ANONYMOUS WRITES: Should Christians watch Thor, Superman, or any other superhero movie? I particularly mentioned Thor and Superman because of the spiritual references normally applied to them. Thor is a character derived from pagan Norse mythology and he is often called a demi-god, god, or the god of the thunder (although, often in his movies the claim that he is a god is refuted). I mention Superman because he is often called a savior and in his films he’s a Christ figure. Is this good or bad? What about the other superhero movies?
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Philippians 2:12-13 – Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; [emphasis on the fear and trembling] for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.
1 Corinthians 8:9 – But beware lest somehow this liberty of yours become a stumbling block to those who are weak.
Basically, if it hinders your walk with God or your (godly) relationship with others, then absolutely you should not watch superhero movies; but if you can stand before the all-powerful Creator of the universe with a clear conscience and answer for your actions of watching superhero movies, then by all means watch them.
Also remember 1 Corinthians 10:23 – All things are lawful for me, but not all things are helpful; all things are lawful for me, but not all things edify.
I believe this would fall under the ‘convictions’ that Paul talks about. Is it inherently wrong to watch superhero movies? No. I enjoy watching them with my family, and oftentimes we have a good conversation about the themes and how they match up with what the Bible says (sometimes after the movie, but other times we actually have to pause it xD) .
Other people might feel like they shouldn’t watch the movie, because of the violence or anything else. In that case it would be wrong to watch it–but that doesn’t mean that it’s wrong for everybody.
Again, maybe you’re going to the movies with a friend who feels like they shouldn’t watch the movie. Ordinarily it would be fine for you to watch it, but in this case you need to support your friend.
Paul explains this using food offered to idols as an example. 1 Corinthians 8:7-9 “Some have been so used to idolatry up until now that when they eat food offered to an idol, their conscience, being weak, is defiled. Food will not make us acceptable to God. We are not inferior if we don’t eat, and we are not better if we do eat. But be careful that this right of yours in no way becomes a stumbling block to the weak.”
We’ve talked about this some in my literature class (it’s a Christian curriculum), especially since so many classic books that we’ve read don’t have a Biblical message. Basically, my teacher explained it like this: even if it’s not all Christian, we can discern and admire the truths that are in the work. If we only see nothing to admire in the work itself, then we can compare it with God’s truth and admire God’s truth even more. (like holding a white sock against a black background)
@Joshismyname:disqus and @disqus_PKG2oq7IxS:disqus pretty much summed up what I was thinking. I’d like to point out that Philippians 2:12 says “…work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.” A lot of times we tend to focus on the working out our own salvation while we forget about the fear and trembling. I think it may be more appropriate to focus on and emphasize the fear and trembling. Like Josh said, if you can stand before God with a clear conscience about watching superhero movies, then it’s not necessarily wrong. That being said, Paul said in 1 Corinthians 8:13 that if something we do is going to stumble another person, we should be willing to not do it for their sake (“Therefore, if food makes my brother stumble, I will never again eat meat, lest I make my brother stumble”).
I would have to agree with @Josh A. @Cricket and @Sarah A. I think that the type of movies that you watch should be decided based on you (and your parents) personal convictions. And always compare anything questionable with what God’s Word says. Hope this helps!
I would like to come at this from another angle because I believe the previous comments have thoroughly covered that side of it. Anywho, if it’s not good to watch superhero movies or read the comics then it is not good to read any book or any movie at all, excluding the Bible of course. All books and movies have a main character who is the focus of attention, who is not Jesus. This character is often a “savior” or “hero”. Les Miserables, Pride and Prejudice, the Hobbit, Chronicles of Narnia, and even Pilgrims Progress have this. I don’t believe any Christians think of these stories as bad. But yet they are still doing the same thing that the Superhero stories are. I don’t believe that these stories are pulling me or anyone away from God. They are actually teaching lessons for life. Of course we have to be discerning and actually learn these lessons. We also have to remember Philippians 4:8, “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.” Anyways, I hope these answers help!
