Thoughts about language in films.

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sgtmattbaker

New Member
I absolutely refuse to willingly submit myself to anything that uses the Lord's name in vain, even once. That goes for games, TV, movies, everything. Some people may not agree with me on it, but I don't think that watching/playing something for entertainment when you know it has that kind of language in it (which angers God greatly; he does not take it lightly) is anything less than disrespectful to Him. If I will hear it for read it (in case of books, comics, etc.) I don't want to engage in the activity. I just feel that while violence can be acted blasphemy cannot.

This type of thing is not uncommon (it also happened in The Incredible Hulk, Iron Man, Indiana Jones, etc.) but the presence of blasphemy in "The Dark Knight" is more irritating than normal. The one movie I wanted to see has to include useless occurrences of blasphemy and ruin the entire film for me. It will be months now before it is released to DVD, and by that time enough inconsiderate people will have talked about the movie so that there probably won't be any part of the story that won't be ruined for me. I know the answer, but why can't any film just hold its tongue and at the VERY least limit the profanity in it to non-religious language? I don't even care if the producers don't share my Christian beliefs, the least they could do is be respectful to people that do by leaving that type of language out.

The Lord of the Rings series didn't contain any bad language, but it is an amazing series. Revenge of the Sith (or any Star Wars movies for that matter) contain no language but are great movies. Just because I don't share religious beliefs that other people have, e.g. Islam, Hinduism, etc. doesn't mean I go around and say things that are offensive to them, even under some veil of my personal rights within the realm of "artistic expression".

You know, you could argue the same thing for violence, but frankly I think that violence can advance a plot and be part of setting the mood/intensity of the film; language is never completely necessary in my opinion. Even more stupid is the only perk I have working at a movie theatre is that I get to see movies for free, but seeing as only children's movies and "family friendly" movies (think Meet Dave or Journey to the Center of the Earth, ewww) decide to leave language out of them I watch practically nothing. Wall-E and Kung-Fu Panda are about as far as decent movies that I can watch go. Iron Man? Nope. Incredible Hulk? Nope. Indiana Jones? Nope.

Hopefully no more of the film will be ruined before I get to see it on DVD, and thankfully a there is a company that produces DVD players that filter out the unnecessary garbage found in so many movies (ClearPlay). I actually asked a few people that if they found no objections to it conviction wise if they would tell me where the phrases happened in the Dark Knight so I could watch it. My plan was to play somewhat loud music in my headphones when the phrase would be said so that I wouldn't hear it (headphones are loud enough to cancel out the sound in the auditorium, I know I have checked) but I have gotten slammed by Christians and others alike about it. Here is one thing someone said (I guess not a Christian):

"Come on man. It's a movie. It's real life. People say your lords name in vein everyday right in front of you. I'm sure the MURDERING, LYING and STEALING within the film would have been a more viable argument to why you wouldn't want to see it as the CHRISTIAN thing to do. As a matter of fact, if you are such a big fan of God's little PLAN I wouldn't go see it at all. Because just like that little storybook shaped your core beliefs. The Joker's performance might make you lose all hope in just about everything...because in his sick little way, he almost has less a villainistic quality and more of a HERO of HIS OWN STORY right. The things he says make sense. He's not out to really hurt or kill anyone. He is there to show authority it's lack of fuctionality in todays society outside of Prozac nation."

"So let me get this straight...it's a "sin" for you to listen to these "phrases" but it's "ok" for you to ask your friend to listen to and write down the scenes where these phrases happen?

Then you are going to sit in the theater with headphones to not hear a phrase you probably know is being said...but might be easy to figure out by the lip reading?" If it isn't against that person's convictions am I doing something wrong? I don;t know what to think about his comment on lip reading, I suppose I just wouldn't look. Even though though, I know what he does say :-/ .

