When Christians Support Porn

Today, a slickly-produced pornographic DVD will be released in stores all across America—and many Christians will shamelessly purchase a copy. Yes, I’m talking about The Wolf of Wall Street (WoWS). Christian movie critics have praised and defended the film for its so-called strong moral themes. It would seem, according to some, that the inundation of sexual imagery provides a strong enough platform on which to present a worthy cautionary tale.

For many reasons (some of which I have already stated), I have a huge problem with that idea. To quote movie critic Megan Basham,

… there’s something decidedly disingenuous about those responsible for hard-R films like Hustle and The Wolf of Wall Street claiming that prolonged, detailed scenes of immorality are actually meant to express disapproval of immorality. Even many in the typically slavish entertainment media chuckled when best actor nominee Leonardo DiCaprio (he of the notorious club-hopping, serial super-model dating lifestyle) said of his role in the movie breaking records for its use of profanity, graphic sex, and drug use, “I hope people understand we’re not condoning this behavior, we’re indicting it.”

If members of Hollywood’s own elite chuckle at DiCaprio’s faulty logic (literally or figuratively), why are so many Christians being duped by it? Is a barrage of visual depravity really necessary for us to get the message that depravity is harmful?

On the contrary. To quote columnist Janie B. Cheaney,

The Wolf of Wall Street doesn’t shock God. He’s seen it all, in real life. But we are but flesh and our sensibilities are not made of indestructible titanium. They wear thin, and after too many shocks we become unshockable. Maybe even jaded. And jadedness, I hardly need to add, is no fruit of the Spirit.

In the near future, I’ be spending more time here at Happier Far on how Christians should respond to sex in the movies. Until then, I’d like to “honor” the WoWS DVD release by pointing you to my earlier post about the subject: Start Supporting Pornography or Stop Supporting “The Wolf of Wall Street.”

photo credit: cgalvin233 Colleen via photopin cc