Swearing in movies?

Here is a question. Is it always sinful to watch a movie with any profanity in it? Yes. No. Sometimes/Depends?

A pastor I knew got booted out of his church for pornography on the internet the other day and its a problem in the church!! Some boast of having no tv in the home while they have the internet,which is much MORE able to bring the most ungodly & evil through a screen!! I'm not impressed with some boasting of no tv. Internet porn. has destoyed thousands of pastors and christians!! Now back to the topic...Some wont watch porn but watch it on tv...soap opera, and most other shows on after 8 pm. We justify ourselves and smooth things over.... USED TO THE DARKNESS

I think that we get very narrow-sighted when we can't see past the superficial. There are plenty of movies that may not have swearing, but the overall message is evil. I once had nightmares following a cartoon about saving the trees in the jungle. There was no bad language, but there was an evil spirit driving it - subtly degrading humans and shaming them for cutting down trees. I know someone who deletes all the bad words out of songs so that the youth at the drop in center can listen to them. I challenged the leaders: What about the overall message of the song - even with the "bad" words removed? I think bad words (or scenes) are put in for "special" appeal - to make it sell, though the movie could have been just as good without. Personally hearing bad words doesn't make me start talking that way. And a few in a movie in themselves don't bother me. However, if the overall movie has a anti-Christ, angry flavor, I tend to get bothered. I just realize that I don't watch more than one or two movies a year, so I should probably not have contributed to this thread... oh well.... for what it's worth.... Diane

Always go to the scriptures first:"Pure and undefiled religion is this...to keep oneself unstained by the world." - James 1:27By watching, we willingly stain ourselves with the world and defile our purity."Do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone love the world the love of the Father is not in him." - I John 2:15If you love the show and willingly compromise your purity to watch the show, then something is wrong.O how guilty I am of this. Too often I will allow my imagination to be tickled by that stupid TV as they take the Lord's name in vain (Well...maybe God doesn't take too much offense), sell Sex (Ahh...it's ok as long as I don't lust)...Use foul language (it's ok...it doesn't make me stumble)...etc, etc, etc.It's all about compromise and holiness. To paraphrase a Ravenhill quote - It's not that your going to Heaven if you don't watch those movies and you're not going to Hell if you do. It's all about your intimacy with Christ.DOI Pet 4:2

I hate it. I can't stomach it. What I hate most is when Hollywood takes God's name in vain. The precious name of Jesus Christ is dragged through the mud by Hollywood. It is an invisible attack of Satan against the holy name of God. He hates God and propogates his hatred of him through the befooled media. As Christians, we ought to beware.Peace. 8-)

The problem with movies is that they are actors speaking made-up scripts of a made-up stories. And the moives are then watched by people who have nothing to do with those who made the movie. It is all so distant from real human life - and all so FAKE. (generally speaking) The only thing we are free to do is simply not watch them (what a glorious freedom!)When I am in the company of someone who cusses, I notice that it isn't long before they stop. I don't have to say anything. Somehow, they respect my character and use appropriate language. That is the result of REAL life - real human relationship, which can't be repicated through movies. What I hate most is when Hollywood takes God's name in vain.There aught to be a concern about taking God's name in vain, but I think, we need to see it in light of the FIRST commanment (and the others) Otherwise, we will miss the bigger picture and we will not see it through God's eyes. More said here: Taking the Lord's Name in VainWhat does this REALLY mean?Diane

I used to think it pretty black and white on this topic, but lately not so. Perhaps some of it is my own fault for not automatically changing channels or turning the video off if I come across a movie with some profanity in it, like I once did. I still do that regualrly though, but lately I seem a little slow about it. Also what does one do when you are at somebody's home and they happen to have the TV on using profanity in it? Also, at seminary recently one of our professors used a clip from the famous movie "Chariots of Fire" to demonstrate being sold out to Christ and the like. As many of you know, Chariots of Fire is a movie about an olympic athelete by the name of Eric Lidel who just so happens to have a callikng to the missions field. He's a Scotish Presbyterian, and is a firm sabbath keeper. But a delimma arises when he's scheduled in the first day of the olympics to run a race on the sabbath. Lidel refuses, saying that he will rather keep the sabbath. This of course, shocks everybody to death. But Lidel sticks to his convictions, and in the long run, God essentially opens up a chance for him to run another race at the olympics that are not on a Sabbath, and he wins the gold medal. Powerful true story. The only thing bad about this movie is that it had two or three scenes in it with a couple very mild cuss words (words you would hear in any holiness church on any given sunday), used by characters that were obviously not Christian. In one instance it was by Lidel's king, who was pretty mad that Lidel had decided not to run on the Sabbath.So, other than those brief and few instances where some profanity was used, does it make it wrong for Christians to watch that movie?

