How Should A Christian Respond To Hollywood? The translation meaning of Hollywood in Greek is Χόλιγουντ, in Hebrew is הוליווד, and its meaning in Latin is Hollywood. Behold, God may have forewarned us about Hollywood in the Bible. Even though Hollywood did not exist in the days of creation, the spirit of Hollywood has always been. Brethren, Hollywood is more than a city in California. The word Hollywood has become synonymous with glitz and glamor, as well as the extravagant lifestyles and hedonistic philosophies of movie stars and celebrities. It is without a doubt that Hollywood exerts a vast influence on popular culture in the west and around the world. The term Hollywood is often used to refer to anything pertaining to the entertainment industry, even though other cities such as New York and Nashville contribute to it as well.
Truthfully speaking, most movies produced in Hollywood are secular and are arranged to promote lavish materialism, adultery, sensuality, self-worship, and adultery. And even worse is the fact that some Hollywood movies exhibit a blatant anti-God bias. The Lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life (1 John 2:16) abound in the movies Hollywood produces. Having said this, it’s clear that going to the theater can be a dangerous move for believers who want to keep their minds pure. 2 Timothy 2:22-24 says, “Run from temptations …” At this point, we are more likely to ask ourselves these questions; should Christians boycott Hollywood? Should Christians be unthinking believers of whatever entertainment comes out? Or should they find a middle path? A good understanding of what the Bible says will provide us with answers to these questions.
How Should A Christian Respond To Hollywood?
Brethren, what, exactly, attracts us to Hollywood? Worth taking note of is the fact that part of Hollywood’s appeal is the covetousness it champions. From every newsstand and television set, we are told that we should want what the celebrities have. Headlines such as “America Wants to Know!” or “The Life Every Woman Dreams Of” scream at us from checkout lines, dropping in us the message that we cannot possibly be content if we are not following celebrities. And it’s rather sad that millions of the discontent gobble it up and, in their attempt to live like their idols, become indebted, anorexic, or promiscuous. With this in mind, we are more likely to say that Hollywood is in the business of creating idols and foisting them upon us whether we want them or not.
The Almighty God tells us a lot about the sin of covetousness through the Bible. He included in it His Top Ten List (Exodus 20:17). Likewise, Jesus Christ said, “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions” (Luke 12:15). It is important to understand that covetousness is a thief that steals joy, peace, and contentment – qualities God wants His children to have in abundance (Galatians 5:22; 1 Timothy 6:6). For a Christian to become enamored with the lavish lifestyle of the rich and famous is to break God’s tenth commandment and forfeit the contentment He wants us to develop in our journey with Christ.
Understanding the level of influence Hollywood has on the society
Behold, Hollywood is quite influential. The question now is to know why Hollywood is so influential. Aside from the materialism, it wallows in, Hollywood has come to represent the great American fascination with entertainment. Entertainment is an idol that has crept quietly through the back door of Western Christianity. It goes mostly unnoticed as a threat because it does not wear the mask of evil. Entertainment itself is neutral. We use entertainment to distract and as well comfort crying babies, quiet restless children, and relax weary workers. Entertainment can as well help unify a family on vacation, give teenagers something healthy to do, and bring comforting enjoyment in stressful times.
Unfortunately, entertainment in most prosperous cultures has become an addiction. It is worth pointing to the fact that entertainment for its own sake steals time, money, and mental energy that could be spent on more worthwhile pursuits. The world’s appetite for entertainment is Hollywood’s lifeblood. Hollywood could not sustain itself without the public’s hunger for more. As with any other addiction, the craving for greater thrills increases, and that’s why the public demands spectacles that are bigger, louder, more exciting, more sensual, and more beautiful. Brethren, the lust for entertainment can replace the joy of the Lord until time with God is seen as an interruption in the pursuit of pleasure. At such a point, entertainment has replaced God as our supreme delight and has become an idol (Exodus 20:3; 34:14; Jeremiah 2:13).
The issue with entertainment and how to handle it
According to Romans 1:32, entertainment is wrong when we allow ourselves to be captivated by things that displease God Almighty. When we excuse a movie’s sex scenes with “it had a good message” or become fans of openly immoral entertainers, we are actually crossing a line we ought not to cross. By doing such, we are allowing Hollywood rather than God’s Word to define our values. In making our entertainment choices, one good question to ask is “If Jesus Christ was coming to spend the weekend with me, would I be happy to share this with Him?” Would He approve of the movie? reality show? new CD? Would He buy a People Magazine and feast on the stories of mate-swapping and infidelity? Would He applaud the sensual dancers? If Jesus Christ would not, then why do we? As Christians, we are to follow Him in Words, Thoughts, and Actions.
Standing firm with God even in the face of the trials brought by the entertainment industry
Do we excuse behavior and language in movies and television shows that we would never endorse if it was done in our homes? Behold, if we willingly sit through acts of violence, profanity, immorality, and anti-Christian themes without it bothering us, then perhaps we have allowed the values of Hollywood to invade our lives. When we can fill our minds with vulgarities on Saturday night, yet show up for worship on Sunday morning with no awareness of the inconsistency we have fallen victim to the lure of the Hollywood god. Philippians 4:8 clearly instructs Christians about their thought life: “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.”
