| T.R | Title | User | Personal Name
 | Date | Lines | 
|---|
| 716.1 | wet blanket | USAT05::BENSON | Eternal Weltanschauung | Mon Apr 10 1995 13:59 | 5 | 
|  |     
    What's wrong with this picture?  A murder mystery put on by Christians
    to raise money for missionaries?
    
    jeff
 | 
| 716.2 |  | CSLALL::HENDERSON | Friend will you be ready? | Mon Apr 10 1995 14:02 | 11 | 
|  | 
 To be honest, I was wondering about that myself.  Perhaps the author could
 shed some more light?
 Jim
 | 
| 716.3 |  | JULIET::MORALES_NA | Sweet Spirit's Gentle Breeze | Mon Apr 10 1995 16:30 | 4 | 
|  |     Wet blanket #3... :-)  I don't know either...but it sure seems to be
    contradictory to what I'd identify with a church function.
    
    
 | 
| 716.4 |  | CSC32::J_OPPELT | Whatever happened to ADDATA? | Mon Apr 10 1995 23:27 | 20 | 
|  |     	Oh, really.  Murder mysteries that I've been to have been light
    	enough to take kids to!  Our chrurch put one on for a new
    	years eve party.  Party-attenders were placed at tables with
    	people/couples they didn't know (expect their respective spouses
    	if appropriate.)  This was to encourage parishoners to meet others
    	from the parish that they don't know.  A brief play is presented
    	to help with some character development.  Off-scene one of the
    	characters is murdered.  We get some clues from the play, but
    	not enough to solve the mystery.  The play sets the stage for
    	all the other characters to have a motive.  Once the murder
    	occurs, the play ends, and all the characters are stationed 
    	around the dinner hall, and we are supposed to ask them any
    	questions we can to gather clues.  After about 30  minutes the
    	questioning stops, and we gather back at our assigned tables
    	and work together with the clues we've gathered to solve the
    	mystery.  The table that collects the most key clues wins a
    	prize.  The table that does the worst wins a booby prize.
    
    	It's lots of fun, and you get to meet people from your church
    	that you've never met before.
 | 
| 716.5 |  | JULIET::MORALES_NA | Sweet Spirit's Gentle Breeze | Tue Apr 11 1995 01:17 | 3 | 
|  |     Thou shalt not murder... and a murder mystery?
    
    Sorry but this does not compute to me.
 | 
| 716.6 |  | RIPPER::BURT | Let us reason together | Tue Apr 11 1995 03:25 | 6 | 
|  | Does this mean detective ficton is a no-no?
Time to go home....
I could murder a curry!
Chele
 | 
| 716.7 |  | ICTHUS::YUILLE | He must increase - I must decrease | Tue Apr 11 1995 04:15 | 35 | 
|  | � Does this mean detective ficton is a no-no?
Depends on your particular sensitivity to the LORD on this matter.
I always felt uneasy reading the occasional popular murder mystery novel in
my youth, but couldn't pin down why, until some years ago, my wife and I
examined this before the LORD. By then I had given them up, but she had
started to enjoy them.  She gave them up immediately. 
Murder is a terrible crime, stealing stealing what belongs to the LORD -
the life of another.  To make an amusement of the circumstances of murder
is to trivialise its importance - and, by association, His importance and
rights - in our hearts.  Although the significance of the story is that the
perpetrator of a heinous crime is exposed, the fact of murder should be
further from our minds than to consider it a target upon which to hang
amusement. 
Generally, people who read detective fiction at least think they do so as 
an exercise in unraveling the clues, and the centrepiece of the murder is 
merely an excuse, or motivation, for the problem.  But in order to make a 
problem of it, generally the novel has to weave a pattern of hatred and 
distrust amongst its characters, leading to a climax where almost anyone 
could have been motivated to hate someone so much that they murdered them.  
In fact, they have, by the measure of Matthew 5:22.  Had the focus of the 
novel been on determining who had done some trivial - even non-sinful - 
deed, few people's attention would persist to find the answer.  The 
whodunit is centred on sin, and in this world, it's hard enough to find 
pure amusement without choosing one liable to make us weak in discernment.
   "Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure,
    whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable - if anything is excellent or
    praiseworthy - think about such things."
						Philippians 4:8
							Andrew
 | 
| 716.8 |  | USAT05::BENSON | Eternal Weltanschauung | Tue Apr 11 1995 09:40 | 5 | 
|  |     
    The world says "the end justifies the means".  The Christian should say,
    "only good means justify a good end".
    
