Friday. Movie night. The entertainment section of the paper. Movie guide. What to see?

"Two thumbs up!" So far, so good. "Brendan Fraser rocks!" Looks promising. "Rated R." Grrr! What else is playing?

Hey. Wait a minute. What about R-rated movies? Why can't a Christian watch an R-rated movie?

Is R-rated OK?

There's no simple "yes" or "no" answer for that.

Can you drink all types of water? Obviously not. Some water is clean enough to drink. Other water could make you sick or kill you. The same goes for movies or music. One R-rated movie, the Black Robe (1991), contains violence and suggested sexual activity, yet it is one of the most compelling films about the challenges of Christian missionary work. Other R-rated films, like the Halloween series, are merely violent for violence sake.

We should avoid "entertainment" that God would disapprove of. R-rated movies by definition warn us that they include sinful stuff. That's why even the movie industry says viewers must be 17 to attend. But we shouldn't skip a movie out of fear that, if we see it, we'll lose our place in heaven. Rather, we should skip them as a loving response to what Jesus did for us at the cross. Christian faith is a way of life - not just doing "designated Christian" activities, like going to church or Bible class. Our love for Jesus will show itself in all areas of our life, private and public. That includes using discernment when choosing entertainment.

Think about such things

What you eat determines your physical health. The same is true for our spiritual health. The Holy Spirit tells us in Philippians 4:8, "Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable - if anything is excellent or praise worthy - think about such things." What we ingest, whether by watching or hearing, becomes a part of us. If we entertain ourselves with things which God forbids, it affects us.

Children learn by watching their parents. Adults learn by watching other adults. Many studies show that violence on TV actually leads to aggressive, violent behaviors because people copy them as models. The same is true for sexual behavior.

But even if movies don't change our behavior, they can make us less sensitive to sin. Because of the influence of popular media, we no longer object to behavior (that includes language) that a few years ago would have insulted us. The more we are exposed to a certain behavior, the more it seems acceptable.

Ask yourself

Ask yourself these questions. They're great questions whatever you do, including your choice of entertainment.

1. If Jesus was visibly sitting next to me, (he is, you know) would Jesus and I enjoy ourselves?
2. Is what I am watching or listening to demonstrating my gratitude for Jesus as I strive to be a peacemaker in this violence-scarred society?
3. Is what I am watching or listening to demonstrating my gratitude for Jesus as I strive to hold God's gift of sexuality and marriage in high regard?

As the old proverb goes, actions speak louder than words. Let's use the movies we watch - or don't watch - to shout that Jesus is our Savior.