R rated movies


LilyBelle00
 Share

Recommended Posts

I understand that we need to check the content of the movies we watch but I've always applied that to movies not rated R. That's what I assume the authorities are speaking of when they mention movies but don't specifically mention a rating. I'm still ok with the thought of "if it's rated R it must not be a movie I should see" and making that rating off limits for me and my family.

I guess the fact that the General Authorities have stopped mentioning the ratings has made some members, including this missionary, think that it's ok to watch anything.

I personally think that by not mentioning the R rating the GAs are saying "We already said stay away from R movies in the 80's and now other ratings are getting worse so we need to check the content of any movie we watch."

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It's stupid to let hollywood dictate to you, a disciple of Christ, what movies to watch. So from that standpoint, some arbitrary rating system created by fallible man, isn't the sort of Unbreakable Law we should let rule our lives.

That said, the US rating system is often pretty helpful in letting you know what you'll see, and there are some pretty reasonable principles it can assist you with.

From the Strength of Youth pamphlet:

Whatever you read, listen to, or look at has an effect on you. Therefore, choose only entertainment and media that uplift you. Good entertainment will help you to have good thoughts and make righteous choices. It will allow you to enjoy yourself without losing the Spirit of the Lord.

While much entertainment is good, some of it can lead you away from righteous living. Offensive material is often found in web sites, concerts, movies, music, videocassettes, DVDs, books, magazines, pictures, and other media. Satan uses such entertainment to deceive you by making what is wrong and evil look normal and exciting. It can mislead you into thinking that everyone is doing things that are wrong.

Do not attend, view, or participate in entertainment that is vulgar, immoral, violent, or pornographic in any way. Do not participate in entertainment that in any way presents immorality or violent behavior as acceptable.

I find this pretty good advice for the young and impressionable. I also find it's underlying principles (what you choose to accept into your bodies, no matter how it gets into you, will have an impact on you, so choose wisely, and think about what you wish to get out of it) useful for us grown ups too.

I was not entertained by movies like Schindler's List or Saving Private Ryan - I was educated and humbled.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I would also talk with the Mission President, this missionary is supposed to be representing Christ. I don't expect perfection from missionaries, and I can and have put up with some immaturity from missionaries but to bad mouth leaders in front of investigators is just wrong.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

That doesn't quiet work though. Lets say after much thought and consideration I decide I do not want to be exposed to X (Fill in what ever you what for X).

Now certain movies and shows have X... Other people like X so shows and movies can have X in them this is just the way it is. Now according to you I should judge a film on its own merits which means I either have to watch the show and get exposed to X if it is there or I have to have some kind of trusted system of judging/previewing (or Say Rating) such movies and shows. Given that the first one doesn't work for me to hold to my standards (what ever I choose them to be). That leaves some kind of judgement/previewing as my only real option

The problem isn't with saying no to an R-rated movie... The problem is the wildly different ways that the R rating is assigned and what it means.. Same with PG and PG 13.

One thing too is that fundamentally movies are entertainment. Do some have artistic merit? Sure, but there are a ton of movies out there and there is no moral obligation to watch any of them. Likewise they aren't people, I'm free to be as arbitrary in my decisions to watch or not watch them as I like. Be it based on rating, subject matter, director, actor, a trailer, or something else. I suppose one can argue against climbing up on one's high horse because of those decisions, but against not watching a movie? I find the latter argument to be rather,"meh".

Edited by Dravin
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I've thought about speaking to the mission president several times about him. I don't want to tattle but at the same time I really do not think that he's acting appropriately. The mission president and his wife are two of the people that I've heard him speak cruelly of!

It's gotten to the point where I almost want to ask my husband to stop going out with them because I feel like they (really just the one) is a bad influence.

You need to talk to the mission president. If not about the bad-mouthing, at the very least he needs to be informed that one of his missionaries is creating contentious environments for investigators and teaching things that are clearly contrary to what the prophets have instructed us.

In the UK we don't have R rated movies (we have 12, 12a, 15 and 18) I rarely watch 15s let alone 18s - and have found recently that more and more 12s contain content which I don't think they would have 20 years ago (and I don't care if that makes me sound old!)

I think this is part of why current teaching has moved away from specifying R-rated movies: that guidance only applies to the USA.

I understand that we need to check the content of the movies we watch but I've always applied that to movies not rated R. That's what I assume the authorities are speaking of when they mention movies but don't specifically mention a rating. I'm still ok with the thought of "if it's rated R it must not be a movie I should see" and making that rating off limits for me and my family.