"How does muting it make it less offensive to God if he knows its there and he knows YOU know its there and want to work around it somehow? I need to pull out the Old Testament and see what it says about that... I think there's a bit about that after he sends a buncha bears to slaughter children who were sarcastic to Ezekial or somesuch." I can see a legitimate point in this statement, but then again it isn't like I am going to watch it knowing I will hear it, I am trying not to hear it at all. I think right now I will go whenever that guy gives me the list and if I mess up and hear one of the phrases I will just leave the theatre. I don't know.

Here is another one:

"God's name isnt God.

thats the problem with Christian morals...there are people raped and murdered every day and you're worried about the forced context of an arrangement of words.

I'd never beleive in a god as demanding and sensitive. I demand more of my gods. "

I have heard some Christians say things similar to "well, I don't like the language but I just ignore it".

Thoughts? I am sticking to my convictions, but people Christian or not are making me doubt myself...
 
sgtmattbaker said:
"So let me get this straight...it's a "sin" for you to listen to these "phrases" but it's "ok" for you to ask your friend to listen to and write down the scenes where these phrases happen?
Click to expand...

Wow, that's some pretty twisted logic there...

>_>

Yo, Matt. Just thought I'd say hi. ;)
 
Wow what a first post. I didn't even notice the language in DK, Im not sure what that says about me. In response to your post my guess would be to say that Romans suggests if you have a problem with it stick to your guns provided you dont attempt to limit the freedom of people with differing opinions.
 
Hello Lazarus. Actually I wasn't referring to you who said that. That was somewhere else. How I see it is he was going to see the film anyway, and he volunteered to help. If it was against his convictions in any way I told him to not do it. Apparently a lot of people don't share my idea about it so it must be a "sin" if it goes against your personal convictions, and not absolutely sinful for everyone.
 
Trying to remain a devils advocate on this..

How do you feel about films that dont contain bad language but contain dark themes?

Example El Orfanato (the orphanage).. no bad language (that i can remember).. yet a dark film.. and IMO a brilliant piece of cinema..

(I'm deliberately not putting my opinion on the first post so dont rail me for anything in here.. i am just being speculative)
 
Sigh, I find it greatly saddening that abusing God's name doesn't register on some Christians meters of objection. Believe me I notice it right along with all the other words in movies, very few of which are even necessary to any film. People used to say "oh my God" because they actually did mean it now they just say it when the wind blows (and yes it's pretty easy to tell the difference). I could go into why God thought it was important enough to make it one of the ten commandments or how if nothing is held holy or sacred it's not going to be considered holy or sacred by onlookers but I won't. My main objection is if your best friend died by stepping in front of a bullet to save your life I'd think you'd be offended if his name was reduced to mindless objections, often sandwiched with profanity. Now imagine how I feel when my best friend chooses to be crucified to save me from hell and his name is used so.
 
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Here's my opinion.

I agree completely about the severity of using God's name in vain. I also try to stay away from anything that is going to lead me farther away from God.

That being said, Hearing some guy in hollywood say it does not tempt me to sin. In fact most of the time i don't even hear what they are saying. I don't think they use the word to disrespect God.

But at the same time, if one of my buddy's say it, i would stop them and explain to them the severity of the word. They would then apologize and now look upon this word with much more respect.

A word is only a word until you fully understand it's meaning. I seriously believe that hollywood has gotten this word/Phrase confused with just another word for Emotion.

For instance, when someone says "God Da**" I don't think they are saying it for it's literal sense, they are just using it to describe their emotion. Although their are those our there who intentionally blaspheme God, and i strongly suggest staying away from situations like that I.E. A anti-God movie.

Maybe i'm just trying to give everyone the benefit of the doubt, I just can't see many people purposely blaspheming God. To me it's just not something anyone in there right mind would do.

That being said, I tend not to even hear (Or give much thought) to the language in movies. For the reasons above.

I hope this post isn't too long, and i hope it helped.
 
Yeah I don't like to hear blasphemy either. I think dark themes can be ok under some circumstances. My thoughts on Batman are that the violence is mostly from villains (how else are they villains if they don't do anything bad?) and the violence from the "good guys" is to protect others and uphold justice (even if some of the scenes in the Dark Knight show Batman doing some things that can seem unethical, but even then he is trying to do what is right and doesn't know where to draw the line).

