Stitzel

Breanna Stitzel Box 633

Dr. Maxwell
Introduction to Mass Communications
Philosophy of Media Paper
Due !uesday" #pril $%" $&&'
Searching for God in the Media
Media (# means of communications" as radio and tele)ision" newspapers" and ma*azines" that reach or
influence people widely+ ,dictionary.com-.
Philosophy (# system of principles for *uidance in practical affairs+ ,dictionary.com-.
In the course of this semester" I ha)e learned a.out" )iewed" researched" and participated in media. /ow"
at the conclusion of this semester" I ha)e come to the conclusion that media can .e .oth a positi)e and ne*ati)e
aspect in my life. !herefore" I ha)e come to realize that I need to )iew the media" not throu*h my eyes" .ut
throu*h 0od1s eyes.
!he media has a lot to offer us e)eryday. 2e learn what the weather will .e for the upcomin* days. 2e
learn what is happenin* in the news across the world. 2e are a.le to stay connected with friends and family
around the *lo.e. 2e can choose what son*s we want to listen to" what !3 shows we want to watch" and what
.oo4s and ma*azines we want to read. 5owe)er" for e)ery ten pieces of media that are *ood" there are fifty
pieces of media that are .ad.
!he world is cau*ht up in itself. It is a me6centered world" and the media reflects that attitude. !he music
played is a.out sin*er" the mo)ies are a.out the wants of the characters" and the news is filled with reports of
incidents of those who want somethin* for themsel)es.
It is easy to *et cau*ht up in the me6centered attitude. I 4now that I do. I constantly ha)e to stru**le with
wantin* to fulfill my wants7pleasures and 4nowin* that I need to want to fulfill 0od1s wants7pleasures that 5e
has set aside for me. 0od states in 8u4e 9:$6 that unless we hate our mothers7fathers" wi)es7hus.ands" etc we
cannot .e 5is disciple. 2e ha)e to place 0od primarily first in our li)es and I thin4 that )erse applies to how
we are to interact with the media as well. #nythin* that can .ecome and idol needs to set aside. 2e need to loo4
at the media throu*h Christ *o**les.
Durin* the course of the semester we read Hollywood Worldviews .y Brian 0odawa" and Eyes Wide
Open .y 2illiam ;omanows4i. Both discuss how we" as Christians" should )iew the media with a Christian
perspecti)e. Both authors tac4le the contro)ersy of how .elie)ers are to )iew a media that is full of immorality.
<ne thin* I en=oyed a.out ;omanows4i1s .oo4 is that he included discussion >uestions at the end of
each chapter. !hese >uestions helped to stimulate your thin4in* of how you )iew the media. <ne >uestion that
made me thin4 was" (how does your faith affect the way you experience popular artwor4s?+ ,p*. $@-. Aor me" I
ha)e to admit that my faith has not always had an effect on the way I experience media. Aor certain medias that
I really en=oyed" I would ma4e excuses for the parts that were not .i.lical and that I didn1t ha)e to turn off. I
was challen*ed to rethin4 the way I )iewed the media. It was where I .e*an to reesta.lish that" as .elie)ers" we
need discern the media throu*h the eyes of Christ. <ne >uestion my parents always used to as4 me as I was
*rowin* up was" (If Christ were here in this room" would this .e somethin* that you would .e proud of him
.ein* in)ol)ed in or would you .e ashamed?+ I thin4 that same >uestion applies to the media and what we
allow to enter our ears" our eyes" and our minds.
<ne statement that ;omanows4i made a point to say was that we are not to *o to extremes in our )iew
of the media. 2e should not allow oursel)es to en*a*e in all aspects of the media" yet we should also not allow
oursel)es to shun e)erythin* either. 2e need to .e informed of what is out there and we need to *i)e our
feed.ac4 on it. 2e (can contri.ute to the collection of meanin*s that ma4e up our culture" not only .y tellin*
stories or writin* son*s .ut also .y offerin* critical e)aluations that exhi.it faith6informed perspecti)es+ ,p*.
$$'-.
