Seducing Or Settling? (Pt. 2: The Investigation)

Today we’re gonna dive into a jam-packed segment of part 2 of our series: “Seducing Or Settling?”

In case you missed part 1, click HERE to get caught up on what this series is about.

And speaking of part 1, I left that one off by mentioning a certain Christian website aimed at Christian young people that is leading them down–quite frankly–the road to atheism.

And in this blog post I’d like to get more into how this is specifically being done.

The Three

Despite labeling itself as a Christian kids website, this online platform isn’t as “Christian” as it may claim to be for the following three reasons:

• It’s allowing and tolerating the children on the platform to engage in doubt and unbelief with no redeeming faith-affirmation
• It’s endorsing worldly media content
• It’s permitting young people on the platform to engage in debates/arguments with little to no Biblical intervention

An Example Out of The Three

Just as a basic example of point #2, I’ll share with you what a moderator said on one of the discussion topics from this Christian kids website:

The above image is an actual screenshot of this website moderator’s comment.

Now, what is NCIS?

And is it really “not too bad” for Christian young people?

Investigating The Naval Criminal Investigative Service

First off, let’s dive into what NCIS is all about.

IMDB.com gives this basic storyline on the tv show, NCIS:

Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs is the leader of a team of special agents belonging to the NCIS (Naval Criminal Investigative Service) Major Case Response Team. Gibbs, a former Marine, is a tough investigator and a highly skilled interrogator who relies on his gut instinct as much as evidence. Gibbs’ second in command is Senior Field Agent Tony DiNozzo, a womanizing, movie-quoting former Baltimore Homicide Detective, who despite being the class clown always gets the job done. The team also consists of probationary field agent Eleanor Bishop, a former NSA agent, as well as Junior Field Agent Timothy McGee, a computer-savvy agent often mocked by DiNozzo. Assisting them are Abby Sciuto, the energetic-but-Goth lab tech who is like a daughter to Gibbs, and Dr. Donald Mallard, nicknamed Ducky, the eccentric medical examiner full of unusual stories. This team of elite agents, based in Washington, D.C., solve criminal cases involving Marine and Navy personnel and their families, sometimes traveling the United States – or the world – to do it.

IMDB.com also lists several things from the show that parents–at least on a generic level–should be cautiously aware of such as:

• One of the main characters is infamous for his constant flirting and innuendo.
• S-x and n-dity scenes are often obscured by lighting, though moaning is usually very clear.
• Dead bodies are seen in almost every episode. Some of them are found in a graphic, bloody situation.
• Frequent shootouts and hand-to-hand combat. Some bloody, most not.
•  Has some cursing including the h word.
• Infrequent use of the a word, b word, the s word, the d word, the other b word, and the c word.

A Christian Take

PluggedIn.com, a Christian website that gives media reviews through a Biblical worldview, gave this interesting take on NCIS:

The NCIS team is led by longtime special agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs, a former marine. He, along with a bevy of clever investigators, take on the military’s toughest crimes—most of them involving a dead person of some sort. Does the team, or the audience, mourn over these poor, dead souls? Not really. How could they? How could we? The “pros” we’re watching take the job in ghoulish stride, smoothing over the blood and gore with a steady patter of wit and the occasional romantic entanglement. Besides, we meet a new corpse or two or 10 almost every week. So the calluses have built up pretty thick.

What does the Bible have to say on what we’ve just observed concerning this tv show, NCIS?

Filtering NCIS Through The Bible

I’d like to humbly present some Bible verses based on what was presented from IMDB.com and PluggedIn.com.

1. The X-Rated Content

Matthew 5:8 says–

Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.

(Matthew 5:8)

One of the main characters, Tony DiNozzo, is depicted as a womanizer in the show.

Such behavior is contrary to what the Bible encourages us to be.

Job 31:1 says–

I made a covenant with mine eyes; why then should I think upon a maid?

(Job 31:1)

And Proverbs 19:1 also tells us:

Better is the poor that walketh in his integrity, than he that is perverse in his lips, and is a fool.

(Proverbs 19:1)

God is calling us as His people to walk in purity and integrity of heart.

But does some of the questionable content in NCIS encourage us to do so?

What about for our children?

2. The Violent Content

Psalm 101:3 says:

I will set no wicked thing before mine eyes: I hate the work of them that turn aside; it shall not cleave to me.

(Psalm 101:3)

And Isaiah 33:14-16 says:

The sinners in Zion are afraid; fearfulness hath surprised the hypocrites. Who among us shall dwell with the devouring fire? who among us shall dwell with everlasting burnings?

He that walketh righteously, and speaketh uprightly; he that despiseth the gain of oppressions, that shaketh his hands from holding of bribes, that stoppeth his ears from hearing of blood, and shutteth his eyes from seeing evil;

He shall dwell on high: his place of defence shall be the munitions of rocks: bread shall be given him; his waters shall be sure.