    jeff
 | 
| 716.9 | Murder mystery - my two cents | SUBSYS::DYER |  | Tue Apr 11 1995 09:54 | 19 | 
|  | Hi All,
I do events and I often look for unique experiences for the attendees.
I did a murder mystery a couple of years ago "WHO KILLED THE BOSS?"
It was so much fun. There was nothing done in bad taste. It was always comical
and the fun part was trying to find out who dunnit. It is a fun way to get a
group of people together to break the ice. 
If it is a church group - I would tend to be alot more sensitive in choosing 
the group of actors/actresses. I would make sure that 
the scenes and conversation are as pure as can be. Do your homework on what 
company is hired. 
I had a great experience and everyone had a great night.
Steve
 | 
| 716.10 |  | CSLALL::HENDERSON | Friend will you be ready? | Tue Apr 11 1995 10:00 | 14 | 
|  | 
 Well, its certainly not up to me to judge, but I don't believe that a church
 should offer such entertainment.  We like to have activities for fellowship,
 but also to welcome visitors who might not otherwise attend church.  Somehow,
 I can't see us offering to introduce them to the love of Jesus Christ by
 putting on a "murder mystery".  And I'm not so sure that we need to provide
 "entertainment" to obtain funds in support of missions.
Jim
 | 
| 716.11 |  | USAT05::BENSON | Eternal Weltanschauung | Tue Apr 11 1995 12:28 | 6 | 
|  |     
    I'm with Jim.  It matters not how fun it is, it is probably
    inappropriate.  And this example lends further creedance to my concern
    about our churches today.
    
    jeff 
 | 
| 716.12 | An Astronomer, A Telescope, and An Image | YIELD::BARBIERI |  | Tue Apr 11 1995 13:40 | 72 | 
|  |       Hi,
    
        The following is an analogy of what I believe will happen to
        the last generation of God's faithful.
    
        An astronomer has an awesome telescope.  At night he looks into
        the heavens and he comes upon something.  He can't tell what it
        is, but he knows something is there.  The image simply looks 'less
        dark' than the rest of the pitch blackness around.  The image
        attracts.
    
        The focusing mechanism on the telescope is kind of weird because
        its not easy getting the image clearly while it is way out. 
        Anyway, most nights, the astronomer keeps trying to focus in on
        the image and the change in quality of the image is taking place,
        but its not real discernable.  The astronomer's zeal in focusing
        in is not that great; it is dependant in part on how well focused
        the image is.
    
        One night the astronomer goes into his 'observatory' to hone in 
        on the image.  Suddenly something happens.  The image really comes
        in.  And it is GLORIOUS!!!  He is so enamored by the image that 
        all He does is continue to focus it in.  And the more He focuses,
        the better the image.  IT IS GLORIOUS!!  
    
        No one has to urge the astronomer to continue obtaining better
        focus.  The sight itself is all the motivation he needs.  His life
        is simply one of a path of continuing in on a better image.
    
        Everything else is strange and dim.  The IMAGE beckons him.  It
        calls him to another life and ANYTHING contrary to that image is
        strange and dim.
    
        The astronomer is me.  The image is Christ hung for me.  The focus 
        mechanism is my faith.  Better focus implies a more mature faith 
        and implies a deeper sight of the crucified one.  The beginning
        stages of the experience relates to lukewarmness for we barely 
        see the cross AS IT REALLY IS.
    
        The image suddenly coming into a much better focus corresponds to
        a future event I hope to partake in.  When Christ is seen much more
        clearly as He is, the picture is so glorious that the process of
        drinking in more and more drafts of the Crucified One is inexorable.
        NO ONE can suppress this experience any more.
    
        Hoover dam has broken loose.  We are drinking in an avalanch of
        good news.
    
        Things strange and dim are anything uncrosslike.  Christ is all in
        all.  All worldly amusements that once seemed completely harmless
        are seen through the perspective of a clearer picture of the cross.
        They are seen as INSANITY.  A world is perishing and nothing makes
        sense, but to convey this same image to others.
    
