Is it sinful to watch sin on a screen?

This is a huge discussion ignited by a very specific question from a young man, a regular

podcast listener who writes in to say this.

Hello Pastor John, I live in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

Thank you for your lifelong commitment to the glorious gospel of Jesus Christ.

My question is about the sin of taking God's name in vain, of saying OMG, but really

saying it, interpreting the third commandment and applying it brought a lot of conflict

to my childhood with my father.

He and I both agreed it is always sinful for each of us to take the Lord's name in vain,

where we disagree and still do is whether or not the taking of the Lord's name in vain

disqualifies a movie, television show, music track or any other entertainment from the diet

of the Christian.

This would of course have major ramifications.

As a teen, I often said my father was being legalistic here on his wide application of

the third commandment to media.

I've said the display of this sin was not an endorsement of it by the viewer.

This remains a sore spot in our relationship today.

So my question is whether you think it is sinful to consume media that happens to include

God's name being taken in vain.

This train left the station 60 years ago.

He's roaring down the track about 250 miles an hour and I don't mean simply the obvious

fact that movies and TV shows long ago for sook the God of the Ten Commandments and the

...