Do you go to the theatre?

[carpetbagger]

No we do not go to the movies. We do not buy hollywood movies. We do not rent hollywood movies. There is no difference between them.

[Madeline]

As for watching movies and TV, I can only give my opinion with a little scripture as to why I hold that opinion. I don't think that there is nothing inherently wrong with watching movies or TV. In 1 Cor. 8 Paul speaks of eating meat sacrificed to idols. I guess some had made a fuss about it. But he says in effect, there is nothing wrong in and of itself, in eating meat sacrificed to idols (assuming of course that they had not done the sacrificing) but that if it is a stumbling block to others don't do it. In this situation with the movie, it might have been better to find out before hand how we felt about movies, and if we objected then we shouldn't watch it. I for example, I do not feel right watching a movie where an actor depicts Christ, but have watched some before. But that's just me, I certainly would not say that it was wrong for anyone else. God has made us all very different. There are very few things that are wrong for everyone, and those things are very clearly given in the Bible. Everything else is up to the individual. God loves us as individuals, lets not give up our individuality.

Love,
Madeline

[Anon]

Everything else is up to the individual. God loves us as individuals, lets not give up our individuality.

That's a nice "feel-good" statement...can you back that up?

[IM4given]

I admit that I take my children to see animated movies, the last one was Happy Feet. I have to admit that after reading the posts here, I may have been wrong to do that.

Here is a Billy Sunday Sermon that was written way before my time, but a lot of what he says is still relevant and true today.

http://www.biblebelievers.com/billy_sunday/sun12.html

[Anon]

I admit that I take my children to see animated movies, the last one was Happy Feet. I have to admit that after reading the posts here, I may have been wrong to do that.

Here is a Billy Sunday Sermon that was written way before my time, but a lot of what he says is still relevant and true today.

http://www.biblebelievers.com/billy_sunday/sun12.html

Wow, that's some preaching! :sing:

[Guest Guest]

We don't go to movies or rent DVD's for the same reasons that many of you have listed.

Our family members still want to buy our kids DVD's so we send them to the CAP site and tell them to look at the review,
and if they still feel like the movie is okay, then ask us if it will be okay to buy for our kids. We have already said absolutely NO PG movies.

Here is their review for "Happy Feet"

http://www.capalert.com/capreports/happyfeet.htm

I have read reviews of some of the movies I have seen in the past, and I am amazed at all of the "little" things that were wrong with it that slipped right past me.

We have become so desensitized :(

[Anon]

I don't trust most of the new movies that come out. VERY occasionally will I buy one, but only if I know its good like Winnie the Pooh or something.

I think some of the stuff on regular kids programming is better...like "Disney's Little Einsteins" or the new "Handy Manny" (teaches Spanish) and etc. Curious George is also a decent one. My kids watch more of that stuff than actual movies. The only downfall is the commercials, which are worse on some channels than others.

I checked out the CAP site...it is extremely annoying to navigate, haha.... I noticed also it does not have anything to let me know what kind of music is on the film. Some movies can be pretty good but if there's rock music and dancing, etc, I don't like it. That's one of the main reasons I didn't even think about buying "Cars" because I had seen the short cartoons on tv and they are full of really punky rock music.

[Guest Guest]

I'm the same way about the music. I can tell by the music in the commercials for "Happy Feet" that we will not be seeing that one. I will say one of the best movies I've seen in a while is "March of the Penguins" My kids (age 4 and 5 at that time) loved it.

[kevinmiller]

http://www.pluggedinonline.com is the best site for Christian reviews. I use that or christiananswers.net/spotlight to check out movies before seeing them. The first site is more conservative and it's extremely easy to navigate and categorizes the content.

[Anon]

Thanks, I saved it.

[LAF]

http://www.pluggedinonline.com is the best site for Christian reviews. I use that or christiananswers.net/spotlight to check out movies before seeing them. The first site is more conservative and it's extremely easy to navigate and categorizes the content.

Yes I use that site

[JerryNumbers]

There is no way a Christian can justify going in a movie house nor setting anywhere and watching sin take place on the screen and say, God is please with what I find to be very entertaining and enjoyable to me.

No a child of God ought to never find sin entertaining nor enjoyable, if they do they have a serious problem and completely disagree with God.

1 My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous:

2 And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.

3 And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments.

4 He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.

5 But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him.

6 He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked.

7 Brethren, I write no new commandment unto you, but an old commandment which ye had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word which ye have heard from the beginning.

8 Again, a new commandment I write unto you, which thing is true in him and in you: because the darkness is past, and the true light now shineth.

9 He that saith he is in the light, and hateth his brother, is in darkness even until now.

10 He that loveth his brother abideth in the light, and there is none occasion of stumbling in him.

11 But he that hateth his brother is in darkness, and walketh in darkness, and knoweth not whither he goeth, because that darkness hath blinded his eyes.

12 I write unto you, little children, because your sins are forgiven you for his name's sake.

13 I write unto you, fathers, because ye have known him that is from the beginning. I write unto you, young men, because ye have overcome the wicked one. I write unto you, little children, because ye have known the Father.

