The news media briefly turned its attention to the Hit HBO series, “Game of Thrones” last week after US Senator Claire McCaskill (Dem, MO) tweeted that she was done watching the show because of a rape scene that aired on the most recent episode.
The news attention to Madam Senator’s comments and controversy it generated has “Game of Thrones” trending on whatever social media outlet you care to name, and I venture to guess that the extra publicity has done absolutely nothing to lower the show’s ratings. Matt Walsh weighed in (of course) feeling vindicated in his decision not to follow the show after the very first episode aired a scene of graphic incest. Other writers weigh in from a feminist viewpoint, others from a mixed feminist/artistic.
What is curious to me is that even those mainstream writers who condemn this particular scene are careful to point out that they are not trying to censor the show for being “edgy” or “controversial.” Hell forbid we attack the sacred cow of “artistic expression.” No, they are upset because it was “unnecessary” and the camera doesn’t focus on the victim, but on a third person observer. Basically, if the scene were even more graphic it would be artistically and feministically acceptable.
I, for one, and many others chose not to watch the show because we knew that, like other HBO shock series, graphic sex and violence were going to be a major part of the show. We were not wrong. In the show’s four seasons 133 characters died on screen in graphic, gruesome and violent ways. Four seasons, ten episodes a season, you do the math. According to IMDB there has been a scene of sex or nudity in every single episode in the first season, and between seven and nine out of ten of the more recent seasons.
The response from people defending the show has been equally loud. They point out (with some truth) that people who are up in arms about this scene are not very consistent. This is not the first sexual assault scene. Rape, incest, violence against women and children, and homosexual activity have been on the show since day one. The show’s advocate’s arguments range from, “the show needs to be realistic,” to “most fans don’t watch it for the sex” to “I suppose you think we should all go back to watching ‘Leave it to Beaver’,” to “It’s just entertainment. It isn’t real.”
So would Jesus watch “Game of Thrones?”
Usually when an older person asks “Would you be doing this if Jesus was in the room?” it is a rhetorical question. That is, the person asking already knows the answer he or she expects, and so does the person being asked. I want to ask the question as a real question. Would Jesus watch “Game of Thrones?”
Well, at the outset I find it hard to imagine Jesus watching any TV shows. I think He was most likely too busy. Remember, this is the Jesus who spent three years wandering around preaching and teaching and healing the sick, and who had to pull away into the wilderness at night in order to get time to pray. I just don’t think He would have had the time. During His private family life I think He most likely would have enjoyed spending time with family and friends more, and if He did enjoy TV it would probably be as a social activity.
Cain Slaying Abel, by Jacopo Palma, 1590
Do you think Jesus would restrict Himself to “I Love Lucy” and “Andy Griffith?” I don’t think so. In fact I am quite certain He would not, since we know for a fact that the one book which He absolutely did read, did in fact contain all of the objectionable content that makes “Game of Thrones” so controversial. Even a casual familiarity with the Old Testament reveals that it is full of sex and violence. Since many people are not even casually familiar with the Old Testament, let me help you out. In the Bible you will find:
- Rape (Genesis 34:1 – 4)
- Followed by the complete eradication of the offender’s city in revenge (Genesis 34:13 – 29)
- Incest (Genesis 19:30 – 36)
- Prostitution (Genesis 38:15 – 30) and the woman almost gets executed by the father of her child.
- Incestuous rape (2 Samuel 13:1-24)
- Infanticide (Psalm 137:9)
I could go on with murder, fratricide, genocide, adultery, misogyny and general cruelty, stupidity and ignorance, with the difference that, unlike “Game of Thrones” these are not “just entertainment.” Unfortunately they are history. They really happened
There is a word for all of this.
It is called Sin.
With that pointed out, let us re-ask the question: would Jesus watch “Game of Thrones?” Of course, He would. He does. That is the meaning of the Incarnation, that God had mercy on our helpless enslavement to the endless cycle of misery, addiction, oppression and despair, and so He became one of us. He descended to our level to bear our sins. Does Jesus watch our sins? He became our sins!
“For our sake He made Him to be sin, who knew no sin…
But let us not forget the rest of the passage…
“So that in Him we might become the righteousness of God!
