Close Topic Options

Mormons & R-Rated Movies - Page 6

Well, we will have to disagree in this one too I personally don't think that just because the movie is not accurate from an LDS perspective, I cannot be spiritual edificated by it, even though as I said before I don't have to see the movie in order to obtain a testimony about Christ's atonement, it doesn't mean I cannot be spiritually edificated by it, I think for some people looking at a movie and seeing Jesus's suffering may have a great impact in their lives....for some people, just reading about it may not be enough, they need like Thomas, to see to believe and who knows the movie may change the lives of some people who really need it.

Movies R-Rated and Mormons

LDS, I agree 100% with your last post. All I said is I question it. I am not saying I don't believe it possible. That is exactly why I would be interested in hearing from members who go as to what their spiritual experience is.

I have trouble seeing certain types of movies. I even had nightmares after watching "Pirates of the Carribean, Curse of the Black Pearl." So, I don't want to go unless I hear from other members that it was spiritually uplifting.

Mormons & R-Rated Movies Studies Doctrine Mormon

Funny thing is this...
1. That is actually a debate among many members... which was more triumphant... the Garden or the Cross. I believe there is a thread around here about it, if not let me know and I will start both sides of the story.
2. The focus on the cross has to do with Him actually giving up the ghost, giving His life or dying for us. He previously told His disciples that no greater love hath a man than to lay down his life for his friends. So the secular beliefs may use the cross as the ultimate show of love.
3. The atonement is so personal, that even if one had not the true meaning of it (which none of us can really, at least not in this life) we could still 'feel' the impact of it from the Spirit and the 'Light of Christ' which is given to all men. I firmly believe that it is a Gift of Understand the Atonement. Thus some may have this. We should look upon them based on Church membership. In fact in recent years, someone declaring themselves a member does not really do much until they start speaking and moving

Page 6 Movies R-Rated and Mormons

Wow, I just read in CNN that a woman died of an apparent heart attack while watching the movie "Passion of the Christ". I posted the whole story in the thread about the movie in the Movie and Television board.

Movies R-Rated and Mormons

Here is a little more discussion about this subject, from an article at Deseret Book.

https://deseretbook.com/mormon-life/news/story?story_id=1321

I found the article interesting. It doesn't take a stand either way on the subject of R-rated movies, but it does discuss why Mormons might be interested in seeing the Passion. It also discusses the book The DaVinci Code from the same perspective.

NightHawk

Mormons & R-Rated Movies

I read this article with interest. Thanks for the Link, Nighthawk. You might also want to post this in the thread about whether or not the Savior was married. It didn't help me with my decision to see the Passion, but it did convince me to read the Da Vinci Code, which I had heard good things about and just hadn't gotten around to doing yet.

Mormons & R-Rated Movies - Page 6

I wouldn't have expected it to affect anyone's decision about seeing The Passion.

All of the dicussion the last few days about the Passion, Mormon attitudes towards, it, etc, have really gotten me thinking. I have already expressed my thoughts about personal responsibility, not letting a group of faceless, anonymous people make my decisions for me, etc., so I won't go into that anymore.

I read a very interesting article, somewhere, about Mel Gibson, and not only has he changed over the last few years, but the article pointed out how his films have changed so drastically. It was pointing out that he has greatly offended the Leftist colony known as Hollywood (land of Make Believe).

At first, with Mad Max, then with movies such as the Lethal Weapon series, he was the darling of the community. His movies made a LOT of money, they were safe, with lots of violence, action, sexual innuendo, irresponsible sex, and no moral pontification.

However, one day, he started to find God, in his own way. He began to go back to his roots, in Catholocism. And, you know what, his movies began to change. He started MAKING movies, not just acting in them, and the movies he MADE were different. They weren't so comfortable for Hollywood.

He made Braveheart, which contains elements of nobility, personal sacrifice, and freedom - all as ideals. Yes, it was rated R, it was violent, graphic, and intense. He made The Patriot, again extremely graphic and intense. And in it, his character gave his sons guns with which to fight the enemy. Again, elements of intense personal sacrifice, freedom, liberty, and true nobility.

How about Ransom, with its message of NOT giving in to a criminal, and even eventually finding out who the criminal was, (without the dubious help of the police), and beating the snot out of the man who harmed his son? Shall we say it again? Personal sacrifice, personal responsibility, liberty, nobility.l

Yes, Mel Gibson makes movies now that are rated R. But in contrast to much of the rest of the spectrum of R-rated movies, we see that these are not filled with mindless, gratuitous sexuality, nor with excessive profanity. They are violent, at times graphically so. But how do you tell the story of William Wallace, or the story of the American Revolution, without graphic violence? How do you tell the story of the anguish a man feels when he confronts the man who harmed his son, without showing the real rage, the "passion" if you will, and then show that he was able to actually control it, in the end.

So, looking at much that has been written about The Passion of the Christ, and the discussion that has been going on among Mormons, I have come to an even stronger position that I need to carefully consider each movie. I need to look at the rating, very carefully, in my considerations, but I am not going to let it rule me.

There are good movies out that are rated R (not many, that is for sure). There are a few good movies out that are rated PG-13 (probably all of them are Jackie Chan movies ). There are a few good movies out that are rated PG. There are a few good ones that are rated G. But letting the ratings board choose for me is not a good option.

NightHawk

Mormons & R-Rated Movies Mormon Doctrine Studies - Page 6

If I may be permitted to share a thought that may offend some but nevertheless I think it is true. The culture of the US makes it that a young man or young woman takes much longer to mature and reason than a teen of the same age somewhere else. I include in this... Trinidadians Canadians, etc. A kid in the Middle East may be exposed to more of the realities of life and the 'adult' world and thus make more pertinent decisions than what cable channel to watch. However, I do see exceptional youth and adults who are able to take things for what they are worth rather than focus on the base value, but they are few, and often when you find one, they are exceptional. So what is my point? Well, if you read the Book of Mormon you will see that it is really graphic and violent, some battles actually end with scalping a head, people being burned, etc. Some people cannot relate with that...they just think... 'Oh they were burned, no big deal'. Their mind and possibly their imaagination is so poor, so underdeveloped that they cannot even begin to imagine the horror of being burned or seeing your family burned for a belief. So in the end I am saying....

1. There are those who will get something from this film, maybe its the only way they can... good
2. There are those who do not need to see it because they have already attained the maturity to understand and accept what the Lord has done... good
3. There are those who just put up a front because of a crowd... not so good
4. There are those who really have no mind of their own... not good at all

I have always learnt that all that is given to us is for the least individual, meaning that it is possible for the least in mind and wisdom to comprehend and obey. I believe that if the Church were mostly made up of Nighthawks, JBs, LDS_forevers, Tenaheffs and Farseers then the books written, the things spoken and so on would be so much more intense, so fruitful that such topics as this one would almost seem meaningless, but unfortunately (or maybe fortunately it is not so ) we have varrying levels of maturity, most of which I think are far from wise... Thus the Prophet actually has to make a book saying do not watch R-Movies, do not dress with revealing clothes, do not do this... do not do that... when you think about it, those things should be automatic. Why would I want to dress in revealing clothes? Or listen to a Marilyn Manson? There are just those who need to have a 'letter of the law', because they cannot think for themselves. Now for the disclaimer... this is not official Church doctrine, just thoughts from my head... just some rambles.