Rated R Movies

I’ve had the desire to watch very few rated R movies, but this is one where if I ever find an edited version I would love to see it.

     When I was about 15 I had a friend who consistently tried to persuade me to watch an assortment of rated R movies. He said that some PG-13 movies were worse than some of the great rated R movies. He told me that some were life changing and I needed to watch them. He told me dozens of things to convince to watch at least one, such as: “it’s just a movie.” I said that if it was just a movie than it didn’t matter if I watched it. For me, it wasn’t worth it.

Though I can’t say that I have never watched a rated R movie (My Dad introduced me to the terminator movies after all, and some others unknowingly have sneaked through the cracks in my defense) I can say that I’m proud to live by a rule in my life where I avoid them as best as I can. It’s not that I don’t hear the language in other arenas, or see the violence portrayed in some of my favorite Tv shows, or even am exposed to the amount of sex that for such a sacred thing is plastered all over screens across the world as something casual (while the word “Love” is portrayed as something “serious”, which I consider a little ridiculous). Really for me it’s all these things that combine into something truly crippling. I have never seen or even read a synopsis of a Rated R movie that for me made me feel better. Made me say “Hey, wow, that was so great. I feel inspired. Let’s go read the scriptures now.” What we purposefully consume is a choice. Watching movies that, I feel, chase away the Spirit is a choice I’d rather not make. What I’m exposed to in the world outside of that is really outside of my control, but a choice to not watch negative media is something I can control. Though the rating system may be flawed (so my friends argue) those who rate movies rate them that way for a reason. And I can tell you right now those reasons are not of God.

     The other day I was talking to a really good friend who happens to be LDS and who has very little issue with these kinds of movies. She say’s she grew up with them. She says they don’t phase her. I say that sometimes her language and her thoughts reflect what she consumes. 

     We should be doing our best to have our purest thoughts, work our finest deeds, and move constantly towards Christ. Anything that does not inspire our purest thoughts, or hinders us in progression towards God is something perhaps we should cut out of our lives. I’m far from perfect in this particular area, but I do find it funny that so many people try to defend the viewing of things that distract, distort, and diminish that which is of God for the sake of entertainment. Is it really worth it?