The Power and danger of entertainment consumption: Why Bazalwane need to be careful

Growing up in the millennial era, I witnessed a significant shift in the Christian perspective on music and entertainment. Preachers from the 80s and 90s were fervently against any engagement with any secular entertainment. There were strict guidelines on how to dress, what music to listen to, and which forms of entertainment to avoid. This approach was largely influenced by the institutionalization of religion, as well as the perceived ambiguous interpretations of the Bible regarding entertainment. The mentality was rooted in the belief that Lucifer, once a top musician in heaven, now dominated the secular world, leading believers to dishonor God through their entertainment choices. Therefore, we need to totally eliminate any form of “worldly” entertainment and sound.

Fast forward to the early 2000s, when Kirk Franklin’s “Stomp” shattered barriers and brought a fresh sound to the church. For many, particularly in South Africa, where Christianity had often been a means of control and authority within certain denominations, this musical shift emerged as a powerful symbol of freedom and self-expression. Some churches began to adopt an Americanized approach to worship, while others embraced their African heritage. We were encouraged to “lose our religion” and to let our personal revelations from God guide our consumption of entertainment.

Scriptures like 1 Corinthians 6:12 remind us that although all things are permissible, not everything is beneficial, while Romans 14:13-23 urges us to consider the faith of others. The common thread woven through these interpretations was the belief that we no longer needed to adhere to rigid laws. As a result, if someone did not receive a personal revelation regarding entertainment—especially because the Bible does not explicitly address many aspects—then, as long as no one was being led to sin, they felt justified in consuming secular content.

The decline of church denominational boundaries meant there was no longer a clear blueprint to navigate the complexities of entertainment. Reliance on traditional church manuals and rulebooks faded away. While this created a wonderful space for freedom, self-expression, and personal encounters with God, it also marked the beginning of unprecedented access to content, resulting in blurred lines between what distinguished believers from non-believers, particularly in the realm of entertainment.

This period marked what many referred to as the “evolution of entertainment,” often at a steep price. As we redefined what it meant to be a Christian, mainstream media’s influence on entertainment seeped into the church. We began to believe we could win the world by being relatable and adjusting our church programs to mirror secular standards. This mindset shifted the focus toward striving for excellence in entertainment by adopting worldly criteria, which led to great concern among spiritual leaders.

This grace culture, under the guise of personal revelation and a shift away from traditional religion, opened doors to a broader understanding of our identity in gender and ethnicity. We thought we had found freedom, as encapsulated in Galatians 5:1, which proclaims, “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free.”

Today, in the age of internet decentralization, our freedom of expression is undeniable. With no censorship, we have unprecedented access to create and consume entertainment according to our own standards. We no longer depend on traditional media for content; social media, podcasts, and streaming platforms have revolutionized our access to information and entertainment. However, this newfound access has also allowed secular standards to infiltrate our Christian communities, often cloaked under the guise of relevance.

Now, the cultural standards of today seem acceptable under the grace umbrella. We have blurred the lines so much that many daily engage with content that was once considered taboo, even scripturally forbidden. We have normalized behaviors unaligned with our faith—being a “sipping saint” has been rationalized as understanding the miracle of turning water into wine. Intimate relationships are often measured against social media standards rather than Godly principles as outdated traditions fade in the light of public opinion.

The surge in producing carnally inclined content, whether through podcasts or music, has become alarmingly commonplace, with little thought to the implications. Self-care has been redefined as self-indulgence, prioritizing personal satisfaction over building grace-centered relationships.

It is evident that the world’s influence on our churches and communities has grown considerably. The grey area between faith and secularism has become an escape route to a life steered away from Christ’s teachings. As we embraced grace and freedom, we must also hold firm to holiness and God’s standards. We are called to a life of sanctification and alignment with Christ, raising important questions about the normalizing of demonic acts in entertainment.

As custodians of the gospel, we must uphold our responsibilities to represent our faith authentically. Psalm 1 emphasizes the importance of not aligning ourselves with wickedness but finding our delight in God’s law. The content we consume and produce must reflect a commitment to walk in the light rather than adopt worldly practices.

Ultimately, our standards must align with God’s. Nothing is new under the sun; the ways of God don’t change to accommodate secularism or the normalization of ungodliness. We are called to rise above the standard of the world, embracing a life of truth and grace that honors God in every aspect of our lives.