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...
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...