I wish I knew (either by seeing a script or someone telling me) where the phrases in the film are so I can see it. I know there are 3 in the bar scene, and I know of another one earlier in the film but there are five others that I don't know about. I don't know if asking someone else to do this is absolutely wrong or not, but if someone has already seen the film and will do so again of their own free will I don't see the problem in them writing some stuff down about it. It appears that it is one of those things that is a matter of personal conviction, not something that is always a sin, like asking someone to steal something you want for you or to commit a murder for you.

I guess if anyone has seen it and is going to see it again, would you mind telling me where the phrases occur (dialog a sentence or so before up to a couple sentences after and a visual cue, e.g. camera goes to some barrels then shortly after someone says something)? Gd and a misuse of Jesus' name happen in the bar scene at the end and there is another one that I don't know. I know where an "oh my god" happens but the other five I don't. If you look at imdb.com it says the language (including blasphemy) that occurs in the film. Again, if you feel this would be a sin for you to see the film (first time or again) completely disregard my question.

As far as calling people down for using the Lord's name in vain, I usually don't do it. People are generally going to say what they want anyway and I don't like to have to argue with someone all the time. I guess part of it may also be the selfish/weak part of me that doesn't want to get into an uncomfortable situation. Although, every time I have told someone it was offensive they never stopped using it. One of my friends in particular is a proclaiming Christian but says "oh my god" a lot. He says he looks at it like you are calling out to God. I told him about a problem I had with porn and his views on that were that it was ok as long as you weren't obsessed. I am kind of wary to take spiritual advice from him now...

It is also sometimes hard not to assume that everyone else knows the same things you do (even outside of spiritual matters). For example, one of my friends had the assumption that the Bible was written by a single person. I never would have thought anyone would have thought that before, but I was wrong.
 
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Just because someone told you there is a GD in the bar scene does not protect you from it. If not it makes you even more aware of what you are allowing yourself to partake in.

I suggest you ask God for his guidance. If he thinks you should indulge in Harmless (My opinion.) entertainment, then by all means do it. But if God puts it on your heart to avoid these situations, then do just that.
 
Knowing where things happen isn't going to do any good if you can still hear it. I was planning on just having those small headphones (think ipod) and playing loud music during the parts where such happened. Probably not ever going to have the opportunity to attempt that, it being a strange antic or not.

I don't like hearing it because I know God doesn't like hearing it. I don't want to watch something that I know I will hear that in, hence why I don't watch television anymore.
 
You will hear it. Just not in your ears, in your mind. Which is far more dangerous.

The fact of the matter is. You don't like that they say these words, yet your still desperately trying to find a way to watch these films anyways. Why?

If you disagree with some of the content in the movie... then why support the studio that made the movie? Just something to think about.

I don't know what to tell you. If you think you have spidey reflexes and can turn an ipod on that fast and prevent you from hearing it, Then go for it. But you know what was said, and just because you didn't hear it... God sure did. God isn't going to judge you for something someone else said. Unless you went to the movie just to hear his name blasphemed, which i doubt would ever be the case.
 
I guess I want to see them because I like Batman :p . I guess going to see a film is supporting the studio, but one person not going to see an already incredibly popular movie isn't going to hurt them, especially when it doesn't cost me any money (I work at a movie theatre).

You will hear it. Just not in your ears, in your mind. Which is far more dangerous.
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Yeah I suppose you are right,I still know what is said so me hearing it isn't any better. What you are saying about me not going to the movie to hear God's name demeaned sounds like a perfectly reasonable thing, but I guess I feel as though I should be utterly disgusted with hearing such things. I hear such things in my daily life anyway and while they make me mad I can't really do anything about them. I guess if I am not seeing the movie out of disrespect it shouldn't be much of a problem. I guess I will go at 7 today.

If it really starts to guilt me I can always either leave or apologize for anything I might have done that dishonored God, even though I am not the one disrespecting him.
 
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