1 Corinthians 10:23 “All things are lawful,” but not all things are helpful. “All things are lawful,” but not all things build up.
I don’t understand trying to justify what we watch or participate in because you might find a biblical message in it. If I use that sort of discernment, I can justify most movie or tv watching.
If we are honest with ourselves, we watch what we watch because we want to. I find it condescending to the Lord when we try to attach anything good to secular movies and tv. I am not a movie or tv hater. i just think we need to call it like it is. Most of it is secular and most of it is non-beneficial to our walks and definitely does not come from a biblical worldview.
Let’s get our biblical messages out of scripture and not try to tie it in with secular movie/tv.
Always for Him,
Mrs. Jean
I couldn’t have said it better! 🙂
As @brookief:disqus mentioned, there are a lot of things that we consider wrong simply because it’s possible to turn it into something we worship. I think that this is so much the case that we can’t completely take these things out of our lives without being extremely legalistic.
Like @Joshismyname:disqus said, it depends a lot on how something affects you. There are some shows that I watch with my family and don’t have a problem with even though there is sometimes a bad word or two, because I haven’t seen any negative ways that those shows have affected me. However, there is one show that my brothers sometimes watch that has a lot of stuff in it that I don’t think is good, and because I can’t watch it with a clear conscience I just walk out of the room and do something else while they’re watching it.
With the mythology side of things, I find that subject fascinating. I think that it’s so interesting to see how people would try to justify and explain their world and the aspects that they didn’t understand, yet they’d try to do it by excluding the true God.
One thing that I don’t like about the modern superhero movies at all is how once-honorable role models are “updated” into being immoral losers. Think: ‘Batman Begins.’
Finally someone who thinks like I do! =^D
God bless you. Stand strong. Immerse yourself with scripture and clothe yourself with the love of God. It will be a lifelong fight to not give into what everyone else is thinking and doing.
Know how it will effect you. For instance I love Marvel but probably won’t watch Doctor Strange because I can’t handle the animism/magic. This is sort of a gray area but if you know it shouldn’t be a problem as far as temptation, and if your parents are okay with it, you should be okay. As always, godly influence is a must have.
Exactly. Some people get more affected than others with these sorts of things. Personally, I’ve always been good at separating reality from fiction; I’ve never had nightmares or irrational fears over TV, books, movies, etc. Watching these sorts of things for me is just a fun way to relax. For others, though, it’s harder not to be affected by them. If watching Thor, reading Percy Jackson, or getting into Harry Potter has affected your relationship with God? Maybe don’t do that. If you don’t feel any tug on your conscience about watching those things? Pray about it, but don’t feel guilty just because your limits are different than someone else’s. 🙂
Personally, I’m all for superhero movies as long as they’re clean. Superheroes model what it means to be brave and to take a stand for what’s right. We should never idolize them, but we can look up to them as good examples.
I agree. There is nothing wrong with watching a movie where heroes are strong and brave, righteous and with good morals.
Also because I am part Norwegian I happen to enjoy reading Norse mythology (what little I can find, anyway) and as long as you view it as a story and not reality or possibly fact, then by all means, go ahead.
I don’t know what to say that hasn’t already been said. Personally I enjoy superhero movies (I like the action and adventure to it), but not the ones that have someone cursing every other word or extreme violence (such as deadpool and daredevil to name a few). Just remember it is not our opinions that make a difference it is God’s. If you watch a movie and start feeling guilty then it is probably not a edifying movie. Then again even if you don’t feel guilty, but you feel there is a lot of inappropriate stuff going on the movie then you might want to change it. Hope this helps. In Christ alone.
