So true. Simple and true. I will be thinking more…..

Tonight our small group talked about the fact that God is always with us…always. He’s there when we are watching TV and movies. I think if we would remember that we wouldn’t watch some of the stuff we watch.

Something I once heard is to always think, “Are the people on the shows I watch people I would invite into my home?” I don’t think this is always reliable, but it is something to think about.

These are really good points, Kat.  Especially since Monday is the night I usually watch really trashy reality tv! 

I don’t dismiss every movie that involve violence, language, or s.x. out-of-hand.  I think it’s important to ask whether the story is redemptive in nature.  Sometimes acting (and it is acting, not reality) can be a very powerful way to remind us that God is about reconciling and redeeming things that are not as they are supposed to be. 

So, for example, I loved Slumdog Millionaire, which had lots of crude language and violence and other kinds of inappropriateness in it.  It wasn’t a glorification of those things; it was about getting some kind of redemption that took the characters out of their miserable situations and into something safer.  Anyway, good, challening questions.  Thanks.

I’m enjoying the conversation–I love when you post things like this, Kat! 

I don’t have much to add.  Everything we watch is dvr’d and we watch tv in the evenings.  I try not to watch shows that I wouldn’t want my children to see–my guilty pleasure is 24.  I’m a sucker for that one, but it does tend to have more violence than I care to see. 

I am VERY particular when it comes to movies as I think most of what Hollywood puts out is trash.  There may be redemptive qualities or themes, but for the most part I am not interested in subjecting myself to the language, violence and s.x that is unnecessarily thrown in most movies these days.

Today actually, while I was doing my daily Bible reading, Romans 8:5 really screamed at me.

“For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit.”

Also, as Christians we no longer belong to this world but have been purchased by God, and through out Scripture He is constantly trying to get through to us the necessity of removing oneself from the world and fulfilling the desires of the flesh.

Now I know this seems like too much for you, and it is for me too. I do indulge in a little television to. But I try to stick to the Animal Planet, the Discovery Channel, and the History channel. I also frequently watch CSI.

What deters me away from a show is frequent cursing, vulgar comedy, too many sexual inuendos, sex scenes in general, sin being glorified and not shown as being clearly wrong, and just stupidity.

Movies are under the same lines.

My husband isn’t into movies or TV. I on the other hand used to love both. My grandfather was an actor. I got turned off by Hollywood about 9 years ago and changed my viewing habits.

With a house full of kids & with one that has been exposed to XXX stuff (before they came to live with us) I have to be careful what is viewed. I try not to watch movies that make fathers look like total idiots, crude/rude humor, a lot of cussing and sexual content/innuendos. That leaves out most of them. I do try and support a clean movie when one is out. If there is more of a demand, more would be made.

I live on an small island and it’s a fish bowl. I don’t think it’s a good witness if were known as Christians and my husband has been seen preaching on local TV and we just walk out of a movie that we probably shouldn’t have watched? Or if my neighbors are walking by my house and hear foul stuff on my TV?

Have you heard what Jack Nicholson has been known to say to his co-stars about sex scenes? “Forgive me if I do, forgive me if I don’t.” That right there tells me that it does stir up stuff for the actors even if the are saying it doesn’t. I like Kirk Cameron. He has said he will not kiss another woman other than his wife, even for a movie!

We are all at different places in our walk with the Lord and will be convicted at different times about stuff. I just know how my spirit feels when I sit and watch things I know I shouldn’t.

I like Psalm 101.

Kat

This is something that I’m struggling with and dealing with right now too. Each night it is “some” show on TV that we watch. I try to combat the time watching these shows with purposeful Bible study time. Lately, the TV is on and I’m working, reading, or sleeping.

I’m beginning to think that we need to develop a budget of what we watch. My wife and I know that the “reality” shows we watch are horrible. Gotta break from it.

Thanks

I did not in any way find this post offensive. Possibly instead of others finding it offensive, they found it convicting. Which is not a bad thing at all.

Personally, my husband & I do not watch anything rated R. We filter what PG-13 movies we see because they can be pretty rough. Violence doesn’t really bother me (IE: guns, war) but sexual content & language do.