        And the image will come into sharper and sharper focus for eternity.
        The cross is infinite in depth.  Praise God that it never comes
        into perfect focus.  The study of the cross is an eternal theme
        for our faithful contemplation.
    
        Oh may the day be soon that we see Christ hung for us in such a way
        that to choose sin is simply impossible.  Another sight is far too
        glorious.  Christ is the Chiefest among 10,000 and finally the
        9,999 other things we might be up to are absurd next to Him.
    
        You need not ask me what I think of this murder mystery.
    
        "The path of the just is like a shining light that shines brighter
         and brighter unto the perfect day."
    
    					    		Tony
    
    
 | 
| 716.13 |  | USAT05::BENSON | Eternal Weltanschauung | Tue Apr 11 1995 13:54 | 15 | 
|  |     
    Tony,
    
    that is an interesting analogy.  I will go even further with your
    analogy though; it is not the last generation but this generation and
    every generation before and after us.  True Christians grow and mature
    in our earthly lives in a significant fashion.  We see Christ more
    clearly every day thanks to God's sanctification of our lives.  I do
    not believe the last generation will necessarily have any greater
    insight or proximity to Christ than we have or those who have gone
    before us have had.  It might even be argued that those Christians
    further from Christ's death and ressurection will see even more dimly
    due to the influence of the culture.  But then maybe not.
    
    jeff  
 | 
| 716.14 | What next?  Ban Nancy Drew from the parish library? | CSC32::J_OPPELT | Whatever happened to ADDATA? | Tue Apr 11 1995 13:57 | 6 | 
|  |     	Jeff --
    
    	It's not like the murder mystery is being acted out from the
    	pulpit!  It's just entertainment after all.  And guess what?
    	The murdered character even appears at the curtain call --
    	ALIVE!
 | 
| 716.15 | I'll have to think about this. | CSC32::J_OPPELT | Whatever happened to ADDATA? | Tue Apr 11 1995 14:02 | 12 | 
|  |       <<< Note 716.14 by CSC32::J_OPPELT "Whatever happened to ADDATA?" >>>
    
>            -< What next?  Ban Nancy Drew from the parish library? >-
    
    	After thinking about this, I suppose someone could challenge me
    	with an example to the other extreme.  Would it be appropriate
    	to have a mystery dinner theatre like the one I described back
    	there whereby the audience is asked to determine who the father
    	of the prostitute's baby really is...
    
    
 | 
| 716.16 |  | USAT05::BENSON | Eternal Weltanschauung | Tue Apr 11 1995 14:05 | 8 | 
|  |     
    Sorry Joe.  I don't believe the end justifies the means. I don't
    believe something as serious as the evil of murder should be
    acted out by Christians.  Andrew gave some good reasons for this in an
    earlier note.  I understand the appeal but I think it unwise, however
    innocuous it may seem to you and others.
    
    jeff
 | 
| 716.17 |  | CSC32::J_OPPELT | Whatever happened to ADDATA? | Tue Apr 11 1995 14:12 | 3 | 
|  |     	I realize that, Jeff.  After thinking about this more, and as
    	indicated in my reply .15, I may actually be coming around to
    	seeing this as you do.
 | 
| 716.18 |  | JULIET::MORALES_NA | Sweet Spirit's Gentle Breeze | Tue Apr 11 1995 17:43 | 5 | 
|  |     Interesting.. wanna laugh I read Joe's note on first glance as saying
    
    Ban Ben, Nancy 'rew from ?????  
    
    Ben Price, me and Andrew from whatever! :-) :-)
 | 
| 716.19 |  | ICTHUS::YUILLE | He must increase - I must decrease | Wed Apr 12 1995 03:57 | 8 | 
|  | Tony,  loved .12 .  Thanks.  Only I too would see it as the experience of
every generation of believer, all culminating with seeing Him face to face 
(1 John 3:2)...
					thanks again...
							Andrew
p.s. - Nancy - I fell into something of the name trap too... ;-)
 | 
| 716.20 |  | JULIET::MORALES_NA | Sweet Spirit's Gentle Breeze | Wed Apr 12 1995 11:28 | 5 | 
|  |     I was thinking in the shower this morning...that if its wrong for a
    church [or questionable] to host a murder mystery night, how much less
    wrong is it for a Christian to be captivated by murder by movies?
    
