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Watching TV Show 'Dexter' and the Creep of Sin
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Editor's Note: Since it first debuted in 2006, the TV series Dexter has been nominated for 19 Primetime Emmy Awards, five Writers Guild of America Awards, and seven Golden Globes. According to one critic, "This show draws in literally millions of devoted fans on a weekly basis, and for good reason." In his book Why Holiness Matters, Tyler Braun shares how he became aware of sin's subtle power in his life when he started watching Dexter on a regular basis.
Many of my Christian friends had raved about the show and it had been nominated for many awards. It seemed that the show was destined to become a favorite of mine …. For those who have never watched the show, it follows Dexter Morgan through his life as a forensics expert in the Miami Police Department. He lives a modest life and through most of the episodes I had watched, he had a girlfriend with two children. His life did, however, have an extremely dark side—he operated as a serial killer who went after people who had not been caught by the law.
The amount of sexuality and violence in the show was overwhelming at times, despite the plot of the show being incredibly captivating. My wife and I quit watching the show because it was affecting our thought processes. Even subtle but perverse thoughts about sexuality and violence were more common. Over the few months we watched the first couple seasons I had more of an urge to be deviant in my attitude and to look at other women in a way that my wife would never want to know about.
My inclination toward the lifestyle of Dexter Morgan wasn't something that showed up the instant I started watching the show. But after spending many hours of watching the killing, the sex, and the promiscuous lifestyle, something inside of me desired (even a little) the same things. Sin was slowly creeping in, slowly trying to take control of a few key areas of my thinking and decision making.
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bebe
Asinmd: The word of God tells us to shun all appearances of evil. The thing is that we are building a tolerance to sin, and things that should not be acceptable are. Why is it so hard for us to turn off the tv? And is not just TV! How about books like 50 shades of Grey... no Christian woman should be reading that garbage, but they do. Where do we draw the line? Where do we show that we are in this world not if this world. It's Not a Matter of spiritual weakness or lack of faith, but honouring God with our whole lives. Seriously, When is watching murder, sex and violence ever a good idea?
Marilou Nicart
@AsinMd I do agree with your perspective. I always stress this out to our youth ministry.
Matthew Woodley
Bruce Fraser: Wow, you had me there, man. Thanks for the "satire mode off" line or I would have bought what you were saying.
Bruce Fraser
ASinMD is absolutely right. We should never admit weakness, especially not on a public website. Think of new believers who may be reading this. They may get the message that something less than total and absolute righteousness is acceptable. Of course it isn't; after all, Jesus said, "Be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect." Anything less than that is proof of moral failure and unfitness for leadership in the church. /satire mode off/
ASinMD
I liked most of what this author said up until the end. If our faith is so weak that just watching simulated evil on TV negatively effects you how can you ever hope to have that faith triumph over actual evil? Innocence is remaining holy by avoiding evil. Its nice but it withers quickly in the noonday sun of the trials of life. Righteousness is the ability to remain holy in the presence of evil even though temptation may be present. Self examination is key in understanding the process of WHY a particular evil is calling you. Chances are it is revealing weak areas of your faith that need bolstering rather than something to just avoid.
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