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Mature Content

Posted by Kendall Uwaibi on May 22, 2011 at 9:35am in FAITH AND CREATIVITY

Should Christians Comic book creators have a target audience or should the audience always need to be for the all-ages?

Should Believers add blood to their content and I'm not talking about the cross?

Should a Christian Artist develop mature content?

By mature content, I mean mature subject matter in culture or society like human trafficking or the effects of domestic violence.

Personally, I'm not saying I don't have a heart for it. Yet, can see how other believers can.  

 

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  • Eric August 9, 2013 at 5:23pm
    The Bible is not for "all ages" so neither should your work. The Bible isn't for "all audiences" either. The gospels have different audiences. The epistles have different audiences. Leviticus would have been the go-to book for one group. The parables were for specific people to understand and kept from others. So you must know your audience. There's an dangerous familiarity when a body nailed to wood seems ok to show children while we know children are traumatized by images. Jewish boys weren't allowed to read Song of Solomon. We can't just lump things as "safe" just because it is in the Bible. The Levite cutting apart the woman, the public raping of the concubines, the pile of pointless foreskins, and the burning of children show the depth of our depravity that shouldn't be glorified. Your point can get across in more creative ways than going a route that even Disney doesn't go.
  • Alika Parsons August 5, 2013 at 3:18pm

    Adam Graham said:

    I was talking about throwing out, "How deviant!" on the first line.

     

    How is having mature content done to pass as PG13 not deviant?!

     

    I agree w/ Crespo in that we should be led by the Spirit. But in doing so, that, along w/ rating your material accordingly, obliterates any fine line. Christians born of the Spirit are truthful not liars.


    Steve Crespo said:

    By their very subject matter some stories are meant for mature audiences, and the impact of the Gospel (or just the Christian worldview) in such stories can be incredibly powerful.

    For instance, to tell the story of a woman raised in the world of human trafficking from childhood yet who now knows the Lord involves some pretty mature content. I know women who lived these lives, and to tell their stories would involved some pretty hefty decisions.

    As Christians we must walk the line of telling the truth of the horror of sin without glorifying it, but we must also know what not to tell without minimizing it. It's a mighty fine line.

    This is why I say that each person must look to the Lord, and let Him guide, because it is ultimately to Him we must answer. There will always be those in the church who are far too restrictive, just as there will always be those who are far too permissive.

    The key to creating lies in the freedom God has given us to create.

    Mature Content
    Should Christians Comic book creators have a target audience or should the audience always need to be for the all-ages? Should Believers add blood to…
  • Steve Crespo August 5, 2013 at 1:24pm

    By their very subject matter some stories are meant for mature audiences, and the impact of the Gospel (or just the Christian worldview) in such stories can be incredibly powerful.

    For instance, to tell the story of a woman raised in the world of human trafficking from childhood yet who now knows the Lord involves some pretty mature content. I know women who lived these lives, and to tell their stories would involved some pretty hefty decisions.

    As Christians we must walk the line of telling the truth of the horror of sin without glorifying it, but we must also know what not to tell without minimizing it. It's a mighty fine line.

    This is why I say that each person must look to the Lord, and let Him guide, because it is ultimately to Him we must answer. There will always be those in the church who are far too restrictive, just as there will always be those who are far too permissive.

    The key to creating lies in the freedom God has given us to create. 

  • Adam Graham August 5, 2013 at 11:25am



    Alika Parsons said:

    Adam Graham said:

    Alika, the name-calling instinct's not cool.

    ?

    I was talking about throwing out, "How deviant!" on the first line.

    Mature Content
    Should Christians Comic book creators have a target audience or should the audience always need to be for the all-ages? Should Believers add blood to…
  • Alika Parsons August 5, 2013 at 11:19am

    Adam Graham said:

    Alika, the name-calling instinct's not cool.

     

    ?

    Mature Content
    Should Christians Comic book creators have a target audience or should the audience always need to be for the all-ages? Should Believers add blood to…
  • Adam Graham August 5, 2013 at 11:07am

    Alika, the name-calling instinct's not cool.

    I was referring to what the original poster was calling mature content which is talking about human trafficking or domestic violence, not gratuitous sex or violence. A topic like human trafficking isn't something that should be "adults only" as an awareness of it can leads teens to action. And teens deal with domestic violence in their own lives. I think it would be wrong to try and talk about those issues in such a graphic manner, that only people who are willing to read "M" rated comics can actually study them.

    Because even though I'm not underage, I really don't care to read something that is over the top in sex and violence which is what I take "M" rated titles for.

  • Alika Parsons August 5, 2013 at 9:04am

    How deviant is that? Make mature content in a way so that it's rated PG13, so that more underaged kids are exposed to mature content, giving them a higher proclivity to mature, sin, or both? What motive would anyone have in doing that? If it's mature content leave it labeled as such, even if it's staged PG13, don't lead/fall into any kind of perversion.

    Acts 20:30 - Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them.

    @Adam I think what you're saying is it can be done so that it's no longer mature, and like what dan's sayin i'd agree it's possible. But i wouldn't take any chances in causing anyone to stumble, if the content's mature then leave it rated that way the parent's can decide.


    Adam Graham said:

    I think it can be done and while I know what you mean by "Mature Content," I think it can probably be done in a way that isn't a rated "Mature" content, but it a PG13 sort of way.

    Mature Content
    Should Christians Comic book creators have a target audience or should the audience always need to be for the all-ages? Should Believers add blood to…
  • Adam Graham August 5, 2013 at 8:03am

    I think it can be done and while I know what you mean by "Mature Content," I think it can probably be done in a way that isn't a rated "Mature" content, but it a PG13 sort of way.

  • D. Ellis August 1, 2013 at 7:27am

    I think my views have been pretty much summed up here.  I do have a target audience for most of my stuff, but even in my mature content I wouldn't have nudity or excessive violence and gore.   In graphic form, you can always show stuff out of frame or inferred.  Things don't have to be shown for someone to know it's going on or has happened.

  • Alika Parsons July 31, 2013 at 9:30pm

    If it's in the bible it's admissible(jus be sure to show a rating in some form or another), but if you don't point to Christ Jesus the Messiah it not Christian anyways -so what's the point. Jesus said:

    Luke 6:45 - A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh.

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