    Especially the bloody graphic ones of today.
 | 
| 716.21 |  | USAT05::BENSON | Eternal Weltanschauung | Wed Apr 12 1995 11:37 | 4 | 
|  |     
    good question, Nancy.
    
    jeff
 | 
| 716.22 |  | ICTHUS::YUILLE | He must increase - I must decrease | Wed Apr 12 1995 11:45 | 6 | 
|  | � how ... wrong is it for a Christian to be captivated by murder by movies?
I'd put them in the same cate-gory.  Only potentially worse, because of the
graphic representation to the mind.
							Andrew
 | 
| 716.23 |  | CSC32::J_OPPELT | Whatever happened to ADDATA? | Wed Apr 12 1995 12:10 | 7 | 
|  |     	Maybe it's a matter of impressions, Nancy.  Being captivated
    	by a gory movie is a personal issue.  If a church were to
    	sponsor the showing of that movie, it would give the impression
    	of the church condoning the contents.  And I think that is really
    	the issue of this topic and a church hosting a murder-mystery
    	theater production.  Does it say that the church condones a
    	lighthearted treatment of murder?
 | 
| 716.24 |  | JULIET::MORALES_NA | Sweet Spirit's Gentle Breeze | Wed Apr 12 1995 12:33 | 11 | 
|  |     .23
    
    I disagree with you Joe... I believe that as Christians we are to keep
    our minds pure.. per the verses in rew's note previously.
    
    I was VERY strict and disciplined about this in my not to distant past,
    but have found myself over the last few months relaxing my own
    convictions.. this concerns me for when the Lord comes I don't want to
    be engaging my time in absorbing worldly values.
    
    Nancy
 | 
| 716.25 |  | BIGQ::SILVA | Diablo | Wed Apr 12 1995 13:04 | 3 | 
|  | 
	Better stop watching Murder She Wrote!!!!  :-)
 | 
| 716.26 |  | ICTHUS::YUILLE | He must increase - I must decrease | Wed Apr 12 1995 13:06 | 28 | 
|  | Hi Joe,
The visual images of a movie can make a big impression on the mind.
Even if it's a poorly acted movie, unconvincing and weak, a shock visual 
can be a significant input which is very difficult to erase, which can 
recur from time to time, and bring unsuitable associations.  It is an 
opening for fear (eg portraying a frightening experience - an unpleasant 
encounter in the dark, a mock-up of a violent scene, maybe with a body 
injured, spilling blood).
Some of these things may happen in real life, when we need to deal with
them and let the LORD purge them out and heal us.  But to choose to allow
them there as an 'amusement' is dangerous.  It can give the enemy rights he
should not have. 
I still think Philippians 4:8 is relevant here.
It hits an interesting problem with the portrayal of Bilblical events.  I'm
not in favour of these myself for various reasons, but there's one I'm
thinking of in particular, which is the third of a trilogy on the
tribulation.  A church I know saw the first one, and assumed that the third
would be similar in impact.  Apparently it was gruesome, and kids were
having to leave, because it interfered with their digestive capabilities. 
There are things we know happen - have happened, will happen - which we
have no need to be graphically precise about.  The measured language and
expression of the Bible is totally adequate. 
								Andrew 
 | 
| 716.27 |  | CSC32::J_OPPELT | Whatever happened to ADDATA? | Wed Apr 12 1995 13:27 | 12 | 
|  |     	Understand, please, that I'm no longer trying to support any
    	one position in this discussion.  I am sufficiently confused
    	about my own position here that I don't want to be forced into
    	defending this or that.  More than anything I'm just thinking
    	out loud at this point, and I really encourage more input for
    	digestion.  Originally I was 100% in support of murder mysteries,
    	seeing them as harmless fun, and I related with fondness an
    	experience I had with one our church sponsored.  But somewhere
    	around entries .14 and .15 I realized some things that I still
    	haven't worked through.  I would still like to think these are
    	benign events, but cannot do that with the same fervor I did
    	just a few days ago.
 | 
| 716.28 | horror - from the pit of hell | GAVEL::MOSSEY |  | Wed Apr 12 1995 13:57 | 32 | 
|  |     I was at a (christian) friend's home last night.  This friend has a
    19-year old girl who recently accepted Christ (December?) living
    in her household.  This girl had it rough growing up (abuse,
    alcohol/drugs), as well as some psychological problems
    (manic-depressive, I think).  We were seated in the kitchen talking; 
    I went into the living room to talk to the 19-year old.  She was 
    watching one of the 'Nightmare on Elm Street' movies.  I came into 
    the kitchen and said to my friend, "are you aware that <n> is watching 
    a horror movie?"  She said no.  I said "This really disturbs me, how
    does this sit with you." She said she would address it with her - I was 
    there ALL evening (7pm - midnight), and she did not speak with <n>
    then, so I presume she continued to watch the rest of the movie.
    
