How do you justify your like for action?

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Action meaning combat scenes in TV, movies or games. Isn’t it bad by Christian standards?
 
No. If one thinks that watching combat scenes on TV is bad, how would one feel about seeing actual combat?

“Action” is part of life, as is, unfortunately, war.
 
Interesting question. Ever since age 12, my parents allowed me to play M rated games, and to watch rated R movies. I grew up enjoying activities which glorify violence.

It’s hard for me to match my Christian standards with my enjoyment of action-packed wars featured in movies. (e.g Lord of the Rings)

I can’t justify viewing violence as a source of entertainment, but I myself seem to view it as entertainment every day. An interesting question indeed.
 
souldiver, please explain why you think watching action movies would be bad by Christian standards.
 
Since when are Catholics expected to be pacifists? Many of the greatest figures in Catholic history have been soldiers and warriors. Men, especially, have a biological tendency to be drawn towards combat, aggression and violence because of how we’re wired.
 
souldiver said:
Action meaning combat scenes in TV, movies or games. Isn’t it bad by Christian standards?
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I don’t like action in films, but I like some violent games, for instance (behold the old :D) Syphon Filter or such.
The first thing I think of is the interation, the reasoning you need to sneak in as a spy, and so on. This action I like. If I have to head-shoot someone, well, it is in the game.
This doesn’t even mean I get tempted to kill, nor that I want to, nor that I satisfy my first of blood. As long as one plays or watches while making the difference and having good morals, there is no danger and I don’t see the sin.

I think the Chuch sees it in a similar way: We should not intend to sin or mock religion, and not indulge in things which are contrary to morals. With this in place, if we know what Truth is, we may play or entertain ourselves without problems.
Surely, some films and games arent’t of the best taste and may be blasphemous. This is up to the person, but, in the case i described, playing violent games is dangerous, only for those who do not have a solid moral basis.
This can be said of other forms of art or entertainment as well, music, paintings,… Some things may suit the need of a narration or to depict some things which otherwise I would never dream to do.
 
C.S.Lewis wrote: "When soldiers came to St. John the Baptist asking what to do, he never remotely suggested that they ought to leave the army: nor did Christ when he met a Roman sergeant-major–what they call a centurion. The idea of the knight–the Christian in arms for defence of a good cause–is one of the great Christian ideas. War is a dreadful thing, and I can respect an honest pacifist, though I think he is entirely mistaken.”

I enjoy action movies to a point, What I find terminally boring are car chases, except for the one in Deja Vu. And fight scenes that go on too long are dull, I find myself going to sleep.

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souldiver said:
Because it’s violence. It kills, doesn’t turn the other cheek, it resists physically.
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Watching fiction is not the same as participating in the real thing–though of course dwelling on dark things can be harmful, especially if done with malicious intent, or merely for thrills, or to excess. Art can indeed influence reality.

But I suspect you’re not really interested in the question of art vs. reality, but rather the principle of turning the other cheek, with which perhaps you find fault? Or do you find fault rather with the way you see people live who profess this belief?

If you read our Church Fathers and eminent theologians on the subject (e.g. , Mt. 5Catena Aurea, Lectio 20; , Mt. 5Haydock, v. 39), you will find that the Church understands the admonition to turn the other cheek not as an absolute law, but as a principle which instructs us to be merciful and to refrain from revenge. It by no means rules out legitimate self defense … or, in my opinion, the use of fiction for entertainment or education–though as stated above the latter should be done with due prudence and moderation.

Church teaching on the Fifth Commandment is summed up in our , no. 2258 and followingCatechism.
 
Violence and strife are unnatural to peace, which is desired greatly by both Men and God. It is strange to say that violence is innate to our nature. Since we are crafted in God’s image, God himself would be naturally violent?

Indeed, we may resort to violence to accomplish our aims, and it is right for us to appreciate it. This does not have to mean that we are naturally violent. It could just be another tool used to advance oneself. :hmmm:

That being said, small levels of violence may be healthy for Mankind. This would explain why even Christians do not expose it, even going as far as to defend it, as shown by a few on this thread. Perhaps violence is within human nature, but at a secondary level of importance. Less important, indeed, than unity and goodwill.

The excessive glorification of violence perpetuated by Mass Media, however, may have caused an imbalance in the human perception of himself and his species, causing them to become desensitized to the tool of violence and to develop a mindset of misanthropy, which by design leads directly into the traits of strife and distrust.

For all who underestimate the mass Media’s influence on a global scale, check out this link: vigilantcitizen.com/vigilantreport/mind-control-theories-and-techniques-used-by-mass-media/
 
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