1 Step Forward, 2 Steps Back

God calls us to walk in His light, and we are taught that we are to be careful to regulate what enters
into our hearts and minds. Ephesians 5 states:
8 For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light
9 (for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness, and truth),
10 finding out what is acceptable to the Lord.
11 And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them.

Proverbs 4 addresses guarding our hearts - and that involves choosing to view and think on material that is consistent with our relationship with Christ.  We recognize that cultural influences, including media, are powerful forces to get us off track in our walk with the Lord.  So, we can take practical steps to make sure that we are rejecting the ideas of the world and renewing our minds with the principles of the Word.

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We have a responsibility, I believe, before God to ensure that our homes reflect the presence of God.
In the 101st Psalm, we see these verses:
2 I will behave wisely in a perfect way. Oh, when will You come to me? I will walk within my house with a perfect heart.
3 I will set nothing wicked before my eyes; I hate the work of those who fall away; It shall not cling to me.
4 A perverse heart shall depart from me; I will not know wickedness.

There have been some recent developments regarding the type of content that is or has been available on your television screen, and while there was a positive step reported recently, there have been a couple of other negative occurrences - 1 step forward, 2 steps back, you might say.

Well, first up, the good news.  According to the Faithwire website, HBO, which was just brought under the AT&T umbrella, has decided to eliminate its late-night, explicit adult content. The article quotes a network spokesperson, who said: "Over the past several years HBO has been winding down its late-night adult fare,” adding, “While we’re greatly ramping up our other original program offerings, there hasn’t been a strong demand for this kind of adult programming, perhaps because it’s easily available elsewhere.”

Jeffrey Jones of the University of Georgia pointed out that the departure of long-time executive Sheila Nevins may have also contributed. He said, “With her gone, I can see that change,” adding, “She very much saw sex as a central part of human beings and therefore documentaries should treat it with respect. She carved out a space for this type of programming.”

Parents Television Council is pleased, but is encouraging AT&T to go further. PTC President Tim Winter, on the organization's blog, is quoted as saying, "AT&T’s HBO made a wise decision to remove pornographic content, even citing that 'there wasn’t strong demand for this kind of adult programming.’ While that is a huge positive step forward, the same logic should also extend to AT&T-owned DirecTV, which still offers hardcore pornographic content to subscribers..."

PTC also called out Viacom in advance of the recent MTV Video Music Awards, saying that the program should be rated TV-MA for mature audiences. Winter stated, "Every year, Viacom markets sexually-charged, pro-illegal drug, and profane content to children, and claims they ‘couldn’t have known’ to expect explicit content from its live broadcast. Viacom needs to take this standard excuse off the table right now, and rate the MTV VMAs for Mature Audiences – assuming from the outset that the content will be similarly graphic to what has routinely aired in recent years..."

And, against the backdrop of the announcement by Netflix that it is planning to introduce more family-oriented programming, the streaming service is being called out on several fronts. CBN indicates that would include faith-based fare, according to statements from Netflix executive Cindy Holland.  CBN reports:

She said the company is "really building out a robust slate" of traditional family-friendly content, according to a report from Fox News.

It represents a significant percentage of the population not only here in the US, but around the world," Holland said adding that she "grew up in a place that was very much steeped in those traditions."

While Holland didn't specify how many new shows and movies, Variety reports that Chief Financial Officer David Well said Netflix wants to add about 700 original shows to its portfolio in 2018.

The announcement comes at a time when the streaming service is under fire for adding five LGBT characters to its adaptation of the 1908 novel Anne of Green Gables.

So, you really have to question what the Netflix definition of "family-friendly" really is.

Plus, PTC President Tim Winter, according to the Parents Television Council blog, sent a letter to Netflix CEO Reed Hastings about child pornography in the Netflix film, Desire.  He stated that the service had displayed "reckless disregard" for families and went as far as to accuse Netflix as "potentially engaging in criminal activity."  He added, "And at such a momentous time in Hollywood as this, where #MeToo is exposing grotesque behavior and holding those accountable for engaging in it, how can Netflix affirmatively engage in the distribution of such disreputable content?”

It's important for Christians to pay attention to entertainment trends, products, and philosophies. We have a duty, I believe, to control what is allowed into our homes.  So, our first takeaway, based on Psalm 101, is that we seek to pursue purity.  We can build a wall around our minds and our spirits, recognizing that what we expose ourselves to can actually penetrate the human spirit and even affect our worldview and our decision-making.

So, in addition to pursuing purity, we can make it a goal to savor safety.  We have to be sensitive and knowledgeable about threats to our spiritual lives.  We can pre-screen entertainment choices, using tools such as Plugged In from Focus on the Family or the Dove Foundation site.  There are filtering services that are available, as well.  VidAngel bills itself as a service that can help you skip over objectionable series on certain streaming services.

And, we can certainly access alternatives.  There are a number of streaming services that offer a steady diet of family-friendly content, such as PureFlix.com, ChristianCinema.com, and the Dove Channel.  We can make sure that our choices are predicated on Biblical principles and guard our hearts from what can inhibit our spiritual devotion.