Biblical morality is black and white. It is not grey. In our world today, almost nothing is obscene or shameful. Perhaps nothing illustrates this more acutely than the recent cultural infatuation with 50 Shades of Grey. The popularity of the book series along with the media celebration of the movie clearly document what Al Mohler has called an “evolution of pornography” which has seen a shift from visually driven male targeted pornography to the preponderance of narrative oriented female targeted pornography. Do not doubt that 50 Shades of Grey is pornography for its purpose is to produce illicit sexual impulses, desires, and acts that occur beyond the context of martial intimacy. Given this situation, I want to address this apparent invasion of pornography on the larger culture and even in the church itself.
At some level, I am hesitant to speak of this topic because I don’t want to give any more attention to such a shameful thing. However, I believe that many are being seduced into thinking that 50 Shades of Grey lies in a moral grey area, when in reality it is something to be avoided at all costs. I must confess that I have neither read the book nor viewed the movie (for obvious reasons), but that doesn’t mean that I am not aware of the general contents of the book or of its message. In fact, just as its not necessary to commit adultery to know that it is wrong, neither it is necessary to have read the book or viewed the movie to know that it should be avoided. With all of that said, what should we understand about material of this kind and why is it so dangerous?
- It violates God’s design for human sexuality and marriage. Sex is a gift from God to be enjoyed in the privacy and sanctity of the marriage bed (1 Cor. 7:1-7; Heb. 13:4). When actors are portraying those behaviors (whether actually or by implication), it takes sexual intimacy out of its proper context and puts it into the wrong context. No one should be paying to read about or watch such acts, most especially believers in Jesus Christ who know the truth and have been freed to enjoy sex as God intended.
- It encourages people to imitate sinful behavior. Human action always has some copycats. That’s why serial killers inspire copycat killings and why the cool kids set the trends for fashion. Ed Welch provides some helpful insights here. He writes, “When important people commit suicide, there are usually some imitators who follow. When smoking cigarettes appears more frequently on the big screen and is associated with cool people, there will be imitators. And when S&M is portrayed by attractive people, there will be imitators. The movie will infect imaginations and provoke analogous behavior.” As Christians, we must resist the contagious nature of sin and recognize that while we have become free from sin (Rom. 6), we are still drawn to it because of our flesh. Ed Welch continues, “We might hate it, but we also like it. This reminds us that our growth in Christ can be described as a path in which sin, once an affection, becomes an affliction that we yearn to be fully rid of.”
- It tries to normalize sexual behaviors that have rightly been considered perverse and abusive. I have no desire to go into detail about the nature of the behaviors presented in the book and movie if for no other reason that I don’t want to incite anyone’s imagination towards lustful and wicked thoughts. In fact, Matthew Henry has said, “A good man is ashamed to speak that which many people are not ashamed to act.” I prefer to walk on the side of caution in this regard. What is clear is that material of this sort contributes toward a cultural trend to “define deviancy down” (Senator Daniel Moynihan) such that illicit material is no longer shameful to society nor legally considered to be obscene. Pornographic material—whatever its stripe—produces misdirected impulses, attacks the dignity of human beings, and makes the normal seem abnormal by “normalizing the bizarre” (Bart Barber).
- It fails to truly satisfy. Katie McCoy, editor at BiblicalWoman.com, shares an insightful perspective here. She writes, “After a while, the temporary high of escaping into the forbidden wears off. Like any out-of-control desire, it’s just a matter of time before women are searching for more. The best kept secret behind 50 Shades of Grey is that it will never be enough. Women will still be dissatisfied. They still won’t find what they’re looking for.” Only Jesus can truly satisfy. 50 Shades of Grey produces a counterfeit joy and is a demeaning knockoff of the true satisfaction that comes from trusting Jesus for everything that we need. Let us not get caught up in the cheap thrills of the illicit, but flee to Jesus to find true delight in knowing and obeying Him.
So what should we do with 50 Shades of Grey? If you haven’t read the books or seen the movie, then don’t. Don’t rent it. Don’t read it. If you do have the books, ditch them. Throw them away or delete them from your Kindle or eBook reader. Get rid of this stuff to free your mind and spirit from any further influence. Repent of sin and turn to Jesus in humility for forgiveness. Find accountability from a trusted friend to keep you pure. Renew your mind by putting in the truth of God’s Word. And as Paul says, “Flee immorality” (1 Cor. 6:18). Remember, Biblical morality is black and white. It is not grey.
Here is a list of helpful articles. I used many of these in the composition of this article.
http://www.ccef.org/resources/blog/movies-50-shades-grey
http://www.thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/kevindeyoung/2015/02/11/no-grey-area/
http://www.albertmohler.com/2015/02/13/fifty-shades-of-shame-the-evolution-of-pornography/
http://www.canonandculture.com/fifty-shades-of-grey-pornography-and-normalizing-the-bizarre/
http://erlc.com/article/the-best-kept-secret-behind-50-shades-of-grey
http://www.biblicalcounselingcenter.org/50-shades-debauchery/