No matter how much Christians believe we can “overcome” language or the content won’t bother us…it can & it does. One can only take so much. GREAT post!

Sorry for the second comment but this morning I was reminded of a couple of things that pertain to this discussion.

I don’t know how to say this, how to fit it into the conversation, but these images we see stick with us forever. Seems the more disturbing the harder they are to get rid of. We can all remember scenes that horrified us from movies we saw years ago. (This is the part where I’m not sure what my point is.) Recently, I read something full of nasty stuff that I just cannot get out of my head. It was Genesis chapter 19. So there is much s.x and much violence in God’s word, but I do not call it entertaining.

One more thing, perfect for this from God’s word. Psalm 119:37 “Turn my eyes away from looking at worthless things, and revive me in Your way.” (NKJV) It’s like it was written especially for today!

I agree with My Friend Amy on focusing in on s.x. as the big no no. What about violence? If someone were holding a gun to someone else in your house, would you be okay with that? Violence is fine, but s.x. crosses the line seems to be the opinion of a lot of folks. What makes s.x. worse than violence, abuse, drugs, alcohol? All of those are destructive. Doesn’t the bible say if you’ve committed one sin, you’ve committed them all?

I wouldn’t find these things entertaining at their core and when most people stop to think about it, they would probably agree.

However, Texas in Africa makes a good point about finding redeeming qualities with tough circumstances. Movies and books tell stories. The characters should have arcs – change. If you want to take someone from the depths (think prodigal son) to the heights (redemption) don’t you have to accurately portray their slumminess or tough circumstances? It’s a balance between making sure things aren’t gratuitous and keeping it real.

My husband and I don’t even watch tv once a week. Sometime we might go an entire month without watching anything. Other weeks, we might watch a couple of hours.

I personally can’t watch scary or twisted shows or commercials for that matter. If I feel like evil is pervasive in the show, there’s not a chance I will watch it. My spirit is very sensitive to evil. I do believe watching inappropriate movies or tv shows invites spiritual warfare into your life as well as the possibility of lowering your standards depending on one’s ability to process the movie/show/book etc.

With that said, I think there are a lot of considerations – content matter, presentation, is it grauitous?, what’s the moral argument?, what audience/age is it appropriate for?

I know I plan on being very cautious about what/when/if my son watches tv/cartoons/movies. I actually think a lot of children’s programming is inappropriate.

I hope I didn’t talk in circles. Just my two cents.

Hey Kat,

Thanks for tweeting this … I have been talking about this lately.  Funny how many blank stares I get.  I hesitate to bring it up, simply because of the “take the plank out of your own eye” verse.  But – it needs to be addressed.

For the most part, Christians eat, drink, and consume the same junk as entertainment as the world.  We (in general) watch filth, violence, and movies/sitcoms filled with sexual immorality, violence, and filthy language.

The Bible tells us to meditate on good things .. yet we entertain ourselves with trash.  No wonder there is little power evident in the Church.

A good friend from church challenged me to go see a movie the other day – he said it was “awesome”.  I called my brother-in-law and he said “Fred, I looked that movie up online, and it has the f*** bomb used so many times, it’s like averaging one f*** bomb every 3 minutes in the movie.

Then, I wondered how the worshiper that I know from church thought it was so awesome.

A few days later, I saw a “tweet” from a guitar player in a well-known, Christian band recommending the same movie.  The paraphrase of his tweet was “gotta see this, really bad language, and a lot of violence, but it had some great Christian themes”.

Duh.

When all is said and done, there are very few (sadly, often including myself) who are willing to walk away from the nasty filthy water we drink … when Jesus promised that His water would not leave us thirsty for more.

Well, that’s my $.02.

For the Kingdom,

Fred McKinnon

http://www.fredmckinnon.com

http://www.theworshipcommunity.com

Well…as you know, I come from this as the mother of an actress. A Christian actress, who is very strong in her convictions and has integrity we could all envy.

At no time, do I ever feel using foul language is art. There have been many movies that I might have enjoyed, if they had left the foul language out. I also do not need to see other people engaging in bedroom scenes.

But, I do watch tv and I love to see a good movie. I tend to watch alot of crime shows on tv and usually with the daughter that is an actress. Reality tv over all, to me, is just about the lowest point we could go…well, maybe soap operas, but they are close.