0odawa also discusses how we are to discern the media" .ut he does it throu*h discussin* the
world)iews portrayed in films. 5e doesn1t tell us to shy away from certain mo)ies" .ut he shows that we need to
ha)e (mental and spiritual discipline+ ,pa*e - for watchin* mo)ies.
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Stitzel
0odawa made a statement that films are rare that (can .e fully em.raced in all it communicates+ ,p*.
9'&-. I .elie)e that it is true. !here are )ery few mo)ies that I can say that I lo)ed all of it in its entirety. #s a
Christian" there ha)e .een mo)ies in which I lo)ed some" .ut felt that other parts were unnecessary. I do not
claim that all mo)ies" or all media" need to .e P0 rated. 5owe)er" I do .elie)e that there are other artistic ways
of portrayin* somethin* without ha)in* it made 4nown unfiltered.
Christians ha)e recei)ed a .ad reputation for our =ud*mental attitudes towards the media. I .elie)e that
we should spea4 out" .ut there are .etter ways of doin* it. 2e need to tell what we li4ed" why we li4ed it and
we need to tell what we disli4ed and the reason .ehind it. 2e ha)e .een called to .e li*hts in the world" .ut if
we *i)e oursel)es such a .ad reputation" we cannot .e that li*ht .ecause no one will want to turn to loo4
towards it. <ur li*ht will .e tainted.
Arom my own personal experience" I ha)e .een ,in some aspects- a media *lutton. I ha)e de)oured
.oo4s" music" and mo)ies on a re*ular .asis. I ha)e not discerned whether or not it would .e somethin* that
Christ would parta4e in. I ha)e made excuses for the reasons why I listened to a particular son*7.and" why I
read or loo4 at a particular .oo47ma*azine7etc" and why I watched a particular mo)ie7show7scene. Aor me" part
of my *luttony was due to my addiction to porno*raphy. 2hen I was wor4in* at the local .oo4store in my
town" I 4new where the porno*raphic .oo4s were located and I would ma4e excuses to *o into that section of
the .oo4store to ta4e a pee4 at the latest .oo4. 2hen I was home alone" I would surf the !3 until I found a
show that was more sensual that others and watch it. 2ith certain .oo4s" I 4new where in the .oo4 there was a
sex scene and I would turn to it in order to *et my sensual (hi*h.+ It is for that reason that I ha)e had a hard
time to discern what I should .e allowin* into my mind. I .ecame *ood at ma4in* excuses. I would say" (it1s
only a couple of su**esti)e words+ or (you can1t really see any indecent .ody part.+
5owe)er" .ecause I am a .orn a*ain Christian" 0od would not allow me to ha)e peace in my lifestyle.
5e would .rin* people in my life that would ma4e a comment or a sermon that would seem as if it were
spea4in* strai*ht to me. In one wee4" this semester I had fi)e different reminders to .e content with who and
where I am ri*ht now. #lso" e)en thou*h I do not ha)e a stron* stru**le with porno*raphy" I still ha)e
temptations and multiple times 0od has .rou*ht sermons" de)otionals" teachers7classes into my life that ha)e
reminded me to *i)e it all o)er to 0od and allow him to ta4e hold of my temptation and 4ill it.
I cannot claim to .e the perfect Christian or an expert discerner when it comes to the media" .ut I 4now
that when I remind myself to loo4 at the media throu*h Christ *o**les I can ha)e a .etter perspecti)e than if I
were tryin* to *o solo.
I want to ta4e what I ha)e learned in this class and apply it to my life. I want to .e a.le to loo4 .ac4 on
the thin*s that I ha)e done and participated in and .e proud to say (yes" I could .rin* Christ here with me
without any *uilt.+ !he media is a wonderful thin*. It is supposed to .e a means in which we can communicate
to each other" whether it .e one on one or a *roup of people. It is not the media that per)erted itself" it is the
people who ma4e it and shape it. It is the duty of 0od1s children to .e li*ht to the world and influence those that
are .ehind the media. !herefore" I want to simply restate that we need to loo4 at the world throu*h Christ1s eyes
and influence those that are around us for the sa4e of Christ.
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