Does Good Redeem Bad?

I posted an article John Piper wrote about addiction to entertainment, and recently found further thoughts on the article at Challies.com. I found a comment by Diane Woerner of A Berean’s Notepad, very interesting. Here is her comment:

While the Bible seems generally silent on the topic of recreation (other than God-focused feasts and celebrations), I found an important principle tucked away in the book of Haggai.

“Thus says the LORD of hosts: ‘Now, ask the priests concerning the law, saying, “If one carries holy meat in the fold of his garment, and with the edge he touches bread or stew, wine or oil, or any food, will it become holy?”’”

Then the priests answered and said, “No.”

And Haggai said, “If one who is unclean because of a dead body touches any of these, will it be unclean?”

So the priests answered and said, “It shall be unclean.”

Then Haggai answered and said, “‘So is this people, and so is this nation before Me,’ says the LORD, ‘and so is every work of their hands; and what they offer there is unclean.’” (Haggai 2:11-14)

The point being made, I think, is that a little good does not redeem bad, whereas a little bad corrupts good. One aspect of most modern entertainment is the presence of compromising elements in what may otherwise be wholesome fare. God, it seems, does not endorse this compromise.

There is a tendency, even among Christians, to justify viewing programs that contain either very witty humor or cleverly intriguing plots. The resulting “merry heart” or sharpened mind is seen as sufficiently valuable to override the exposure to things that are unclean. But humor cannot sanitize filth, and a mind that engages fallen values is not at the same time being renewed in God’s righteous ways (Ephesians 4:17-24; Colossians 3:5-10).

Very challenging stuff.