(Isaiah 33:14-16, emphasis added)

The wicked violence and gore that is depicted in the show isn’t something that Christians–especially Christian children–should be engaged in.

In fact, the Bible gives specific warnings to those who enjoy bloody violence like what is seen in NCIS.

The Lord trieth the righteous: but the wicked and him that loveth violence his soul hateth.

(Psalm 11:5)

So as I live,” says the Lord God, “I will give you over to death, and you will not get away from death. Since you have not hated killing, death will come after you.

(Ezekiel 35:6 NLV)

3. The Bad Language Content

What does the Bible have to say about bad language, and more specifically, bad language in tv shows like NCIS?

For bad language, check out what Ephesians, Colossians, and James have to say:

Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.

(Ephesians 4:29)

But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth.

(Colossians 3:8)

Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be.

(James 3:10)

But how do these verses connect to WATCHING people say bad language?

I believe 1 Corinthians 15:33 makes that particular connection crystal clear:

Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners.

(1 Corinthians 15:33)

4. The Apathetic Content

The PluggedIn.com article that I shared previously gave an interesting perspective on how the constant depiction of corpses in the show causes “the calluses [to] have built up pretty thick.”

Now, does the Bible approve of Christians who live in an emotional state of being apathetically callused in the heart?

The Amplified Bible version of Ephesians 4:19 gives us a sobering answer.

And they, [the ungodly in their spiritual apathy], having become callous and unfeeling, have given themselves over [as prey] to unbridled sensuality, eagerly craving the practice of every kind of impurity [that their desires may demand].

(Ephesians 4:19 AMP, emphasis added)

2 Timothy 3:3–also taken from the Amplified Bible–gives this solemn description of humanity’s condition in the last days:

[and they will be] unloving [devoid of natural human affection, calloused and inhumane], irreconcilable, malicious gossips, devoid of self-control [intemperate, immoral], brutal, haters of good,

(2 Timothy 3:3 AMP, emphasis added)

Lastly, Jesus tells us us in Matthew 24:12–

Because lawlessness is increased, the love of most people will grow cold.

(Matthew 24:12 AMP, emphasis added)

Becoming callused toward things like death is a characteristic of the ungodly, the unloving, and the lawless.

Such a character trait is something that is the COMPLETE OPPOSITE of what the Bible calls us Christians to become, according to verses like Ephesians 4:32–

And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.

(Ephesians 4:32, emphasis added)

Conclusion

NCIS is a tv show that no Bible-believing, Christ-centered, Heaven-minded Christian should watch for enjoyment and entertainment.

And it is ESPECIALLY NOT a show that Christian children should watch; nor is it appropriate for a professed Christian website targeted toward Christian young people to endorse such a show.

Jesus well warned us as His professed followers with these words:

But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea.

(Matthew 18:6)

Solutions For The NCIS Fan

We serve a merciful God Who is willing to help us overcome whatever sins and addictions we’ve entrenched ourselves in.

If you, dear reader, are honestly struggling to let go of certain forms of secular entertainment like the tv show NCIS, I wanna share with you some encouraging Bible promises and a prayer to help you begin obtaining victory.

“And the Lord your God will circumcise your heart and the hearts of your descendants [that is, He will remove the desire to sin from your heart], so that you will love the Lord your God with all your heart and all your soul, so that you may live [as a recipient of His blessing].

(Deuteronomy 30:6 AMP)

Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you.

A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh.

And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them.

(Ezekiel 36:25-27)

Solutions For The Christian Parent

As Christian writer D.E. Flaming wrote in this awesome article from The Rebelution, “discernment is often overlooked when the media carries the label of ‘Christian.'”

As I mentioned in the beginning of this article, it was a CHRISTIAN website for CHILDREN that ENDORSED this whole tv show, NCIS.

So, the key solution for you as a Christian parent is to HAVE DISCERNMENT over what you will allow your children to engage in.

And that includes things that claim to be “Christian.”

Before permitting your child to read, watch, or sign up for anything–even if it’s got a Christian label attached to it–I wanna humbly encourage you to EXAMINE the FRUITS of that book, movie, online platform, etcetera.

Jesus Himself told us in Matthew 7:20–

Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.

(Matthew 7:20)

Claim promises like Ephesians 1:18, and PRAY for God to give you discernment to clearly detect, see, and understand any bad “fruit” within any sort of media–especially if it’s professedly Christian and targeted towards young people.

The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints,

(Ephesians 1:18)

Below is a sample prayer that you can pray as a Christian parent who is beginning to step into this journey of spiritually “cleaning out” whatever is spiritually unhealthy in terms of media for your kids.

Stay tuned for Part 3 of this series, where we’ll look into how New Age is being subtly promoted in Christian children’s magazines, and how you–as the Christian parent–can practically combat it in a God-honoring way!