I think its ok, provided they don’t blaspheme God, they have generally clean content(It seems all movies now have their drawbacks) HOWEVER. If you are easily tempted, like lets say one of these movies is worse than another, and you go and see that one too, well, that is grounds for disaster, And this does not only go for superhero movies but movies in general
I think you really have to decide on a movie by movie basis. But even when you want to watch a movie and there’s nothing wrong with it, I don’t generally like watching Super Hero movies in the theatre because their can be adds for other movies that can be either inappropriate or violent etc.
I think it’s totally okay for Christians to watch Super Hero movies, as long as it’s clean, and I probably have to agree with John. Even though it usually takes FOREVER for them to come out on Blu-ray, there are many benefits to watching movies in general on your personal TV. Like, the fast forward button, or the mute button on your remote. There’s also that ominous power button, which we typically have a hard time using in the middle of an exciting movie. But we have to ask ourselves the question, “Is watching this movie worth making my mind unclean?”
You should read Christopher’s article on kindly cleanliness. It’s beast!
Thanks for the encouragment! Somehow Thor isn’t really a problem for me. They take a very “scientific” approach to the whole Norse god thing.
I’m agreeing with some of the comments I read below. I think it depends on the movie. Like I think I remember Man of Steel being okay. But I could be forgetting something. The Iron Man movies, on the other hand, I remember being pretty bad. Which is a shame because Robert Downy Jr. Is hilarious. As for the Thor movies, no one seems to consider them actual gods. I remember in an avengers movie, the black widow said “These guys are PRACTICALLY gods” and Captain America was like, “Ma’am, there’s only One God, and I’m pretty sure he doesn’t dress like that. ” 😂😂
Yeah, I never had a problem with Thor either. Plus, his existence doesn’t seem to affect Captain America’s faith (nor Stark’s atheism, for that matter), and I do recall there being an explanation that they weren’t gods, they just seemed like it to humans? I dunno. It’s not too big of a deal for me 🙂 God made cool superheroes to look up to, and I think Jesus would totally watch Avengers if he were here on earth right now. 😀
Cap is my favorite super hero.
I know I love him. I think part of the reason I do is because he is like that. Like when Iron Man cussed and Cpt. America goes “Language!” haha😁
Mine too, I may have an obsession…
Yes! Part of the reason I love Cap so much is because he doesn’t have to use “language” to express himself.
Right!
Yes!! Our other reason being… Well do I even need to say it??! 😂😂
I’d say that if the only thing keeping you from watching a Superhero movie is that it focuses on a character who’s not Jesus, then sure. It’s probably fine to watch it. But a lot of Superhero movies have other questionable aspects.
The only Marvel movie I ever watched. . .Brings back old? memories. Not really. More like new memories which might not even count as memories since they’re so new.
I say they still count!
Such as what? Just curious.
Well, for one there can be swearing, immodesty, crude joking, unnecessary violence, and magic like powers. I know I didn’t really feel comfortable where in the Avengers II one of the twins (Don’t remember her name right now) had telepathic powers. Although I don’t agree that all secular movies/tv is bad (and I don’t know if that’s exactly what she meant), I think what @tmselden:disqus said about not trying to justify the things we watch is really good and true. You might say some books and movies praised by Christians have exactly the same things. Well, then I’d say we shouldn’t say “Oh, since these books Christians like have these bad things in them, then it’s okay to watch other stuff that’s basically the same.” No. Christians praising books that are basically the same as books they condone doesn’t make the books they condone any better. Instead, it should make us question the books Christians praise.
I’d also say that it’s not just about what hurts you personally. Even if your conscious is clean, remember that your actions do affect the people around you. Are You Setting An Example For The (Younger) Believers? When they see you do something, they look up to you. They say, “Oh, Josh A. watched such and such a movie. I should be able to watch it too.” Well, maybe they’re the weaker brother (or sister) and what’s okay for you isn’t okay for them.
“Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him if a great millstone were hung around his neck and he were thrown into the sea.”-Mark 9:42
“It is good not to eat meat or drink wine or do anything that causes your brother to stumble. The faith that you have, keep between yourself and God. Blessed is the one who has no reason to pass judgment on himself for what he approves. But whoever has doubts is condemned if he eats, because the eating is not from faith. For whatever does not proceed from faith is sin.”-Romans 14:21-23
Just so you know, I really like this comment! I was just adding something 😉
I’ve never said that nor has anyone else on this thread. We need to remember that this is fiction. When we cannot distinguish between fiction and reality, yes we need to distance ourselves from the fiction, but we also need to work on realizing that not everything needs to be taken literally. Yes, I believe witchcraft is truly evil in the real world, but in the Avengers AoU, Wanda Maximoff or Scarlett Witch is a fictional character who was born with these traits. The thing with watching stuff like this is we can use discernment to distinguish what is bad, ie. witchcraft and examine what is good. Their selflessness and using our natural talents for the good of others, not to hurt people, as was the lesson with Wanda. We have many, many muscles that need to be exercised and one of those is our “sight”. We need to be able to look at the world around us without hiding and running from the problems. The world will never be changed if Christians insist on hiding away in our “perfect” little worlds. We are all standing on a very steep hill and we can either slip down the “I’m being good and legalistic” or “I’m helping everyone and loosing myself”. So, any who, what I mean is that we need to be careful not wrap ourselves in bubblewrap, but we also can’t stand on the edge of the cliff hoping not to fall.
Precisely! That is absolutely correct.
I honestly think that it depends on the movie. I totally agree on the Superman part of it. Usually, Relevant or Clubhouse does Christian reviews on their websites when the movie comes out in the theaters. Check that, then you’re good.
I love the great conversation happening on this DQ! It’s good stuff! Keep it up!
I’ve enjoyed science-fiction and fantasy all my life. I find it fascinating, intriguing, and sometimes inspiring, so I thought I’d jump into this conversation.
When it comes to any sort of entertainment–whether movies, music, books, video games, you name it–we should ask two questions:
1. Does it dishonor God in any way?
2. Is it worth consuming?
First: Does it dishonor God?
You could literally spend days discussing all the finer details of what it means to “Dishonor God.”
But suffice it to say: keep your heart open to Christ as you consume entertainment. Does it glorify sin or put it in positive light? Does it demean faith in Jesus? Does it misrepresent God (this can happen in Christian movies as well!)?
You get the point. If you’re uncertain about it, search the Scriptures, pray, and seek feedback from mentors and other peers.
Second: Is it worth consuming?
The other day I looked at a bag of Ranch Doritos (my favorite) and thought “That’s just going to make me feel like trash.” So I didn’t eat it.
Is it wrong, per se, to eat Doritos? Of course not. But it wasn’t beneficial to my physical health.
We must do the same with our entertainment.
All things may be permissible for your conscience, but only pursue what is spiritually and emotionally beneficial (1 Cor. 10:23).
“But I love these movies and we are free under grace,” you say.
Ugh! I know the struggle! But think about what ultimately matters!
If you decide watching Superhero movies isn’t worth it, you’ll be okay. You probably won’t lose friends over it. You’ll still grow up into a healthy, normal, functioning adult.
But what’s more: You’ll have a conscience. Oh, I can’t tell you how valuable this is! To negate your conscience is the worst thing you can do (I know from too many experiences!).
Adults with healthy, functioning consciences are so life-giving to the people around them and glorifying to God! And to BE an adult with a healthy conscience is so FREEING! Way more freeing than having permission to consume whatever entertainment you feel like!
Some things I always consider:
– Sexuality. There’s seldom a valid reason to display sexual acts in a movie. Sex is so valuable, so good, and so holy that we should run away from anything that profanes sex (makes light of, degrades it). There’s enough immorality thrown at me day-to-day. I don’t need it in my entertainment as well.
– Violence. Is the violence displayed necessary to move the plot forward? Are the explosions, death, blood, and violence simply to thrill the audience? Or is it necessary to accurately represent history, stimulate emotion, or vital to the plot in any way?