Maybe it is because my kids are the age they are. (17 and graduating, 14 and a freshman) When they were little, we were extremely careful with what they watched on tv and what was on when they were in the room. And now, they can make good choices about the movies they want to see and the tv they are willing to watch.

I have no doubt, that my daughter, if she follows through with her dreams, will always put Christ first in everything she does. That is who she is.

@Pokinatcha – It is awfully hard to find a clean movie, isn’t it? I watched Fireproof and even though some of the acting was pretty sad, I really enjoyed it.

I wondered about that Kirk Cameron scene – that explains a lot. Guessing that’s why it was a silhouette?

@Fred McKinnon -

I think sometimes it’s okay to ask questions even with a plank in our eye. If we all waited til we did things perfectly we’d never say anything.

It is hard to walk away, but hopefully discussions like this will help us all to make better decisions and stick with them.

Thanks for sharing!

@A. Snodgrass -

I agree. I don’t think the woman is the only one devalued in a s.x scene. I’m just trying to keep the point simple. I think it’s most obvious that the woman is devalued – so I wanted to stick with points that are relatively clear cut.

You’re right – I definitely wouldn’t want my boy in scenes like that either.

It’s crazy how when we really start thinking about it, SOOO much of what we watch – we probably don’t need to be watching.

It can be kind of paralyzing. So, I’m praying that we’ll all be thoroughly led by the Holy Spirit and not by a certain set of rules or standards.

Good thoughs, friend.

@Aunt Janna -

Honestly, I think this is a great time for Christian actors/actresses. The free distribution via the web will spawn more high quality Christian art.

Say hi to your actress for me and tell her I think she kinda rocks.

Very good conversation.  I grew up in a strict, holiness environment and we weren’t allowed to watch anything; no tv, movies, etc. 

Now, in my late 30s, I live by a different set of personal guidelines, but still really value a lot of the principles that were the motivation by those traditional beliefs; many of which were written above.

Today, one of the easiest ways for me to determine how I spend my time and what I allow into my mind, is “will this change my life, will it affect my spirit, or will this make me a better person?” Not everything I see answers, “Yes” to this.  But I certainly don’t watch anything that responds, “No.”

As a side:  last night I saw “The Tiger and The Snow” – very good.  It could answer yes to all three!

Great post and conversation…much needed in the current cultural milieu.

I think that My thoughts would align more with Texas in Africa’s…even with regard to the “s.x”.  I will – from here on out – refer to it as “s.x”, for “s.x” is what it is and it was created by God and, in some sense, it is completely compatible with His nature and His image.  Hard to chew on but difficult to contest.

Movies with S.x in them:  I totally agree that I would be uncomfortable with having my wife engaged in ANY physical activity with another man…will not even try to validate or justify that.  But – without hypocrisy, I can understand that there can be a redemptive quality in a story.  I don’t mean to imply that all stories are redemptive or that anything is permissible…just that all things are possible.  Is it possible that seeing the emotional or physical result of a s.xu.l encounter on screen would help a young person realize a potential reality for their own situation?  Yes.  Is it possible that someone could watch the APPARENT purity and connection between two UNMARRIED people engaged in inappropriate activity and feel inspired to true (and Holy) connection within the bounds of marriage?  Stranger things have happened with our God.

I am not promoting permissiveness…and definitely NOT implying that everyone should be okay with all content in movies/TV, etc.  Just that, inasmuch as it has the capacity to depict true human experience with fidelity, art (and these things CAN be art) has the capacity to draw people towards holiness.  Towards what is good.  Not that it always does…not that there are EXTREME perversions with respect to intimacy, violence, etc….just that it is (in my opinion) unnecessary to classify all things as “bad” just because they have an, albeit thick, veneer of worldliness. 

At one point an angel appeared in a dream and proclaimed all foods clean.  Is it even POSSIBLE that this might extend to watching a depiction of two people in love?  Or a man hurting another person? 

Not saying that I have the answers, just saying that I feel safe in looking for them…

Cheers,

Anon

@Amy – Yes, I love that there is a whole spectrum of beliefs. Hearing all the different perspectives helps me define and refine my own. I love thoughtful discussions like this.

