What is the Christian Attitude Toward the Commercialized Movie?

Lloyd Eby
Bishop, 1953-1961

July 1951

Shall we condemn the movie industry in its entirety, never patronize a movie and warn against it at every opportunity? Or shall we practice discrimination, using what is good in it and avoiding the rest? I wish to discuss this latter possibility.

1. In support of the discriminate attendance at carefully selected pictures, it is usually states that this is the way to encourage the industry to better their pictures. That by increasing the demand for good pictures, we will discourage them from making harmful ones. Such an idea would be comparable to consistently going to taverns for our refreshments with the idea that if they sell enough ice cream and soft drinks, they will stop selling liquor.

2. Some will say, "Our youth are bound to go to the movies, so we had better teach them discrimination rather than try and ban something which they will do in any case. The major premise here is not sound. There are thousands of genuine Christian youth who live a full life and never go to th movie. Thousands more would have done likewise if we adults had stood by our standards. In actual fact, this attitude of discrimination is a tremendous feeder for indiscriminate, habitual attendance at the movie.

It is proven that moderate drinking of beer leads to indulgence in hard liquor. It is true that the square dance and the chaperoned private dance are the best feeders for the public dance halls. So also the approval of discriminate attendance at the movie all too often ends in the movie habit.

3. Our influence on the weak Christian must be considered. Supposing that we could attend a certain "good" movie without leaving any undesirable impression upon us. Some weak Christian may see us and take that as an excuse to attend the movie without any discriminating selection of pictures. Their defense will be that you, a supposedly good Christian, also attend the movies.

4. Can we accept even good pictures from an industry whose employees, a general rule, are notoriously immoral? Do we want to see spiritual, moral, and scriptural characters portrayed by immoral men and women?

5. Dare we in any way give our financial support to so vast a commercialized evil as the movie industry has proven itself? By patronizing the local movie, we support the whole vile business.