Christian Worldview

Organized crime tends to be a federal offense in the United States. However, watching organized crime, quietly observing organized crime, and gleaning entertainment from organized crime as a loyal member of TV-watching America is not illegal yet. Whether you are watching some of the latest Academy Award winners (“The Departed” or “No Country for Old Men”) or tuning in weekly to watch the Sopranos (now being broadcast on A&E in a censored format), there is no question that watching criminals be criminals has received a major perception change throughout the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. There is a good reason every man (and even some women) knows at least two lines from “The Godfather”. These films (modern day Westerns wherein the cowboys break the law rather than uphold it) attract most men and women because of their appeal to man’s fallen nature. However, the genius of the character of Tony Soprano, as well as many modern Mafia characters portrayed in the media, is that we are shown enough decent and admirable traits, whether in his home life or in his love for animals, that we can justify defending him as he sleeps with countless women outside of his marriage and murders those who oppose him in cold blood. A closer look at the construction of the character of Tony Soprano reveals much about archetypes today and the cultural requirements for being a “lovable villain.”

The common school of thought behind man’s fascination with the world of organized crime and mob activity is that it is the natural procession of man’s fascination with the world of cowboys and vigilante-living. There’s just something about their street-smarts, their cunning, and their ability to survive and thrive while living life their way that appeals to the basic instincts of man. One of the best known television shows that depict mob life is The Sopranos, which once aired on HBO. The main character, Anthony “Tony” Soprano, is the boss of the New Jersey operations. He is an extortionist, a racketeer, an adulterer, and a murderer, yet whenever the FBI agents find a new lead or piece of evidence in the case they are building against Tony, we in the audience let out a shriek of fear…on Tony’s behalf! What could make a crowd of American law-abiding citizens cheer in celebration when a notorious overlord of a crime syndicate slips through the Fed’s fingers?

“Of course, our infatuation with these “bad boys” and “pirate kings” has its limits. We do not want nor are we easily drawn, in fiction or in fact, to anti-heroes who were sadists, serial killers, or ghouls. Jeffrey Dahmer and John Wayne Gacy may evoke our curiosity, but their conduct and behavior is too ghastly and writ-too-large to qualify as “loveable rascals” or even as “rascals we love to hate.” Anti-heroes need to be both scary and lovable, need to find a balance between being naughty and nice, tough and soft, strong and yet compassionate. (Greene 9)

Tony Soprano’s soft side, the lovable, nice, soft, and compassionate side of Tony, gives the audience enough moral evidence to categorize him as a “loveable rascal”. For Tony, and real-life mobsters like him, the life and daily activities of organized crime appeal to their human nature. For the rest of us, the observance of a life of organized crime appeals to our human nature enough to elicit semi-silent cheering for these men of questionable morals. We see a doting father (sometimes), a loving husband (that sleeps with many other women just in the first season), and a father-figure to his “other” family (a father who will readily lay waste to any family member who challenges his authority). The dichotomy of decent, respectable qualities beside villainous, lecherous qualities gives the audience member enough to chew on for several seasons. What makes it even stranger to root for Tony is how well those villainous, lecherous qualities and behaviors match up to the description of the tyrant-monster found in Joseph Campbell’s classic work on archetype description, The Hero with a Thousand Faces.

“The figure of the tyrant-monster is known to the mythologies, folk traditions, legends, and even nightmares, of the world; and his characteristics are everywhere essentially the same. He is the hoarder of the general benefit. He is the monster avid for the greedy rights of “my and mine”. The havoc wrought by him is described in mythology and fairy tale as being universal throughout his domain. This may be no more than his household, his own tortured psyche, or the lives he blights with the touch of his friendship and assistance; or it may amount to the extent of his civilization. The inflated ego of the tyrant is a curse to himself and his world – no matter how his affairs may seem to prosper. Self-terrorized, fear-haunted, alert at every hand to meet and battle back the anticipated aggressions of his environment, which are primarily the reflections of the uncontrollable impulses to acquisition within himself, the giant of self-achieved independence is the world’s messenger of disaster, even though, in his mind, he may entertain himself with humane intentions.” (Campbell 15)

What can be seen in the cultural shift from modern to postmodern is that there is no longer one good guy and one bad guy. Neither of them has to be very “good” at all. Just as the notion of “no absolute truth” permeates the mindsets of Americans, Hollywood presents the public with scenarios where the audience chooses who is “good” and “bad” and which one they will root for. This is well represented in very recent “mobster” films such as “American Gangster”, “The Departed”, and “No Country for Old Men”. Not only is it usually unclear who the hero is, but even when one character emerges as being more villainous, there is no longer a guarantee that the hero will win!

What do these things mean for the Christians that do not hide from modern entertainment? Can Christians, being salt and light to a dark world, view crime as “entertaining” entertainment? Is there a line where such entertainment crosses into thought patterns or sinful desires, and if so, where? As the major themes of the life of organized crime as portrayed in entertainment are held up to Biblical standards, one can begin to see the almost rift between Hollywood and Calvary and the dangers of taking in such entertainment without a guarded heart.

