Kaleo San Diego Church > Articles > Faith and Fiction: Navigating Which Role is Right?

Faith and Fiction: Navigating Which Role is Right?

Teri Reeves
Jan 4, 2008
Series: Gospel Stories

I am a Christian. I am a wife. I am an actress. I am those things in that order. What would I do then, if I was offered a part in a major movie such as "The Golden Compass"; a movie adapted from a book that has been expressed by its author to be in opposition to Christianity in theme and intent?

Let me first clarify that considering a movie like "The Golden Compass" limits the discussion to whether or not to be involved in a script that as a whole is questionable, not about what I would do if offered a specific role that presents a dilemma. There are roles in "Compass" that in and of themselves are perfectly "harmless," whereas, there might be scripts that are "harmless" with roles I would have to say no to (and another Christian might not). These roles might involve acting on temptations that I am particularly prone to or pose a possible threat to my marriage due to a time commitment or regular physicality with another man. Conversely, there are roles that I would say yes to that another Christian might turn down. Should these situations arise, they would be a personal issue of conscience to be resolved after deliberate prayer and the counsel of my spouse and church family. The decision to be involved in a script that as a whole is questionable, even when the role I would be playing is "harmless" is a different issue.

I feel it necessary to confess my sin here because it will most likely be influencing everything I write. One of the persistent battles I fight is against the fear of never getting cast in a professional role of any magnitude. I sin in identifying my self-worth by Hollywood's acceptance of me instead of by God's acceptance of me through Christ's death for me on the cross. It follows that one of the first thoughts that would pass through my head if my agency called me with a part in a "big" movie would be, "Finally, I can rest. I can rest now that my existence on this earth has amounted to something. I can rest now that everyone who knows me won't think of me as a fraud." I should be resting now, in this moment, because Christ has already won the battle of acceptance for me. It is because of this sin that I acknowledge my desperate need for the counsel and prayer of my church family should an opportunity like "The Golden Compass" come my way. I do not particularly trust my judgment in isolation.

That being said, I will start with a question: should Christians be involved at all in the performance of a story not produced by other Christians? My first response to this is "Um...yes, duh," but perhaps it would be helpful to think through why. There is inherent value in every story a human being tells because some part of the human experience will inevitably be expressed, and, if some part of the human experience is expressed, some part of the Christian story will be told.

How does that logic work? Well, what is the Christian master narrative? "Everything was created good, but everything has fallen, was broken through sin, and through Christ everything is going to be redeemed," (Tim Keller's "Why Tell Stories" courtesy of Redeemer Presbyterian Church). Christians were saved from utter depravity. If a story has it, then we relate to it. Even after salvation we are promised a life of continued struggle against temptations, heart ache and suffering, all culminating in death. If a story has these, we understand it. We were saved into a life in which we can now experience true joy and gratitude for the gifts God has given us. If a story celebrates, we join in. Christians are not simply the good guys, we are still sinners, and non-Christians are not simply the bad guys, they were made in the image of God. "Christians have the most nuanced of all stories," Keller says. Operating from a Christian worldview actually allows me the freedom to identify with all of the stories people are telling. Does that mean it is wise and beneficial for me to be involved in every single one that comes my way? No. So, how do I choose which ones are worthy? I suppose it is better to say: how do I choose which ones are unworthy?

As a Christian I have a responsibility to seek God's glory above all else, for the building up of the saints, and for the reflection of God's light to nonbelievers. What does that mean in this context? Does that mean refusing to support a movie whose described intent is taking glory away from God? Does that mean deliberately taking the part in that movie in order to glorify God through relationships with those working on it with whom I will share the gospel? Is it more glorifying to be a reflection of God's creativity through my performance in the film or is it more glorifying to abstain and share my reason for it with my agency and those that auditioned me for the part?

A general rule of thumb that my husband and I have agreed on is to say no to a role in a script whose obvious and deliberate overall purpose is to bash Christ's gospel and the truths God declares about Himself in Scripture. It is a line we have agreed to draw in a hypothetical situation that the Bible does not give explicit instruction on, but after thinking through what the implications for myself and any fellow believer might be, I have arrived at the conclusion that I could not in good conscience help to tell a story whose stated goal is to misrepresent, tear down, or ridicule the fundamental teachings of Christianity. These would include the deity of Christ, God's sovereignty, etc. There are very few scripts out there that I know of whose only purpose and thematic endeavor is to mock Christ and contradict the central principles of our faith, but I suppose it is best to start from an extreme that is more obvious and then move into the grayer areas.

Perhaps the next step down is scripts written solely as propaganda for a particular belief that directly contradicts God's instruction set down in scripture. As an example, a good friend of mine recently turned down a design job at a local theater because the script was written quite obviously to encourage homosexual parenting to an audience mostly made up of children. Knowing my friend, I would venture to say that the issue had nothing to do with a judgment against people who are homosexual. She is one of the most accepting and loving people I know regardless of another's beliefs (and I believe the bible instructs us to be so). Her issue had to do with the fact that this was a play with a clear agenda and an agenda presented to children as the only right way to think about the issue. It was not the kind of theater in which a story was being told. It was a theatricalized teaching on how to think about homosexual parenting, and the teaching it gave was one my friend understood to be in opposition to what scripture says about God's design for marriage and raising children. Another example that comes to mind is the movie "What the #$*! Do We Know!?". It seems clear that its main objective is to preach self dependence and self worship as the keys to satisfaction. Any script whose purpose is to preach a particular agenda which directly contradicts God's instruction set down in scripture is one that I would be more than likely to turn down.