And that's great! If that's what you and your husband have agreed on as a family rule, good! You feel good about it, and you know why you have chosen it, and I think it's great that you're presenting it as your own choice.

I guess the fact that the General Authorities have stopped mentioning the ratings has made some members, including this missionary, think that it's ok to watch anything.

I personally think that by not mentioning the R rating the GAs are saying "We already said stay away from R movies in the 80's and now other ratings are getting worse so we need to check the content of any movie we watch."

I can see that. Personally, I do watch an occasional R-rated movie, but I'm very judicious when I do. I see it a little bit the way you do, but more than that, I see it as a move away from commanding in all things, and instead giving members of the Church the freedom to explore and choose for themselves (not that we couldn't choose before, but I think most will understand what I mean).

I would also talk with the Mission President, this missionary is supposed to be representing Christ. I don't expect perfection from missionaries, and I can and have put up with some immaturity from missionaries but to bad mouth leaders in front of investigators is just wrong.

Yes, yes, yes!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hidden

Well, I love a good historical drama, even more so if there are some meaty, complex characters involved. "Hell on Wheels" fits the bill for me right now, though it might be considered "R" rated at certain times. I'm currently waiting to see how the depiction of Brigham Young and Mormon labor plays out in the war between the Central Pacific and Union Pacific Railroad race :) There's been several depictions of 19th century Mormons in the series so far, most of which are unflattering. A polygamist family led by a hard-nosed patriarch; a faithful and kind, traditional family who are traveling by wagon to Utah; a few fortresses around Mormon settlements that make the pioneer saints look extremely hostile and unwelcoming to non-LDS. I suspect in the next episode we'll meet Brigham Young and I'm interested in how the producers will portray him and his dealings with the railroads.

Watching this show piqued my interest in how Brigham Young managed the issue of the Railroads (who pretty much ripped off thousands of Mormon laborers, many of whom were never paid for their work), so I've now watched a couple of documentaries just to see how it matches with the series I'm watching. It's all pretty interesting stuff! Some of "Hell on Wheels" could be considered 'R' rated - even the documentary versions, but most of it is just plain fascinating for me, from a historical perspective. The series has captured my interest in an aspect of American history that I never really thought much about before.

And what about reality shows like "Survivor" - there's quite a few 'R' topics in that show, yet I know plenty of members of the church who watch it, and rarely a season goes by without a Mormon or two as competitors. So is it 'R' or not?

I also teach ancient history and it's almost impossible to get a documentary on ancient Greece or Rome that doesn't at some point show fully nude, anatomically correct sculptures of the male form. Does that make the documentary 'R'? - I guess it does on some level. But should we really be feeling embarrassed by a 2000 year old statue, image on a vase or fresco from the walls of Pompeii?

Loudmouth Mormon makes the most sense to me in that we need to look at content and context of films, rather than arbitrary ratings from Hollywood. I know that between Australia and the US, that ratings don't mean the same thing anyway - so we do need to use our noggins and rely on the guidance of the Holy Ghost.

Link to comment

The great thing is one can have hard and fast rules and apply individual consideration to anything 'inside' of the rule. If I have a hard and fast rule that I won't eat bugs it doesn't stand to reason that I will eat anything as long as it isn't a bug. I don't have a hard no R rated movies rules, so I'm not defending any decision I'm making, but if one does have a hard and fast rule about no movies above "Y" rating that does not mean additional discrimination can't, or isn't being applied. To be fair, if one isn't applying any additional discrimination than the complaint is valid, but very rarely in these discussions do I see people arguing, "It doesn't matter what the actual content of the movie is, as long as it gets below a "Z" rating it's appropriate."

Edited by Dravin
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I occasionaly watch R rated movies. The only thing that bothers me is sexual content and gratuitous language. I have yet to be surprised by a movie I have selected. If you IMDB and review the Parents Guide it provides enough information to tell me whether or not the movie is appropriate for my home. If the Parents Guide is not yet filled in there are many Christian review sites that can tell you whats in the movie without spoiling it.

Regarding this missionary, He ought to be reported to his Mission President. That is what he's there for. (My uncle currently serves as a Mission President).