– Profane language. Just like sex, God’s name is so valuable, so good, so holy that we should run from anything that profanes it. Other junk language really has no meaning, but is culturally deplorable. As much as possible, fill your mind with meaningful thoughts. And don’t let idle words come from your mouth, or people will stop valuing what you say.
I completely agree with you–no way should we read immoral books or watch immoral shows and use comparing them to God’s truth as an excuse (because that’s usually what it is).
Hey Brooke,
Sorry I didn’t respond sooner. I definitely agree that “we can use discernment to distinguish what is bad. . .and examine what is good. Their selflessness and using our natural talents for the good of others. . .”
Unfortunately in the case of Wanda, the evil (witchcraft) and the good (her natural talents) are one and the same.
I think it can be easy to think that witchcraft is something out there, but we don’t come in contact with it everyday. That’s not true. Witchcraft is in our media and entertainment. It’s in our books. It’s in our culture.
And just like in those books and movies, witchcraft is not always used for evil. Witchcraft can be used to heal people, to give people what they want, to foretell the future etc. etc. None of those things are bad in and of themselves. So, why is it commanded against in the Bible? It’s not because what it does is evil. It’s because it, in and of itself, is evil.
Even if someone is using it to bring about good that doesn’t mean it’s right.
I also agree that we need to be able to face the problems in this world (including witchcraft), but I really don’t think entertainment is doing this in any way. When we’re watching a movie where someone uses telepathic powers (which I believe is still wrong, even if it’s not clearly portrayed as witchcraft. Take the demon-possessed slave girl in Acts, for example. She wasn’t doing witchcraft. She was just demon-possessed. It was a power inside herself.) we’re not battling the darkness. We’re sitting back, not doing anything, and absorbing it. Instead, why don’t we go to real people in real places who really practice witchcraft and share the gospel with them. Let God use us to transform the darkness all around us.
Even if we’re being legalistic. Even if we wrap ourselves in bubblewrap, we’re not going to escape evil. Evil is not something out there. It’s inside of us. So I agree. Let’s face it. But let’s not just sit back and enjoy it as entertainment.
Your brother in Christ,
John.
I guess we’ll have to agree on what the Bible says and agree to disagree on the media aspect. I wish you the best in your life. 🙂
This is sooooo good and true! To tell you the truth, I was a little disappointed when I watched my first Marvel movie. I was expecting there to be blood, but it was mostly explosions. I guess that’s beside the point.
Anyway, I thought what you said was really good. The Bible actually says that doing things that go against our conscience, even if they’re not wrong per se, is sin.
“[W]hoever has doubts is condemned if he eats, because the eating is not from faith. For whatever does not proceed from faith is sin.”-Romans 14:23B
You said, “If you decide watching Superhero movies isn’t worth it, you’ll be okay. You probably won’t lose friends over it.” I don’t know that this is true. It really depends on who you hang out with. Sometimes, by choosing not to do the cool stuff, we do end up losing friends. But I think that’s okay, because we have the best friend of all: Jesus Christ.
And He says, “Truly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or lands, for my sake and for the gospel, who will not receive a hundredfold now in this time, houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions, and in the age to come eternal life.” Mark 10:29B-30
This is a joke right? It’s just a movie! It doesn’t mean it’s going to have any affect on your life or make you suddenly start worshipping ancient Nordic gods! For flip sake, this is why I hate being a Christian sometimes. Rules for the sake of rules does not make anything better. Next you’ll be saying that we need to stop going to any event other than a church service because it isn’t about praising God and thus is a waste of time.
Thanks for your feedback, Cameron.
I’m afraid that you read quite a bit into my comment. I wasn’t suggesting that we set up rules about going to the movies. Between your parents, the Bible, and the Holy Spirit, you should decide whether a movie is worth watching.