MONEY
Money, the love of money, and the desire for as much money as possible might be the strongest bond between real-life organized crime and every portrayal of organized crime in the media. Tony Soprano says the “Family” comes before everything else. What we see is that the almighty dollar truly comes before everything else. The desire for wealth inspires already wealthy capos to conspire against the head of the family, and keeps every other level of organized crime’s infrastructure working towards the top of the food chain.

“It is organized crime’s accumulation of money…that has a great and threatening impact on America…Organized crime exists by virtue of the power it purchases with its money. The millions of dollars it can invest in narcotics or use for layoff money give it power over the lives of thousands of people and over the quality of life in whole neighborhoods. The millions of dollars it can throw into the legitimate economic system give it power to manipulate the price of shares on the stock market, to raise or lower the price of retail merchandise, to determine whether entire industries are union or nonunion, to make it easier or harder for businessmen to continue in business. The millions of dollars it can spend on corrupting public officials may give it power to maim or murder people inside or outside the organization with impunity; to extort money from businessmen; to conduct businesses in such fields as liquor, meat, or drugs without regard to administrative regulations; to avoid payment of income taxes or to secure public works contracts without competitive bidding. The purpose of organized crime is not competition with visible, legal government but nullification of it. When organized crime places an official in public office, it nullifies the political process. When it bribes a police official, it nullifies law enforcement.” (Dinitz 91-92)

It can be understood that those with the money control aspects of the economy, and thus organized crime has a good deal of control in our economy worldwide. However, one does not need to be in organized crime to suffer from the love of money. Throughout Scripture, we find references to the value of being a good steward of money. Several verses highlight what has already been mentioned here.

“You cannot serve both God and Money.” (Matthew 6:24)

“The love of money is a root of all kinds of evil.” (1Timothy 6:10)

“Keep your lives free from the love of money…” (Hebrews 13:5)

The other aspect of money is that not only is it the driving force behind most gangsters and the actions they commit, but it is a way that gangsters are able to extort men who have the same love of money. Gambling rackets are by far the greatest source of income for organized crime. By preying on the weak and addicted, mob men use money to make money, in schemes and cons that are both genius and evil. Deceit, murder, jealousy, and theft: four things we are commanded against by God. All these things can stem from the love of money. These attitudes are the dung pile that makes Tony Soprano’s love for his real family, and sometimes the love of controlling his real family, just a daisy underneath.

MURDER
Male entertainment would not exist without intense car chase scenes, slapstick gags, and the occasional fatal beat-down of a disliked character, or any character provided the person we are rooting for wins. The Bible is very clear on God’s policy about murder.

“You shall not murder.” (Exodus 20:13)

“You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘Do not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.’ But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to his brother, ‘Raca,’ (“Empty-head!”) is answerable to the Sanhedrin. But anyone who says, ‘You fool!’ will be in danger of the fire of hell.” (Matthew 5:21-22)

There are no known cultures that value murder as an admirable trait. In the culture of organized crime, many times an associate’s first contract kill (or “hit”) is the method by which that associate becomes “made”, a member of the family. For these men, murder is just one bullet-point (pun intended) on their job description. What’s more, when confronted with the morality of their actions, they do not see the taking of human life for money as anything to be ashamed of. They live by their own code of morals.

“Although the criminal may not accept what others consider moral standards, he claims to have his own set of morals. Other people are liars, perverts, scoundrels, and criminals, not he. Sociologist Joseph Rogers points out that even in prison an inmate “is not likely to see himself as a ‘real’ criminal.” It is the other inmates, “whom he views as the ‘real’ ones’”. He looks down on them as depraved because they do things that he would not. Specific crimes are wrong and thus off limits for him simply because he personally finds them offensive. Criminals differ as to what they find most revolting. One says that a child molester should be killed while another advocates that a rapist be castrated. But each considers whatever he does as beyond reproach. One tough guy of the streets said that sneaking up on an adult male and mugging him is all in a day’s work, but if he were to see anyone do the same to a child or elderly lady, he would rip the attacker to shreds. To his way of thinking, the two situations are completely different.” (Samenow 161-162)

This is by far the deepest and darkest evil within organized crime. God values life above all else, and blatant disregard for it cannot ever be excused or ignored.

SEX
The book of Leviticus, especially chapter 18, is full of prohibited sexual relations. The New Testament warns against sexual immorality 20 different times. Here are several examples:

“…He who sins sexually sins against his own body.” (1 Corinthians 6:18)

“Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. Because of these, the wrath of God is coming.” (Colossians 3:5-6)

“It is God’s will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality…” (1 Thessalonians 4:3)

The Bible leaves one-man-one-woman sexual relations for the confines of marriage alone. Furthermore, the Bible explicitly commands that we do not commit adultery. Yet a major part of the life of mobsters is the numerous sexually-driven relationships they have with girlfriends (or “goomah” in Italian), strippers, and even prostitutes. This is not only an act of control, the men being in control of their urges and desires and in control of their lives, but also an act of dominance over fellow human beings.

Not only are these actions intolerable in physical reality, but we are told as Christians that they must not dwell even in our thought life. It is in this way that we are to find crime as entertainment to be unworthy of our time and thought.

“Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable – if anything is excellent or praiseworthy – think about such things.” (Philippians 4:8)