Likewise, Jesus Christ said, “For out of the heart come evil thoughts—murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander.” (Matthew 15:19). When our minds have entertained that which God calls evil, our thought life and eventually our actions will be affected. In this light, Proverbs 13:20 says, “Walk with the wise and become wise, for a companion of fools suffers harm.” As Christians aiming to live a life like that of Jesus Christ, we ought to pay attention to how we spend our time. This is because how we spend our time eventually defines us. Behold, if Hollywood is not reflecting the values that we cherish, we must be careful how much time we spend with it. To honor God Almighty, we must compare the values coming out of Hollywood to the unchanging standard of Scripture. Then we must “hate what is evil; cling to what is good” (Romans 12:9).
What God Says About Hollywood
Hollywood flaunts what God despises. As Christians, we are to seek after God and His righteousness (Matthew 6:33). If any form of entertainment does not support that goal, our response must be to reject it. Just as we previously mentioned, God may have forewarned us about Hollywood in the Bible. Even though Hollywood did not exist in the days of creation, the Spirit of Hollywood has always been. To bring clarity to what we are hoping to get across to you, we’ll start by breaking down the word Hollywood. Let’s take the definitions of Holly and Wood and its origins: Middle English – holly, holi, holie. Photo Indo-European (thorn, awn; a kind of thorny plant: prickly). Wood which is a tree or stick.
At this point, when we take Hollywood and let’s say holy wood, we then must carefully look at how Holywood became Hollywood. As Christians, it is very important for us to always remember that Satan’s Kingdom of this world will mimic God’s Kingdom. Jesus Christ died on a stick with thorns around His head. Galatians 3:13 says, “Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree.” Jesus Christ nullified the curse because He is Holy. In support of this, 1 Peter 1:16 says, “for it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.” So now as Jesus Christ is holy so is the wood and all that Jesus Christ touches. The thorns placed on Jesus’ head represent the world and how the world mocks God’s authority over the world.
More
Genesis 3:17 says, “And unto Adam he said, because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife and hast eaten of the tree of which I commanded thee, saying, thou shalt not eat of it, cursed shall be the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life.” Note that before the sin of Adam, Adam would spend time with God daily in a garden free of weeds, thorns, and thistles. When Adam sinned, God made sure that all mankind will exist in a burdensome world that is compared to thorn and thistle. This is to say that as man lives in this world he will endure the hardships the world and Satan have to offer. Now we look at the true holywood and we look at the world holywood.
In magic which is dark energy, the wand is made from the wood of a holy tree used to cast spells. Referred to by Satanists as a holy stick. Looking at the Hollywood sign, you’ll see it placed high on a mountain peak. This sign was originally designed as a billboard but gained notoriety as the famous Hollywood sign. The sign is at a place where all who arrive for fortune and fame will look up and chant that their lives will change forever. John 12:32 says, “And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me.” As Jesus Christ was lifted on the cross it allowed all who are willing to receive him as Lord and Savior to be drawn to Him. In Hollywood, as this is part of Satan’s portal to draw all men to him, the false holywood sign is present.
Hollywood, Fame, and Fortune
Satan attempted to tempt Jesus Christ three (03) times (Matthew 4:1-11). 1 John 2:16 says, “For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the boastful pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.” The lust of the eyes first started with Eve in the Garden when she listened to the serpent after she saw the forbidden fruit as it was “pleasing to the eye”. Hollywood glamorizes the big houses, clothing, fancy cars, and jewelry. All of the things that are eye-catching or pleasing to the eye. The lust of the flesh comes in when we get pleasure from things because it makes us feel good. We get credit in order to pay for things that will put us in financial bondage but this tends to make us feel good (temporarily).
The pride of life comes when we boast of who we are, and what we have, look down on others and choose to be glamourized or become idols. Brethren, flee from Lust, Greed, Pride, and Fear. As many actors/actresses, singers, and musicians have said that they sold their souls to the devil for fortune and fame but instead got entangled in a world of lust, fear, pride, and greed. The curse that Christ nullified for those who seek Him and His Kingdom is placed on those who seek the wealth and fame of the world which is an illusion. Romans 12:2 says, “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.”
How Should A Christian Respond To Hollywood?
2 Peter 2:12 – “But these, like irrational animals, creatures of instinct, born to be caught and destroyed, blaspheming about matters of which they are ignorant, will also be destroyed in their destruction,“
James 4:3 – “You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions.“
Jude 1:7 – “Just as Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding cities, which likewise indulged in sexual immorality and pursued unnatural desire, serve as an example by undergoing a punishment of eternal fire.’
