American Idol...so picture an office, with all of the producers, crew, etc. gathered in watching the live feed at our CBS offices, then this song comes on...an office filled with a few Christians....atheists and agnostic Jews. You could hear a pin drop....it was awesome.....the power that came through....nothing had to be said...no debates....just people being touched more than they realized...producers, writers...crew that had never darkened a church door in their lives, or their only experience with Christians was a negative one. You don't always see the workings of us Christians that are behind the scenes...you don't know how much prayer went into getting a song with that message on a, let us not forget, a SECULAR show. So, from someone behind the scenes, the best thing you can do is write to the producer of Am. Idol and simply state how much you appreciate the diversity they showed in having an very inspirational song in their program. Period. No criticizing. This will go farther than you realize. Also, pray, pray, pray for us Christians that have chosen Hollywood as our vocation, career and our mission field.


The Folks at Hillsong

I expressed curiosity about how the process for rights to use the song worked. This person has some knowledge of it and about Christians in the Idol band. I appreciated her comment that we should "reserve our outrage for the real tragedies of this world." Well said.

I know the people from Hillsong who negotiated this deal thru Integrity Music, and the word change wasn't approved, but while they deal with that, they are quite happy the song was song used.

There are also very strong Christians in the American idol band, who are witnesses in places most of us don't have influenceâ€â€let's rejoice that He is praised, even if by 'indifferent' vesselsâ€â€let the fruit of our ministry be heard in our churches and in the churches of pop culture.

Let's reserve our 'outrage' for the real tragedies in this world...Let his praises rise... Even from hearts as cold as stones... God can command praise from stonesâ€â€not just the redeemed.