/christian/ - Christian Discussion and Fellowship

I haven't been able to find the source of this, so it could be entirely made up, but allegedly this is truthful

>It is a very human thing, when we are loaded down with work and we see another stepping out liltingly for a good time, to feel very virtuous in our condemnation of such frivolous waste of time. There are so many serioug things in life, so much to be done that it is childish and silly to fritter away precious time in amusement. To combat that notion St. Thomas records the story of St. John the Evangelist. Just such a serious-minded person caught St. John one day playing a game with his disciples. The saint was roundly rebuked for activities so unworthy of an apostle. Instead of arguing the point (people as serious as this will argue forever), St. John picked up a bow, handed it to his reformer and asked him to shoot an arrow at a target. The man did. St. John asked him to shoot again and again. Finally he asked what would happen if arrows were shot indefinitely from that bow. His critic, in some irritation at so obvious a question, answered that of course it would break. St. John said that exactly the same thing would happen to a man; unless he gives his soul a rest, he too will break.

I don't see how having fun could be sinful, but if you take joy in sinful activities that is another issue.

>>573357

Maybe the plays of the time appealed to sex drive. I can't see anything wrong with playing catch with a dog after a long day's work, eg.

>namely through the form of theatre

Classical theatre wasn't just like going to a pantomime or seeing some high-drama like Hamlet or Hedda Gabler or whatever. To use a modern parallel, it would be more like going to a modern cinema or video games to see or play some heavily sexualised, violent schlock which fundamentally served no prupose other than to titilate or gratify the viewers.

I mean this also in the sense that when actors on stage performed sex scenes, they actually did strip off and simulate the act to the point where it seemed like they were actually having sex on stage.

Plus, like today, the actors and artists were incredibly degenerate and prone to things like sodomy and cross-dressing and celebrity culture was every bit as poisonous then as it is now.

Having fun is not off limits. Entertainment is not off limits. Just know what kind of fun is.

probably

>>573367

There's a reason why actors and actresses used to be treated with the same respect as prostitutes

>>573367

Why were all actors excommunicated in France during the 1600s, though? I'm not familiar with theatre on continental Europe, but it couldn't have been that different from Shakespeare, right?

>>573365

I doubt Playing catch with a Dog requires Imagination or Fantasy, OP mostly means stuff like super hero movies or fantasy videogames, Jesus said that sinning with the mind is the same as sinning in real life.

>>573435

Shakspeare was really degenerate

Theatre to ancient pagans was intimately tied to a ritual context. It held a religious dimension which sought a reenactment of the feats of gods and heroes.

>>573435

Bards, actors and troubadors (particularly in France) in the Rennaissance and late middle ages were known to associate with occult and fringe groups. Actors were considered for most of history to be no better, in social standing, than common whores. Also most artists aren't known for their orthodoxy.

No and stop opening idiotic new threads. A thread had to die for this.

Yes it's very true. Entertainment rewards us for achieving nothing and is rarely edifying. It is a drug that brings us away from God who tells us to deny ourselves. It numbs our emotions and motivations as we can live vicariously through fantasy worlds that are ultimately lies.

>>573359

It's from the Summa Thelogicæ (ii-ii:162:2), but the actual source is St Cassian's Conferences (xiv:21).

http://www.newadvent.org/summa/3168.htm#article2

http://www.osb.org/lectio/cassian/conf/book3/conf24.html#24.21

>>573357

I agree that every form of venial distraction is inherently dangerous per se. So it should be discouraged. Is a form of soft sedation from the existential pain that should be filled with God and only God. That is when the human existence has a meaning.

People should cling to the world. But it's so difficult.

>>573461

which game is that third pic from?

>google search

>900 million results from the image whore of the internet: pinterest

Are pinterest just google in drag?

Pretty much this >>573501

Someone post that story about the Apostle John in here

>>573437

>Jesus said that sinning with the mind is the same as sinning in real life.

I think He meant stuffs like "look at women lustfully, already committed adultery with her in mind." and thinking about murdering someone is already as bad as brutally murdering them in real life.

Otherwise… Well, shoot. I just genocided some pillock alien race in Stellaris because they keep acting like North Korea in real life.

>>573399

>>573367

>>573435

It's worth noting that male actors (the young ones) played the female actors during that time period, so it was a huge sausage fest. Kevin Spacey was born in the wrong era.

>>573561

>genocided some pillock alien race

Its not a murder, if its an alien