Bad Implications: Ignore or Cut Off?

[u23rn4m3]

I really, really need some advice about a show I really like. I'm brand new here, I was looking for some Christian chat site to get advice from.
Have any of you seen Steven Universe?
Its an incredible show, nearly perfect in almost every way
Except one
In a recent episode
They blatantly had a same sex couple
Pretty much everyone I've asked for advice on this has told me 'you decide, but if I were you I wouldn't watch it anymore' except one person who said 'you decide, but if I were you I'd just ignore it'
I've been praying about this for about a month
I almost always come to the conclusion that as long as I'm careful about promoting or praising it, it's fine to watch, enjoy, think about, wrote about, and just love like I have since I discovered it
But every single day I have a lot of doubts
i start to randomly feel really, really guilty about it
Granted, I've had this problem for years, feeling guilty and freaked out over things that literally don't matter, so I don't think I can trust my emotions
But still, I just want to talk to some faithful Christians about it
One thing I keep thinking is, whenever people have sex before marriage on a show or movie, it's usually glanced over. I've personally never thought much of it, I know it's wrong and I've commited not to do it, so it never bothered me
But it's come to my attention lately that the Bible makes it clear, all sexual sins are equal
And the way the world is going right now, homosexuality is going to be as popular in media as premarital sex
I hate to say it, but it's true
Since it's going to be everywhere, is it okay to ignore it? As long as you are openly against the sin, is it okay to enjoy a show with hints of it? (It's only in two episodes anyway)
as a Fanfiction writer, I have of course created my own version of these two characters story (Ruby and Sapphire) where they are just friends. I like it a lot
I like all my Steven Universe stories a lot
There are times I legitmatly believe God is telling me it's okay
And there are other times I'm not sure
I've been looking desparitly for Christian fans of Steven Universe, but the only things I could find were reviews written before the episode with the relationship being revealed
I really hope there are some fans here that can offer me some advice
Or at least some devoted Christians
God Bless everyone one of you

 

[santuzza]

"Finally, brethen, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things." -Phillippians 4:8

This is my standard when deciding what to watch/read/play, etc. Frankly, I won't watch shows that put sin in a good light.

 

[u23rn4m3]

The show has a lot of good attributes too, and it's really inspired me as a writer lately
I've heard that there are some Christians that do ignore this stuff in anime and stuff
Im just so confused

 

[mystdancer50]

The thing of it is that pretty much every show has homosexuality that is on mainstream television these days. Most of them also have sex and many graphically. This is the way it is. Use common sense and godly sense. Beware that the agenda is to have you accept homosexuality and fornication and adultery as normal and fine and everyone is doing it. They want you to like the people so much that you figure it can't be all bad. That is their agenda. If you can see past that and enjoy the storyline, fine. If you can't, then stop watching. I've had to stop watching many shows due to the sex that is thrown in my face when watching. Check out IMDB online and read the honest parent reviews of movies and shows before starting them. I will say that even though I am a foster parent, I refuse to watch The Fosters because it is about a same sex couple fostering/adopting. So, there you go.

 

[u23rn4m3]

Thank you so much for your advice, both of you.
I usually can see past it and enjoy the storyline, and like I said I even rewrote certain episodes myself
There are some times I even forget the stupid implicatins are there
But there are other times when I can't stop thinking about it
It's not making me think it's good or anything, I'm still firmly against it and not afraid to admit it!
In fact, this may even be a great opportunity to spread that message. Before this show I never spoke my mind about what I thought was right for fear of being ridiculed. I'm much bolder about it now.
Whenever I get overwhelmed with guilt, I kept wondering, is this satan trying to manipulate my emotions, like he does a lot, or is it really God trying to tell me something? (That's actually the struggle of my life right now, beyond the show.)
Whenever I think about the good, pure, well written episodes,and the great characters I keep feeling like this GAS to be okay with God.
I just want to get all the advice and pionts of view I can get
I don't want to be headed into a trap

 

[mystdancer50]

Something I learned was that if you ask, God will reveal triggers to you, things that lead you to bad choices or cause you to stumble. Once He shows you those, you leave them behind and do not engage ever again. For me, it was a certain writer that I collected her books, and I had to throw them all away and never buy another one. That was hard for me, but what matters more? Entertainment or my soul?

