There is a website that provides movie reviews (“www.screenit.com”). I occasionally go to this website to read movie reviews, sometimes of movies that I know Christians have seen. One such movie contained over 42 infamous “four-letter” words, 14 other uses of foul language, and unmentionable violence. Other movies contained excessive amounts of sexual content, including nudity.

I do not mention these things to be accusatory toward anyone specifically, but simply to make the point that, if we are not careful, we can become too lax about what we watch. It saddens me that there are Christians that find pleasure in watching such grotesque, demented, sexually explicit, and profane movies as those referred to earlier. There Is nothing to be gained by subjecting yourself to such material.

Paul said in Phil 4:8: “Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things.”

Today, most movies are not pure, lovely, and virtuous. What is praiseworthy about a movie that vainly uses God’s name repeatedly? What is praiseworthy about a movie that glorifies fornication and adultery?

Too many Christians regularly subject themselves to the filth produced by Hollywood. I would suggest that there are some individuals who can quote more movie lines than Bible verses. That ought not to be.

Do you not see the problem with paying to see movies that support and promote such sinful behavior? There is no justification for viewing these kinds of films. Watching a movie containing crude and profane language, grotesque violence, excessive sexual content, and nudity is, in and of itself, sinful. Consider what Peter says in 2 Peter 1:5-6: “…add to your faith virtue (moral excellence), to virtue knowledge, to knowledge self- control…”

Does Peter mean that it is allowable to listen to profane language as long as we do not speak it? Is he saying that it is acceptable to watch fornication and adultery at the movies, as long as we abstain from it in our own lives? Certainly not! Displaying virtue and exercising self- control is a difficult task, while absorbing a movie containing profane language, grotesque violence, and nudity. Would you not agree?

Please realize the significance of influence. Is it not an awful thought that we could, by our influence, be leading people away from God? That is what we are doing when we encourage others to join us for a trashy movie. We need to be careful regarding what we watch.

I am not suggesting that we act rudely, but we must take a stand for what is right. Let us be encouraging to one another, and lights to the world. Let us add to our faith moral excellence. Let us exercise better self-control. Let us be the ones who voice opposition against seeing base movies. And let us help each other focus our minds, meditate, on that which is true, noble, just, pure, lovely, virtuous, and praiseworthy—even if we have to give up going to the movie theater.