To Poison the Baby

When we watch a movie, read a book, look at a magazine... what does it take to tip the balance between that which is true, noble, right, pure, admirable, excellent and praiseworthy and that which is not? This is a question that Christians should ask themselves daily, because there is no constant, simple answer. After all, the world is broken by sin. However, I'd like to address an even more pressing question: How much is too much?

What kind of content does a book need to make it fail to promote purity? For that matter, what kind of content does a book need to make it SUCCEED at promoting purity? I've read some "pure" books that were absolute trash from a word artist's standpoint, and I've read some "smutty" books that were a veritable credit to their form. Few books accomplish both between the same cover. Is avoiding all the gray areas really realistic or wise? By doing so, we miss out on a lot of the most intense beauty produced by our God-given creativity. His power is made perfect in our weakness- even in the area of discernment in media. We need to listen to the Holy Spirit to know when our focus has begun to shift.