By Christy Shipe
Kristin wants to know if certain movies shouldn't be watched.
Q. I am a big movie watcher, and I was wondering if there are certain movies that should not be watched? If so, how do you know which ones are the right ones to watch? -- Kristen
A. This is an area where you have to make a personal decision since the Bible doesn't specifically mention movies. In order to make that decision, look at what the Bible says about the content in movies, talk with your parents about what they think, and ask God to give you the wisdom to make the right decision.
Most Christians object to movies that have sex, violence, and/or bad language. And the Bible does tell Christians to stay away from those things. But there is a difference between watching someone swear in a movie and actually saying a bad word yourself. So is it a sin to watch someone else do something wrong? I think it can be, depending on the circumstances. Here are some biblical principles to help you evaluate what kinds of movies to watch:
1. Obey your parents (Ephesians 6:1). If your parents have set a standard for movies, then you should obey that standard. I didn't see anything except G and PG-rated movies until I was 18!
2. Keep your mind pure. God tells us to make every thought obedient to Christ (2 Corinthians 10:5). That's hard to do if you fill your mind with sexual images, swear words, and lots of violence. I've found that a bad word will slip out of my mouth after I've watched a movie with lots of swearing. Studies have shown that people's attitudes about sexual immorality change after they watch R-rated movies. Violence can have the same effect on people who are tempted toward anger and rage. You have to be aware of how the content in movies can subtly change the way you think about right and wrong.
3. Realize the power of images. Movies enter your mind in a way that written words cannot. God knew how powerful images could be when He warned His people not to make images for their worship. People can become addicted to looking at images, particularly sexual images. That's what pornography is! Even a sex scene between a married couple is dangerous. Yes, God created sex for marriage, but He didn't create the rest of us to sit back with our popcorn and watch someone else have sex!
4. Pay attention to the message. Every movie has a "moral of the story." And if the moral of the story disagrees with God's morality, that movie can be damaging. For example, James Bond movies show James having premarital sex with all sorts of women. His sexual relationships hardly ever have any bad consequences. No one feels guilty. No women get pregnant or get diseases. James never gets sued for child support. These kinds of movies are unrealistic at best and morally damaging at worst. Pretty soon, you can start thinking, "Well, I know the Bible says not to have sex before you're married, but it doesn't look so bad in the movies!" I think the verse "Bad company corrupts good character" (1 Corinthians 15:33) can apply to movies as well as people. If you're always watching movies filled with what the world thinks, it won't be very hard for you to start thinking like the world.
Overall, it's the message that matters. The message of the Bible is always true, even though it contains some tales of sexual immorality and violence (but there's a big difference between reading the Bible and watching visual images in movies - see point #3 above). I have no problem reading the Bible because of the moral lessons it teaches. And I will watch a movie that has some bad people or things in it as long as the overall message of the film is consistent with God's truth. If the movie shows that evil loses in the long run, that sin has serious consequences, and that following the truth is always the best, I will probably watch it, even if it has a few swear words or violent acts to portray the evil.
But I try to carefully weigh the message against the objectionable content. Even if the movie has a good message, I won't watch it if there's too much swearing or dirty language, gratuitous violence, or any sex whatsoever. You, along with your parents, will have to decide where the line falls for you.
Probably the most important thing to take away from this column is just to think. Don't just rush out to watch the latest flick. Spend some time thinking about whether or not it would be good for you to watch. Do some research on it. Talk with your parents about it. You are more likely to make a wise decision if you take some time to think and pray than if you just "follow the crowd" to the theater.