Sorry, it's taken me so long to post on my blog......! Here is a research paper I wrote for a writing assignment. Tell me what you think.....?
The Need For Christian Movies
Joshua Hoppman
Writing Mentorship Program PHC
January 14, 2009
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If someone were to scan the newspaper looking for a list of movies in the the newspaper, he probably would find movies that contain content such as sex, grotesque violence, or use of bad language. He might find a movie with less objectionable content and read the review. The whole movie will probably will not point someone to Jesus. He might find a Christian or family movie. It doesn’t look too bad because there is no explicit sex, language, or appalling violence, but he will find that the storyline is not well constructed, and the plot is poorly done. Most movies that are replete with offensive material tend to affect teenagers, but all movies can affect teens for the good or for the bad. We need more Christian movies in today’s culture because of the effect movies have on teenagers. The movies are mostly packed with as much sex, language and violence as producers can fit in them. Even though many movies are restricted, teens continue to watch them. Certain movies can especially affect teens. For instance, teens may watch a movie about a person who is insane and murders many people. Some teens look up to that certain villain as their hero, and if the movie makes that actor in the movie look like a hero, the bad things done in the movie by the actor can’t be too bad, they think. We do not want our teens watching a movie that glorifies the villain. In these cases the viewer may start to develop a violent personality. So many movies make the villain the “good person” or show that the villain was bad due to circumstances as if that is acceptable.
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There are movies in which the good person appears bad for doing good. The Bible says, “Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; who put darkness for light, and light for darkness; who put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!” (Isaiah 5:20) Today’s movies are affecting teenagers because of their ungodliness. Content that affects teens can be good or bad content. Watching a drug, sex, and profanity-filled movie will fill the teens head with content that may encourage unacceptable behavior. For instance: an article in WORLD Magazine says, “Teens who watch sexualized movies, sitcoms, and dramas such as ‘That 70’s Show’ and ‘Friends’ are twice as likely to be involved in a pregnancy as adolescents with limited exposure, according to a new study by the RAND Corporation.” Bernie DeGroat, a writer for the University of Michigan, says in an article she wrote, “ While the short term effects of watching…films and television programs with disturbing content are well documented among children and teens, a new U-M study shows that long term effects can linger even into adulthood… According to the study, a wide range of symptoms were reported, including crying and screaming (27 percent of participants), trembling or shaking (24 percent),nausea or stomach pain (20 percent)… ” And the list goes on, including fear of dying, increased heart rate, sweating, chills and fever. An article from the University of Texas says, “When children are taught to tie
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their shoes, it is because their parents showed them. When teens are taught how to do math problems, it is because their teachers showed them. So with all of these role models, why is there so much violence? It is because children learn from what they see, even if it’s on big screen. Violence in movies should have strict regulations because it has negative effects on the behavior of children and teens.” I am not saying that entertainment is bad, but we live in a world focused on entertainment so we need Christian movies more now than ever. We have a better chance at presenting the gospel to teenagers who like to watch movies. What is a Christian Movie? A Christian movie always should point people to Jesus. It also needs Biblical principles such as kindness, mercy, self control, and respect for God-given authority. A Christian movie will not promote sexual activity or physical intimacy of any kind outside of marriage and it should point teens to Jesus as “the way the truth and the life.” The Passion Of the Christ is a Christian movie Why should it be? Is it not rated R and does it not have grotesque violence? Yes, but this is when I make an exception regarding grotesque violence. Since the movie pointed to Jesus, and the violence was not used just for sensation. Violence in movies is not bad unless it just focuses on gore, bloodshed, and deaths. But at the end of The Passion,
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Jesus rises from the dead and breaks death’s chains. Sexuality and bad language should be completely left out of Christian movies. Violence is the only exception. Other Christian movies are The Time Machine, Facing the Giants, Fireproof, Pilgrims Progress: Journey To Heaven, Come What May, and several more.
Here are some examples of “bad” movies: 1. Forgetting Sarah Marshall (rated R and from a 0-10 scale) has rated 10 for sexual content , rated 4 for violence and, 8 for bad language uses.2. Saw V (rated R and also from a scale 0-10) has rated 2 for sexual references, 10 for violence , and rated 7 for bad language uses. 3. Beverly Hills Chihuahua (rated PG and on a scale of 0-10) has been rated 2 for sexual references, 4 for violence usages, and, rated 3 for bad language uses. 4. High School Musical 3 (rated G and it too is on a scale of 0-10) is rated 2 for sexual references, 1 for violence usage, and no appalling language. The last movie was only rated G, BUT it did not present the gospel message to unbelievers or talk about Jesus in a good way. A bad movie can have good morals but without out God it is a poor movie.