    Firstly, I can't imagine the impact this movie was having on <n>; 
    especially given her personal history.  (This particular series of
    horror movie deals with an evil man killing children - maybe they all
    do for that matter, I don't know.)  I realize the she probably
    grew up watching this stuff and so is therefore somewhat desensitized
    to it.  HOWEVER, it would seem to me, no matter how 'new' you are in
    your faith in Jesus Christ, that the Holy Spirit would quicken you to
    know that 'somethings-not-right-with-this-picture.'
    
    Secondly, I was concerned with the basic fact of that garbage coming
    into my friend's home AT ALL, whether someone sat there and watched it
    or not.  
    
    I know they (my friends) are dealing with alot of stuff with this girl
    right now, and I'm not judging any of them, I'm just concerned, both
    for <n> and my friends, for what they are allowing into their spirits, 
    that the Lord would show them the seriousness of this.
    
    Karen      
 | 
| 716.29 |  | MIMS::CASON_K |  | Wed Apr 12 1995 14:32 | 20 | 
|  |     What would you (not anyone in particular) say if we had a benefit
    concert with a popular heavy metal rock group blasting out lyrics about
    the senselessness of life and suicide or how about a famous rap group
    chanting about murdering this or that group?  I think most, if not all
    of us, would shout that suggestion down.
    
    It sounds benign, as Joe put it, but I think ultimately it can have an
    impact on our walk and witness.  The Word says that its not what a man
    eats that defiles him but what comes out of his mouth.  It also says
    that out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.  So whatever
    is most prominent in your heart will direct and control your walk and
    conversation.  That is determined by what you feed your spirit.  If its
    God's Word then God's character will flow from you.  If its murder or
    lust or greed or whatever then that's what will flow out of you. 
    Bitter and sweet water can not flow from the same fountain.  God's
    Spirit and God's Word is sweetness but the things of this world that
    are contrary to His Word and His Spirit are bitterness.
    
    Kent
    
 | 
| 716.30 | The event is meant to just have fun solving a mystery | SUBSYS::UYENO |  | Wed Apr 12 1995 14:38 | 10 | 
|  | The Murder Mystery Dinner Party mentioned in events is not sponsored by any church.  The group involved is
doing it in order raise money that they can give towards mission work.  The idea is just to get to know
each other and work together to solve a mystery.  I guess unfortunately when one thinks of mysteries,
murder is usually the theme.  Of course, someone did have a point in such that there goes Murder She Wrote
and shows similar to that.  All the actors/actresses involved are Christians, so there won't be the impure
connotations I have seen with many mystery parties.  If too many people are offended by such an event, I
can delete the entry.
				-Alice Uyeno 
 | 
| 716.31 |  | CSLALL::HENDERSON | Friend will you be ready? | Wed Apr 12 1995 15:09 | 12 | 
|  | 
 Why must there be entertainment involved in order to support missionaries,
 who likely don't have a great deal of entertainment out in the field?  Our
 church manages to raise ~$85000/year for missions with a Faith Promise
 program.
 Jim
 | 
| 716.32 |  | CSC32::J_OPPELT | Whatever happened to ADDATA? | Wed Apr 12 1995 15:21 | 34 | 
|  |     	re .29
    
    	On being benign.
    
