SCRIPTURE PASSAGES THAT FORBID WATCHING THE VAST MAJORITY OF HOLLYWOOD MOVIES AND TELEVISION PROGRAMS

The following Scripture passages teach me not to attend the modern movie theater or watch most modern Hollywood movies on video or DVD or the vast majority of television programming (including, and perhaps especially, the commercials!). While we cannot make a law that Christians can never watch any television program or any movie, it is also clear that Christian liberty is not the liberty to disobey the Bible. If the child of God can watch some program or movie without disobeying the Scriptures and with a clear conscience before God, that is between him and the Lord. But the following Scriptures have a direct application to this issue and are a loud warning to those who have ears to hear.

1. "I will set no wicked thing before mine eyes: I hate the work of them that turn aside; it shall not cleave to me" (Psalm 101:3).

This verse single-handedly forbids the child of God to watch the vast majority of the movies and television programs that are made today. Consider just a few of the wicked things that you or your children will see:

* The breaking of all of God's commandments
* Open and flaunted immorality
* Casual drinking and drug usage
* Drunkenness portrayed as something funny and innocent
* Immodest and sexually alluring dress
* Sexually enticing dancing
* Violence and mayhem
* Casual dating (Parents, do you want your children to date after the fashion portrayed in most movies and television programs?)
* Mockery of the things of God
* Pagan religions depicted as truth
* Occultism, paganism, and New Age error (even in cartoons and in a large number of Disney movies)

2. "I made a covenant with mine eyes; why then should I think upon a maid?" (Job 31:1)

This verse is similar to the one in Psalm 101:3, but it warns more specifically about looking upon women to lust after them. The Lord Jesus Christ warned, "But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart" (Matt. 5:28). These verses are solemn warnings to men and boys NOT to watch Hollywood movies, whether in the theater or at home. In public, most men will not stare at a woman very long because he doesn't want to be seen doing that, but when he is watching a movie, he can stare as long as he desires at an indecently clad female, even if his wife is sitting by his side. Twenty years ago I asked a pastor friend, "Why do you think so many pastors are falling to sexual sins?" I have never forgotten his simple reply: "Television."

3. "But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as becometh saints; neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not convenient: but rather giving of thanks. For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience. Be not ye therefore partakers with them." (Ephesians 5:3-7).

This is a perfect description of 99% of the Hollywood movies today, if not 100%. It also describes the sensual rock music that goes hand in hand with practically all of today's Hollywood movies. The child of God is not to participate in such things, even by proxy.

4. "But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth" (Colossians 3:8).

Not only is it dangerous to watch evil things but it is equally dangerous to hear evil things. There are occasions in this wicked world in which we do not have complete control over what we see and hear, but when we are in our homes, we do have control. And we do have control over where we go and what we do with our own time. Television programs and movies are literally filled with ungodly speech, with the things specifically and solemnly forbidden in Colossians. The ear is a gate to the heart and determines how we live. The Proverbs warns, "Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life" (Prov. 4:23). The very first thing that is mentioned in that connection is "Put away from thee a froward mouth, and perverse lips put far from thee" (Prov. 4:24)!

Movies and television programs are filled with the things forbidden in Colossians 3:8: "Foul language, including curses, offensive epithets, scatological language, sexually suggestive or indecent language, and censored language increased by 94.8 percent during the Family Hour between 1998 and 2002” (Calvary Contender, Dec. 2003).

5. "And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually" (Genesis 6:5). "Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened" (Romans 1:21). "Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ" (2 Cor. 10:5).

The Bible warns the believer to cast down every evil imagination, because the imagination is the battle ground for the soul. Proverbs 23:7 says, "For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he..." The imagination goes from bad to worse. The flesh is never satisfied. Sin, which began in such a “small” way in the days of Adam, had so permeated and controlled man's thoughts by the days of Adam's great grandson Noah that his thoughts were only evil continually. That describes multitudes in our day, which is not surprising in that the Lord warned, "But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be" (Matt. 24:37). Romans tells us that the imagination plays a great role in the downward spiral that results in homosexuality and other moral perversions. It is impossible to have spiritual victory if one allows the imagination to dwell upon evil things. It is not difficult in this connection to see the danger of television programs and movies. They fill the imagination with vivid images that linger and that return even if not purposefully entertained. They feed the fleshly nature, but it is never satisfied and it only desires more sensuality, more excitement, more, more, and is thus led ever deeper into moral perversion.