i agree with brent on this one, I became a christian at 19. Now when I watch "innocent movies" that i once watched when i was lost all i get from them is a bad taste in my mouth because they are almost all laced with themes like "people are basically good" and "be tolerant of all religions, they are all really ok". I would find myself rather watching a movie like Once Upon a Time in Mexico(with mild cussing and some violence) rather than ya know something totally "innocent" like the care bares; just because at least Once Upon a Time in Mexico tells the story of humanity like it is. Dirty and evil.

Krispy wrote:I've been in these discussions before, and believers will say "well, if we avoid movies with no cussing, then we'll never see any movies!" Well... yea... so? That is an interesting perspective, it is almost as if folk have an attitude they are going to the movies and the only discernment will be to determine which is the “best of the worst.” This in and of itself should send up some red flags. I am not so convinced Satan desires our living in gross immorality, if he can just dull our sword, take the edge off our sense of urgency, take the edge off our sense of desperation for holiness. In my opinion this is the regrettable end result of much of what we call entertainment. There are so many avenues we as believers can avail ourselves to for recreation, rest and yes entertainment that in the process will not pollute our Spirit.tonys

I am not so convinced Satan desires our living in gross immorality, if he can just dull our sword, take the edge off our sense of urgency, take the edge off our sense of desperation for holiness.I think you're right. Satan doesn't usually spring outright lies on believers. He operates in half-truths, consider Adam and Eves' temptation in the garden and Christ's temptation in the wilderness. The enemy takes a truth and changes it just enough to lure us. We are lured to a place of apathy or perceived failure/condemnation.Another tactic is getting us interested in relatively benign 'good' things - hobbies, music, reading, scholarship, and so forth. As Ravenhill has said, "it is the good in life that is the enemy of the best." Consider listening to a wholesome CD versus singing the music in our heart to God. Or reading a helpful book versus reading the living book (Bible). Or going to a concert versus going to a prayer meeting.We are instructed to make the most of our time because the days are evil [Eph 5:16]. When our heart is burning to seek and serve the Lord, questionable pursuits (such as decent movies with swearing) won't be an issue because we won't have the time or interest. I long for Christ to slay me, so that I may be dead to this world and take up my cross. He promises to cause us to walk in His statutes (Ezekiel 36:27) and I'm convinced it is the Holy Spirit Who will guide our discernment as to when or even whether we should watch a movie with some swearing. Just last week, the Holy Spirit showed me that I had an idol in my life - video games. I had one game, a sports game, and the rule was that I could only play it if a friend was over. Nevertheless, God revealed in quiet time, bondage associated with this sneaky little idol. Destroying the idol brought incredible breakthrough. We should always be on the lookout for 'good'/'recreational'/'entertaining' thieves that would hinder our pursuit of God.We only have one life to live and these are perilous times.

I'm paraphrasing Ravenhill a little but he said something about having the Lord sit next to you when you watch tv....Yes, just take Jesus with you and have Him sit next to you, and matter of fact give Him the remote :-o Ravenhill said keep a record book next to you of how much you pray and how much tv you watched...and then show your book keeping to the Lord... ;-) We cant sit with Jesus all day but we can walk with Him all day!

I am not so convinced Satan desires our living in gross immorality, if he can just dull our sword, take the edge off our sense of urgency, take the edge off our sense of desperation for holiness. In my opinion this is the regrettable end result of much of what we call entertainment. This sounds very similar to C.S. Lewis' Screwtape Letters. Subtle evil is insidious because it never jarrs or alarms the drowzy conscience. For myself, I find that it's not always what is put in movies that is disturbing, but what is left out. The swearing that is found in movies is really only a symptom of a much more subtle "spiritual omission" that protrays humans as characters living in a godless or god-irrelevant universe. Even "wholesome" or family films do this. For instance, consider Tom Hank's movie "Castaway," in which he plays a man shipwrecked and utterly alone on an island for several years. It seemed odd to me that he never once even uttered a simple prayer to God...instead he invented an imaginary friend out of a volleyball that washed up on shore. (named Wilson...)Growing up with a steady diet of these films can make faith in God seem like faith in unreality. I suppose that's what Tozer was seeing back in the earlier years of Hollywood.Some movie trivia on the subject of swearing; the recent movie Luther portrays Martin Luther as cussing at the devil during his private prayer times. I have watched this movie with my oldest son.MC

