Things that have nothing to do with religion, deemed bad, by the religious.

I was watching a thing online called "JesusChatroom" or something, and its this terribly produced live internet show, or public access show, where these two guys talk about Christianity and religion a lot and take calls etc etc. And I KNOW that people like this don't stand for all christians or other religious people, but many in that faith do share these ideals. They were talking about movies, and which ones would be "ok" for a Christian to see. They brought up the Hunger Games, and decided to give it TWO thumbs down, due to the fact, it was all about violence. That was their sole reason. Now, this strikes me as a blatant hypocrisy, due to the massive amount of violence found in the bible, especially the old testament. Now, I understand that movies based SHEERLY on violence and stupid random killings, could be considered inappropriate, but something like the Hunger Games, is much more than simply a killing frenzy death fetish. Now, I would still disagree with the limitations an honest religious person might put on certain movies, due to the fact I do not share in those beliefs, but, at least when you are deciding what is ok and what is not, don't base it on things that society deems as inappropriate. Violence, sex, cursing, drinking, its all in how they are depicted. If they are depicted in an accurate way, there should be no problem. Its all in the context it is used in. A movie like The Godfather, for example, you could say it "glorifies breaking the law and gangster life" etc etc, but no, it shows a rather realistic picture, of the italian mob in America and you can't really say it has a happy ending. It has terrible things in it, but they are not held up on a pedestal, they simply ARE there, and you couldn't do a proper movie about that subject, taking them out. Terrible stuff like that happens in the world, and if you want to do a movie about them, you have to include those acts, in that movie. Unless all we can make are CareBear movies from now on.....

A lot of my fellow Christians are very critical about movies and TV. Heck, I am myself sometimes.... there's a LOT of total crap out there, and it does pay to take a little care about what you put into your head.... the things you dwell on influence you.


However, I think many of my fellow Christians are overly critical at times, and as you say context is important. The Hunger Games is not, IMO a particularly violent movie (let alone gory) and it's point is far from mere titilation-via-violence.

I think about movies like Goodfellows. There's a LOT of cussing, violence and crime. Yet at the same time it can be viewed as a morality play, because it accurately depicts what happens to most gangsters: they end up dead or doing long stretches in prison, or in Witness Protection living out their lives in fear. Arguably the first half of the movie does glorify gangster life somewhat, but the latter half would turn OFF any thinking person to beliving being a mobster was desireable.

While a steady diet of movies like Goodfellows probably would not be good for you, I think trying to pretend the world is all sweetness and light is unrealistic and a refusal to face reality.

Now what you take your kids to is a slightly different matter.... but I'm not one who thinks that sheltering children too much is a good idea either.


Balance. Context. Also, I often use bad things in movies as 'teachable moments' where I can use what was on the screen to illustrate a moral principle, and it may stick better for having been visually dramatized than if I just talked about it.

I wouldn't mind religious folks coming down harder on violence, especially violence in real life, but the preoccupation of anything vaguely relating to sex just seems unhealthy. Sometimes it just seems to be a denial of life, though.

I used to work for a very Christian record producer. He was the head music guy at his church and ran his studio from one of its back rooms. We got talking about DVD extras at one point and I told him about the segment with Andy Serkis and Gollum at the MTV awards show. Gollum swears a lot at everyone during this segment. It's all bleeped out, but it's really really funny. And apparently the cursing completely soured him to the jokes. I think possessing that much ire for a few words and letting it get in the way of enjoying a funny sketch... It seems unhealthy.

It's fine to have a distaste for some things. I don't really like gore in my movies. It's fine not to like gratuitous sex. But the world has fighting, screwing, and cursing in it. And to pretend otherwise seems really unhealthy. And to let that pretending keep you from understanding or enjoying life... that's even worse.

I think I should emphasize that keeping this stuff from your kids is totally understandable. Cursing is a fun way to communicate ones feelings, mostly because when you do, the rest society goes "oh no, thats BADDD words, you CAN'T use them like that". lol F- the system.

I do not understand their refusal to see a violent movie. The crucifixion of Jesus was disgustingly violent, but the story has a valuable point.

choiceone said:

I do not understand their refusal to see a violent movie. The crucifixion of Jesus was disgustingly violent, but the story has a valuable point.

Click to expand...

A lot of people saw the Passion of the Christ for religious reasons. It's just a violent and gory as the Saw movies. I'll pass on both, thanks.

choiceone said:

I do not understand their refusal to see a violent movie. The crucifixion of Jesus was disgustingly violent, but the story has a valuable point.

Click to expand...

What's the valuable point? It's all built on a lie.

Oh, then there was the Christian conspiracty theory about the Disney films, etc.

I don't disagree with cussing, when appropriate. Most children don't have much self control. When children hear it, they may mimick it. So, until they are old enough to sensor it to only where it is aprop. (i.e. not at work) it's just not a good idea to be exposed to much foul language.

Aunt Spiker said:

What's the valuable point? It's all built on a lie.

Click to expand...

The religion confuses me from time to time. They don't like violence or things that suggest violence and yet they re-hang their martyr on their walls and put them on necklaces around their children's necks. If I wanted to honor John F Kennedy, I don't walk around with a medallion with his head blown open...but it is acceptable. They also symbolically eat the blood and flesh of Christ in communion. Though symbolic, it is a bit disturbing.

makmugens said:

The religion confuses me from time to time. They don't like violence or things that suggest violence and yet they re-hang their martyr on their walls and put them on necklaces around their children's necks. If I wanted to honor John F Kennedy, I don't walk around with a medallion with his head blown open...but it is acceptable. They also symbolically eat the blood and flesh of Christ in communion. Though symbolic, it is a bit disturbing.

Click to expand...

