Beauty… and the Beast of Normalized Sin

The moral revolution continues to speed along with these two commitments: “leave-no-stone-unturned” and “take-no-prisoners.” The latest example is the highly anticipated live-action movie Beauty and the Beast. The entertainment industry surrendered to this moral revolution long ago. But the newest twist is Hollywood’s offering of a beloved children’s story on the altar of sexual identity politics. The scenes in question portray same-sex attraction and the freedom to pursue a transgender and/or crossdressing lifestyle.

The pressing question is how much attention should this clear instance of sexual deviance get. Culture will insist we not see it as deviance at all, but something natural and praiseworthy. This is unacceptable from a biblical worldview. Many inside the church will insist “it’s no big deal.” Like the ubiquitous depictions of sin we are exposed to daily through various media; it won’t influence anyone.

Let me pause at this moment to say that the intersection of entertainment and holiness is a space full of difficult questions. The incredibly diverse world of art/entertainment requires caution and discernment to properly answer these difficult questions. There is the matter of promotion of sin as opposed to the depiction of sin; the question of individual conscience; issues of subtle influencers and heart deception; Christian separation from the world, and more. This is not easy, but it is important.

Before we think directly about Beauty and the Beast, let’s consider the larger matter of consumption. You are what you eat…and what you read, and watch, and listen to. Some things in life you simply encounter, like a billboard for a bank. Yet, the bank that paid for that billboard knows that enough encounters with enough of its billboards will affect the way you think. When you need a home loan, all those Billboards will pop up in your mind. Entertainment works the same way, but now you are on the pursuit instead of being pursued. You are self-initiating a change in thinking by watching a movie or reading a book. The culture will offer you a wide selection of must-see movies and books. The church will offer you another selection. Whatever you consume will transform you. This is why the Bible calls you away from loving the world (1 Jn.2:15), and to think on what is true and pure (Phil. 4:8).

Does this mean a Christian can only watch Christian movies? No. What it means is that you must not love the lies and filth the world advocates, but love what is true and right. A secular movie can have beautiful (yet limited) displays of courageous love, self-sacrifice, and redemption. We can recognize God’s world and God’s truth even in the products of those who do not acknowledge God. This is the image of God and the law-informed conscience arising in the unbeliever’s work.

The problem is that secular works of art are regularly filled with the promotion of sin, not just depictions of sin. The Bible has depictions of sin. It’s the promotion of sin that is the problem. Even if the media doesn’t promote sin, it may make you wallow in sinful depiction to such a degree that it is still defiling.

Be aware also that promotion isn’t always active. You can passively promote sin by simply making it look normal. The Marlboro Man didn’t tell you to buy cigarettes; he just made it look normal for the real man. Sin can be depicted without normalizing it or promoting it; but when it is normalized or promoted it must be rejected. For instance, think about bad language and killing. Filthy language is the product of an unbiblical worldview. If such language is used as a normal and acceptable outworking of worldview, it is no good for the Christian to watch. Killing someone is horrendous. Depicting it as something manly is not entertainment. That is an attempt to normalize a terrible act. In a war movie people are probably going to die. The question is if it is depicted as a weighty and grievous reality of a fallen world, or is it displayed as a machismo perk of wartime living that can be done in cool ways.

Finally there is the question of tolerance. What depiction or promotion of sin can legitimately be tolerated by a Christian? Specific answers in specific situations must be left to individual Christian consciences. However, there are some things that cannot be tolerated, such as nudity. Christians must be vigilant to keep a high standard and avoid deceiving themselves into tolerating more and more worldly entertainment. The call to not love the world stands forever and we must strive for it.

So where does that leave us regarding Beauty and the Beast. I see three unique issues that make this movie particularly problematic and dangerous.

1) First, we have the grievous reality of what is being promoted. What is being promoted is homosexuality and gender confusion. There are sins that are more grievous and life destroying. All sin is hell-worthy and we are all broken with hell-deserving sin. But not all sin strikes at such important matters of sexuality, identity, and marriage like homosexuality does. To promote homosexuality is like displaying the physical torture of a child, or showing a brief rape scene. Why do I choose such intense and terrible situations as a comparison? It is not to say that homosexuals are monsters, but to draw out the recoil we should feel at something so destructive. Torture strikes at human mercy in massive ways and we recoil in horror. Rape strikes at sexuality in massive ways and we recoil in horror. Homosexuality is a strike against human sexuality in a massive way and it must cause recoil. It is a stinging blow against God’s order of the home and family, which is the foundation of human flourishing. Just because homosexuality is currently being cloaked in the terminology of love does not mean it is true. Only God gets to define what love is, and God says love rejoices in the truth (1 Cor. 13:7). The truth is sex is reserved for husband and wife fulfilling their God created roles in monogamous, heterosexual marriage; which is a picture of Christ and His bride, the church. All of this is too important to be shrugged off for a couple hours of entertainment.

2) Second, we have the timing of this film. We are in the middle of a moral revolution that is lurching toward its final stages. These are times when what you say and do about homosexuality has a multiplied effect because it is the center point of controversy. The producers of art know that and they are leveraging their art for maximum impact for the progress of this moral revolution. You need to do the same. The easiest thing to do is not give your box office money to it (the box office numbers the first couple weeks are extremely important for judging a movie’s acceptance). The next level is to speak about why you are doing what you are doing. As one has said, “Where the battle rages, there the loyalty of the soldier is proved; and to be steady on all battle fronts besides, is mere flight and disgrace if he flinches at that point.” If you go to see the movie, the question will be; are you seeing it as a reconnaissance mission or as entertainment? This is also not a call to boycott any and all corporations that have some LGBT advocacy. Instead we are recognizing that this movie is different than a piece of lumber from Home Depot. A movie, especially a movie that will be a cultural flagship, is a soul-influencing piece of art meant for consumption and celebration. You must respond accordingly.

3) Lastly, it must be remembered that this movie will have a massive audience with children. To allow the promotion of such a sin to children who are so greatly impacted by what they are watching is a grave dereliction of duty. Children are sponges and the parent’s job is discipleship. If your young children see this film, they will be discipled by the commitments of Disney and they will soak up your example of moral apathy. Brother, this must not be. Yes, children have to be trained to recognize and respond to such things at some point, for eventually they will come into contact with it. Make sure you have securely established your own godly influence with your children as well as your children’s ability to understand and critique the worldviews presented to them. Will your child be sucked in by the multi-billion dollar industrial complex of influence and power that Hollywood wields? Don’t risk it until you are confident your child does not love the world and can judge worldly content as the deceptive lie it is.

Beauty and the Beast is not the first movie to dip its toe into the ocean of this moral revolution, but it is making the biggest splash so far, especially in the children’s genre. You are going to have to make a decision about how you will respond to such products because more are coming. Set a standard now. Draw a line in the sand. Make a stand for Biblical sexuality, biblical marriage, and biblical manhood and womanhood before apathy sinks you beneath the rolling tides of this immorality.