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have seen my share of R-rated movies. I personally like the rating system. It's not as perfect as the things Windseeker mentioned, but it gives me an idea of what I might be in for. My husband rarely if ever notices a rating, simply turning the show off if it bothers him.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The thing is... I don't have to watch Saving Private Ryan to learn about the history of Normandy or The Patriot to learn about the Revolutionary War or The Passion of the Christ to understand the depths of Christ's atoning sacrifice.

It is R for a reason. That reason is why I don't watch it. PG-13 may or may not be past my personal limits. I try to check online reviews or I just go watch it and walk out if it's bad.

** disclaimer: I have watched R rated movies including The Patriot. I did not have personal boundaries on movies. I grew up on Shaolin Temple. I started with the boundaries relatively recently.

Edited by anatess
Link to comment
Share on other sites

My father use to say that what a person does for entertainment will tell you more about who they really are than any other thing they do.

It is my personal opinion that entertainment defines us. I do not believe there are really exceptions. I agree that our rating system leaves a lot to be desired. I am more unhappy with the violent content of a lot of entertainment - more so than the sexual content. But I am also disappointed just as much with implied things as I am with graphic things. For example the many references to porn or infidelity.

Having spent some time in military service with military intelligence I have some first hand experience with brainwashing. Joseph Goebbels - the father of modern brainwashing techniques said that the best means of changing a person's mind is through entertainment. Anything a person accepts as entertainment they will accept as "acceptable" behavior. Since understanding the dangers of entertainment - I wonder why there is not more instructions from our general authorities warning about entertainment.

The Traveler

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The thing is... I don't have to watch Saving Private Ryan to learn about the history of Normandy or The Patriot to learn about the Revolutionary War or The Passion of the Christ to understand the depths of Christ's atoning sacrifice.

It is R for a reason. That reason is why I don't watch it. PG-13 may or may not be past my personal limits. I try to check online reviews or I just go watch it and walk out if it's bad.

** disclaimer: I have watched R rated movies including The Patriot. I did not have personal boundaries on movies. I grew up on Shaolin Temple. I started with the boundaries relatively recently.

Thank you. This is exactly how I feel. I know that we need to evaluate the content of movies case by case but the rating system just makes that a little bit easier by knocking out a whole chunk of movies for me. If the ratings people consider the movie to have content that is "restricted" then it would seem that people who strive to live above worldly standards would feel the same...

I would also much rather get my historical knowledge from actual biographies or records and not whatever spin Hollywood wants to puts on it.

'The Patriot,' 2000 | Top 10 Historically Misleading Films | TIME.com

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Just to put this out there since everyone is picking on my example exception. I wasn't implying I give it a pass for educational content, I liked the story it told and war violence doesn't bug me, I liked it for purely entertainment purposes. If I wanted education I'd be watching, as Anatess said, a documentary.

And yes, during war time I do believe shooting the people you are at war with is pretty acceptable behavior.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Truth is, for many Christians, an R-rating means "no-go." So, what happens when a church makes a film that gets the scarlet R?

Church Believes MPAA Gave Film 'R' Rating Due to Anti-Christian Bias

I'm sorry but this is irreponsible for the Church. I don't see the anti-Christian bias. You can't have an MPAA that says, oh, it's okay for this particular movie to show a second of bong use because it is Christian. The MPAA guidelines are available to any movie producer who wants to know what they are. You skirt the edge of the ratings, chances are you're going to fall off the cliff.

God's Army is an LDS movie that has characters who are prostitutes. They did not have to skirt the edge of an R rating to present in the movie what they are. There are tons of Christian movies that go through the MPAA without getting an R-rating.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'd have to watch it to see how closely the skirted the edge. I remember Gibson trying to cut around the edges to avoid the R-rating on his Passion of the Christ. They ended up rereleasing it with an Unrated, because they knew it was still R. On the other hand, I accept that the church and pastor were blindsided. My sense is that they did not believe they were anywhere close to an R-rating. Maybe it would have been easy to know the guidelines, like you say, and they didn't bother to check. However, many conservative Christians are anti-Hollywood--believing the industry is a filth factory. Then, a big church makes a values-rich film, probably thinking they were on the light side of PG-13, and they get an R. This incident is a classic example of being caught flat-footed. The pastor probably did himself no favors by lashing out at the rating agency, though.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I go by this principle: If something makes it harder for you--you, specifically--to feel the Spirit, or lessens your resolve to live gospel principles, keep commandments and covenants, etc.....cast it aside. If it doesn't affect you in those ways, then a letter that some committee in Hollywood slapped on the film is irrelevant.