    	I wouldn't consider a suicide-rock group as being particularly
    	benign.  But some might, which begs the question about where 
    	we should draw the line.  I originally saw murder mysteries
    	as being benign.  But I realize that even something as mild as
    	that would not be sold by Feature Films for Families (I think
    	there is a topic on them in here somewhere).  Likewise, Focus
    	on the Family's "Adventures on Odyssey" wouldn't partake of
    	something like that.  Obviously these groups have drawn a
    	different line from what I would have drawn.
    
    	Someone back there spoke of violent films leaving lasting
    	impressions on us that we probably don't see.  I wanted to
    	argue that there is a difference between graphic violence in
    	movies and a theatrical murdery mystery.  That is probably
    	true, but it is only a matter of degrees, the more I think 
    	about it.  The same can be said of graphic sex vs sexual
    	innuendo on TV and in advertisements.  The clothing ads we
    	see on TV may very well seem "benign", but they really bathe
    	us in a constant low-suggestion lust in a way.  Cosmetics
    	and toiletries ads (shaving creams, soaps, fragrances, etc.)
    	also do.  Car ads wash us in envy.  Investment ads foment
    	personal dissatisfaction which can lead to greed.  On what side
    	of "the line" do these fall?
    
    	So is an Ellery Queen novel on the wrong side of the line?
    	Angela Lansbury?  Alfred Hitchcock?  If so, do we also discard
    	Nancy Drew?  The Hardy Boys?  Alfred Hitchcock's 'The Three
    	Investigators'?
    
    	Is it all-or-nothing?  Or do we draw lines?
 | 
| 716.34 | Whats The Motivation??? | YIELD::BARBIERI |  | Wed Apr 12 1995 16:50 | 12 | 
|  |       re: .31
      
      Good point Jim!
    
      I believe the giving that God most honors is that giving that
      flows from a nonegocentric motivation...not a "Whats in it for
      me motivation."
    
      No need for raffles, entertainment, just give to help those in
      need!
    
    						Tony
 | 
| 716.35 |  | MIMS::CASON_K |  | Wed Apr 12 1995 16:56 | 18 | 
|  |     Joe,
    
    I was using those examples to draw specifically the conclusion you came
    to.  Where do we draw the line?  I don't think that the line should be
    draw at the church doors either.  It's okay as long as we don't do it
    in church.  First, that identifies church as something we attend rather
    than something we are.  It compartmentalizes life into what goes on at
    church versus what goes on in the world.  I think most people have a
    clear concept of sacred and secular and some of the offence I'm hearing
    in here is that we don't want to have a secular event (a play may be
    secular such as a Passion Play) in a sacred setting.  Its not so much a
    matter of appropriateness so much as it is offending the sanctified
    spirit.  Our lives are to be holy (wholly) consecrated to God and 
    therefore if it's offensive in the church building then I think it should 
    also be offensive in my living room.
    
    Kent
    
 | 
| 716.37 |  | CSC32::J_OPPELT | Whatever happened to ADDATA? | Wed Apr 12 1995 17:17 | 3 | 
|  |     	Even more to think about!
    
    	Thanks, Kent.
 | 
| 716.38 |  | WRKSYS::CAMUSO | alphabits | Wed Apr 12 1995 17:20 | 10 | 
|  |         RE: last few
        Excellent replies!  Most Menonite and all Remnant fellowships
        eschew TV and drama.  None of them seem to be missing anything or
        hurt by it.  In fact, their family lives are exemplary, to say the
	least.
	Regards,
		TonyC
 | 
| 716.39 | re: .31 (modified to fit within 80 column width) | SUBSYS::UYENO |  | Wed Apr 12 1995 17:26 | 4 | 
|  | There doesn't have to be entertainment involved to raise money for missions.  
This is just an individual's effort to raise more money so they can put more 
money in for the effort.  Remember this is just a group of
individuals, not some organized group.
 | 
| 716.40 |  | ICTHUS::YUILLE | He must increase - I must decrease | Thu Apr 13 1995 07:40 | 19 | 
|  | Where any individual draws the line depends on their personal sensitivity 
in this area.  I'd take Romans 14 as being very applicable.  For someone 
who has been used to, say murder mysteries, it seems a very legalistic 
restriction to say they mustn't read them any more.  But if they reach a 
time when the LORD convicts them about a certain case, or parallel 
situation, and they begin to perceive it as grieving their spirit - or the
Holy Spirit within their hearts - then that is the time to be ready to
remove it.  Until then, it is a balance of conscience between those who see
either perspective, for neither to impose their view to the point of
hurting the other. 
That's for 'debatable' issues.  We have to live with our own consciences in 
this area.  The whole issue merges very smoothly from things that most 
would accept, into aspects which most would consider unacceptable.  For 
each of us, it is a balance according to how God speaks to our own
consciences.  But it is an especially delicate balance for a pastor to 
apply in church activities, where the LORD must be givein preeminence.
							Andrew
 | 
| 716.41 | Good Point! | YIELD::BARBIERI |  | Thu Apr 13 1995 09:42 | 10 | 
|  |       Good point Andrew!!
    