There are certain anime shows I stay away from because of the drawings and the content. But, some are okay. However, I am extremely cautious. The same is true for all that I watch. Pray for discernment and listen when it comes and you'll be fine. In truth, we should all be abstaining from television and movies for the most part, but for many of us, it just isn't something we choose to do, myself included.

 

[u23rn4m3]

I have been praying, fervently, for about a month. I can't get a clear answer.
I feel literally sick right now thinking about this. I don't think I'll sleep tonight. I always think of stories when I fall asleep and I don't think I'll be able to stop from thinking of this.
I literally feel like God is telling me two different things at the same time. One moment it's one thing, the next it's another, which is why I can't trust my emotions, but what else can I go by?
i have literally this exact same struggle every day, 'Is it okay?' Or 'Is it not okay?'
The funny thing is, the 'It's okay' side seems to always win. Does that mean anything?

 

[mystdancer50]

God is not a God of confusion. If you are feeling this divided about it, I'd say that you should stop watching it. Most times the unrest in regards to these things is your flesh/will fighting against your spirit and God's will.

 

[u23rn4m3]

But true only thing is, logic seems to be telling me it should be fine as long as I'm careful.
Im wary of listening to just feelings, even super strong ones
Ive always had a giant problem with feelings
i can remember an incident when I was younger, where my mom found me in the kitchen, and I was freaking out because I wanted to cook chicken but I couldn't decide if it 'felt' like I should make it. Please don't judge me for this, but it's just an example of how bad it was
Its satan's biggest tool against me personally
and it's honestly, mostly, just feelings keeping me scketical. Feelings that come and go. That's why I'm so confused

 

[mystdancer50]

I will tell you right now that if something or someone is telling you that you're fine as long as you're careful, that's a huge red flag. Now, I said to be aware of your triggers. That's not the same thing as being careful. The Bible asks if man can pull fire onto his lap and not be burned. The answer is no. If you're this conflicted, I would say that you need to stop watching it. There have been shows that I really liked the premise of, but I couldn't watch them because of the content. It's a choice we make, because honestly, as the Bible says, we must not be conformed to this world and we must be in the world but not of the world. What we passively (and actively) watch, read, look at and listen to will determine our thoughts and mindsets and, ultimately, our actions.

 

[mystdancer50]

Game of Thrones was one such show. I like the idea of the books, but when I read the books, I can control what I read and what I don't. HBO has taken the sex in the books to a horrid level. I couldn't even get through the pilot episode. The minute the sex started, I had to turn it off. So, I can't watch GOT, which is no real loss to me. It has a major fan base, but I won't sacrifice the purity of my eyes for the sake of entertainment, even if I love the storyline and the characters.

 

[u23rn4m3]

I think I may have worded that wrong. By be careful I mean just 'don't let it make you waver in your faith and beliefs' which is honestly what we must do in every situation.
I find it important to add that pretty much every day for a month I spend the day watching it or writing about it or something, and also talking to God and reading devotions as usual and everything feels fine! I've asked God to please help me not to feel fine about it if it really isn't. The only way I could stop loving the show was through His power, so I've asked everyday to make me stop loving it if it's not what He wants. I honestly do think this is important.Either He's remaining silent in His answer, or these feelings really aren't from Him.
I don't want to make a feeling based decision.
Please don't get me wrong though, I may seem a little one sided here but im yell praying for both sides. The number one thing I want is to follow God's Will.
On one side if I still love the show, I'll have a million great stories that'll help me improve, plus an opportunity to spread the message of God's beliefs on sexuality in a way that I honestly don't think I'd be bold enough to do if I weren't talking about a show I'm passionate about
On the other side, I could be avoiding a slippery slope (although I'm not even sure)
when I spell it out logically, it seems best to just continue on. I think I could help other Christians better this way, as long as I'm careful not to promote the show (at least not without making sure others are aware of my beliefs first) too much. And I really don't see my faith wavering at all because of it.
This is the main reason why I'm so skeptical just to throw in the towel and forget the show. Not just because I love it, because logically it seems like a mistake. I've had problems with emotions blurring my vision, and my preteen years were ruined because of it. I don't want to make another decision based emotion.

