There's No Virtue In Pretence
Now then, who likes watching a movie? Yes, I thought so, and so do I,
For movies are very entertaining, they can make us laugh or cry.
But though we may love to watch movies, our eyes such acting shouldn't see,
For pretending to be someone else is acting most dishonestly.
Yes, it’s a form of lying and deception that we are condoning,
And a dishonourable art form that the actor’s wrongly honing.
Although we know that it’s simply pretence, such pretence is make-believe,
And such isn’t for any Christian, who only truth should live and breathe.
Although we know that they're only acting, (and they know that this we know),
It is still a faulty medium, and not the Christian way to go.
For this medium that is used, by its very nature is infused
With the artfulness of the old devil, who no doubt is most amused.
For after all, it started with him, who as a serpent misled Eve,
And then pretended to be Samuel, so that He could then Saul deceive.
Yes, Satan's the master of illusion, who deception loves to weave,
For he's the father of lies, we’re told, who hopes that error we’ll believe.
Nobody should ever subordinate their own personality
In order to take on someone else’s individuality.
Pretending that we are another when God has made us all unique,
Violates His intention, destroys integrity that all should seek.
Plus, emotional disorders are known to plague many an actor;
Their pretending to be someone else, (not them self), the major factor,
After all, every single person only them self is meant to be,
As pretending to be someone else just distorts our reality.
No, it simply isn’t normal some other person trying to be,
For it's somewhat schizophrenic, and thereby, affects us mentally.
And hence why we are seeing actors that are ill emotionally,
As old Hollywood’s Couch Canyon regularly bears testimony.
“Hypocrite” in both its Greek and Latin forms, refers to an actor,
Which certainly isn't surprising given acting’s two-faced factor.
Thus, it’s no wonder some actors feel guilt, for pretence doesn't sit well,
And besides, every actor is just honing an empty shallow skill.
It is clearly quite unnatural to look a person in the eye
And then pretend to be another, feign a laugh, shed false tears, or sigh.
Hence why it should make us feel uneasy that we haven’t our self been,
But instead, simply falsely witnessed, creating a fictitious scene.
Yes, there is something that's very wrong with this whole theatrical scene,
That mesmerizes so many folk via the stage, TV, or movie screen.
It’s clearly an addictive medium, and that, Satan knows so well,
And hence why he uses it creatively to more corruption sell.
No, there’s no virtue in pretence, introduced by the old Deceiver,
And hence why it shouldn’t play a part in the life of the believer.
Christians serve a God of truth, and therefore, only truth they should reflect,
And never by a medium that our Saviour would clearly reject.
The question could therefore be asked, what on earth are those Christians doing
Attending a theatre, or those movies within their home viewing?
And also: Why are there Christian actors? Why do Christians movies make?
Could it be that Christianity has made a very big mistake?
By Lance Landall
“To
me, acting is a childish thing, and thus drama simply an adult version
of childhood make-believe that people of maturity and dignity surely
wouldn’t want to participate in, and given its associated shallowness,
artificiality and mimicry.”
The Author
For a simplistic, yet deeper overview come summary of this issue, see my page The Two Dividers which is in my Christian section.
Also see my secular poem A Despicable Profession which can be found on my page There's More To Be Said, secular section, grey box, poem list page.
Or my Christian poem If We're Not Ourselves, We're Not Being True which can be found on my page Fame And Fortune, Christian section, grey box, poem list page.
‘Stars’
“His [Satan’s] tail swept down a third of the stars [angels] of heaven and cast them to the earth...” (Rev 12:4, ESV).
Satan
once lived in heaven with God. He was at that time called Lucifer, and
was in charge of all the angels. Sadly, he became proud (Isa 14:12-14),
and rebelled against God. Satan had aspired to be like God in position,
power and glory. He had desired for himself the homage the angelic host
gave to God. Eventually, Satan, along with the angels [called stars] who sided with him [a third],
was removed from heaven (Ezek 28:14-16; Rev 12:7-9,12). The angels who
sided with him are now evil angels who work with him to cause as much
trouble, suffering, corruption, perversity, and falsehood as they can
(Eph 6:12; Rev 12:17; 1 Peter 5:8).
It is interesting that
Hollywood, a hotbed of immorality, corruption, godlessness, and
falsehood, that wields worldwide influence, calls its actors ‘stars.’
Such ‘stars’ are worshiped and idolized. Christians are forbidden to
worship holy angels (Rev 19:10), even less so to worship or idolize
fallen humans (Acts 10:25,26) [whether that be Hollywood ‘stars,’ pop ‘stars,’ sports ‘stars,’ etc].
Holy angels, “stars,” would not be found anywhere near the Hollywood
scene nor would they desire to be worshiped or idolized [unlike many humans who crave the spotlight].
Such adoration belongs to God alone. If holy angels are called “stars”
in God’s Word, it is surely wrong for Christians to be calling a fallen
human a ‘star,’ let alone one who is pretending to be someone else just
like the great pretender himself, Satan, the master of deception.
By the way: Why it was clearly Satan impersonating Samuel —
“He [Saul] said to her [the medium], “What is his appearance?” She said, “An old man is coming up; he is wrapped in a robe.” So Saul knew that it was Samuel, and he bowed with his face to the ground, and did obeisance” (1 Sam 28:14).
1) “Knew” — Saul’s
questions, together with the woman’s replies, are in themselves
evidence that Saul did not see Samuel. He “perceived” that it was
Samuel. The NKJ and KJ versions read “perceived.” If anything was to be
seen, it would have been a Satanic apparition.
2) “Why have you disturbed me by bringing me up”
(verse 15) — If the doctrine held by most Christians, that a righteous
man ascends to heaven at death, had been held in this ancient period,
the summons would have been to bring Samuel ‘down,’ not up.
3)
The Lord would not have spoken to Saul by a medium, a practice He had
outlawed (Lev 20:27;19:31), after He had refused to communicate with
Saul by legitimate means (1 Sam 28:6).
4) If the spirits of the dead were disembodied souls, they obviously
would not need to be wrapped around with cloths (verse 14)
5) If the doctrine held by most Christians, that a righteous man
ascends to heaven at death, had been held in this ancient period, “Tomorrow you and your son shall be with me” (verse 19) would mean that God’s prophets and apostate kings share the same living quarters after death.
6) “Samuel said to Saul”
(verse 15) — This clause must not be interpreted as meaning that it was
actually Samuel who spoke. The Writer simply describes events as they
appeared, which is the normal way in a narrative.
7) “Your enemy”
(verse 16) — These words identify their author. Satan has always
endeavoured to paint the character of God in false colours, as a
revengeful tyrant. He depicts God to men as their enemy.
You might like to read my poem "Giving Credit Wrongly".