Wednesday, April 21, 2010

Christians Should View "R" Rated Movies (Negative)

1NC: Christians SHOULD watch “R” rated movies.

Is the judge ready? Is the timer ready?

As Matthew 15:11 states, “It is not what enters into the mouth that defiles the man, but what proceeds out of the mouth, this defiles the man.” The Bible and Christianity are all about the heart. Jesus was never interested in following the letter of a law, but the spirit of a law. It becomes clear in verses like Matthew 15:11 that what one views does not constitute a sin. My name is Stephanie Bailey, and I am arguing against the resolution that Christians should not view “R” rated movies.

I would first like to define a few terms.
Christian - One who professes belief in Jesus as Christ or follows the religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus.
“R” rated – Any movie rated “R” because of hard language, intense or persistent violence, sexually-oriented nudity, drug abuse or other elements.

Movie – Motion picture

There are three values or reasons why I believe Christians should be allowed to view “R” rated movies. The first is Reality. Christians are to be in the world, but not of it. Yet many Christians shelter themselves from the issues at hand, and therefore are not even “in” the world at all. The second value is Fairness. The rating system is extremely flawed, and therefore not an accurate representation of what is “okay” to watch. And lastly, the Heart. WHAT someone does is really not as important as WHY one does it.

As Christians, it is important to behave in a Christ-like manner. Did Christ shelter himself from the evils in the world? He did not. Did Christ avoid unsavory situations? He did not. Christ was right in the midst of all the worldly horror so that he could know how best to help. Christians are supposed to be in the world but not of it, but many people are just hiding their eyes. They spend so much time sheltering themselves from evil that they miss out on what they could do to help. God does not want us to turn our backs on suffering or ideas that make us uncomfortable. God wants us to be aware of the evil in the world, acutely aware, so that we can do something about it. Being a Christian is not just a label that makes us exempt from dirty work. Exactly the opposite. To be a Christian is to know the horrors of the world, and do something to stop it.

The rating system is flawed. If Christians are worried about content, the rating has surprisingly little to do with that. The difference between a PG-13 movie and an R rated one is not the content, but the amount of it. A PG-13 movie might have the F word three times, but a fourth time gets it classified as an R.

The movie Nowhere In Africa received an “R” rating because some European women adopt the tribal practice of going topless. Had it been only the native Africans who did this, the movie would have received a PG-13 rating. Is this really fair? Should rating really be that much of a deciding factor? After all one would expect a sailor to have rough language, but middle schools swearing up a storm? One is clearly more objectionable than the other, but they would be rated equally.

Whether Christian or not, it is important to realize the flaws in the rating system before drawing an accurate conclusion.

Lastly, one of the most fundamental teachings of Christianity is the Heart. Over and over it is taught that God does not care about following a bunch of rules, he cares about what’s in your heart. A movie rating does not have anything to do with your heart. A Christian should be able to watch “The Passion of the Christ”, rated R, with a clear conscience, but some PG-13 movies should not feel right to them. True honor comes not with obeying the letter of the law, but the spirit of the law. Some PG movies have bad messages that will shape us just as much as “R” rated ones. The real question is not what the movie is rated, but whether you are watching it for the right reasons. God is not about ratings, God is about the heart.

Even outside the realms of Christianity, people tend to believe that it is the thought that counts, or that one should do what he believes is right. Many people, not only Christians, realize that following the spirit of the law is what gives a person integrity, not following the letter.

In conclusion, I believe that Christians should be allowed to watch R rated movies. We should not shelter ourselves from the cruelties of the world, nor should we be so bound by the letter of the law. The rating system itself is flawed and should not be a deciding factor in what’s okay to watch. After all, God is not about letters on the back of movies. God is about the heart.


~Kendra Logan

3 comments:

  1. 2 Corinthians 3.18
    "By beholding[...]"

    Psalm 51.10
    "Create in me a pure heart[...]"

    If our hearts were pure/clean, we would not need God to create in us pure hearts.

    We cannot help, but be in the world.

    Matthew 5.16

    "Let your light so shine before men[...]"

    ***

    Your argument in its current state can be used for why Christians should frequent bars.

    1) Alchohol enters a man, thus it cannot defile the man.

    2) Reality. Bars show reality, unlike movies, it is in the world.

    3) Fairness. In the theater you show no one who you are. It is dark so no one knows your reaction to a movie and few pay attention to those entering and leaving. People will see you at the bar how you behave: whether you drink to excess, if you swear, if you care...
    You can be a light to the lost souls around you.

    In conclusion: Heart. "WHAT someone does is really not as important as WHY one does it." Right?

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  2. The logic in this post is a little "loose", but I agree with several of your points.

    There is something to be said about not sheltering ourselves to the point of being so removed from the world we can't relate to those who need to know the truth. To have a voice with those who are of the world we must be in the world.

    Whether we are going to R rated movies, listening to certain music, or going to bars (good point Tragedy) to witness, the concern many have had, which is a valid one, is that this type of bridge building ministry creates a bridge that goes both ways. Just as it enables the lost to gain access to the truth, it likewise exposes the redeemed to the temptations of the counterfeit. The risk is not only for the individual who chooses to build the bridge, but also for any who are aware of it (1 Corinthians 8 "... Be careful, however, that the exercise of your freedom does not become a stumbling block to the weak...")

    I will take issue with 2 points in your statement:

    1. "Jesus was never interested in following the letter of a law, but the spirit of a law." I hear what you are saying, but the way you said it could be easily misinterpreted (IMHO). Jesus obeyed BOTH the letter AND God's intended meaning (Spirit) of the law. He seemed like such a radical when it came to scripture only because of the misinterpretation the Pharisees had been teaching. Christ himself said He didn't come to do other than the law (Matthew 5:17-19), He came to reveal the truth to us, and this often changes our understanding or the law, but not the law itself.

    2. "Christ was right in the midst of all the worldly horror so that he could know how best to help." Christ followed the will of God with disregard to "of the world" expectations (be they of the Romans or the Pharisees). Jesus may have arrived in Israel, but He was here for all people, not just God's chosen people. A mistake that the Pharisees and the church of today often share is the idea of exclusively having the love of God because of the temple we worship in. Jesus came with an inclusive mission...ALL have fallen short of the Glory of God, God loves ALL and wants none to perish, so Jesus was the perfect sacrifice for ALL people, for ALL sin, for ALL time.

    Jesus didn't seek out places of taboo to minister, He sought the will of God and obeyed. Jesus didn't accept any location or circumstance as out of bounds when it came to speaking the truth and obeying God, and neither should we, but it starts with seeking and obeying.

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  3. I'm debating on the same thing!! Are/were you a CC challenge student? And thanks, you gave me inspiration on this subject.

    ReplyDelete