Phi 4:8-9 Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you.What if one's heart was only full of the lovely? What if (as we find we need so often to be convicted of) we failed to keep in our hearts the pain of a paradise lost? Our entire heart and soul are claimed by Christ, but part of existing in the creation He desires to restore is to walk through life with eyes wide open to all of life, not simply the lovely. For it is then we view pain that we seek a Healer. It is not a matter of Christians justifying what art they partake in, nor does 'living with eyes open to all of life' grant a disciple liberty to indulge in what sadness and sin is found in art in modern culture. By no means. If we believe in a God of totallity, and in living lives of totallity in response to His grace, art then must not simply look upon the lovely. It is a matter of finding a place beyond the extremes of indulgance in the impure material in movies (the role so often intended when the piece is made) and complete removal of precense from all that bears any mark of being lost in this world. Used unindulgantly and with purpose, swearing points to a need for hope, shedding light on the human condition. It is also a matter of maturity of faith. As much as a uncompartmenatalized view does not grant the liberty to indulge in whatever one is swayed towards, following Christ does not entail every believer to view the same things with the same amount of discretion. It is still God who sets the standard for us, and he was not talking foolishness when he said "Be ye perfect." In truly partaking in any art form, one has to shed their worldview and temporarily bear the artist's - a scary thought some might say, but we do it as agents of grace in His kingdom.A teacher of mine once told me, "If you want to read painful stories, full of sin, sexuality and sorrow... read the Old Testament" And for that matter read the New Testament. God's story includes sin - He calls His people to holy lives away from it, but calls us still to be His Redeemed children in the fallen world.

This thread raises an issue that a friend and I were discussing recently. Namely, how do cetain words get labled as "cuss" words anyway? I mean, the good 'ol KJV uses certain words that were commonly used back in those days (like "piss"), but that are considered profane in certain circles today. Isn't this more a matter of culture than of morality? An example of what I'm talking about would be some of the language used in the movie "Luther"? Did any of you see it? I thought it was a great movie. However, it has some scenes where "Martin Luther" uses, what most of us would consider to be, profanity to rebuke satan, i.e., sh*t. There are other instances of "profanity" in the movie as well.I think this raises the question of what is considered acceptable and what is considered profane in a given culture and/or time period. For example, was the word "sh*t" a commonly accepted term back in 16th century Germany, such as the word "piss" was back in England in 1611?Now don't get me wrong, I'm not trying to justify gutter language, I'm just curious about how these things come about. And I sure do hope that this post doesn't offend anyone.Anyway, beyond all that, what really bothers me is that it seems like the most popular cuss word in movies today is the precious name of our Lord. I've always wondered, why is it that you never hear anybody in a movie shout "SATAN!" when they stub their toe? Instead they always scream "JESUS CHRIST!" I think this, better than anything else, shows what Hollywood stands for and who is really behind it. They openly and unashamedly take the highest and most glorious name there is and reduce it to nothing more than a four-letter word. I think this is where we have to draw the line, in regards to movies and swearing. I wouldn't sit through a movie where my earthly father's name was used as a mere cuss word, so how much more should I respect and honor my heavenly Father's name and the name of my glorious Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.

Hi Compton,Didn't realize you had posted about "Luther." I guess you made your post while I was writing mine. What did you make of "Martin Luther's" cussing the devil? To be honest, he's had me mad enough a few times, that I've felt like cussing him too!

Billy7, To be honest, he's had me mad enough a few times, that I've felt like cussing him too! Can we afford to be this honest in these threads? ;-) Well I'm "feelin'" you, if you know what I mean!MC

I love what Tozer said: "Hollywood has faces like angels but morals like ally cats"

I try to keep this standard:to only watch on TV what I would actually do myself.Ones who watch things they know they shouldn't... I wonder if really they wish they could do what they are watching. That erases a lot of options. I do watch things from time to time. For instance. I watch the news sometimes. True documentaries. I would and do study history...

