Nicole and I have cancelled Netflix today because of their decision to put Cuties on their platform and then market the movie in an incredibly irresponsible way.
This movie sexualizes young girls in provocative outfits and dance numbers, but according to the director, the point of the movie is that popular culture is sexualizing young girls through media.
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I wholeheartedly agree with this assessment while thoroughly disagreeing with her tactic and method. She has become the evil she supposedly critiques.
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The director says inspiration for the movie came from attending a neighborhood gathering where she "witnessed a group of young girls on a stage dancing in 'a very sexually revealing way...'" She wondered if these children even knew what they were imitating in these moments..."
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This doesn't surprise me because I've seen this in my community and on social media- through pictures and videos posted by proud parents...leaving me to wonder do these children know what they are mimicking...
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AND why people applaud and encourage young children to dress and dance in sexually suggestive ways!?
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As easy as it would be to say this problem is with those people or this director or the marketers at Netfilx, the truth is that the very inspiration for this film comes from the culture all around us- the one you and I participate in right now here on social media...
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the one your children are being introduced to on YouTube in the other room...
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Canceling Netflix in this moment might make us feel self-righteous and "a protector of the children," but we have played a role in creating this current culture.... there is so much more to be done in building something new...
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For the same reasons I cancelled Netflix, I'd cancel a subscription to whatever company puts Dance Moms and Toddlers and Tiaras on the air if I could...
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I'd keep my daughter from seeing the outlandish standards of fitness and "photoshop beauty" on all of the magazines at the grocery store checkout if I could...
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If I could, I would communicate to every young child that God loves them just as they are, so much so He was willing to die for them.
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I'd let them know that the love and acceptance they crave and that people will try to use and take advantage of them- that it can be freely had in Jesus not because it's cheap, but because He bought it at a high price.
Canceling Netflix was easy. Posting this was easy...
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Building a culture that looks like the loving and accepting and moral and gracious and safe kingdom of God for our children to grow up in is much, much harder.
-end of thread.
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A group should be large enough to sustain itself, yet manageable enough to remain itself.
(A thread about Facebook groups and a lesson for pastors like myself)
I’ve seen examples of Facebook groups so small there was not enough interaction for the group to be useful or viable.
I’ve also seen groups that were so large and unmanaged that the content and discussion moved off topic and it lost the plot...
The group can be large, but it requires greater management.
I have seen Facebook groups that were incredibly large, but admins and moderators were very thorough and nearly ruthless with taking down posts and blocking people who trolled others and posted off topic.
As pointed out by @ThomRainer, we won’t have the same experience with the pandemic because COVID-19 wasn’t a moment with aftermath, it is an ever evolving and changing situation.
Another key difference he notes is that every major crisis has brought people together to mourn, pray, and unite in solidarity - often in churches.
This past Sunday I got choked up as we sang Amazing Grace. It wasn’t because the song is so meaningful (it really is!). It wasn’t because the newly formed 2nd praise band was doing a great job (they really were!).
It was because I could hear Melvin 3 rows back in his usual pew belting the song out. Melvin turned 90 this year. He’s one of the incredibly faithful people who invited me to be their pastor back in 2005.
Our church has changed a lot since then. Our service times, music, and several of our methods are very different. I’m sure when Melvin looks around our church there’s people he doesn’t recognize, events in the bulletin he doesn’t understand, & songs he’s never heard before.
If you’re going into ministry, don’t get married in June or July cause then you’ll spend every anniversary at VBS or Church Camp.
Also don’t get married at Christmas cause you’ll spend your anniversaries running Christmas plays and then driving 12 hours to see family for the holidays.
Also don’t get married around a holiday weekend cause you’ll spend every anniversary covering 4 volunteer positions at weekend services.
I’ve heard many church leaders say this and I’ve personally always thought of it as a desire to remain FAITHFUL.
I’ve come to realize it should also be a prayer to remain HOPEFUL.
For every church leader who has lost his or her integrity, there are 2 who have lost hope.
It breaks my heart to see men and women who have run their race come down the homestretch with no joy or pass the baton with disgust, as if they’re on a losing team.