Posted on: Saturday, January 22, 2005

COMMENTARY

By Aric Estrella

Some Christian reality TV shows look way cool. Following young missionaries ("Travel the Road") or checking out the streettalk ("Way of the Master"), young viewers like me are attracted to these shows. They keep it clean — no cheating, conniving, lying.

Both take on reality with moral undercurrents, but in a simple straightforward way. I recommend both to anyone, Christian or not.

But other Christian shows are bad. Capital "B" bad. Bad because these shows follow secular world formulas, changing only the language and using "Christianese," highlighting Christians as hokey stereotypes and failing to send out a positive message.

Reaching young people in modern, mainstream ways or giving them alternatives signals that those in charge want to understand us. I'm 15 years old and I saw all of the "Lord of the Rings" movies, occasionally tune into "One Tree Hill" and "Everwood," and listen to Switchfoot, Blink 182 and Green Day. Still, I attend Sunday Service, my Christian youth group meetings and an informal Bible discussion every week. Keep in mind, despite my 4.0 GPA, I do not wear glasses or WWJD lapel pins (for "What would Jesus do?") and earned my varsity spots on the basketball and volleyball teams at school.

Like me, my friends live in this world the best we can. We don't isolate ourselves from the media and live in barricaded homes. It's great to see good shows using real talent with an inspiring mission.

Now here's my beef with going mainstream: It puts Christians under an additional spotlight and gives us more things to disagree and divide on when talking about God.

For example, in an "Apprentice" rip-off, "The Disciple" show sets 666 white males against each other. They are all trying to become the favorite or chosen one to sit next to Jesus when he returns. This sounds bad just from the premise. And if one of those men cheats, lies or even makes a remark about someone else, they will make Christians as a whole look bad.

Not that we're perfect, but because this sets us up for continuing our unearned — OK, sometimes-earned — rap for being hypocrites, anti-change and anti-social, a type of unwanted uber-nerd.

At school, we are taught not to have favorites, and, at church, we're shown that only God can raise us up. This whole show seems to go against all that we are taught. In the Bible, it says Jesus chose his disciples; they were not voted on or survived by how they acted. This is a major problem: If Christian networks are trying to bring people closer to a Christian God, how can they do so without Christian values?

Another major problem is that there really does not seem to be a point in some of these new shows. Many Christians believe the "rapture," a great miracle of taking believers to heaven, will occur when Jesus returns. Well, then the man who has won his spot at the table with Jesus in the "Disciple" should go straight to God, and not be here on earth. We don't need a show about it; we really do just need him to go. Other reality shows like "Gifted," an "American Idol" wannabe, appear to be fake and useless.

So it comes down to the usual thing. All people, young, old, Christian or not, need to make up their minds about television shows. With criteria that have been thought out, not by following what's popular or "in." We all have decide: To watch or not to watch.

Aric Estrella is a sophomore at Lanakila Baptist High School.