Jesus watches everything we watch. That was what Gethsemane and the sweat and blood were all about. He was watching. He was with us. Yes, Jesus does watch “Game of Thrones.” He watches the weekly celebrations of degrading sex and pointless violence. He watches those who are watching it, filling their souls with the darkness, gradually numbing themselves and telling themselves, “It’s not real, it’s just entertainment.” He is with the actors and actresses embedding themselves in an imaginary world of power, oppression and lust, and making that world come alive. He watches all of that, as a parent might watch a teenage son go off the deep end, powerless to prevent it.
Jesus also watches porn. He watches it as it is made, as the participants brutalize and degrade each other, as the producers and purveyors profit off of the enslavement of others. He watches the addicts in their rooms with the lights off. He watches the children coerced, tricked and bribed into selling their bodies in front of cameras.
Jesus watches slavery. He is with the children in sweat shops, in brothels, in orchards and mines and rebel armies. Jesus watches the real violence, the real rape, the real sexual perversions, the real power-lust, and then, as if the real sin wasn’t enough, He watches us make up stories showcasing and glorifying all of those things. It isn’t enough that it happens in real life. It isn’t enough that we have to watch it on the news, (and do nothing) but we also apparently have to imagine new ways of doing evil, and act them out, and watch other people acting them out, and it had better be “realistic!”
This we call “entertainment!”
He watches, and He feels, and He bears and suffers all of that and cries out, “Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass away from me!”
He doesn’t want to see it, or feel it. He only watches because He loves us, and because He knows we can never cast off the darkness and come to the light on our own, unless He submits to the Father’s will, and bears the darkness for us. So He does.
So the answer is, Yes. Jesus would watch Game of Thrones. He does watch it, and it makes Him sweat drops of blood. We can safely watch it when we can watch it with His heart, which is one of love and compassion and willingness to lay down our lives to end the evil so graphically portrayed.
14 thoughts on “Would Jesus Watch “Game of Thrones?””
Really good article, but I hate that softball question ‘WWJD’.
For those Catholics who do watch GoT, clearly the best questions on the table right now , as it related to this season are:
1. Is the Lord of Light a prefigurement of Christ?
2. Is what is going on in King’s Landing right now a play on the Spanish (Catholic) Inquisition?, and
3. What would Joffrey do do with Ramsay Bolton?
Hey David, read and like a lot of your stuff, and so curious as to your opinion on question one, since you brought it up. Only seen a few episodes of the show, but I read the books. I was actually wondering which religion was “most like Christianity.” Martin is an atheist former “Catholic,” and it seems like each religion in the series is a twisted version of Christianity. Not much that I can see relating to buddhism or Islam, but the Drowned God uses a baptism-like ritual, although for warlike purposes (what is dead can never die instead of Rom 6:4), the 7 seem like a slightly modalist (7 forms) religion, but also with Catholic sort of physicality, a priesthood, corruption, displaced the “old gods” (Europe’s paganism), and lots of other sorts of Catholic references. Finally, the “Lord of Light” seems to be one of the few gods with actual power, but although this lord of light possesses Christian aspects of prophecy and monotheism this stands alongside Melisandre’s evilness and her demand of child sacrifice. The only one that I don’t think seems to fit very well would be the many faced god of death, which view suicide in a positive light (as only a pagan could). I think it depends on how the whole thing ends, but it’s set up in my opinion to be a subtle masterpiece for atheism, much as the LoR was one for Catholicism. What do you think?
Hey Garrett! Wow! I haven’t yet thought about the eventual conclusion of where the author is taking all of this. It may very well be the case that Martin is imagining a world or foisting his belief of this world in which all religion has failed – all religion is flawed, fraudulent, and fanatical – all religion twist minds and make good people bad.
Yeah the many faced god – the god of euthanasia. I think in his syncretic mish-mash, he is drawing from some Norse legends in which suicide is honorable and comes with a reward.
A subtle masterpiece for atheism? Very interesting!!!! I hadn’t thought that far, but now I’ll be watching for things more closely. Thanks!