In the late 1920’s and early 1930’s no sex, disturbing violence, and horrific profanity would be put to video because of a code many Hollywood studios signed on and agreed to. The code is known as The Hays Code. It was written during that time by a man
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known as Will Hays. The code reads: “Motion Picture Producers recognize their responsibility to the public because entertainment and art are important influences in the life of a nation and may be directly responsible for spiritual or moral progress for higher types of social life, and for much correct moral thinking.” The Hays Code is no longer used and in fact Hollywood has gone the opposite direction. We need to use it again! Although the Hays code was not a biblical standard but a moral code, at least it kept Hollywood from producing movies that had sex, bad language, and grotesque violence. Not only do immoral movies affect teens but they affect the actors/actresses as well. Hollywood has a big influence on teenage actors and actresses. The movies that teens act in tend to be more like the movie High School Musical 3 Senior Year. But movies that contain sex, grotesque violence, and bad language have their teen actors too. When the teens act in a movie such as Role Models, it is bound to affect them in a negative way. Proverbs 22:24-25 says, “Make no friendship with an angry man, and with a furious man do not go, lest you learn his ways and set a snare for your soul.” Back in the late 1930’s a plan was concocted by some Marxists. They came up with a plan to slowly dilute Christians and other people’s thinking by bringing ungodly movies out filled with sex, violence, and bad language. Vladimir Lenin, stated, “Of all the arts, the motion picture is the most important.” Another Marxist, Leon
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Trotsky said, The fact that we have so far, i.e., in nearly six years, not taken possession of the cinema shows how slow and uneducated we are, not to say, frankly, stupid. This weapon, which cries out to be used, is the best instrument for propaganda, technical, educational, and industrial propaganda, propaganda against alcohol, propaganda for sanitation, political propaganda, any kind of propaganda you please, a propaganda which is accessible to everyone, which is attractive, which cuts into the memory and may be made a possible source of revenue. Their motive was, or as former Marxist Geoff Botkin believes, still is to get rid of Christianity or “blind” Christians by making evil look good. So, eventually the Hays Code was forgotten and right now, the Marxists are succeeding. Some Christians today do not even care if a movie has some bad content, and if we blind our eyes too, the consequences could be devastating. Marxists take over the film industry, teens continue to watch one bad movie after another, and our freedom to choose what movies we watch gets limited to what the Marxists want. Severneya Pravda says, “We are obliged….to make amusement a weapon of collective education. The cinema competes with the church. This rivalry may become fatal for the church. The cinema liberates you from the
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need of crossing the church door. Here is an instrument we must secure.” Looking at the movies coming out today it seems plausible to say that this is indeed coming true. Eric Fromm, who has a big influence on Hollywood and Marxism said, “The bad guys are the Christians, and the good guys are those who make war against ties of blood, soil, mother, father, and religion.” That is why we need Christian movies now more than ever before! “What should I do now?” you probably are asking yourself. Here is my plan. First, we need to start making more Christian movies. Lately movie products are becoming more inexpensive so even an amateur can start making movies. You might even be the next famous Christian filmmaker! I also believe we need to contact Christian filmmakers. Show them that you believe what they are doing is a worthwhile endeavor. You can donate money to a filmmaker as well. Encourage aspiring Christian filmmakers to make godly, wholesome movies that point people to Jesus, and watch such worthwhile movies. When a Christian movie is out in theatres, go see it. Then finally, get to know even more Christian filmmakers. If you want to become a Christian filmmaker keep them as resources and if you have a question, you can write to them. Remember: The more well done, Christian movies you and I get out, the more we affect teens for the better, and that means we are on the right track! We need more Christian movies! Why? Because today’s film industry has gone backwards with producing movies filled with sex, grotesque violence, and bad language. Those bad movies affect teens and that is exactly what the
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Marxists planned to happen in the 1960’s. Is it still happening today? Are the Marxists succeeding? We need to make every effort to prevent this downward trend from continuing by producing good, Christian movies which in turn will affect teens for the better.
Bibliography
Bardwell, Joseph. “What Is A Christian Movie?” Christian Post. June 2, 2008.
http://christianpost.com/pages/print.htm? aid= 32718.
Billingsley, Kenneth. Hollywood Party: How Communism Seduced the American Film Industry in the 1930s and 1940s Random House Inc. 1998
Botkin, Geoff Hollywood’s Most Despised Villain, 2005.
Dr. Ledingham, Jane, Ledingham, Anne, Richardson, John. The Effects of Media Violence On Children 1993
http://www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/ncfv-cnivf/familyviolence/html/nfntseffemedia_e.html
Cantor, Paul. Gilligan Unbound: Pop Culture in the Age of Globalization. Maryland. Rowman and Littlefield Publishers Inc, 2001.
Crosswalk
http;//www.bible.crosswalk.com
Bible Gateway
http;//www.bible gateway.com
De Groat, Bernie. “Scary Movies Have Lasting Effects On Children and Teens Study Says” The University Record. March 29, 1999.
http;//ur.urmich.edu/9899/March 29_99/9.html.
Druckerey, Timothy ed. Electronic Culture: Technology and Visual Representation. New York. Aperture Foundation Inc, 1996.
Greenspun, Sam. “Movie Madness: How the Silver Screen Affects Your Teen.”
http;// www.preteenagerstoday.com/resources/articles/movies.html.
Hays Will. 1930 Hays Code
http://www.artsreformation.com/a001/hays-code.html
Hirsen, James. Hollywood Nation: Left Coast Lies, Old Media Spin, and the New Media Revolution. New York. Crown Publishing Group, 2005.
Scheuer, Jeffrey. The Sound Bite Society: Television and the American Mind. New York. Four Walls, Eight Windows, 1999.
Taylor, David. “What Is A Christian Movie Anyway?”
http;//www.christianitytoday.com/movies/commentaries/goodchristianmovie.
Trotsky, Leon. Vodka, The Church And The Cinema
http://trotsky.org/archive/trotsky/women/life/23_07_12.htm
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