In looking back on my childhood, I recognize that one reason why the Word of God had little or no effect upon me, even though I was in a Baptist church at least three times a week, was that my mind was always filled with worldly entertainment. We got a television when I was about eight years old, and though the programs were nothing like they are today, they were foolish at best and certainly did not encourage me spiritually. We got our television about a year after Elvis appeared on the Ed Sullivan Show. I remember that by the time I reached junior high school, I did everything I could to stay home on Sunday nights so that I could watch the most exciting programs of the week, such as the Disney Hour and Ed Sullivan and the Dina Shore program ("See the USA in your Chevrolet"). I don't remember if I was home that night in 1964 when the Beatles appeared on Ed Sullivan, but I could have been. I was in high school and about that time my parents were having a lot of problems and had pretty much given up on trying to keep me in church. I had already started drinking and carousing around with my buddies every weekend in our automobiles. There is no doubt that television and movies fed my carnal imagination in a way that nothing else could have done and, together with rock & roll, inflamed me with a passion for the things of the world.

6. "And this I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgment; That ye may approve things that are excellent; that ye may be sincere and without offence till the day of Christ; Being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise of God" (Philippians 1:9-11).

This passage teaches the child of God to choose the most excellent things in life, not those things that are borderline and questionable. It teaches him to be without offence before God. The believer should ask himself, "Would I be embarrassed for the Lord Jesus to come and find me doing this thing?" We are to be filled with the fruits of righteousness, and that means we have to be emptied of the fruits of the flesh and the world. The child of God has two natures, the old and the new, and the one he feeds and pampers is the one that will dominate his life.

7. "And he that doubteth is damned if he eat, because he eateth not of faith: for whatsoever is not of faith is sin" (Romans 14:23).

This verse warns the child of God not to participate in anything that is questionable. If you cannot say for sure that something is God's perfect will, if it creates nagging doubts, you should avoid it.

8. "Abstain from all appearance of evil" (1 Thess. 5:22).

Not only are we to abstain from evil itself but even from the appearance of evil. Attending the movie theater today has, at best, an appearance of evil, because the vast majority of the movies shown there are morally vile. The same is true for watching most Hollywood movies at home. If our friends see that we watch movies, they will be encouraged to watch them as well, and they probably will not be as "discriminating."

9. "Let us therefore follow after the things which make for peace, and things wherewith one may edify another. ... It is good neither to eat flesh, nor to drink wine, nor any thing whereby thy brother stumbleth, or is offended, or is made weak" (Romans 14:19, 21).

Even if I could go to a movie theater and see a movie that was 100% wholesome by biblical standards and not see any movie trailers for wicked movies, I would still be giving a bad example to others. If I go to watch a G-rated movie, I might encourage others to go and watch an R-rated one and thus commit sin against God.

10. "Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron" (1 Timothy 4:2).

The conscience is a tender thing. It can easily be hardened by unrepentant exposure to evil. This is why television programs and movies have gotten ever more wicked with each passing decade. If one of today's PG-13 movies had been shown on television 40 years ago, it would have been condemned broadly even by many unbelievers. The same is true for rock music. Eminem or Marilyn Manson would not have been allowed on the Ed Sullivan Show in the 1950s, but there has been a steady searing of the conscience by exposure to the ever increasing moral vileness of the entertainment industry. When Christians allow themselves to watch programs and movies that they know are wrong, their conscience becomes seared so that eventually they can watch things without so much as a twinge of conscience that once would have shocked them deeply.

11. "For I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the LORD, to do justice and judgment; that the LORD may bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him" (Genesis 18:19).

