Did Any Of You Sensor What You Read And Watched On Tv/movies?

[Guest AutumnDaysGirl]

First of all, I'm a newbie here so hello to everyone. I went through a period where if I was reading a book that used god's or Jesus' name in vain, I'd immediately stop reading it. I also sensored what TV programs and movies I would watch. Obviously, I was missing out on a lot of great books and movies. I can now admit that there were very few well written xtian books of fiction. As for TV, I was basically watching TVLand and the old shows like Leave it to Beaver. When the Harry Potter books came out, like most xtians, I slammed them without ever having read one. My dd is disabled and TV is about the only thing she really enjoys. One night the first Harry Potter movie was on TV and my dh wanted our dd to be able to watch it -he thought she'd really enjoy it especially since the kids in the movie were her age. I eventually gave in and watched it with them. Afterwards I couldn't understand why I or anyone would see HP as being anything evil and menacing. Anyway, this happened as I was starting my journey to find out the "truth" about xtianity. I immediately went to the library and checked out the first 4 HP books and read them. I now own and have read twice all of the HP books - I really enjoyed them! DD has all of the movies and I can't even count how many times she's seen them, she loves them. One of my favorite TV shows that came out this past season is Ghost Whisperer. I missed so much believing a lie! I was just wondering if anyone else used to "guard your heart" against books, TV, movies, etc. that weren't up to xtian standards?

[Knightley]

I was a lot like you, except I even went a step further. I contributed to christian websites and media and wrote against "secular" media. I would review books and movies and write what was "wrong with them" like if they had any sexual innuendo, bad language, moral plot, etc.

 

Now as a writer of fiction, I realize that characters are supposed to be imperfect, just like bible characters are imperfect. Now it annoys me when people do the same thing that I used to do. Its kind of ironic now. Almost humorous

 

There are a few good christian writers like Ted Dekker and even Frank Peretti, I like his recent stuff like "The Oath." Like you for a time I thought that Harry Potter was evil, but I'd read the chronicles of narnia and lotr. And I realize "duh its the same thing, the writers were just christians and now christians follow them because of that. Everything else is pretty much the same."

 

Yeah it took me a while to "wake up" and to stop feeling guilty if I watched and read Harry Potter, or watched a romantic comedy with sex in it. I like to look at the overall project of something, be it a movie, cd, or book, and judge it based on that. As a christian I limited myself to g and pg rated movies, christian films, etc. Boring shit, it sucked so much, but now I'm glad that I saw things as they were. At least I walked my path and now I'm where I'm meant to be in my life. I learned and I know better now.

[Lycorth]

I only did a tiny bit, like avoiding playing video games where I had to use magic. Even that didn't last long.

 

The only exception was porn. I tried like all Hell™ to break my porn addiction, since masturbation and such were so mortally wrong. It never worked - I always ended up beating off and going to confession about it. I tried to avoid the "sin" during the week, always to no avail. That one was a biggie for me - it always tore me up.

 

Now I'm free to whack off and share as much porn as I like with my like-minded fiancee. Life is so much better outside of the cult

 

And welcome, AutumnDaysGirl!

[Amethyst]

When I was younger, I had things censored for me. When I was older, I read everything I could get my hands on. I guess I was something of a rebel in that regard. Actually the censorship was one of the reasons I left. Why worship a deity who's going to torture people for reading a book or watching a movie? Not a god I want to follow.

[white_raven23]

Even as a christian, I thought censoring my entertainment was stupid and insulting. The very idea that my behavior could be influenced by the movies I watched, the books I read, or the music I listened to, just pissed me off. To me it implied weakness of self, and an absence of self-control. My parents didn't raise no fool.

 

I have always held people who blamed external shit for their own behavior, or the behavior of their kids with the utmost contempt. Trying to pass the buck on that which is your own ultimate responibility is lazy, pathetic, and all around revolting.

 

But then, christians are attracted to just that kind of shit. They aren't responsible for their own actions, it was the DEVIL! Their darling kids didn't burn down the pastor's toolshed, they were in a trance caused by listening to Pantera, and were thus led astray by the EEEEvil!