I, personally, want to be careful about what I put into my mind just like I want to be careful about what I put into my body. You’re right, watching Thor won’t cause me to worship Nordic Gods any more than eating Doritos will kill me. That doesn’t mean they won’t have any affect on me.
I make my entertainment decisions primarily off of Philippains 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 praiseworthy–think about such things.”
Would you be surprise you if I told you that I went to see “Batman vs. Superman”? I haven’t seen any of the DC films, but I went because my friend loves them and I want to build a relationship with him.
It was worth it to me because that was one of the few ways I could connect with him. I didn’t feel like I sinned or violated my conscience. I wasn’t doing it to be cool, either. However, the movie itself didn’t leave me very inspired or informed about much.
You’re right. It is just a movie. So why is it so important to watch it? Usually, there’s much better things to do with my time and money.
It’s okay if you disagree, though. I just wanted to clarify some things.
I do have a question for you, Do you think it matter at all what movies we watch?
Thank you! You have common sense! The problem isn’t so much the movies in question. It’s the fact that people even think there is a reason that you shouldn’t watch them that I can’t stand. Some Christians seem determined to call everything that isn’t church a sin and I am sick of hearing about it. And another thing, observing a sin isn’t a sin, only repeating what you see is.
(Disclaimer: If this is a repeat of another comment, I would like to take this moment to express my most sincere apologies. I didn’t read them all.)
I think it all boils down to worldview. A lot of times people mindlessly watch movies for the sake of entertainment without giving any thought to the message or the worldview of the film. (Myself included) I don’t think it’s wrong to watch those kinds of movies though, unless you’re one of those people who has a hard time separating fantasy from reality. If you are, you can still watch superhero movies, but I wouldn’t recommend jumping off of any buildings or trying to lift a falling airplane or anything. As long as you’re watching with the right perspective and worldview, I believe certain films of that nature are acceptable.
However, superhero movies can be filled with a lot of junk as well. Marvel doesn’t exactly produce the most God-honoring films on the planet. When I’m watching those types of films with my brothers, we use a website called VidAngel. Through VidAngel you can filter out the junk. Not just cursing, but inappropriate scenes as well. You specify what you want taken out and they take it out. So I would definitely recommend streaming through VidAngel if you want to watch those types of movies.
Actually, dying from an over-consumption of Doritos is a very real possibility…
This is true. Thankfully, I wasn’t talking about over-consuming Doritos. =)
Did you just say you, “… hate being a Christian sometimes.”? The “sometimes” doesn’t make it any better!
You summarized that perfectly, Natalie!
I did… What is your point? Sometimes means not all of the time and not about everything. Most of the time I don’t hate it at all.
To express where I’m coming from though lets think about another question. Should Christians be allowed to study other religions in the context of understanding cultures or ancient religions in the context of history. These should be much more pressing issues than a stupid movie with Thor or some other fictional character in it. Yet suddenly the answer seems obvious that yes, you should be able to.
The difference is that studying other religions and cultures is for a greater purpose: to either understand history or understand a culture in order to relate effectively with it.
Whereas a movie is just that, a movie. I see enough violence and immorality on the news and around my city (Los Angeles) already. I don’t need more violence and immorality in my consciousness.
This is my reasoning behind how I decide to watch movies.
You are, obviously, entitled to your belief, conviction, and practice. Thanks for sharing it! I trust it is grounded in Scripture and relationship with Christ. I believe mine is, but it is, nonetheless, likely to be flawed in some way or another. That’s why we have these DQ’s: to explore a subject, hear different opinions and practices, and learn from each other in the process.
Can you respect my opinion without mocking me or jumping to conclusions? And extend grace to me if I happen to be wrong?
Thanks Cameron!
I never meant to mock you or what you believe, please don’t feel like I did. My first comment was a bit of a rant sorry.
Choosing what you want on your conscious is obviously up to you and people will have different attitudes to things.