God commended Abraham because he would command his children to keep the way of the Lord. Every parent needs to take this to heart. Contrary to the tenets of modern psychology and pop child training philosophy, parents are responsible to command their children and to show them the right way in life. Love is the key to making this work, of course. The father is accountable before God to be the godly head of the home and to oversee all things under Christ. The mother is responsible to work alongside the father and as his "helpmeet" in the home, and should never be guilty of undermining any godly thing that the father wants to accomplish. Each believing father and mother will stand before Jesus Christ and give account for how he or she lived in the home and how they raised the children. How wonderful it will be to hear the Lord say, "Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord" (Matt. 25:23). Nothing this world has to offer is worth losing the Lord’s commendation.

There is an axiom that what parents allow in moderation, the children follow to excess. If parents are even a little careless about watching Hollywood movies, the children will most likely move much farther into areas of moral temptation.

A WARNING ABOUT THE MOVIE RATINGS

A few years ago USA Today contained an article titled "PG-13 can lull folks with false security." It is a warning about the filthiness of PG-13 movies by a secular newspaper! The article contains the following important statement:

"PG-13 was designed, I believe, to apply the friendly PG symbol to movies that have no business even being considered for viewing by most young teenagers and preteens. The age of assignment for the rating is deceptive, and it lulls parents into a false sense of security" (Joe Zanger, editor of PG-14, USA Today, Nov. 22, 1999, p. 2D).

This is an important warning, though it should be much stronger. The article also notes that there is often no difference between PG-13 and R-rated movies, and even when there is a difference, it is only minor. Both types of movies routinely contain nudity, immorality, gratuitous and graphic violence, and foul language. From the standpoint of a Christian who wants to obey the Lord's call to holiness, there is no real difference. Immodesty is immodesty. Cursing is cursing. Blasphemy is blasphemy. Extramarital sex is extramarital sex. If one movie contains a little less of these things than another movie, that does not make either movie acceptable before God.

"I will set no wicked thing before mine eyes: I hate the work of them that turn aside; it shall not cleave to me" (Psalm 101:3).

The ratings have become more lenient with the passing of time. Movies that would have been rated R a few years ago are routinely rated PG-13 today. Further, the category of NC-17 (meaning no one under 17 may be admitted) has been added to replace the old filthy X rating. There is an agenda to put increasingly more godless content into increasingly more widely distributed movies.

Also noted in the USA Today article is the fact that many directors and producers actually want their movies to be rated PG-13 today, as opposed to an R rating or a PG rating. This is because young people are admitted to the PG-13 movies as opposed to the R or restricted movies and they consider them more desirable and grownup than PG-rated (meaning parental guidance suggested) movies. PG-13 movies are raking in huge receipts at the box office. Of the top 21 films that have grossed more than $200 million, the vast majority (13) are PG-13, while only three are PG, two are G, and three are R.

If secular people can see the danger of PG-13 movies, why can't God's people! We must understand that the Hollywood-New York entertainment business is not now and never has been the friend of God and righteousness. From their inception, motion pictures and television have pushed the boundaries of morality in society farther from the standard of God's Word. Yet more members of Bible-believing churches watch unwholesome television and movies today than ever, and there is less plain preaching on this matter today than ever.

We must remember that the movie and television ratings systems were not devised by godly people who are committed to obeying the Bible, but by secular people who are controlled by the philosophy of this world. In reality, ungodly movies are not wholesome fare for children, young people, OR for adults. PG-13 things such as nudity and foul language are not acceptable before God for adults any more than for young people.

Like the frog in the gradually heated pot, God's people who are careless about separating from Hollywood's filthy fare become desensitized by it.

