Expert: Pastor Don Carpenter - 8/1/2005

Question
Hi Pastor Carpenter,

My son, like me, is a Baptist Christian and he fancies himself making movies. He likes the idea of making action movies such as the type Arnold Swarzenegger and Sylvester Stallone would star in. You know, where the good guys beat the bad guys.

I explained to my son that most movies promote sex and violence and that if his movies were Christian, he shouldn't promote sex in any form. I told him any women in his movies would need to be dressed modestly and there should be no hint of sex in any of his movies.

However, I'm not sure what to tell my son about what level of violence could be included in his movies? Afterall, the Bible is full of violence.

So what advice can you give me that I could share with my son about what level of violence he could include in his movies? Do you know any Bible verses that could help me understand better as to what I could tell my son?  

Answer
Thanks for this interesting question.  I think that if you think of the violence in the scriptures, it was always shared in order to get a broader message acrossed.  Violence should never be added because people simply like to see what it might be like to kill someone....but rather to communicate a bigger message.  For example, Mel Gibson used graphic violence in "The Passion" in order to communicate the depth of suffering Jesus endured for us...proving His love.  You could not fully tell the story without the violence.  I do have one verse of scripture that could act as a principle to guide your son.

Philippians 4:8
8 Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.  
The King James Version, (Cambridge: Cambridge) 1769.

I hope that this is a help.

In Christ
Pastor Don