How do I know what movies are or are not acceptable?

[hopefulromantic]

As an adult who is young in my faith (a little over two years ago), I am having some trouble determining what movies are or are not acceptable for me to watch. I've felt convicted to remove a few movies from my collection, but there are still some that Christians on review sites think are completely inappropriate that I don't feel anything against, or vice versa.

Two examples are Titanic and Troy. A number of people reviewing those movies feel that any nudity is completely unacceptable, whereas others feel that as long as it's not overly sexual or encouraging lustful feelings it's okay. And I feel stuck somewhere in the middle. I think both are good movies, and outside of simply noticing that brief pair of breasts, I'm not aware of any lustful thoughts (although I could be wrong in this).

So again, if we're not feeling convicted one way or another, how do I as a newer believer make those decisions? I'm well aware of what kind of boundaries I'll set when I'm looking at what my future children may or may not watch, but that's a different issue.

 

[secularhermit]

Are you seeking for censorship or you truth, to be free?

 

[megaman125]

I think this is a topic where people need to kinda be their own judge. You know whether or not you can handle certain things. I'll give an example of alcohol to illustrate what I mean.

Say a Christian, who used to be an alcoholic, became convicted to pour out all the beer he had in his house down the drain, and he did it. Does that mean every Christian needs to pour out all their beer down the drain or else they're not Christians or they're sinning or whatever? No. For myself, I don't even drink, so having beer around me wouldn't really mean much to me. Some people do know their limits with alcohol, and aren't getting drunk, and so having beer in their house wouldn't be bothering them.

 

[Toska]

Are you seeking for censorship or you truth, to be free?

Help me out here, secularhermit. I have also thought about this since I am a new Christian. I am asking you for what you believe to be the truth.

 

[santuzza]

I think one's view of this evolves as one matures in the faith. I find more and more that I'm easily offended by nudity, sexuality, and especially vulgarity in movies. As one moves toward holiness, one chooses to include less of the world in one's life.

I haven't seen Troy, but I have seen Titanic. Is it overtly evil? No. But it does glorify sex outside of marriage, so that's annoying.

But it comes down to this: you must be wise and discerning, and this will come as you mature in your walk. Titanic and Troy may be okay for you right now, but perhaps a few years down the road you'll say to yourself, "Why am I holding on to this trash?"

For me, if a movie is rated "R," I'll avoid it. But even movies rated "PG-13" or "PG" can be problematic. Heck, even some of the "G" movies promote lifestyles that are difficult to equate with a Christian lifestyle.

Sounds to me as if the Holy Spirit is guiding you to move away from secular entertainment, and that is not a bad thing. By praying and being open to the Spirit's leading, you'll gain wisdom as time moves on.

May the Lord bless you as you continue in the journey of sanctification!

 

[Ugly]

A good way to figure this out. Ask yourself, if i were to invite Jesus over to watch with me, would i feel uncomfortable with having him there next to me? When we reflect on Adam and Eve gaining awareness the first thing they did is hide their bodies. We are not supposed to look with lust on another person. So knowing these two ideas are bible based, would you feel comfortable with Jesus beside you when a naked person comes on screen? Can you imagine Jesus sitting their staring at a womans breasts unfazed? Uncaring?