Knowing that you are from the United States makes a little more sense now, as I have heard movies and stuff are taken quite seriously there. That’s okay! I don’t mean to offend. I am not from the states however but rather Northern Ireland(part of the U.K. but connected to Ireland) and over here movies aren’t take that seriously by many people.
By this I mean for example movie ratings here are more or less ignored by a significant portion of the population. Many parents are happy enough to let their children watch 18 movies so long as they’ve seen it before and decided for themselves. And many of the video games that are marked 18 would be played by 12 year olds no problem. From what I have heard(no evidence just from TV etc) the states take it more seriously? Can you confirm/deny that?
Anyway the point is that where I come from people don’t take such things seriously and that might be why my opinion was so polarised compared to yours. Thanks for the responses and again sorry for coming across in that way.
I personally don’t watch superhero movies as I don’t particularly like that kind of stuff. I think Christians should be allowed as long as they still seek God with all their heart mind and strength. If you know that it is fake then it would be better than if you don’t think it is fake. I am a Star Wars fan. In Star Wars they think Darth Varder is a lord yet many Christians watch Star Wars.
I agree
I am a 13 year old girl. I love to watch GOOD movies about, crime, suspense, drama, etc. I am not a huge fan of superhero movies. Some of them are good, like, Iron Man 1, Captain America 2 and 3, etc. The Dark Knight does NOT feel like a superhero movie. It feels like a crime thriller and that’s why it’s on of my favorite movies of all time. Just because you watch a movie with some bad language or violence, does not mean it is a horrible movie that Christians need to avoid. My teacher at church even had a lesson about this. She said, “Garbage in means garbage out.” For example, she was saying that if I watch a movie with cussing or something like that, then you will do the same thing. Mostly saying that we should ONLY watch and listen to things that are completely clean and pure. Are we really that sensitive to things like that! I don’t watch movies with A LOT of bad language in them, but you can still find spectacular movies without a TON of cussing, violence, etc. Also I think Christians try to turn everything you watch and listen to into something religious. It’s great to have a biblical discussion about certain things in a movie, but turning everything you watch into something religious makes your movie experience miserable. Especially for kids and teens. If you are looking for a movie that is COMPLETELY clean and pure, then you will have an EXTREMELY difficult time in trying to find one. Is it a bad thing when you watch a movie just to ENJOY it! This is just my opinion. You don’t have to agree with me.
You see violent things happening in the real world. You hear people cussing and using Gods name in vain in public places all the time. If we can’t handle only a few of things in movies, music, books, etc, then how will we handle what happens in the real world. We can’t always run away from problems in the world just because it might give us negative thoughts or offend us.
I get what you’re saying, Jesse. It’s not that people can’t handle it. I can certainly handle it. It’s because I face it on an almost daily basis that I don’t want it in my entertainment (though it often ends up there anyways).
The less I fill my mind with junk, the better, in my opinion. Does that make sense?
Yes. Thank you for your explanation. 😀
So, what are some of your favorite movies?
Uh, good question. Although I have tended to enjoy the sci-fi/fantasy genres and have found them interesting and exciting, recently, I’ve connected more with good storytelling.
One of my favorites is “Ragamuffin” about the life of Rich Mullins. “Selma” about the famous march during MLK’s time (though it’s a pretty hard movie to watch). “Miracle” the story about the 1980 USA Olmypic hockey team beating the Soviet Union. Remember the Titans, the classic Ben-Hur, are a few others that I enjoy.
When good story telling can mix with quality fantasy, then I really enjoy it. (Lord of the Rings used to be some of my favorite books. I pretty much had them memorized.)
I love The Lord of the Rings movies. I haven’t read the books yet. My favorite one is The Return of the King.
I like The Hunger Games franchise, too. I think Catching fire is the best one, though. Also like: Titanic, Gladiator, Jaws, The Patriot is also really good.