 

Every dumbshit who gets their mug on the news, extolling how this music, or that book influenced someone to commit a crime, or nominate themselves for a Darwin Award, these righteous weak-minded jerks deserve to be raped by pomeranians.

[Dra_Mucd_Uha]

I'm still 16 and living with my Christian parents, and yes, I'm still being censored. But not much. My father, who claims to be Christian (I really do respect him), gives me a lot of freedom and doesn't mind me being into games with magic or whatnot. He himself thinks it's crazy that Christians look down on Harry Potter for it's magic but not things like Narnia which also has magic. He's open-minded. Sometimes I wonder if he's no better than me, and just playing the part of Christian...

 

As a Christian I read Harry Potter (and Narnia...). I loved the books, I thought they were great. I did not play RPGs or play collectable cards games (like Magic: The Gathering) although I really wanted to. Breaking those addictions are hard as hell. Of course, I never actually broke them, but I abstained from them quite well. They are still present today. I'm beginning to consider if we ever really do change. To me it seems like no one changes - you are the way you are no matter what. You can suppress parts of your life all you want, but they never leave.

 

There are a few good christian writers like Ted Dekker and even Frank Peretti

Ted Dekker was always a favorite of mine. Now I don't mind picking up one of his books, but it doesn't mean as much without Christianity to back it up. They are good suspense books though. Thr3e is the farthest he got from Christianity in his writing that I read. I guess you could say Showdown too, but the analogy is pretty obvious.

[queenie]

I didn't censor myself with TV and movies, but I did with books and music. Yes, I'm aware it makes absolutely no sense whatsoever. I listened only to Christian music from the mid 80's 'til 2000...so I missed a lot. I never could find decent Christian fic, although I did stomp through a few. Mostly I read Christian Living books like Max Lucado, Charles Swindoll, etc.

 

Had to keep up on how to be a better Christian, you know.

[Young Mother Atheist]

I was so brainwashed that I was only drawn to Christian material, especially music. It's a wonder I broke out of this. My mom censored even Care Bears and the Little Mermaid from me. Anything that had a hint of evil in it.

 

My fiancee and I, over the 4 years we've known each other, went back and forth a couple of times to Christianity and are now finally free from it. The really bad thing is that 3 separate times he felt "convicted" to get rid of all of his non-Christian music. He got rid of some really good stuff!! He had the TOOL DVD box set Salival, which for any of you who know, costs a fortune now to buy. He had the whole TOOL CD collection along with a crap load of other good music. After selling all of them, he'd start buying it back as he felt it was okay. Then he'd go through another emptying stage again and get rid of it all. As I said, this happened 3 times before he realized it was ridiculous.

 

That is what trying to follow an invisible God will do for you. You try so hard to hear and know what he wants, but you never really know. You wind up doing all kinds of crazy shit.

[AgnosticBob AtheistPants]

I went through a period where I would not listen to secular music. I had QUITE the contemporary christian collection going. They had some good music, although now I want to PUKE when I hear any of it.

 

As for books and movies, yes, we did a little. My ex more so than I. I used to have every book Stephen King has written in hardback. I may have even had a couple of first or second editions. Can't remember for sure now. At least I didn't throw them away, but I kept them packed in a box in the basement. One year the basement flooded and...well...there went my collection. I wish I had them now.

 

The ex went on the "Harry Potter is the devil" trip and I tagged along for the ride. I watched my first HP movie with my son and daughter a few weeks ago and thought it was good. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. I can see why they don't like it, but for fuck's sake, the devil is in the woodwork with those damned fundies.

 

I never censored my video games though. Played Quake, Quake 2, Doom, all those "demonic" ultra violent games. Just tried to keep them hidden. I had the porn addiction too. Whenever the wife and kids were away, willie came out to play. Seems like without the yoke of Christianity on (and with a girlfriend who has sex with me more than once a month), I don't need the porn so much anymore. However, my girlfriend loves porn too so we still watch!

 

All in all, Christianity is so obsessed with censorship of what they consider "worldly" because if you read anything more than the bible and Christian commentaries on the same, you'll see what a crock of shit Christianity is and drop it! Then they lose your hard earned cash and free labor.