      I would say that Rahab's experience with the Lord might 
      have been injured had someone accused her of lying!!
      No one is ready to see all of their sin and hence it is
      a sacred thing to NOT expose sin sometimes.
    
      Praise God that He has not shown me all of my sin.
    
    						Tony
 | 
| 716.42 | Degrees | CSC32::KINSELLA |  | Thu Apr 13 1995 12:51 | 5 | 
|  |     
    I'm just trying to get a hanlde on this topic.  So would playing the
    game of Clue at a church-sponsored game night be wrong?
    
    Jill
 | 
| 716.43 |  | ICTHUS::YUILLE | He must increase - I must decrease | Thu Apr 13 1995 13:26 | 20 | 
|  | �    I'm just trying to get a hanlde on this topic.  So would playing the
�    game of Clue at a church-sponsored game night be wrong?
If it embarrassed any of the participants, or made them feel uncomfortable, 
on the basis of :
    "...make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in 
     your brother's way."
						Romans 14:13
I don't know the game, but presume it could be like our 'Cluedo', where you
have to deduce the contents of a blindly-selected packet by following game
rules. 
If everyone was keen, and no-one felt excluded by it, and your pastor 
didn't have a problem, with it, it's likely to be ok!
But awareness in this area is liable to change over time, for the individual.
							Andrew
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| 716.44 |  | CSC32::J_OPPELT | Whatever happened to ADDATA? | Thu Apr 13 1995 13:30 | 4 | 
|  |     	So by that answer, Andrew, should I conclude that a murder mystery
    	(which is really little different from the CLUE board game except
    	the characters are live actors) would be OK for those who attend 
    	and are not offended by it?
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| 716.45 |  | ICTHUS::YUILLE | He must increase - I must decrease | Thu Apr 13 1995 13:36 | 16 | 
|  | Hey, Joe, don't take my word...!
I'm saying that it depends on the individual's consciences.
And that they should be sensitive to the Spirit.
If their witness is that this is ok (whatever 'Clue' is), then I am not
overriding their conscience with law.  However, if someone is aware of a
check in the spirit on this, they should all be ready to go along with that
one.  Also, if their pastor (or an elder - spiritual leader) feels that
their lack of conscience on this particular item is due to a deficiency in
teaching, he can instruct them immediately, so that they will be protected
against a trap. 
							Andrew
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| 716.46 |  | ICTHUS::YUILLE | He must increase - I must decrease | Thu Apr 13 1995 13:40 | 10 | 
|  | p.s.
My perception of the murder mystery is that the murder situation and 
atmosphere is more mind-invasive than a board game.  The board game is 
merely to identify the missing cards, whereas the mystery centres on
precise personalities and circumstances.  It is likely that people would
feel uncomfortable with the latter who do not perceive the former as 
associated with sin.  So it might just be a matter of progression.
								Andrew
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| 716.47 | Hmmmm.... | CSC32::KINSELLA |  | Thu Apr 13 1995 13:53 | 19 | 
|  |     
    Yes - I believe it's probably a similar game to what you are talking
    about.  There are different characters such as Colonel Mustard and
    Miss Scarlett, rooms of the house and weapons.  My brother and I used
    to play this as kids all the time.  There was no focus on the murder,
    just on our sleuthing skills.  I've never done a murder mystery but I
    gather that you're meeting the personalities and then a murder occurs
    offstage so it's not focused on either and then it's still just a
    matter of focusing in on sleuthing skills.  I think we're talking a
    few degrees of difference, but not a wide margin.
    
