We Need to Address the Church's Bondage to Hollywood

If our church members fall into the habit of frequenting the theatre, we shall soon have them going much further in the direction of vice, and they will lose all relish for the ways of God. If theatre-going became general among professing Christians, it would be the death of piety. Yet one finds the taste for such things increasing on every hand. – Charles Spurgeon

We are a fallen people. Sin is our nature. God sees that we, in our natural state, are profoundly wicked, and that every intention of the thoughts of our hearts is only evil continually (Genesis 6:5). This is one of the foundational truths of Christianity: God is good, man is fallen. This is why He sent His Son to die for us.

But there’s a twisted evil coursing through our society—a venom so potent it’s infected even the most well-meaning churches and professing believers. Entire theologies have been concocted to justify this moral pollution—Hollywood. Specifically, pornographic, God-hating, blaspheming entertainment produced from this culture.

I’ve seen some of the most respected theological minds of our time twist Scripture to excuse indulging in this cesspool. This subtle yet corrosive form of depravity has become the go-to loophole for professing Christians to feed their wicked hearts, all while telling themselves they aren’t the ones actually doing it.

They rationalize their thirst for depravity by basking in morally bankrupt television and movies—as if observing sin from the couch is any better than living it out.

Spoiler, it isn’t.

Yet, it’s almost expected now for Christians to lap up this depravity packaged as entertainment—shows like American Horror Story or Game of Thrones or whatever else is streaming on Netflix this week—overflowing with depictions of rape, incest, blasphemy, murder, and fornication.

Essentially, everything 1 Corinthians 6:9-10 warns will keep you from inheriting the Kingdom of God is glorified in these shows. It’s a smorgasbord for the wicked human heart.

The excuse is that it’s just entertainment. “It’s not real.” But here’s the brutal truth, it is real. Real people strip down, act out perverse scenes, and blaspheme God—because they’re paid to do so. They perform the very sins you claim to be redeemed from right in front of you. They act out what you claim you would never dare in real life, and you applaud from the safety of your living room. Whether you admit it or not, they’re being paid to practice sin for you.

This same pattern of excusing sinful content as mere "art" has shown up in even the most popular Evangelical Christian circles. For instance, The Gospel Coalition regularly publishes their Best Movies of Year, which include films like Killers of the Flower Moon and Past Lives and even movies and television shows that depict homosexual acts.

These films are rife with explicit content—sex, foul language, and blasphemy—yet TGC defends their inclusion by claiming they offer "truth" and "beauty." In an effort to engage with culture, they end up endorsing the very depravity they claim to oppose. This kind of compromise only distorts the line between holiness and worldly indulgence, making it easier for Christians to justify feeding their flesh under the guise of thoughtful engagement.

Jesus made it abundantly clear that sin starts in the heart, long before the act itself. 1 John 3:15 cuts right through the excuse: “Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him.”

And Matthew 5:28 leaves no room for compromise: “But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart.” How much hate, how much lust must be festering in your soul to find satisfaction in this filth?

Here’s the question that needs to be asked. If it would be sinful for me to do, why is it somehow acceptable to revel in someone else doing it?

We’re commanded to love our neighbors as ourselves. That means we should desire the gospel to transform their lives. So if we’re throwing cash at an industry that mocks the gospel, celebrates debauchery, and exploits human sin for profit, are we really loving them? Obviously not.

Imagine your wife or your kids being part of this spectacle—still sound like harmless entertainment? If it would be revolting for your own family, why isn’t it for someone else’s?

Where’s the line?

The biblical standard is clear…if it’s sinful to act out, it’s sinful to spectate. But the American church is so morally bankrupt, she’ll twist herself into knots to justify it. I get it—this stance isn’t popular. Heavyweights in Christian academia will scoff at this perspective.

Why?

Because we’ve numbed ourselves to sin masquerading as art. “It’s just a word here or there—it doesn’t make me stumble.” But the truth is, you’ve already stumbled. You’ve decided that tolerating sin—so long as it’s through a screen—is somehow less offensive to God.

Repentance isn’t just quitting sinful actions, it’s rejecting sinful desires. If you claim to hate sin, why are you entertained by it? Heaven won’t be screening Game of Thrones. Has your heart really changed if this is what you crave? If not, you might need to take a hard look at your soul. Living out your depravity through screens isn’t a loophole. It’s just a more sophisticated way to gratify the flesh while silencing your conscience.

What a tool Satan has forged—leading the world away from God with nothing more than an evening of 'entertainment.'