Group 1 – How Should A Christian Respond To Hollywood
Revelation 18:1-24 – “After this I saw another angel coming down from heaven, having great authority, and the earth was made bright with his glory. And he called out with a mighty voice, “Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great! She has become a dwelling place for demons, a haunt for every unclean spirit, a haunt for every unclean bird, a haunt for every unclean and detestable beast. For all nations have drunk the wine of the passion of her sexual immorality, and the kings of the earth have committed immorality with her, and the merchants of the earth have grown rich from the power of her luxurious living.” Then I heard another voice from heaven saying, “Come out of her, my people, lest you take part in her sins, lest you share in her plagues; for her sins are heaped high as heaven, and God has remembered her iniquities. ...”
1 John 4:1 – “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world.”
Ephesians 4:18-19 – “They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to their hardness of heart. They have become callous and have given themselves up to sensuality, greedy to practice every kind of impurity.”
Group 2 – How Should A Christian Respond To Hollywood
James 4:1 – “What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you?“
Genesis 18:20-21 – Then the Lord said, “Because the outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is great and their sin is very grave, I will go down to see whether they have done altogether according to the outcry that has come to me. And if not, I will know.”
Amos 4:12 – “Therefore thus I will do to you, O Israel; because I will do this to you, prepare to meet your God, O Israel!”
Ezekiel 23:1-49 – “The word of the Lord came to me: “Son of man, there were two women, the daughters of one mother. They played the whore in Egypt; they played the whore in their youth; there their breasts were pressed and their virgin bosoms handled. Oholah was the name of the elder and Oholibah the name of her sister. They became mine, and they bore sons and daughters. As for their names, Oholah is Samaria, and Oholibah is Jerusalem. “Oholah played the whore while she was mine, and she lusted after her lovers the Assyrians, warriors …“
Group 3 – How Should A Christian Respond To Hollywood
Ezekiel 16:1-63 – “Again the word of the Lord came to me: “Son of man, make known to Jerusalem her abominations, and say, Thus says the Lord God to Jerusalem: Your origin and your birth are of the land of the Canaanites; your father was an Amorite and your mother a Hittite. And as for your birth, on the day you were born your cord was not cut, nor were you washed with water to cleanse you, nor rubbed with salt, nor wrapped in swaddling cloths. No eye pitied you, to do any of these things to you out of compassion for you, but you were cast out on the open field, for you were abhorred, on the day that you were born. …“
Lamentations 1:8 – “Jerusalem sinned grievously; therefore she became filthy; all who honored her despise her, for they have seen her nakedness; she herself groans and turns her face away.”
Group 4 – How Should A Christian Respond To Hollywood
Leviticus 18:22 – “You shall not lie with a male as with a woman; it is an abomination.”
Proverbs 13:11 – “Wealth gained hastily will dwindle, but whoever gathers little by little will increase it.”
Proverbs 30:12 – “There are those who are clean in their own eyes but are not washed of their filth.”
Psalm 119:105 – “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.“
Leviticus 20:13 – “If a man lies with a male as with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination; they shall surely be put to death; their blood is upon them.”
Group 5 – How Should A Christian Respond To Hollywood
Romans 8:32 – “He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?“
1 Corinthians 6:9 – “Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality,”
1 Timothy 6:9-10 – “But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.“
Group 6 – How Should A Christian Respond To Hollywood
Job 1:6 – “Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came among them.“
Romans 1:26-27 – “For this reason God gave them up to dishonorable passions. For their women exchanged natural relations for those that are contrary to nature; and the men likewise gave up natural relations with women and were consumed with passion for one another, men committing shameless acts with men and receiving in themselves the due penalty for their error.”
Job 2:1 – “Again there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came among them to present himself before the Lord.“
Ezekiel 1:4 – “As I looked, behold, a stormy wind came out of the north, and a great cloud, with brightness around it, and fire flashing forth continually, and in the midst of the fire, as it were gleaming metal.“
Group 7 – How Should A Christian Respond To Hollywood
2 Corinthians 11:14 – “And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light.“
James 4:13-17 – “Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit”— yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.” As it is, you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil. So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin.”
Group 8 – How Should A Christian Respond To Hollywood
Revelation 13:1-18 – “And I saw a beast rising out of the sea, with ten horns and seven heads, with ten diadems on its horns and blasphemous names on its heads. And the beast that I saw was like a leopard; its feet were like a bear’s, and its mouth was like a lion’s mouth. And to it the dragon gave his power and his throne and great authority. One of its heads seemed to have a mortal wound, but its mortal wound was healed, and the whole earth marveled as they followed the beast. And they worshiped the dragon, for he had given his authority to the beast, and they worshiped the beast, saying, “Who is like the beast, and who can fight against it?” And the beast was given a mouth uttering haughty and blasphemous words, and it was allowed to exercise authority for forty-two months. …“
Group 9 – How Should A Christian Respond To Hollywood
Isaiah 1:1-31 – “The vision of Isaiah the son of Amoz, which he saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah. Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth; for the Lord has spoken: “Children have I reared and brought up, but they have rebelled against me. The ox knows its owner, and the donkey its master’s crib, but Israel does not know, my people do not understand.” Ah, sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, offspring of evildoers, children who deal corruptly! They have forsaken the Lord, they have despised the Holy One of Israel, they are utterly estranged. Why will you still be struck down? Why will you continue to rebel? The whole head is sick, and the whole heart faint. …“