@Ellen Stevens -

EXCELLENT POINT. I love that guideline. It often seems we try so hard to walk the line or get as close to it as possible that we lose our ultimate vision.

I want to know God. I want to completely live my life for Him – therefore I want to run TOWARD things that make me more like Him and run AWAY from things that don’t.

Kind of like an athelete. If someone is training for a gold medal, they don’t justify how many candy bars they can eat. They avoid them. Because they care more about the their ultimate goal than immediate satisfaction.

It’s not so much about what we should or shouldn’t watch – it’s about just wanting Jesus more and ultimately not wanting what doesn’t bring us closer to Him.

@Amy – Crumbs on my floor -

I don’t have my headphones handy, but I can’t wait to watch that video…

Great perspective on your husband. That’s a very wise way to go about it.

The only thing is…what if an actors passion is to bring the written word to life so that those who see things better with pictures “gets it”? Which is why your cousin wants to be an actor! You’ve seen my house, you know how much I LOVE books…but, not everyone is able to read a book and get the pictures in their brains that I am from it. Some people need to SEE it to understand. Which is why I think The Passion of The Christ is so powerful! I’ve read that story all of my life, but seeing it acted out…well, that brought a whole new perspective to me. There is a place in this world for Christian actors and I think we need to be careful not to group every actor the same way.

It does make sense…I am just protective of my daughter and her dreams. Sex in movies and tv shows is unnecessary and I wish they would figure that out as well as foul language, because that is just as bad, to me. On the other hand, implication to help me understand a story line, well, I could live with that. And a kiss with a person doesn’t bother me (i mean a kiss, not groping and more) like in Annie Get Your Gun, although that one went on a little long for me. I actually have to think about my daughter and these things…it is happening and no, maybe acting wasn’t what I had dreamed for her, but it is her dream and she is good at it! I think it is important not to put trash into your head and into your heart. I just think our (Christians basically) views are wide about that may be trash.

i am a Christian.

i want to act. sometimes those things seem to be an awful lot at odds with one another.

i was with my dad the other day looking on the computer, and it said a certain actress had decided not to do inappropriate scenes anymore. my dad said something to the effect of “please don’t ever let me have to go through that.”

i said, “how on earth could you think i would do that?”

for me, the way i choose my movies is: am i embarrassed to be watching it with my dad? if so, get up and leave.

therefore, overboard on cursing and too much inappropriateness are my factors.

i will see rated R movies. not so much anymore, because they are mostly filth. however, a website i find handy is http://www.kids-in-mind.com

it is very detailed, and i find it has me in mind as well.

i want to act. however, there are things i absolutely will not do. if this lowers my chances, so be it. God will help me in whatever path He has planned for me.

sometimes though, the things i see/hear in movies are no worse than the things i see/hear walking down the hallways at my highschool. i have become so desensitized i have to work to remind myself what’s important.

it’s a difficult area. i’m an absolute movie lover. sometimes you have to make a sacrifice. for me it’s not a tough choice.

interesting topic.

This line of thinking is what made us take the big plunge a few years ago. We, gasp, pulled the plug on TV completely. That’s right, no cable. And, without cable, there’s no TV period. We can’t even get local stations, nothing. Now, we still use the big black box for entertainment. We have DVDs and VHS tapes. But those are used a lot less now that we have just gotten used to not having TV. We do so much more as a family. We talk more, play more, laugh more, go more fun places (park, lake, window shopping in antique stores), and just meld together better as a family unit. Our home is quieter, our lives are more peaceful, and honestly I can’t tell you what the new shows are. I can’t tell you what new movies are coming out because we don’t get commercials. If we want to see a movie, we honestly have to go online to see what’s even playing. Sigh. It really was a great switch.

For deciding if we will watch a movie, we use http://www.pluggedinonline.com/. It gives a rundown of everything (good and bad) in a movie so you can make the decision.

I’m reminded of a comment made by Michael Medved (a conservative Jewish movie critic).  He said action films with lots explosions are appealing to a certain segment of society (and we know who we are), but who leaves a movie saying, “there just wasn’t enough cussing in this film”?