 

[mystdancer50]

I think you know that you need to stop watching it and you don't want to. Ultimately, though, the choice is yours. God isn't going to force you. Forced obedience isn't obedience, just like forced love isn't love. I wish you all the best.

 

[u23rn4m3]

I've been praying about it a lot tonight. I think I may have to possibly take a break until my faith is stronger, or maybe just be careful like I've said before. I'm going to pray about it even more before I go to bed. Please keep praying for me as well. I'm just afraid of making the wrong choice, I really am. Whenever I feel close to God, I sincerly don't feel as though I can't enjoy the show, but I do need to put my faith absolutly first.
Thank you so much for all of your help. Please pray that I won't make the wrong decision here.

 

[u23rn4m3]

Sorry for double posting, but I would like to share the decision I made tonight
I believe that if you're faith is strong enough and you feel as though your relationship with God is strong enough, your beliefs are grounded firmly enough, and your wittness won't be hurt by it, shows like this CAN BE fine to watch. You have to pray about it and analyze it yourself
i firmly believe there is a reason God led me to discover this show, possibly to be the beacon of light I hope to be, providing pure, Christian fanfiction to those who want to ignore the unfortunate implications as well. I'm also positive that just cutting the show off will make my problem just fester and latch onto something else, since through devotions and division I've discovered the root of my problem actually lies elsewhere.
With all of this said, I may take a break from the show to let my faith grow stronger. I also recomend you discuss with God personally before you decide if you want to get into it
If you feel as though you're strong enough to look past the implications and yet still find them wrong, you will find an otherwise terrific show with many Christian values. But put your faith in God absolutly first. Take His word for it, not mine.

 

[atwhatcost]

I really, really need some advice about a show I really like. I'm brand new here, I was looking for some Christian chat site to get advice from.
Have any of you seen Steven Universe?
Its an incredible show, nearly perfect in almost every way
Except one
In a recent episode
They blatantly had a same sex couple
Pretty much everyone I've asked for advice on this has told me 'you decide, but if I were you I wouldn't watch it anymore' except one person who said 'you decide, but if I were you I'd just ignore it'
I've been praying about this for about a month
I almost always come to the conclusion that as long as I'm careful about promoting or praising it, it's fine to watch, enjoy, think about, wrote about, and just love like I have since I discovered it
But every single day I have a lot of doubts
i start to randomly feel really, really guilty about it
Granted, I've had this problem for years, feeling guilty and freaked out over things that literally don't matter, so I don't think I can trust my emotions
But still, I just want to talk to some faithful Christians about it
One thing I keep thinking is, whenever people have sex before marriage on a show or movie, it's usually glanced over. I've personally never thought much of it, I know it's wrong and I've commited not to do it, so it never bothered me
But it's come to my attention lately that the Bible makes it clear, all sexual sins are equal
And the way the world is going right now, homosexuality is going to be as popular in media as premarital sex
I hate to say it, but it's true
Since it's going to be everywhere, is it okay to ignore it? As long as you are openly against the sin, is it okay to enjoy a show with hints of it? (It's only in two episodes anyway)
as a Fanfiction writer, I have of course created my own version of these two characters story (Ruby and Sapphire) where they are just friends. I like it a lot
I like all my Steven Universe stories a lot
There are times I legitmatly believe God is telling me it's okay
And there are other times I'm not sure
I've been looking desparitly for Christian fans of Steven Universe, but the only things I could find were reviews written before the episode with the relationship being revealed
I really hope there are some fans here that can offer me some advice
Or at least some devoted Christians
God Bless everyone one of you

If we stop watching shows because someone sins on them, it might be time to give up TV. (And, I'm not saying that's a bad idea either.)

