Along with money, nature, sex, religion, youth, politics, and self, one common American idol is fun or entertainment. Everything is advertised as being fun – from fun learning programs in schools, to fun office environments, to fun doctor’s offices, fun rules the day. This is such a major idol in America that some people can even make a living playing games (or acting), and others will spend their living to watch others play games (or act a part). Worse yet, we’ll hail those who make a living playing games as heroes and stars - despite the fact that many of them have no idea what the “real world” is like. Entertainment is a huge American idol. Q/A #1 of the American catechism is this: “The chief end of man is to glorify fun and enjoy it forever.”
I like how Carl Trueman puts this in “Boring Ourselves to Life.” He cites Pascal’s Pensees and notes that entertainment is distraction: “Distraction is the production of entertainment for the purpose of taking one’s mind off the deeper realities of life.” Or, in other words, “how we fill our lives with rubbish instead of reflecting upon real truths.” Of course, moderated entertainment is fine provided it is not sinful, but when it becomes the “means of keeping us from facing up to the truths of our creaturely existence,” it is profoundly bad for us. Keep Reading>>>
