The Good Movies
Jun 29, 2009 Honoring God, Speech, teens set apart
The good movies are always rated “R”. Always.
I want to see “Grand Torino” really bad. I can’t. It’s rated “R”.
I want to see Transformers 2, rated “PG-13″. Not sure if I should; it’s rated “PG-13″ because it contains sexual situations and other content that would not be good to watch.
The list goes on… it seems like every movie that’s not for toddlers has objectionable content. What are we, as Christian teens trying to live for God, to do? Movies today are declining in quality more and more. Sexuality and foul language are becoming the “norm” in movies today.
But you do have options.
Foul language is becoming common even in PG movies – though it may not be the worst, it’s certainly not wholesome. But did you know that you can buy a DVD player with a language filter? It’s called TV Guardian. You might have to pay a little extra, but it will bleep out all of the language for you.
Unfortunately, TV Guardian doesn’t take out the sexual situations. In my opinion, that is the worst of all of the negative things in movies todays. I’m okay watching a movie with a few curse words, but I really do not like it when I am in a theater listening (because I close my eyes) to people having sex. That is very rough. It puts bad thoughts in my mind. Lustful thoughts.
I try to steer clear of the movies that have sexual scenes, at least in theaters. When I have the DVD, I can obviously just fast-forward through the scene. However, it’s still a temptation. What happens if you’re bored and everyone’s gone from home? Or if you’re up late after your parents go to bed, and you’re flipping channels on the TV? Suddenly, it’s very difficult to leave the DVD alone. It would be all too easy to sneak the DVD in and watch that part. Maybe once – or maybe more than once.
Now I have a question for you. If you watch a move that is “R” because of sex or language, what is going to happen? What’s going to happen is you’re going to start getting into bad habbits. If you are exposed to bad language fairly often during movies, you might start saying some of those words. If you’re seeing or hearing sexual sitations in movies, you’ll have a really hard time controling your emotions, lust, and mind. ”PG-13″ moves still have some rough things in them, but usually they’re not as bad. But you still have to watch out.
Before you buy or rent a movie, make sure you check why the movie is rated what it is. Then ask yourself, “why am I watching this?” If your answer has anything to do with sin, even for a second, don’t get that movie.
While right now it seems that all the movies that are out that look good are rated R or PG-13, rest assured that there are other alternatives! Not all “G” or “PG” movies are kiddie or boring. That’s not to say that PG movies are perfect, but check out the reviews and I think you’ll find that some of those movies are actually pretty good.
If you want to check on movies before you rent or see them, check out http://pluggedinonline.com for detailed reviews from a Christian viewpoint.
Tags: cussing, dvd, Movies, sex, temptations
Teen Depression Linked to Bedtimes
Jun 14, 2009 depression, parents
Taken from The Rebelution.
We have never wanted to post anything on our blog that teens would be tempted to hide from their parents. Unfortunately, we are breaking that rule today. A new study featured by USA Today links teen depression to bedtimes — yet another reason why your parents are right when they tell you to get off Facebook and go to bed.
Study links teen depression to bedtimes
USATODAY.com – Gregg Toppo – 06/08/09Teens whose parents let them stay up after midnight on weeknights have a much higher chance of being depressed or suicidal than teens whose parents enforce an earlier bedtime, says research being presented today at a national sleep conference.
The findings are the first to examine bedtimes’ effects on kids’ mental health — and the results are noteworthy. Middle- and high-schoolers whose parents don’t require them to be in bed before midnight on school nights are 42% more likely to be depressed than teens whose parents require a 10 p.m. or earlier bedtime. And teens who are allowed to stay up late are 30% more likely to have had suicidal thoughts in the past year.
Obviously, sleep is important — whether or not you struggle with depression or suicidal thoughts. More importantly, the Bible teaches us that sleep is gift of God (Psalm 127:2) and a daily reminder of our dependence on Him. In a message entitled, “A Biblical Understanding of Sleep,” C.J. Mahaney points out that God could have made us with no need for sleep, but sleep reminds us that we are creatures, not the Creator, who “neither slumbers nor sleeps” (Psalm 121:3-4).
Tags: bedtimes, depression, parents
Called Higher
Jun 9, 2009 different, teens set apart
I am going to talk about standards in this post. I am not going to list rules on whether or not such and such a movie is bad because of so and so or such and such clothes are immodest because of so and so. That would be wrong. However I am going to show that Christians are called to a higher standard than just above the world’s current morals.
“So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under law.”
~Galatians 5:16-18
Are you a born again Christian today? If you are, you are called to live by the Spirit and not to indulge in any sin. You cannot serve two masters. You will hate one and love the other. We are called to live by God’s standards of living, not just a wee bit better than what the culture currently thinks is right and wrong.
Jack Valenti, former president of the MPAA, stated in a speech broadcast on C-Span several years ago that the rating system for movies is not an oak, but a willow. It bends and bows for however the current morals of the culture are. (Worldly Amusements by, Wayne A. Wilson, pg. 199.) However God’s rating system is inflexible. If he is the same yesterday, today, tomorrow, and forever, his morals of what is right and wrong will be the same.
So, where do we find these morals that Christians are called to live by? God’s standards are defined in his word. I do not go looking up what kind of horn the Cape Horn is in a biology book. That way I would get the wrong answer. The same way, we don’t look at the world to find out how to live a holy life pleasing to God. We look to God’s word.
Now here is where it gets difficult. Your standards may not be the same as mine. You might conclude from the fact that God’s standards never change that Christian’s standards are always the same. It is not that easy. In 1 Corinthians 8, Paul talks about eating food offered to idols and how for some that could be a stumbling block while for others it doesn’t affect them. Sometimes there is certain things that might not be sin for another person, while it might defile another’s conscience.
Here is a modern example of what Paul is talking about. I personally like listening to Christian rap music. My mom doesn’t because it reminds her of secular rap, which has to do with gangs, violence, and other sin. I don’t have that past experience. Rap music reminds me of Christian artists like tobyMac. My mom and I have discussed this, so now whenever my mom is around I do not play that style of music. I am not hiding it from her, I am not listening to it when she’s around because she doesn’t like it. [Disclaimer: I'm not saying rap as a style of music is bad or good scripturally, I'm just giving you an example from my own life.]
“But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under law.” The Holy Spirit guides our standards of whether or not to watch this movie or listen to this music or to wear that. God gives us in his word certain things that we are to and not to talk about, look at, or participate in, but we need to ask the Holy Spirit to give us discerning hearts in the application.
I encourage you to read, pray, discuss, and apply. Read the Word of God to see whether or not to talk, watch, listen, or wear. Pray that the Holy Spirit will guide your decision. Discuss with your parents and mature Christians how you can apply the scripture’s standards in your life. Apply God’s higher standard in you life, in order to live as the spotless bride of Christ. In this life we won’t perfectly attain God’s standards, but we need to continue pursuing them nevertheless.
“Finally brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me – practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.”
Tags: born again, called, different, higher, standards
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