I love MTV. One of my favorite pastimes is spending a lazy weekend afternoon curled up in front of the TV with my sister watching My Super-Sweet 16 reruns. We get a kick out of watching the outrageous parties thrown by kids with way too much money on their hands. I also enjoy alternately laughing and being shocked by the antics of the cast of The Real World. My current primetime fave is ABC’s Grey’s Anatomy and now and then I’ll catch the ladies chatting on The View. I have an online subscription to Netflix so I can keep up to date on all newly released movies. And my living room is piled high with various celebrity mags, especially People.

Someone once seriously asked me, “Can a Christian still listen to rap and radio stations like Z100? What about popular TV shows? Magazines?” Many Christians today live in a netherworld that exists between spiritual utopia and stark reality. With genuine resolve but oftentimes futile results, they live as people who are in the world, but not of the world. The line between what is pleasing and what is not pleasing to God frequently blurs causing believers to cross back into thoughts and behaviors deemed inappropriate for those bought with the blood of Christ. This line virtually disappears in college.

It’s easy to see why sincere believers may worry about exposing themselves to “worldly” influences. After all television, radio and the internet are saturated with foul language, sexual innuendo, and perversion. Clearly people are exposing themselves to those things that the Bible warns against when watching trashy TV or reading about celebrity gossip in tabloid magazines. Should believers restrict themselves to wholesome, G-rated music, movies, and TV shows? How much of an effort should we make to protect ourselves from these harmful media influences?

Before I address this question, I will state that yes, believers should be careful about what they expose themselves to. Very careful. The human mind is easily corruptible and infiltrated by others’ viewpoints. It is human nature to emulate what we see. After a while we start to think that it’s normal for everyone to have sex with multiple partners, divorce their spouses after two months of marriage, and lead dramatic lives filled with anger, bitterness, and revenge like a TV soap opera. This is why we must vigilantly guard our minds and allow God to guide our thoughts.

The Bible tells us, “Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You’ll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity; God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you.” (Romans 12:2, The Message)

Watching mindlessly can corrupt us if we’re not wary of what we’re tuning into. My suggestion is this: Watch with discernment and wisdom. Develop prudent viewing habits. Decide which shows are beneficial, and which may be taking you captive with its ideas. Know yourself. Another tip: Focus on what you’re watching instead of staring blankly at the TV. Take note of what you’re watching and learn from it. Remember that television shows are fictional entertainment–even the so-called “reality” shows–and that the situations and outcomes depicted rarely resemble real life.

However, it is important for those who call themselves Christians to know what is going on around them. No, this is not an excuse to go out to bars, clubs, and online gambling sites to indulge. Be familiar with popular culture. Stay informed about those things that strongly influence society. For Christians wanting to share their faith and God’s love with others, it is vital to know what people are watching, listening to, and reading.

So am I still a Christian if I watch MTV? The technical definition of a “Christian” is one who has accepted Jesus Christ as the Son of God who forgives our sin and brings us into the kingdom of heaven. Fundamentally speaking, Christianity is not based on one’s conduct but on one’s faith. The answer, then, is yes, I am still a Christian.

However, Jesus also said, “The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent.” (John 6:29, NIV) Believing in Christ is work. And this “work” is comprehensive. It is the constant reformation and recreation of our minds, hearts and spirits. It is supplanting worldly knowledge with divine truth. It is aligning our will to God’s will. It is acknowledging our fallen state and acquiescing to his authority over every aspect of our lives, especially the things we choose to expose ourselves to. St. Paul described this process as “crucifying the sinful nature with its passions and desires.” Our choices reflect what we believe. If we believe that Jesus is our Lord and Savior, we aspire to his standard of spiritual righteousness and human integrity. And his standards are high: “Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” (Matt. 5:48, NIV)

But it takes time and commitment. Christians are a work in progress. If we strive for God’s standard of perfection, our desires for the things of the world will be replaced with pure longing for the things not of this world. St. Paul did. He wrote, “I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead.” (Phil. 3:10,11, NIV)

Perhaps the question I ask myself should not be, “Should I watch so-and-so television show?” but rather, “Why do I really want to watch this?” Who knows, in time I may no longer be an “MTV” Christian.

Websites for discerning Christian viewers

www.jctv.org