Discussing
'Being Erica' and redeeming regret

I am surprised by seeing a post about "Being Erica" on the Think Christian site. Other than being a show about getting a second chance and the fact that our God is the God of second chances. I see no connection to this show and Christianity. In fact, the coarse language, explicit sexual content, the life choices of the characters are anything but Christian. Not to mention their portrayal of Judaism.

Canada_sweet . . . unfortunately I am not surprised by the ignorance of your comment, as too far many Christians still refuse to THINK and prefer to run and hide from anything that is not perfect, pure and holy. Did you even read this post? Have you read others from this site discussing various "secular" shows or pop culture phenomenons? I suppose this article should have just stated, "Being Erica is a show that has occasional coarse language, sexual content, bad choices, and is not the best source of knowledge on Judaism. Don't watch it! In fact, don't step out your front door either! Heck, if those parametres are the only ones you're concerned about, don't even read your Bible!" Something to THINK about.

I enjoyed this post. I'm American so I haven't seen much of the show, besides it randomly airing on the soap channel. To Canada_Sweet - the show itself may not be "Christian", but Christians are called to seek out God's truth in every facet of our lives -- what we watch, what we read, what we observe in others around us. We need to understand the pains and pangs our generation is experiencing in order to understand how to bring God's truth to them. "Non-Christian" shows can also reveal truths about our own brokeness, and I think its only healthy to evaluate things in that way. I hope someday you see the value in this kind of reflection.

Thank you for your reply to my comments. Please do not misunderstand my position. Without going into detail, let's just say I have experienced first hand the "brokeness" of this world in some very big ways. I consider the pain and hardships I've experienced as blessings in my life. I just feel that this show is doing what so many other shows are doing, aiming to shock us for higher ratings. So much of what we see on tv today is unnessessary.

I guess what I am trying to get at is that because of the fall, we are all sinners. We are temped and continue to fall into sin. We are no better than the next guy. However, we are also called to hate sin. We are to avoid those thing that could cause us to sin. Would you allow your 5 year old, your 10 year old, your 15 year old to watch this show? As grown-ups we are better able to filter out right from wrong, but it still does not make the wrong, right. What did we learn in Sunday school all those years ago? "Oh be careful little eyes what you see, for the Father up above is looking down in love". Or how about if your right arm is causing you to sin, cut it off.

I do not run and hide from all things sinful, but we should also be aware the satan is very real and powerful as well. I just wish that in the secular world that we live in, a show like "Being Erica" would be able to exist and thrive without having to resort to shocking us.

I for one do not appriciate RMW's comment insinuating that I am an ignorant Christian. I also can argue that our choices to watch a show, step outside or read the Bible are all very different choices. This show and God's word, the Bible should not be used as a comparison, and personally I take offence that you as a Christian would suggest to a person you do not even know, that I should not read my Bible. As Christians we should speak in love to one another, with kind words (as I felt from LifeAboveAll), not in a bitter condisending way (as I felt from RMW) Just saying...

So often as Christians in Western society, we can become so proud of our tolerance and sophistication, as the Corinthians were of the man sleeping with his mother-in-law. It is a real struggle to be in the world, but not of the world. There is a balance we should strive for. Paul was knowledgeable enough to discuss Greek Philosophy and Poetry with the Athenians yet he also said, “Obscene stories, foolish talk, and coarse jokes—these are not for you. Instead, let there be thankfulness to God“ (Ephesians 5:4) I still recall the film reviewer on this site who was urging us to see Borat, one of the most disgusting movies to grace the big screen. Paul goes on to say, “Carefully determine what pleases the Lord. Take no part in the worthless deeds of evil and darkness; instead, expose them. It is shameful even to talk about the things that ungodly people do in secret.” I can see the author’s point in using this TV show to initiate a discussion about dealing with regrets. Apparently it is a popular show in your culture, therefore it would be reasonable to make reference to it...without having to recommend it. However, your point is well taken. “Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.” Thanks for your comments. I for one, appreciate the balance. Amen.

Thank you.

"So often as Christians in Western society, we can become so proud of our tolerance and sophistication"... I could not have said it better!

Just yesterday after thinking more about this discussion I was reflecting on the life of Paul and how he lived for Christ. A great example.

"May that be the prayer of the regretful, from first to final breath: make good of it, God. Make good of us. And show us how even the moments that most grieve us can be redeemed." Words to live by and pray for. Regret is hard. Redemption is beautiful.

First let me apologize. You were right to call me out on my attitude and the tone of my post. I let my frustration with censorship and its ties with Christianity in general to spark my emotions when I read your post. There was no need for name calling and condescension.
As an English major in a Christian university, I grew weary of those who argued what all Christians should or shouldn't read or watch based on content alone.
I will not apologize for my reference to the Bible, though again, I will apologize for the tone in which I said it. My suggestion for you not to read yours was sarcastic in order to make a point. I will try to make it again here. You ask whether I would let my child or teenager watch that show. Probably not. But then I would not teach the Rape of Tamar in Sunday School either, which is entirely biblical. Yes, the Bible is God's word, but not all of it is "appropriate" for everybody due to its content. The world is messy and imperfect. God knows it and we do too. If there are things that we know will effect us personally or those we love, we do not have to read or watch them, but pronouncing them inappropriate for everyone else is presumptuous and arrogant. Of course there are some things that "nobody' should see. There is a line. But be careful where you draw it.
Lastly, i think what bothered me most was that you were not responding to this article, you were responding to the show (and not even really the whole show, again--just the content). the article was a great piece about regret which used a popular(ish) program as a reference point. You ignored this and basically said that this article should not be on this site because it referenced the show. In other words, not only were you saying (by implication) that Christians should not watch this show, you were saying that they should not even talk about it!  This is what prompted by emphasis on Thinking.
It's not about being proud of tolerance and sophistication as rickld said. It's about engaging and learning. I hope this clears things up.

@font-face {
font-family: "Verdana";
}@font-face {
font-family: "Cambria";
}p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal { margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman"; }div.Section1 { page: Section1; }




Hey,
everyone. First, always encouraging to see that a post has sparked discussions about culture and faith. So thank you all for your comments! Just wanted to chime in
here and say that my intent in this post was not to endorse everything about
"Being Erica" -- to say that all those who watch it will find
themselves spiritually enlightened or blessed by it. (I'm certainly not saying
people of all ages should tune in!) It was, however, to call attention to the
show's model of living with and working through regrets. Not from a
specifically Christian worldview, granted. Yet I believe its model of dealing
with regretted moments--considering the motivations behind them, tracing how
they have affected the present life, wondering how they might have been better
lived, and trying to 'make peace' with them--is a healthy one. I believe it is
relevant to Christians because all of our attempts to 'make peace' with
brokenness, whether past or present, should be movements toward our God and his
redemptive power.

As I said, "Being Erica" is not a perfect show, but it prompted me to
consider our quest for redemption in our imperfect world. And although I
agree it's a shame that so many shows (and so much of our culture as a whole,
for that matter) opts for shock value over virtue, I do not agree that it means
we should be silent on all such entertainment or deem it worthless. We can
still see how it may speak to matters of faith. This is why I so appreciate
thoughtful and honest communities like ThinkChristian--avenues for Christians
to, as they say, "bridge the gap between their faith lives and the larger
world – in its entirety." It's a bridge to be walked with caution and
discernment, yes, but a bridge I am thankful for the opportunity to walk all
the same--especially alongside fellow believers engaging culture beyond
easy distinctions of what is 'sacred' or 'secular.'