What does one do if they are in a conversation with somebody and they start cussing? This happens to me all the time when I'm street preaching, and some of my street preaching tapes I've recorded have people cussing and the like on it. Should I toss out those tapes because of the profanity in them?

I watched a film the other night with some cuss words in it, when on a couple of occasions the name of our Lord was blasphemed I silently apologised, but carried on watching. The morning after in my quiet time, I started by praying something like; 'blessed be your name...' and He said to me; 'how can you say you bless my name and still listen to it being cursed in films?.'I took it as a reprimand and my aim for the next few months is to remove ALL films from my house. (it would be easier if I lived on my own but my wife and kids, whom I love and want to protect, don't quite see it as I do).Still, onwards and upwards.

Movies...TV...Video Games...entertainment as a whole, what is really the point? What is the eternal value of "entertainment"? Are we storing up treasure in heaven? How would you justify/explain why you spend so much time "entertaining" yourself, why you spend any time at all wasting time?(I'm not talking about not being able to do anything while we, say, eat, but it's what we do in our freetime that I'm trying to get at, when we "have nothing better to do")

how do cetain words get labled as "cuss" words anyway? I think a word becomes a cuss word by its use, ie the context. And then people copy each other. It becomes a cultural thing. And the movie industry uses common cultural terms. Profanity is by and large defined by the culture we live in. The use of cuss words may be a way of expressing anger or getting attention. I know a young child who absorbed all the swear words he heard at school and then used them at home. He had no idea what the words meant, but he DID learn that the words had enormous power – power to get attention – to stir people up (which he loved doing) The more others got angry with him for using them, the more power and attention he felt he had, and so the more he used them. It was a sad, dysfunctional power struggle between child, siblings and parents. The issue really had nothing to do with swear words. Lately I have been thrown off by the way our ‘traditional’ swear words are used as terms of endearment – in a friendly chat – especially among the youth. Consider our youth lingo: (I’ll avoid swear words, but you’ll get the drift) “That’s sick!” really means, “That is awesome.” Or “That is wicked,” means “That’s wonderful.”I believe we can cuss without using cuss words. It has the same effect. When speaking around others, we aught not to use ANY words that reveal a disrespect and lack of consideration for those around us. It’s not always the word itself, but the tone of voice, and context. For example: “Hell” is a four-letter word in the Bible. In context it can be used like a cuss word, or in a way that shows disrespect - like telling someone to go there when we are angry at them. This is wrong, ALWAYS. “May the words of our mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O, Lord.” Ps 19:14 What is in the heart proceeds out of our mouths. To what extend should we try to make non-Christians stop swearing? Should we? Why? So that WE won’t be offended? So that WE can have clean movies? Will our efforts draw them closer to Christ? Perhaps yes, and perhaps no. We may merely succeed in effecting outer change if we are only interested in the words and not in them as people. Above all we are accountable for the words WE use, and what we do about words we hear. May God help us tune out what is of no value to us in order that we can keep focused on the real important issues at hand: people – our relationship with them, the intent of the communicated message, their relationship with God, etc - not merely words. After all, words themselves are only 7% of the message. (apparently) How would you justify/explain why you spend so much time "entertaining" yourself, why you spend any time at all wasting time? Maybe this is the real issue. Diane

Hi AllHaveSinned,I'm with you - throw out all the worldly movies, books, CDs, clothes, whatever, but especially the movies.Go for it!God blesses us for obedience and seeking to live pure lives."Without holiness no one will see the Lord" (Hebrews 12:14)God bless you immensely,

2Ti 2:16 But shun profane and vain babblings: for they will increase unto more ungodliness.Profanity is by and large defined by the culture we live in. If our culture considers something to be profane, then I believe we should avoid it so as not to bring reproach upon the name of Christ.I recall a study once of this issue and found that when something is 'profaned' it is made common or stripped of its sacredness. Like vandalism or something. You will notice that many so-called 'cuss' words take some reality and vandalize it or more excellently 'violate' it. The word 'profane' comes from the root basis which means 'the foot'. I suppose we could say that when a person 'profanes' something they are trodding that reality under foot. Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace. (Hebrews 10:29)This is an act of making Christ common. The name of God can be violated also and that by taking it in 'vain'. I suppose there are other things such as physical relations as well as bodily functions that have been given a 'name' that takes the reality in vain and trods it under foot. It is disrespecting the function and making lite of it. Believers may well have to tolerate these words and sayings in everyday life, but God forbid that they would ever be entertained by them.