14 I have written unto you, fathers, because ye have known him that is from the beginning. I have written unto you, young men, because ye are strong, and the word of God abideth in you, and ye have overcome the wicked one.

15 Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.

16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.

17 And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.

1 John 2:1-17 (KJV)

Billy Sunday had a way with words and got right to the point of the matter.

<>

Seems the theater of their day evolved into the movies and TV shows of today, they have just gotten even more rotten, but the sad part is those Christians who watch them and justify their enjoyment of sin.

Maybe they forgot this verse.

12 There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.

Prov 14:12 (KJV)

25 There is a way that seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.

Prov 16:25 (KJV)

20 The soul that sinneth, it shall die.

Ezek 18:20 (KJV)

[Madeline]

That's a nice "feel-good" statement...can you back that up?

It is a truth that is so self evident that it would not need to be stated. It's like asking if I could back up that we all need to breathe. In truth, I should not have answered your question because it was not a question that is answered from the Bible. It is answered by logic and life. But here I am trying to prove the obvious. So here goes.

You remember the scripture where our Lord said that David, who did the wrong thing in accordance with the law when he ate of the bread in the temple when he was starving? Our Lord said that David had done the right thing, even though it was strictly speaking, against the law. The point our Lord was making was that it was good that David did eat even though it was not according to the law. What that tells me is that in this case, the individual (David) made a decision made according to his individual needs. If our Lord commended him for that, so too our decisions are also made on an individual basis, assuming of course, that they are decisions made from a clear conscience. Some people try to make life a thing of do's and dont's in order for them to not have to think.

Let me say one other thing about the Christian life that is scripturally based. When we first believe we all receive the new nature. That new nature, among other things, helps us to understand the Word of God, and it also helps us to live a life pleasing to Him. God knows that we can't do that on our own, and that is why we read in Phil. 'It is God (the new nature from God) Who worketh in you both to will and to do of His good pleasure'.

Read Rom. 7 where Paul cries out in anguish because he sometimes does the things he doesn't want to do and other times doesn't do the things he wants to do becaue of the weakness of the flesh. I cannot believe that if Paul knew in every instance what he should do, he would have no trouble doing it. But life is just not that simple. And that is also the will of God because He wants us to constantly be seeking Him. I can't point to chapter and verse to prove that some decisions in life have to be made on an individual basis, but there isn't chapter and verse about everything in life, there is only seeking and striving to do what pleases Him.

Look at all the different personalities in the 12 apostles. Read for example the sermons of Peter in the early chapters of Acts and then read the epistles of John and then tell me that they were not individuals. And then read the epistles of Paul, especially Romans and Ephesians, and tell me you don't see a differnce between his personality and Peter's and different yet than John's. If watching a movie is not an individual thing, why isn't there something in the Bible that could be used to tell us what to do about it? Do you have any scriptural evidence to prove that it is sinful? I guess that's a lot easier than living your life totally dependant on God, but it certainly the life I have lived and do not expect to. Hope this helps!

Love,
Madeline

[JerryNumbers]

Thanks, I saved it.

I don't know I would not trust the judgment of that site. This is what it says about one of the Harry Potter stories.

<>

http://www.pluggedinonline.com/articles/a0001780.cfm

I believe I would find a better site than this one to go by. For it is sure they would not review a movie using Christian principles.

[Jerry]

A few years back, when my DVD player on my computer actually worked, I watched about half of the first season of Little House on the Prairie. It is not good - it is so full of false teachings and religious sentimentality (often dealing with priests), that you are actually poisoning yourselves and thinking it is good stuff. On one episode, it actually taught that you got closer to God by getting high on a mountain. Michael Landon, who wrote many of the screenplays and directed about 1/3 - 1/2 half the episodes, was very ecumenical. He is the one who came up with that other show, Highway To Heaven.

Cars is bad news too. Full of hard rock music, and there is crude references in the movie. References to lug nuts (and the context was speaking about sexual parts) - "froze my lug nuts" (part of the song the main character sings about Rusteeze - he does not actually say the last word, but the rhyme is there, and it is obvious what he was stating before he got cut off), "I would give my left lug nut for..." Excuse me for quoting these phrases, but they are in the movie. I have heard many unsaved or perverted people using these kind of phrases (without the "lug"), and it was crude and sexual - just as bad in a kid's movie, or even worse because it is presented as innocent.

As far as Jesus movies go, yes, the Bible does indicate to make ANY images of God or gods is wrong - whether they are worshipped or not. I read the novel for The Nativity Story (based on the screenplay), and if the movie was exactly like the book, then it would have been the most Biblically-sound movie on the birth or life of Christ that I have ever heard of or seen (no Catholicism or false teachings in it at all, just some filler to give an impression of what that time period would have been like). Because I believe it is wrong to depict God (any members of the Trinity/Godhead - see Acts 17:29) in picture, statues, or movies, then I cannot endorse the movie, even if it was a good one.