Will it Offend? That is the Question...

If you haven't checked out Will it Blend (see link on right) yet, you really should. This site answers some questions that have been plaguing mankind for centuries, such as--what does a blender look like from the inside? And can an iPhone really do anything? And what do you do with that horrible singing plush you got last Valentine's Day?

Anyway, as interesting as that site is, it has absolutely nothing to do with this post, except the name. An issue for many Christians, especially those my age, is "What modern-day activities are prohibited by the Bible?" The Bible obviously doesn't say a word about what movies we should watch or what music we should listen to. So how do we know whether something is wrong or not?

Some things are clearly not appropriate. The Bible warns against lust, so movies that cause lust are not to be watched. But some things are not as clear. Is there a certain rating we can go by for what movies to watch? Are there certain types of music that are better than others?

Surprisingly, the Bible does speak of this. The Corinthians had a similar difficulty--the issue of meat offered to idols. A cultural anthropologist could explain this better, but to my understanding, many Greek and Romans temples sacrificed the blood of livestock, but not the meat, or at least not all of it. This left portions of meat in the possession of the pagan temples. They would then sell this leftover meat in the markets. Purchasing this meat was seen as a sign of supporting or condoning paganism.

Paul speaks of this issue in 1 Corinthians 8. He starts by saying that there is no such thing as an idol. False gods are just that--false. They have no power. Thus the meat is not defiled by being placed in front of a statue. However, not everyone is completely aware of this, Paul states. Some could not bring themselves to eat meat offered to idols. Paul explains that even if the reader is aware that eat offered to idols is no more unclean than any other meat, he should not offend his brothers who do not know that.

Romans 14-15 go into more depth. It explains that, on insignificant matters such as this, one can go by his own conscience. Each must examine himself, and see if he can eat this meat without feeling guilty. Romans 14:6 says, "he who eats, does so for the Lord...and he who eats not, for the Lord he does not eat." Each man, the one who eats meat, and the one who does not, does so because of personal convictions. Verse 3 explains that the two men are not to judge each other for what their consciences tell them.

So we see that the important issue as always, is our motives. If we can listen to Contemporary Christian Music and it means something spiritually to us, we can listen to it. If another Christian does not feel comfortable listening to it, he should not.

Is this the only guideline, then (at least in areas not outlined in the Bible)? No. Now we ask the immortal question--Will it Offend?

Paul continues in Romans 14-15 to say that we should never offend our Christian brothers and sisters. He says in 14:21 "It is not good to eat meat or to drink wine, or to do anything by which your brother stumbles." Back in 1 Corinthians 8, in verse 13, he says "if food causes my brother to stumble, I will never eat meat again..." If a brother was offended by the fact that Paul ate meat, Paul was willing to abstain from meat for his sake

In the same way, we must seek never to offend others. If someone in my church says that it is wrong to have long hair, it is wrong to have long hair in that person's presence. They do not determine what is right and wrong, but because long hair offends them, it is wrong.

Why should I change my lifestyle to accommodate for those who like to make up rules? Most of the things people find offensive are cultural, not biblical! But Paul said he was willing not to eat meat for the sake of his brothers. Surely we can refrain from modern music and certain movies if our brothers and sisters are offended by them.

When deciding if something is wrong, and there are no direct biblical guidelines, do not only ask if the action itself it wrong. Ask yourself, Will It Offend?