    A most interesting reply to Joe, Andrew.  So you're saying that
    everyone should be ready to pack it in for one persons sensitivity
    rather than waiting on the Spirit to convict them.  I think that's
    dangerous.  I think that's how legalism starts.  You have people
    delivering edicts and everyone cowering to them whether they are really
    from God or not.  What happened to test the spirits?
    
    Jill
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| 716.48 | Just thinking aloud. | CSC32::KINSELLA |  | Thu Apr 13 1995 14:39 | 16 | 
|  |     
    Actually my last note brought a thought to mind.  Shouldn't we be
    sensitive to the Lord's leading in all our brothers and sisters.  God
    is gracious and doesn't show us everything we need to work on at once. 
    If we're trying to push what God has developed as a sensitivity for us,
    could we be interfering in God's timing for that person?  Could we
    acutally harm them by pushing on them.  Also, is there ever a situation
    where God may convict one person of someone that is sin because of his
    circumstances, but not for someone else.  For instance, an alcoholic. 
    God may convict him that drinking is a sin.  Whereas someone may feel
    that there is nothing wrong with an occasional drink.  And then there
    is someone like me who has a sensitivity to this because of friends who
    are recovered alcoholics saved by grace, so even an occasional drink
    doesn't appeal to me.
    
    Jill
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| 716.49 | Oh wow! [p.s. Hi Jill] | BBQ::WOODWARDC | between the Glory and the Flame | Thu Apr 13 1995 15:19 | 1 | 
|  |     "All things are permitted, but not everything is helpful" Reb. Shaul
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| 716.50 |  | ICTHUS::YUILLE | He must increase - I must decrease | Sat Apr 15 1995 06:44 | 34 | 
|  | Hi Jill,
716.47 � So you're saying that everyone should be ready to pack it in for one
716.47 � persons sensitivity rather than waiting on the Spirit to convict them.
No - I was abbreviating Romans 14, and similar passages (eg 1 Corinthians 
10:23 ff, which Hazza quoted), where if someone has a valid spiritual
concern about what others perceive as an everyday matter, we should be 
sensitive to their conscience, rather than insist they see everything our 
way immediately.  It doesn't make a rigid, permanent rule for all those 
present; it does say they're not going to force the one person into 
offending against his conscience, just because the majority want that 
particular amusement.  They can still play it another time. ;-)
ie - it's a matter of caring for each other, rather than submitting to each
other, in this instance. 
The 'testing of the spirit' comes in when it's to be made into a doctrine -
commandment #11 : 'Thou shalt not play Clue' needs chapter and reference.
[ btw, it seems to be the same game, even with the same character names etc. ]
716.48 � acutally harm them by pushing on them.  Also, is there ever a situation
716.48 � where God may convict one person of someone that is sin because of his
716.48 � circumstances, but not for someone else.  For instance, an alcoholic. 
Precisely.  I knew a recovered alcohlic who stayed clear for years after he 
was saved.  Then one day he had a coke, which re-awakened all the old 
addictions.  I don't know what it is about coke that associates it with 
alcohol, but apparently it does for people in that situation.  For people 
like him, I'd not even suggest a coke, but generally, I don't actually know 
anything seriously wrong with drinking coke.  I'm still looking ;-)
							Andrew
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| 716.51 |  | WRKSYS::CAMUSO | alphabits | Tue Apr 18 1995 17:55 | 13 | 
|  | >don't actually know 
>anything seriously wrong with drinking coke.  I'm still looking ;-)
	How about the causes they support?  Planned Barrenhood, for one.
	Or is that Banned Parenthood?
	I guess it depends on if it's the US or the UN version.
	Not suggesting a boycott.  Just sensitivity to where the money God
	gives you goes.  ;-)
	Regards,
		TonyC
		
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| 716.52 |  | AUSSIE::CAMERON | And there shall come FORTH (Isaiah 11:1) | Tue Apr 18 1995 20:44 | 8 | 
|  |     Re: Note 716.51 by WRKSYS::CAMUSO
    
>	How about the causes they support?  
    
    Ooh ooh... can you list the causes they support?  I would like to
    inform some people in my youth group of this list.
    
    James
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