In truth, I'm already tired of Hollywood shoving homosexuality down our throat. Watching TV today, you start thinking 25% of the population is homosexual. It's not. Not even close. So, just because I'm tired of Hollywood always making the same caricature of homosexuals, I won't watch even my favorite shows with homosexuals on it. It's a political statement, more than something God has given me.

But I am seeing a problem in what you're asking. It sounds like you want us to give you permission to watch as long as you "ignore" the characters.

First, how do you ignore characters? They don't isolate the homosexuals from the rest of the cast, because their agenda is to make everybody believe all homosexuals are good people and the rest of the world just naturally accepts them with no problems. To do that, the characters have to interact with other characters often enough to pretend that point is proven.

Second, in reality, you're hoping we'll tell you it's fine, because your mind is already made up. (God's telling you it's okay? Does he also tell you which clothes to choose every day? He doesn't go around telling people they're exempted, anymore than he goes around giving us answers to every day decisions we make.) So, why ask? What do you want -- OPs opinion or God's answer? I recommend the latter.

 

[Utah]

I have been praying, fervently, for about a month. I can't get a clear answer.

It seems you want to hear that its okay for you to continue watching the show.

If you're in such turmoil then attribute it to the Holy Spirit telling you to walk away.

 

[Rosesrock]

I really, really need some advice about a show I really like. I'm brand new here, I was looking for some Christian chat site to get advice from.
Have any of you seen Steven Universe?
Its an incredible show, nearly perfect in almost every way
Except one
In a recent episode
They blatantly had a same sex couple
Pretty much everyone I've asked for advice on this has told me 'you decide, but if I were you I wouldn't watch it anymore' except one person who said 'you decide, but if I were you I'd just ignore it'
I've been praying about this for about a month
I almost always come to the conclusion that as long as I'm careful about promoting or praising it, it's fine to watch, enjoy, think about, wrote about, and just love like I have since I discovered it
But every single day I have a lot of doubts
i start to randomly feel really, really guilty about it
Granted, I've had this problem for years, feeling guilty and freaked out over things that literally don't matter, so I don't think I can trust my emotions
But still, I just want to talk to some faithful Christians about it
One thing I keep thinking is, whenever people have sex before marriage on a show or movie, it's usually glanced over. I've personally never thought much of it, I know it's wrong and I've commited not to do it, so it never bothered me
But it's come to my attention lately that the Bible makes it clear, all sexual sins are equal
And the way the world is going right now, homosexuality is going to be as popular in media as premarital sex
I hate to say it, but it's true
Since it's going to be everywhere, is it okay to ignore it? As long as you are openly against the sin, is it okay to enjoy a show with hints of it? (It's only in two episodes anyway)
as a Fanfiction writer, I have of course created my own version of these two characters story (Ruby and Sapphire) where they are just friends. I like it a lot
I like all my Steven Universe stories a lot
There are times I legitmatly believe God is telling me it's okay
And there are other times I'm not sure
I've been looking desparitly for Christian fans of Steven Universe, but the only things I could find were reviews written before the episode with the relationship being revealed
I really hope there are some fans here that can offer me some advice
Or at least some devoted Christians
God Bless everyone one of you

Satan is a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour.
He will seek one bad thing in, you justify it, then your hooked.
Be diligent in watching how the enemy uses you.

 

[Utah]

Satan is a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour.
He will seek one bad thing in, you justify it, then your hooked.
Be diligent in watching how the enemy uses you.

Amen to this! There are many Rock songs I used to enjoy even though they spoke highly of the enemy. Today, even though I like them musically, I will not listen to them.

 

[Rosesrock]

Amen to this! There are many Rock songs I used to enjoy even though they spoke highly of the enemy. Today, even though I like them musically, I will not listen to them.

I truly believe music is if not number one way satan opens doors to attack us, i, sure it's high on the list. Especially since music affects us emotionally. Im with ya.