If I was to travel into the gray a bit further I would land in the arena of scripts that tell stories without a clear agenda. These stories might contain things like characters who believe in false gospels, who are homosexuals, or who have an affair. They might contain themes of finding comfort in returning to a simpler life, overcoming ones fears through determined perseverance, good guys always winning over evil, and on and on. These scripts contain characters, themes, events, plot lines, and hypotheses presented in story form. A story is not something you are required to believe in, although it might be what the writer or director believes in, but it allows you to observe from the outside, absorb it personally and be affected uniquely. Here is where I think some of the most valuable scripts are being written and here is where I would like to participate. There is definitely some caution that must be exercised in this particular gray area. A storytelling script can advocate a particular lifestyle or worldview to the same degree as a film with an agenda. It might even do a better job of converting audiences to its viewpoint because it does it with artistic finesse instead of by banging them on the head with its message. However, after exercising caution, here is the area where I would apply Tim Keller's explanation of the nuanced Christian narrative and the inherent value contained in every creative expression of humanity.

"The Golden Compass" falls into a shade of gray all its own. It is a movie adapted from a controversial book series, but the author of the series did not write the screenplay (in which many of the themes of the book have been diluted). Adaptor/director Chris Weitz explains that "New Line Cinema had feared the story's anti-religious themes would make the film financially unviable in the US, and so religion and God ("the Authority" in the books) will not be referenced directly," (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Golden_Compass_(film)). The screenplay continues to be controversial in part because as William Donahue, leader of the The Catholic League who called for a boycott of the film puts it, ""...while the religious elements are diluted from the source material, the film will encourage children to read the novels [which] "denigrate Christianity" and promote "atheism for kids."" Phillip Pullman, the author of the books has said "Harry Potter's been taking all the flak...My books are about killing God," (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/His_Dark_Materials). Okay, am I only responsible for the content of the movie script or does my responsibility include the possibility that the movie I am in might encourage kids to read the questionable novels?

I have neither read the book series nor seen the movie and because of that I feel unable to go much further than posing questions. Is the script attacking the hypocrisy of dogmatic religious organizations or the teachings of scripture or both? I am not sure how overt the movie script is in opposition to the gospel and teachings of scripture. I am sure that the adaptor/director was aware of reducing its anti-religious themes. Was he successful? Does that even matter when the original intent of the story was to turn people away from God? I myself have complaints about organized religion. We humans have mucked it up by making it a set of rules and morals to live and be judged by. Does that mean I partially support the story's intent? Is that question even relevant when there is the possibility of helping to communicate an anti-Christian message?

As I wrote the above paragraphs I considered going to see "Compass" in order to be better informed of everything. Then I thought, "Why is it okay for me to see movies that are controversial and not okay to act in them? Am I not supporting and experiencing them by watching them?" As a result, my brain nearly exploded, so I decided to take comfort in the fact that I was saved into a community that I can depend on to hash these things out with. This is where I turn to you for support and wisdom and ask for your prayers. I hope this remains an ongoing discussion among believers. What does it actually mean to be "in the world, but not of the world"? How do we discern where to draw boundaries for our participation in culture? Scripture says things like:

"Do not be bound together with unbelievers; for what partnership have righteousness and lawlessness, or what fellowship has light with darkness?" 2Corinthians 6:14 NASB

"All things are lawful, but not all things are profitable. All things are lawful, but not all things edify." 1Corinthians 10:23

"Whether, then, you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. Give no offense either to Jews or to Greeks or to the church of God; just as I also please all men in all things, not seeking my own profit but the profit of the many, so that they may be saved." 1Corinthians 10:31

"Therefore, if food causes my brother to stumble, I will never eat meat again, so that I will not cause my brother to stumble." 1Corinthians 8: 11-13

"To the Jews I became as a Jew, so that I might win Jews; to those who are under the Law, as under the Law though not being myself under the Law, so that I might win those who are under the Law; to those who are without law, as without law, though not being without the law of God but under the law of Christ, so that I might win those who are without law. To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak; I have become all things to all men, so that I may by all means save some. I do all things for the sake of the gospel, so that I may become a fellow partaker of it." 1Corinthians 9:20-23
"You adulteresses, do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God?" James 4:4

"Do not speak against one another, brethren. He who speaks against a brother or judges his brother, speaks against the law and judges the law; but if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge of it. There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the One who is able to save and to destroy; but who are you who judge your neighbor?" James 4:11-12

"You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden." Matthew 5:14

"I wrote you in my letter not to associate with immoral people; I did not at all mean with the immoral people of this world, or with the covetous and swindlers, or with idolaters, for then you would have to go out of the world." 1Corinthians 5:9-10

This list is obviously not exhaustive, but I use it to show the apparent tension in scripture between participating in the world and living outside of its identity. I do not believe that anyone can say with complete authority where the lines should be drawn because each situation will have its own unique set of problems that require specific attention. I conclude then with a request for your help in seeking God's will and wisdom through prayer and ongoing discussion.