A missionary friend was eating a meal with a pastor and his wife a few years ago when the topic of the movie Titanic (rated PG-13) came up. When the missionary expressed his opinion that the movie is ungodly, the pastor's wife said that they had seen it and had enjoyed it. The missionary asked what they thought of the nudity in the movie, and the pastor's wife said it was "tastefully done." This illustrates how worldly many fundamental Baptist churches have become. If pastors and their wives are enjoying movies featuring extramarital affairs, what are the other members of the church watching! The Bible says the pastor is to be the example to the flock (1 Peter 5:3). WOE UNTO THOSE MULTITUDES OF WORLDLY PASTORS WHO FILL THE PULPITS ACROSS THE LAND TODAY, WHO ARE COMFORTABLE WITH HOLLYWOOD'S CESSPOOL AND WHO DO NOT TEACH THEIR PEOPLE THE FEAR OF GOD AND SEPARATION FROM THE WORLD.

The following are typical quotations from reviews of PG-13 movies by professional secular critics:

A CHEF IN LOVE -- PG-13 "violence, rape, sex, nudity, profanity -- it's pretty raunchy"

MEN IN BLACK -- PG-13 "violence, profanity, gore, vulgarity"

SPAWN -- PG-13 "violence and mayhem, vulgar gags and references, profanities and brief partial nudity, as well as some revealing outfits"

SPEED 2: CRUISE CONTROL -- PG-13 "considerable violence and mayhem, profanity, vulgarity"

ACE VENTURA -- PG-13 "raunchy humor, an abundance of profanity"

ANACONDA -- PG-13 "violence, gore, profanity, vulgarity, sex, nudity"

AIRHEADS -- PG-13 "considerable raunchiness; there is violence, graphic sex, profanity and vulgarity"

ASPEN EXTREME -- PG-13 "considerable violence, nudity and profanity, as well as cocaine abuse"

BIRD ON A WIRE -- PG-13 "considerable mayhem, as well as sex, profanity and some nudity"

BLANKMAN -- PG-13 "violence, profanity, vulgarity and some nude photos"

BLAME IT ON THE BELLBOY -- PG-13 "sadistic, graphic violence, as well as sex, profanity, vulgarity and some partial nudity"

CLUELESS -- PG-13 "violence, vulgarity, profanity and drugs ... the film's cavalier suggestions that casual sex is perfectly acceptable for 15-year-olds and that smoking marijuana is fine as long as it's at a party are extremely irresponsible."

COOL WORLD -- PG-13 "With its excessive violence, sex, vulgarity and profanity, this isn't a film I'd recommend to any children - even those over 13."

CAPTAIN RON -- PG-13 "violence, sex, nudity, profanity and vulgarity"

THE CHASE -- PG-13 "considerable violence and profanity, sex scene"

CIRCLE OF FRIENDS -- PG-13 "sex, profanity, vulgarity and some nude photos"

CITY SLICKERS -- PG-13 "violence, sexual material, profanity and a few vulgar remarks"

CLASS ACT -- PG-13 "many vulgar sexual gags, violence, sex, profanity"

SAFE PASSAGE -- PG-13 "profanity, vulgarity, sex, violence and drugs (marijuana smoking)"

SO I MARRIED AN AX MURDERER -- PG-13 "violence, sex, nudity, profanity and vulgar sexual remarks"

SOME GIRLS -- PG-13 "sex, nudity, profanity, vulgarity, violence and drugs"

SPLITTING HAIRS -- PG-13 "loaded with vulgar gags, nudity and sex, profanity"

SON-IN-LAW -- PG-13 "profanity, vulgarity, nudity, violence, general rauchiness, lesbian kiss between two girls, mud-wrestling ... are shocked by the change in their daughter (dyed hair, mini-skirts, see-through tops and an ankle tattoo ... running theme of teen sex being perfectly acceptable"

MADE IN AMERICA -- PG-13 "a sex scene with nudity, as well as some profanity and vulgarity"

MOLL FLANDERS -- PG-13 "Much sexual material; there is also violence, nudity, drug abuse, a couple of profanities and some vulgarity"

PARENTHOOD -- PG-13 sex, "profanity, vulgarity, raunchy ... Some of the material is so adult that an R rating doesn't seem unreasonable"

ROBIN HOOD: MEN IN TIGHTS -- PG-13 "violence, vulgarity, profanity, partial nudity"

RESCUE ME -- "is rated PG-13 but has an awful lot of R-rated material, including violence, profanity, sex and nudity"