Yeah - but it's not so much that they don't like violence in general: They don't like violence that doesn't focus on the suffering of the martyr - the suffering of Christ.

Everything is acceptable so long as it centers around Christ, his suffering, his misery - and humbling ourselves at the thought of how much he suffered, how much he was miserable - all to save us lowly human.

It's actually kind of masochistic.

Paschendale said:

A lot of people saw the Passion of the Christ for religious reasons. It's just a violent and gory as the Saw movies. I'll pass on both, thanks.

Click to expand...

The Saw movies are not just about violence. When you really get into them, its mind torture as well as physical, not to mention the philosophical aspects of the films. They far more great movie aspects than just violence, like having romance, betrayal, revenge, and redemption, among others in there as well. They are, as I like to call them, Mind F*** movies, its a great storyline. the cool ways people die are a huge part of it to, but it goes deeper than that. If that was all it was, it wouldn't be worth watching...well, for me, maybe it would be, but only like, once in my life, on youtube or something.

Rosie1 said:

Oh, then there was the Christian conspiracty theory about the Disney films, etc.

I don't disagree with cussing, when appropriate. Most children don't have much self control. When children hear it, they may mimick it. So, until they are old enough to sensor it to only where it is aprop. (i.e. not at work) it's just not a good idea to be exposed to much foul language.

Click to expand...

Does it really count as foul language if it's just mimicry? The reason that someone choosing to swear is powerful is because of all the baggage behind the word, known to both the speaker and the listener. There's intent to be extreme. A kid that's just repeating something they heard is just saying a collection of syllables. The intent isn't there. It's not like the sounds k, u, and f, said in reverse order, are inherently harmful. It's the intent behind them.

Well, that's true, Pasc, but I just hate hearing toddlers cussing. And I always think, gee that must be a fun house, with great parents, when I hear that happening. Don't think I never cuss, especially when I'm impatient with idiot drivers, but I did not do that when I had a carseat in my car.

choiceone said:

I do not understand their refusal to see a violent movie. The crucifixion of Jesus was disgustingly violent, but the story has a valuable point.

Click to expand...

So what did you think of Gibson's Passion of the Christ? I've never seen it. Did you find it disgustingly violent but worthwhile?

nota bene said:

So what did you think of Gibson's Passion of the Christ? I've never seen it. Did you find it disgustingly violent but worthwhile?

Click to expand...

For me, it was hard to watch, stressful.... but overall worth watching for its impact. I've only watched it once, its not something I care to put myself through too often.

The Last Temptation was graphic enough for me.

The really neat things about movies...to go to a theater and select a movie that one believes he or she might hold interest requires one to not only make a "choice" to see a movie, but to also pay money to exercise that choice. It's called freedom of choice that does not infringe on the rights of others. I know that's a strange concept to some, but it should be that way.

For those who believe the "influence of movies" create changes in one's thinking about any given religion, its tenets, philosophies, and tradition - then they must be terribly conflicted with how individuals around them exercise personal choices, which could be deem as choices that would, in the opinion of those who are concerned, cause others to deviate from fundamental religious beliefs.

Religious beliefs are also a "choice". One should be free to adhere to or not adhere to teachings disseminated by any given religion. Religions...its not their job to police the actions of those who choose to participate in teachings offered. Moreover, religions are...and should be powerless to have the power to enforce their beliefs on others.

In this county we have not only freedom of religion, but also freedom "from" religion...or we should have.

If any person doesn't like me because of my not taking on some religious belief...then they won't be in my life. As long as I don't infringe on the rights of others while I pursue my needs and wants...that to me is what freedom and liberty is all about.

Removable Mind said:

The really neat things about movies...to go to a theater and select a movie that one believes he or she might hold interest requires one to not only make a "choice" to see a movie, but to also pay money to exercise that choice. It's called freedom of choice that does not infringe on the rights of others. I know that's a strange concept to some, but it should be that way.

For those who believe the "influence of movies" create changes in one's thinking about any given religion, its tenets, philosophies, and tradition - then they must be terribly conflicted with how individuals around them exercise personal choices, which could be deem as choices that would, in the opinion of those who are concerned, cause others to deviate from fundamental religious beliefs.

Religious beliefs are also a "choice". One should be free to adhere to or not adhere to teachings disseminated by any given religion. Religions...its not their job to police the actions of those who choose to participate in teachings offered. Moreover, religions are...and should be powerless to have the power to enforce their beliefs on others.

In this county we have not only freedom of religion, but also freedom "from" religion...or we should have.

If any person doesn't like me because of my not taking on some religious belief...then they won't be in my life. As long as I don't infringe on the rights of others while I pursue my needs and wants...that to me is what freedom and liberty is all about.

Click to expand...

To the best of my knowlege, there was nothing in the OP about forcing or coercing anyone to do anything, or not do anything. The commentators simply rendered their opinion on The Hunger Games; and those who have any interest in their opinions are free to listen or ignore their advice.


Just like you do any other critic.

Goshin said:

For me, it was hard to watch, stressful.... but overall worth watching for its impact. I've only watched it once, its not something I care to put myself through too often.

Click to expand...

I didn't care for it. It's grotesque, and completely misses the point. It's not about His death, it's about the teachings. As for the topic, I don't refrain from watching films based on content, I simply can't watch new films because most of the stuff that gets cranked out these days is utter crap. Every once in a while something good gets produced, but that's a rarity.

Aunt Spiker said:

What's the valuable point? It's all built on a lie.

Click to expand...

Just because you don't believe something does not mean it is a lie.

I think the most idiotic incident of "boycotting" media for religious objection that I have seen/heard of was the student and her father who were raging about her having to read Fahrenheit 451. Their objection "the book talks about burning the Bible".

Yeah, along with all other books. The entire book was a commentary on censorship.