adminLovemore Chikova Christian Entertainment
When I sat out to write on the type of entertainment that Christians must go for in last week’s instalment, I never anticipated that I was touching on a hot subject.
I received so many responses, but most of them tended to critically differ with what I was trying to advance.
My beef was simply that Christians must be able to choose the type of entertainment they go for after carefully considering their beliefs.
If it is in contradiction with what is expected of a Christian, then why go for it?
This week I am reproducing a response from one of the readers of this column who made it clear that he was angered by my submissions in last week’s column.
His name is Malvern Sinyoro and below is his response:
I am writing to you with a very heavy heart. Yes, my heart is heavy, not only because of the anger that consumed me when I read your column last week, but also with facing the reality that you might decide not to publish my views.
I am totally against what you wrote last week because it is not practical.
How on earth can you dare advance the view that it is bad for Christians to go clubbing?
Surely, how dare you, when it is known that it is Christians who make the night life tick in Harare.
Yes, they do!
Just the fact that the majority of Zimbabweans are Christians is enough to show you the reality.
I have seen Christians, especially those from traditional churches, being at the forefront of enjoying themselves in nightclubs. And I do not think there is anything wrong with that.
Most of these Christians visit such places in search of pleasure and in most cases do not take alcoholic drinks.
Theirs is to dance to the music, take soft drinks, meet friends and drive home safely.
Can you please produce for me a Bible verse which indicates that doing that is a sin?
In fact, which Bible verses bar Christians from any other forms of entertainment and which one confines them to gospel music and shows of such nature.
In fact, Christians end up in night- clubs because in Zimbabwe at the moment there is little happening on the entertainment scene which may be deemed suitable for them.
When did we last have a big show by gospel musicians in Harare with the potential of attracting Christians from various denominations?
The problem I have observed with many Christians is that it is them who are preoccupied with judging each other. You can often hear gossiping in church like: “Brother so and so was seen at a worldly place, do you think he is still holy?”
The question I want to pose to you is: How on earth do you think Christians will be able to reach out to the non-Christians without associating with them?
I do not know about you, but most Christians I know who go clubbing do not conform to the sinful behaviour of the clubbers. The other argument you tried to advance was that the music played in night clubs is secular.
Do you suggest that we boycott all places where secular music is played?
This means we stop visiting the shops which play secular music or even avoid boarding buses and kombis because they play such type of music.
So, it is clear that Christians cannot avoid secular music unless they isolate themselves from society.
If you are a true Christian worth your salt and the Holy Spirit is leading you, there is no way you can be influenced to sin simply because you have been to a nightclub.
If you go to a nightclub and behave yourself you can still emerge from the place straight to the pulpit.
The problem with Christians is that they want to discriminate against each other on the basis of issues that are not found in the Bible.
There are what I can call church prefects who want to come up with a set of rules from their own books which they want to impose on others.
And it is clear that your article on this column last week betrayed you as one of such people.
If you do not like clubbing stay at your house and have a sound sleep, but stop trying to boss everyone around simply because you do not like to go clubbing. Some Christians actually go clubbing as a way of bringing God’s kingdom into such a place where people are desperate for the Lord.
We have Christians who are involved in places where a lot of dirty and sinful things take place, but no one seems to be worried by that.
Just how many sinful things take place at people’s workplaces, yet Christians who are there are very much comfortable and do not contemplate leaving. Corruption, carpet interviews, nepotism and false accusations are the order of the day in most corporates. Yet Christians in such organisations who are very much awake to the realities of these bad practices never contemplate leaving.
They believe that as long as they are not the ones doing it, they are not affected. This is the same with clubbing.
As long as you are not participating in the sins taking place there you will be just as safe!
The truth everyone must know is that no one can escape this world until they die. I know there are temptations, but if you are a true Christian you should have been given the power to resist it.
So, you can still spend the whole night in a club and still manage to go out unscathed after resisting the temptations.
In fact, going clubbing is not all about drinking beer or picking up women. It is also about socialising and getting entertainment.
Let people freely choose the type of entertainment they want, be if films or any other. Most of these forms of entertainment are part of the gift of creativity which came from God.
No one must bar another person from enjoying such type of entertainment simply because it is considered sinful. Most Christians become so by choice and they must be given that room to choose what they want on their own.
They must not be subjected to rules and new commandments which have nothing to with God and the Bible.
Inasfar as I am concerned, I have never seen a commandment in the Bible reading: “Thou shalt not go clubbing”.
I rest my case.
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