Garrett – Don’t know if you’ve read this article. Pretty interesting. http://www.ew.com/article/2015/05/24/game-thrones-george-rr-martin-religion
Very solid article — except the very last line. It is *never* safe to watch a sex scene of *any* sort. The Catechism makes this clear. http://dsdoconnor.com/2013/01/19/les-mis-reconsidered-a-plea-for-total-purity/
Daniel,
I agree, and I apologize if my rhetoric was open to misunderstanding. By saying “we can safely watch it when we can watch it with His heart,” I meant that, effectively, we can never safely watch it, because our hearts are never fully conformed to His in this world. Perhaps JPII or Mother Teresa could have looked at it without being in danger of temptation, but I doubt they would have because it would have been too painful and heartbreaking.
We
can safely watch it when we can watch it with His heart, – See more at:
https://ignitumtoday.com/2015/05/26/would-jesus-watch-game-of-thrones/#sthash.PGe2nfOr.dpuf
We
can safely watch it when we can watch it with His heart, – See more at:
https://ignitumtoday.com/2015/05/26/would-jesus-watch-game-of-thrones/#sthash.PGe2nfOr.dpuf
We
can safely watch it when we can watch it with His heart, – See more at:
https://ignitumtoday.com/2015/05/26/would-jesus-watch-game-of-thrones/#sthash.PGe2nfOr.dpuf
Sounds good Ryan. My fault for not assuming that’s what you meant. God bless you!
We cannot do evil that good will come from it. Would Jesus watch Games of Thrones? NO!
Our Blessed Lord said it is better to pluck out your eye and go into eternity with one eye than allow your eye to commit a sin. Pornography is more addictive than cocaine, shame on you! Our Lady at Fatima said souls are falling into hell like snowflakes and most of the sins committed are sins of lust.
Repent! The kingdom of God is at hand!
Katherine,
I am sorry to have to disagree, but yes, Jesus most definitely does watch Game of Thrones. He watches every single sin we commit. What is more, the saints in heaven watch our sins as well for we are surrounded by “so great a cloud of witnesses.” For them it is no sin, because they are beyond the reach of temptation.
However, I will acknowledge that perhaps my rhetoric in the last paragraph was understated. When I say “we can safely watch it when we can watch it with His heart” I meant, effectively, that we cannot watch it because we are not completely transformed into His heart. The more we are, the less we will want to watch it because we will see it for what it is, but I doubt if, for most people, we will ever reach a point where we could needlessly look on sin without sin.
If my post was too obscure, I will clarify. My whole point was that Catholics should not watch Game of Thrones, and certainly not pornography.
Game of Thrones is pornography and no one should watch it. Yes your language was vague, I agree.
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Ryan, thanks for your write up. You make some interesting points and observation. I would say…it’s clear that many were confused as to what your final statements meant…many folks don’t read the posted comments and will walk away misunderstanding your position. I recommend you made an editorial notation at the end of your article clearly clarifying…else you may lead folks down a the wrong path.
i was remember something also, later was doing this list it belongs to faceless man’ i think was doing this, i’m not breaking the commandments against the laws only think second son of the blessed trinity will dose watch it, go blame the government and king, according from the legend this is why i made this preview myself as closing client from other things, i felt like this playing by Eddie redmayne character on this film i have his textbook for my reserach they think for it, so they are anti-catholic. also i learn in the book my catholic faith with world history in modern times with this both the same part i have in the book it comes form the lesson of 107.216 caring of Health and life to Peace of god, they wanted war his place on iron throne of king’s landing in the next they have commit great sin and for it is not safe in combat are both killed by his hands last of their kind incase they are in danger i leave for it that this is all i know
i was be told remember from TV series from the episode least one the winds of winter”
the finale part they broke the trail by combat has forbidding on seven kingdoms, they wanted war and peace after that they killed of all in great sept of bealor by legal lord i’m not being smart i am i both are in danger on King’s Landing is not safe in combat, i did it myself
in the books incase i was involved for killing by God’s hands of their kinds, they killed Tommen their king so is Kevan, Tywin, by his hands of their king involved with Lancel their son of his sister and maiden Myrcella age of 19 they poison her and their brother Joffrey they got him too by his wedding feasts to their older brother Tryion this is why he is helping him his claim on iron thron, i did that i am good still on the books also have commit great sin against themselves by god their master according to the lesson of the caring of Health and life to Peace of god from the chapter 10.7.2.16 {they keep hold Brethren thy lord thy god, they sent innocent people being to the deaths} from the last words to holy gospel if god bless in the name of the father and the son and the holy ghost by the son of god, he did watch it so was i ?
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