Art & Pornography - followup QUESTION from Doray December 9, 1998 Thanks a lot for the reply! I have been doing research on my own also and i've come to the same conclusions on pornography (i've read CCC also).
A few more Questions to follow-up: the dance is about the life of a prostitute -- (I definitely will not be part of that act) -- can i still join in the rest of the performance. Will it be enough that i don't join that particular segment? If I won't join at all, what reasons can i give them that would help them evaluate themselves also (I don't think it is intentional on their part to create something pornographic--they say they're just depicting life!).....Thanks again. I'm praying and discerning about this..... God bless
ANSWER by John-Paul Ignatius on December 12, 1998 Dear Doray:
These are very good and thoughtful questions. They are questions in which there really isn't any absolute answer to. They are mostly questions that deal with personal discernment and spirituality. What I can do is to answer them from my own opinion and give you what I would do. But this doesn't mean that what I would do is what you should do. You'll have to decide that on your own.
Can you still join the rest of the performance?
Well this would be one option. Expressing your disapproval of the offending scene will give testimony to your faith concerning the nature of that scene.
But another argument would be that to participate in the performance at all, even if not involved in the offending scene, is a tacit approval of all scenes in the performance. You name will be associated with the performance, even if you are not in that one scene.
For myself, I would decline participation completely. To be involved in a performance that includes pornographic scenes, even if I am not apart of those scenes, would for me, be tacit approval.
What I would say to them in the event of not participating at all is merely the expression of my faith.
The scene about the prostitute is a being performed in a way that violates my faith and religious sensibilities. Even though I am not in that scene, for me to participate in the performance at all would be to give tacit approval of that scene. This is contrary to my faith. My views are not binding on anyone else, but they are binding on me unless I am to be a hypocrite to myself. So, I must decline participation in this performance.
That is what I would do and say……but that is me.
By the way, Mother Teresa was reported to say one time in response to a man who told her that the sex on TV and movies was just depicting real life: Dear, diarrhea is real life too, but that doesn't mean I want to see it on TV.
One thing. Be prepared to be made fun of or even receive expressions of hate. Whenever we make a stand for purity, we will generally be attacked. A world in darkness cannot stand to see even a flicker of light. Even a small flicker destroys the darkness.
When we make a stand for God and for purity, those around us may unconsciously be resentful – you see, they will know deep down that we are right, but since they will not act on that knowledge of rightness, they will resent the messenger boy or girl who caused them to think about it. Impurity thrives in darkness and lack of knowledge. If we don't think about it, we can do it. But to step back and really examine what we are doing is threatening. It is threatening because it just might reveal to us that we should NOT do that behavior.
Your friends may react unconsciously to this, if your decide to not participate. Be prepared, but God will be with you.
We are praying for you as you make this decision.
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