After listening to the outcry from Game of Thrones fans in the wake the show’s finale, some may wonder what went wrong within a culture of people who now expect TV shows to cater to their individual expectations. But according to Christian author and Charisma News columnist Shane Idleman, the problem is a spiritual one, and GoT’s popularity is making God angry.
In a piece for Charisma News titled, “Should Christians Watch ‘Game Of Thrones’?” Idleman argues that what we watch “affects the heart,” and warns his readers that the bible is very specific when it comes to entertainment.
“Philippians 4:8 says to fix our thoughts on what is true and honorable and right, and to think about things that are pure and lovely and admirable and worthy of praise, not violence, nudity and debauchery,” Idleman writes.
According to Idleman, a Christian should depart from anything that goes against God’s “standard of holiness,” and GoT is apparently one of those things. Interestingly, Idleman’s entire piece (other than the title) doesn’t mention GoT or its content specifically, but there’s plenty of warnings about shows that feature “nudity, violence, wizards,” and “the occult.”
“Do we really believe these are simply fun, entertaining shows with no spiritual ramifications?” Idleman asks. “God’s Word says otherwise. For example, 2 Chronicles 33:6 says that those who use enchantments and witchcraft, and who deal with familiar spirits and wizards, provoke the Lord to anger. There is no gray area here.”
He goes on to write that if “enchantments, witchcraft, familiar spirits and wizards are entertaining, something is clearly wrong.”
No. Getting mad when a TV show that you had no hand in creating doesn’t end the way you wanted is a sign that something is clearly wrong. But I digress.
“Of course, watching these programs now and then may not lead someone astray, but how can a child of God truly enjoy them? Why walk willingly into the enemy’s camp?”
The other day I mentioned in a Facebook post that I’ve never watched a single episode of GoT. The comment thread that opened up beneath the post showed that I had truly walked willingly into the enemy’s camp. These people are crazy. But again, I digress.
“We’ve all watched questionable material and have made wrong choices; don’t live with ongoing regret,” Idleman writes. “But don’t justify wrong behavior by thinking that God doesn’t care about what you watch or listen to, because He does; we serve and love God with our mind.”
Maybe a simpler explanation is that God finds GoT fans just as annoying as I do.
Featured image: screen grab/YouTube
