What is the relationship between Christians, and the Horror genre?

     This question has created quite a problem for many Christians who enjoy the horror genre. No form of media is exempt from the truth of the matter; certain evils have come to be associated with horror...

Many Christians I know, are against the whole concept of the horror genre. My mother, for example, is against the horror genre because my favorite series is the Resident Evil series. Without having a first hand knowledge of the genre, she cannot make an informed decision about the validity of the impact the series will have on my life. However, I believe that removing ourselves from the picture, to attain an unbiased opinion, will show perspectives that may not have shown themselves before.

     Movies, for example, show the greatest example of these evils. Because vulger language has become so accepted in today's society, cursing has become rather prevolent in horror media. It is a known fact that when people become scared or angry, they are more likely to say and do things which they would not normally say or do. Because this is accepted does it make it right? My dad has felt the need to share with me numerous times, that when he was growing up in the 60's and 70's, it was offensive to people to hear curse words on tv. Even words such as "damn" or "hell" were taboo, but today anything is acceptable. I do not get the chance to watch many horror movies, due to the fact that the language portayed in those movies is not befitting of a Christian.

Colossians 3:8

     Horror in the media has also become linked with sexuality and nudity. Many horror movies contain nudity, or other sexually explisit content. Again, for a Christian, this is un-acceptable.

    1 Corinthians 6:18

     Matthew 5:28

     However, we cannot look at the negatives in something without looking also at the positives, or at least the acceptable.

     There are many games and series' which do not contain the concepts which the bible deems unacceptable. Series' such as Fatal Frame and the early Resident Evils are simply games made to scare, and anyone who says that games that do not contain vulgar lanuage and/or sexual content cannot scare you has never played Fatal Frame II: Crimson Butterfly.

     The decision of Christians as to what they will allow to enter their entertainment world is between them and God, but as a pastor at a holiness believing church (Nazarene), I cannot condone the things in many of the genre's media that are found exceptable. I will not, however, chastise the genre for being horror...

     You can either agree with me, or disagree with me, but the bible says immorality is detestible to God. Christians have two options: To either prove the presence of Christ in their lives, or the lack of. To many time we want to make everything gray instead of cut and dry black and white, because if I can reason things out to make myself feel better I don't have to change anything...