Dear Editor,
I wonder if we have a holiness problem. I say this looking in at myself as well as out at others. Some examples of why I wonder this:
A few years ago I was at a training day run by a respected evangelical organisation. The speaker suggested that during the break we would probably like to talk about the latest episode of the TV series Bodyguard. According to the parental guide this series contained two sex scenes, a woman masturbating (in full view of the camera but clothed) and frequent foul language and blasphemy.
Last year I was at a large conference of evangelical church leaders. One of the speakers said that he was a fan of the TV series Line of Duty and many at the conference raised their hands to show that they were too. According to the parental guide this series contained very graphic violence, oral sex and sex in a car (but with no nudity) and frequent foul language and blasphemy.
Whilst previous generations might have been overly legalistic about what we watch and there is room for differences of conscience, have we become far too like the world in this area? If it is expected that this is what church leaders spend their time watching and listening to, can we expect our churches to be those who are pure in heart and will see God, and to be those who hunger and thirst after righteousness and will be filled?
Yours sincerely,
Joseph Pettitt
Loughborough