[LosingMyReligion]

First of all, I'm a newbie here so hello to everyone. I went through a period where if I was reading a book that used god's or Jesus' name in vain, I'd immediately stop reading it. I also sensored what TV programs and movies I would watch. Obviously, I was missing out on a lot of great books and movies. I can now admit that there were very few well written xtian books of fiction. As for TV, I was basically watching TVLand and the old shows like Leave it to Beaver. When the Harry Potter books came out, like most xtians, I slammed them without ever having read one. My dd is disabled and TV is about the only thing she really enjoys. One night the first Harry Potter movie was on TV and my dh wanted our dd to be able to watch it -he thought she'd really enjoy it especially since the kids in the movie were her age. I eventually gave in and watched it with them. Afterwards I couldn't understand why I or anyone would see HP as being anything evil and menacing. Anyway, this happened as I was starting my journey to find out the "truth" about xtianity. I immediately went to the library and checked out the first 4 HP books and read them. I now own and have read twice all of the HP books - I really enjoyed them! DD has all of the movies and I can't even count how many times she's seen them, she loves them. One of my favorite TV shows that came out this past season is Ghost Whisperer. I missed so much believing a lie! I was just wondering if anyone else used to "guard your heart" against books, TV, movies, etc. that weren't up to xtian standards?

 

 

I certainly did. In fact, I am moreso playing catch up on all of the really good movies and music that I missed out on, thanks to Christ Insanity.

 

I remember--when I was younger--missing out on movies like 'Scream' and 'Pulp Fiction.' I intentionally avoided them because it wasn't "The Christian thing to do.' But you had best believe that I was first in line to see 'The Prince of Eygpt' and 'The Passion of The Christ.'

 

I am so glad that I'm no longer a Christian due to self censorship. Now I can watch movies and listen to music without fear of eternal damnation.

 

Now I even masterbate, and it feels wonderful!

[Guest AutumnDaysGirl]

I heard one TV evangelist say that any good xtian shouldn't be reading any book more than the bible. So, I started making sure that the number of minutes I spent reading regular books never exceeded the time I spent reading scripture. I was so screwed up in legalism then. Thing is, the bible could be so boring that I didn't do this very long. I decided that I'd rather have "quality" time in scripture rather than "quantity". Obviously, I needed serious intervention! I feel such freedom now when I go to the library or book store because there isn't anything that's off limits. The world is a much bigger, more interesting place now that I no longer put self-imposed limits on myself.

[Knightley]

There are a few good christian writers like Ted Dekker and even Frank Peretti

Ted Dekker was always a favorite of mine. Now I don't mind picking up one of his books, but it doesn't mean as much without Christianity to back it up. They are good suspense books though. Thr3e is the farthest he got from Christianity in his writing that I read. I guess you could say Showdown too, but the analogy is pretty obvious.

 

 

 

 

I loved Thr3e, like you I don't put too much stock into the theology anymore. I just read it for fun, I bet most christians who pick up books do it for entertainment and not to gain anything new about the lord jesus christ. I read Showdown, and man the eye thing grossed me out.

[Dra_Mucd_Uha]

There are a few good christian writers like Ted Dekker and even Frank Peretti

Ted Dekker was always a favorite of mine. Now I don't mind picking up one of his books, but it doesn't mean as much without Christianity to back it up. They are good suspense books though. Thr3e is the farthest he got from Christianity in his writing that I read. I guess you could say Showdown too, but the analogy is pretty obvious.

 

 

 

 

I loved Thr3e, like you I don't put too much stock into the theology anymore. I just read it for fun, I bet most christians who pick up books do it for entertainment and not to gain anything new about the lord jesus christ. I read Showdown, and man the eye thing grossed me out.

lol, me too. I started questioning Ted Dekker's books when I started reading Showdown... Showdown seemed more Satanic than anything. But the analogy was still there, and it fit in perfectly with his Circle Trilogy. I couldn't help but enjoy the scenes were Black caused chaos throughout the town... heh...

 

"Wanna trip, baby?"

[Knightley]

^ haha

 

The whole "books" thing in Showdown was really weird, especially the weird disease that covered the kids. Weird shit. Ted Dekker's books remind me of Dean Koontz and Stephen King.