Hey DaveAbreu1,I wanted to ask you how you put the link between two quotes:The legalist would say "Movies are worldly, why even go?". Another flavor of legalism would say "Why would you go to a movie that YOU KNOW has swearing?". Another flavor "Oh, I will go and plug my ears when i hear cursing".andThe truth is, we cant know what kind of environment we will walk into(always).. we walk around town, hear cursing, see smoking, drinking, fighting, but we can choose how we respond. What would Jesus do? Jesus talked to a woman who had five husbands(Adultress), talked to a prostitute(filthy?), and threw out a number of demons! He was'nt shocked by their lives. He simply dealt with them and their problems. We should not be shocked either, we should just present Him, to them.Thanks! :)

The legalist would say "Movies are worldly, why even go?". Another flavor of legalism would say "Why would you go to a movie that YOU KNOW has swearing?". Another flavor "Oh, I will go and plug my ears when i hear cursing". The truth is, we cant know what kind of environment we will walk into(always)...I think there is a big difference between enduring bad language and attitudes in our daily contact with other people and idly absorbing profanities as part of own entertainment.PassingThru

I once was teaching a lesson to my children. I asked my son to go to the kitchen and get a clear glass with water in it. When he returned, I asked him to take a drink, which he did without hesitation. Then I went outside and got a small pinch of dirt, brought it back in and dropped it in the glass. Most of it tricled to the bottom without discoloring the water. I asked him to have another drink. "No!" "Why not"? "You put dirt in it". "It's only a little dirt, and besides, here is still 100% water in the glass." "No, I'm not drinking it". "So you are saying, then, that just a pinch of dirt makes it unfit?" "Yes". "So when you are asking for permission to go see a particular movie and your argument is that it has only a few bad words or only one sex scene, why is it that you think the movie is still fit to watch, but you won't drink this water"? Besides all of that, watching tv and movies are a huge waste of time. We are stewards of our time. Two of our most precious gifts are time and health. What kind of steward are we of our time? How important is that to God? I must confess that I have repented of wasting most of my life. But thank God it's not over yet. I dont' have time for tv or movies. Souls are perishing in His kingdom. It's not about movies and tv, it's about who you are and Whose you are. It does not take much dirt to make your vessel impure. You might get a thirsty person to drink. But most people won't. If you are outside and you have a glass of tea in your hand and a wind comes up blowing dirt and junk around, what do you do? You put your hand over your tea. Why? Come on folks, this is not difficult. As american chrisitans, we are just far too tolerant, and far to carnal. We need to get back to the bible, and back to obeying God. You don't want Him to ask you one day..."where were you when I was thirsty, where were you when I was hungry, where were you when I was sick and imprisoned......????? Don't go there......"O"

Welcome to Laodecia, folks. We're so rich and so cold. There are millions of people world-wide that need Jesus, and we're discussing whether believers should watch movies with cussing in them. I dont know about anyone else, but I feel convicted... not about this topic, but about wasting the time and resources God has given me sitting in front of the TV while millions slip into eternity daily.Amen. Time is such a precious thing. We have so little with so much to do.

I rarely watch movies - only when my husband really wants me to watch something - like the March of the Penguins last year. That may seem like such a saintly practice, but to that habit itself God says, “So What!” He is far more concerned that I am submitted to him, and then he will use anything, even movies to reveal his truths to me. Several years ago I visited some missionary friends. She insisted I watch a nature movie, even in spite of my objections. That seemed like strange behavior for a Spirit-filled Christian. I was offended, and really wanted to visit HER, a rare opportunity, as she was home on furlough. However, I really had little choice if I wanted to be polite. It turned out that a few days later God used a particular scene to help me understand an important truth that would guide me into a serious decision. The details need not be explained – just to say that, we simply can’t try to fit movies into our neat little check-boxes by which we define our walk with the Lord. He wants our submission to him, not a set of black and white rules that we try to define. (which is impossible to do in this case - there are so many aspects to the issue)God works outside our boxes. So let’s be careful what boxes we make for ourselves. The original question here is a yes-no question – something Jesus did not take to. Notice, he never answered the Pharisees yes-no legal questions with a legal yes or no answer, but instead got to the real heart issue. I think a lot of the replies here are attempting to do just that. Diane