I love Batman Begins and The Dark Knight. I can memorize almost every line in The Dark Knight. It is a DC movie, but for me, The Dark Knight is better than any of the Marvel movies. It has great action, and,in my opinion, the best villain of all time.
I’m not a fan of movies where the only thing that happens is fighting and explosions. I like a story that actually makes since. I guess I’m more into the, dark, realistic, gritty, serious things.
Have you seen any of these movies? My family owns Miracle, but I’ve never seen it. I’ve heard of Selma, Ben-Hur, and Remeber the Titans, but have not seen any of them.
I like watching movies for the fun of watching them, but I also want a movie where it actually challenges your mind.
What did you think of Batman vs Superman? I’ve heard it is bad but I’m not sure.
Well, I have never seen any of the other DC films, so I didn’t really connect with the plot. It wasn’t as dark as I was expecting, but still dark. Kind of over the top as far as violence goes, imo. 😊
If you want something really dark with a strong plot with great characters, and not over the top violence, then I recommend, Batman Begins and The Dark Knight. The Dark Knight Rises is okay but it was confusing and I didn’t like any of the villains motivations. It wasn’t as dark as the other two.
I think you feel more of the violence then actually see it. I read a review of The Dark Knight. It said, ” The camera may blink, but your minds eye doesn’t.”
They do have some plot holes, but none of them really matter. The Dark Knight Rises has TONS of big plot holes.
I would say yes. If you watch a superhero movie, you will see the faith, or un-faith sometimes, in a certain character. If you watch those movies, try and relate your faith in God with every ones faith in a specific superhero.
It doesn’t really matter if you are a Christian and you watch movies that includes super heroes in them. They are fictional characters and for some of them, you could make connections between the heroes and God. Movies are just for entertainment and it wouldn’t affect your faith.
Exactly! I do know of some people that would think that though, (check out my other comments for that ). They think that everyone will do whatever someone is doing on screen. Sometimes, if the hero does something bad, they apologize and try to correct their behavior, but people sometimes forget the good things about entertainment, because they are so worried that someone might act the same way.
i believe that it is unexeptable that all superhero movies and pg-13 movies, especially in 2016 have to use gods name with the d word
hi
I personally don’t feel they are acceptable as a Christian. It’s not about salvation. You can watch marvel and go to heaven. Its more about the relationship and obedience you share with God. Everyone has their own convictions.
1 John 2:15-17 ESV
Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride in possessions—is not from the Father but is from the world. And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.
Also, a lot of marvel and dc movies as well as the “innocent” Disney deal with magic and sorcery
The bible calls the practice of these things an abomination. That clearly will say they’re sinful. I do not choose to fellowship with the devil. It’s better to be safe and not subject myself to it and I used to be a big marvel fan!
Hope that helps anyone who was maybe feeling conviction.
I read plenty of good comments but I didn’t find anyone who thinks the way I think. Let me explain: Why do we have SO MANY “superhero” movies lately? In these movies, do you ever hear about Jesus? The answer is NEVER. Even if I do enjoy watching these movies for entertainment just as anyone else, I think most of us miss the point: Superhero movies are meant for us to believe we can be saved by “super humans” or other mystical creatures or magic. We are literally bombarded by these. For the youngest generations, who have a hard time making the difference between fantasy and reality, “superheroes” and other “mutants” have taken the place of God and its angels, or even the saints (if you are Catholic).
But to fully understand that, you need to go back to the origin of superheroes in popular entertainment. Read about the Golem. Understand who runs Hollywood. Understand what is their agenda. Observe how Superhero movies deny Jesus as savior of the World. Deny even the very existence of Jesus! Observe also its effects on the young generations who have never been so far away from their creator. Superhero movies, just like the rest, are a way to separate us from God, be aware of that. It doesn’t mean Christians should absolutely not watch these movies, but beware of the hidden agenda behind this cinematic genre! Nothing is innocent, everything is spiritual in this World.