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Ghosts, ghouls, and demons—here they come again. Television shows about things that go bump in the night are back for the fall season, including the popular Medium (NBC), Ghost Whisperer (CBS), and Supernatural (CW). The titles are enough to turn off some Christian viewers before they've even watched a teaser.
But other believers tune in regularly. Shirley Slayton of California loves Medium—a show based on the detective work of real-life psychic Allison DuBois. Like the characters on the show, Shirley tries to figure out each episode's clues to solve its mystery. Cindy Thomas of Illinois loves it, too, especially its down-to-earth cast. "Allison (Medium's main character) isn't drop-dead gorgeous and skinny. She's a wife and mom who wears frumpy sweats and bathrobes," she says.
Watching Medium represents an hour of much-needed entertainment for these Christian women who feel the show's no threat to their faith. Yet for Illinois viewer Leslie Hudgins*, the show's a less feel-good experience. She tunes in occasionally, drawn by the family storyline, but wonders afterwards, By watching this show, am I doing something the Bible expressly prohibits?
The recent proliferation of paranormal-themed TV shows might make this genre seem new, but it's actually been around since television's early days. In the 1950s, Topper, about a deceased couple who haunts an uptight banker, was a top viewer pick. The '60s brought several series that have been remade and rerun in present day: The Twilight Zone, Dark Shadows, and Bewitched. In the '90s, the darkly themed The X Files and the family-friendly Touched by an Angel both found fans and detractors among Christians. Most recently, Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Charmed showcased paranormal-powered women who kicked demon butt.
The question then is this: How should the biblical mandate to stay away from mediums and witchcraft (Deuteronomy 18:10-12; Leviticus 19:31)—not to mention Jesus' instruction to drive out demons— affect our TV viewing habits? Many Christian authors, including C.S. Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkien, and Madeleine L'Engle, used magical themes filled with witches and otherworldly creatures to tell stories about faith. Is it different to read about witches—or watch a television show about them—than to practice witchcraft, which God's Word expressly forbids?
Taking SidesChristians tend to hold one of two opposing opinions about TV viewing in general. One is that believers should distance themselves from shows that contradict their beliefs. Susan Wales, a writer/producer and Parents Television Council advisory board member, admits to watching a few minutes of Ghost Whisperer one night out of curiosity. It frightened her so much, she immediately turned off the show but couldn't get its images out of her mind for days afterward. "My husband has a saying, 'Garbage in, garbage out.' If we take garbage into our hearts and minds, then it has to come out some way," she says.
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