That said, not everyone responds to the same film the same way, which is why I think it's wise to use the principle given above. And not condemn those whose media choices are different than ours.

Note: something being uncomfortable/unpleasant to watch (like any documentary on Nazi concentration camps, "Night and Fog" comes to mind) is not the same thing as something being profane and unworthy of being watched (people using the Lord's name in vain, minimizing the seriousness of premarital sex, etc). :-)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

To the OP, you and your family have settled on a standard for what movies you let into your lives. Live it, regardless of what others think. If you need to revisit it, do so as a family council and do it for the right reasons.

You also have a personal standard on how Church leaders are spoken of in your house and in your presence (I can't tell if this is a family standard or just a personal one, but it is nonetheless a standard you have, otherwise you wouldn't find yourself so riled by it). Stay true to that standard. If necessary, gently remind others of your standards and ask for their respect. "Elder Goosefarts, your name is safe in our home, please show President Goodeffort the same courtesy." Or if you're of the bolder variety (only in my dreams) you can try President Taylor's approach, "Are you a Saint? ... Did you not hold up your hand to sustain him? .... Then why do you not do it?"

Now, the elder has called your attention to the fact that there is not currently a hard and fast rule set by the Church for abstaining from films of a given rating (it sounds like he was pretty flippant in dismissing your family's standard, I hope that was not actually the case, but I'll address that momentarily). What will the two of you do if you're confronted with a similar situation in the future? In the youth program, we're encouraged to plan ahead for when we're confronted on our standards (and you've assuredly learned that you will get confronted on your standards). Prepare yourself with what you will say and do when a simple "no thank you" is not enough. You can stick with "our family has decided that the negative content in R-rated movies generally undo any good they provide, so we've made thude faith-based approach, "you want to include a faith-based approach, "We had a prophet speak out against them in the '80s and we 've decideed as a family to live that counsel." The important thing is that whatever reason you give, it is something you genuinely believe. Respectful people who respect you will respect your standards.

To the missionary presented by the OP (again, I hope this missionary does not really exist, but I'll write this anyways as it may prove profitable to someone): You are absolutely correct that there is no scriptural injunction against R-rated movies (good luck finding any references to movies in revelations that largely date to the mid-19th century). And seeing as how you weren't alive when that general conference talk was given counselling against them, you are liberated from the letter of that law. This is similar to the early saints who had the burden of the Law of Moses lifted from their shoulders. Paul rejoices, "all things are lawful for me," just like caffeine and Army of Darkness are lawful for you. In the same breath, Paul then adds a caution, "but all things are not expedient". The Lord's law of the Sabbath allows for a certain form of threshing considered unlawful by the Pharisee's letter, but the disciples who lived the spirit of the law found themselves far from idle on this day of rest. So long as Church members aren't promoting their own standards as Church commandments, they ought to be encouraged in finding and living their standards. This is the very definition of integrity. Paul gave further instruction to the saints regarding eating food sacrificed to idols. Strictly speaking, the saints were free to eat to their hearts' content (some church leaders said otherwise, but Paul had a different understanding). An idol is just a hunk of wood or stone. It has no power over you or the food so there is no harm in eating. But some were new to the faith and hadn't yet left the old Law. As such, Paul counsels that you don't eat if these new converts are in your company. They will find your faith suspect, and may even face an unneccessary crisis of faith themselves. What's more, in this case, it actually is a sin to eat the meat because "ye sin so against the brethren and wound their weak conscience" - the emphasis here not being on their weakness but on your sin. If a latter-day saint is teaching an investigator that certain practices are required and expected of them when it is not, by all means step in and correct the falsehood. But if a member is sharing their own standards of faith then do not sin against their testimony. Such a course weakens the saint who needs to be strengthened and confuses the investigator who is looking for clarity.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

I will say there is no hard and fast rule. R movies do not break the commandments in and of themselves. We are to keep ourselves away from that which is unclean and that which does not bring the spirit in. Most R movies would fit this. I will give a personal example however. Both the Patriot and the Passion are R rated. I love both of them and would recommend both to a LDS member with no hesitation. But I bet the number of R movies I would recommend are less then a handful. We must always be careful of drawing lines in the sand for others when the Church nor the Savior have done so but we are also free based on Moroni 7 to judge for ourselves what brings us closer to Christ. This missionary should be corrected, but not because R rated movies break the rules but rather his inability to do those things that edify and instead do that which places a wedge between the Spirit and those he teaches.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...
 Share