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Question Title	Posted By	Question Date
re: movies	stacey	Wednesday, September 24, 2008
Question: I was visiting a friend a few months ago who attends the church I used to go to. She is single but keeps alot of kids all the time. She was playing a horror movie that had a lot of very objectionable content(ie. rape, murder, and occult theme) with me and the kids around. She could tell I was uncomfortable and asked me why. I tactfully told her how I felt especially since I am a sexual assault survivor. She said "Well, it doesn't bother me-I've been raped too and it doesn't bother me at all to watch this. I don't see what the problem is." She then went on to give me some twisted logic about how when you're filled with the holy spirit it shouldn't bother you. She's also taken our church youth group to movies that some of us have found objectionable. What is the best way to handle this when your at somebody elses house or a church field trip and you want to get your point across without causing a scene? When your at your own house you can just change the channel.
Question Answered by Bro. Ignatius Mary, OLSM Dear Stacey: Sorry for the delay in answering. Well, your friend appears to have some emotional or maturity problems. To say that if one is filled with the Holy Spirit they will not be bothered by such inappropriate movies is Pride, arrogance, uncharity, and theologically incorrect. It matters what we allow into our minds. We need to guard our senses -- what movies and TV shows we watch, what music we listen to, that games we play. Satan can sift our imaginations like wheat. It we place these images in our minds then that can become fodder for Satan's mill to manipulate our imaginations and worse. There are four things that apply here: 1) Temperance: The Catholic Catechism states: 1809 Temperance is the moral virtue that moderates the attraction of pleasures and provides balance in the use of created goods. It ensures the will's mastery over instincts and keeps desires within the limits of what is honorable. The temperate person directs the sensitive appetites toward what is good and maintains a healthy discretion: "Do not follow your inclination and strength, walking according to the desires of your heart." (Sirach 5:2; cf. 37:27-31.) Temperance is often praised in the Old Testament: "Do not follow your base desires, but restrain your appetites." (Sirach 18:30.) In the New Testament it is called "moderation" or "sobriety." We ought "to live sober, upright, and godly lives in this world." (Titus 2:12) To live well is nothing other than to love God with all one's heart, with all one's soul and with all one's efforts; from this it comes about that love is kept whole and uncorrupted (through temperance). No misfortune can disturb it (and this is fortitude). It obeys only [God] (and this is justice), and is careful in discerning things, so as not to be surprised by deceit or trickery (and this is prudence).(St. Augustine, De moribus eccl. 1,25,46:PL 32,1330-1331) 2) The appearance of evil: St. Paul warns in 1 Thess 5:22, "Abstain from all appearance of evil." Not only are we to avoid doing evil, we are to avoid even the appearance of evil. 3) Think upon things that are Excellent: St. Paul teaches us in Philippians 4:8 Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things. 4) Guard the Senses: As mentioned above, the devil can mess with our imaginations. If we allow negative images in our minds then the devil can use that against us. These images can also effect our psychological health and well-being. St. Ignatius of Loyola in his Constitutions wisely teaches: "All should take care to guard with great diligence the gates of their senses (especially the eyes, ears, and tongue) from all disorder, to preserve themselves in peace and true humility of their souls..." What this person is doing is wrong. It is exposing these kids to a Culture of Death in these types of movies. Do we not enough culture of death in our society as it is? The Church should be a haven away from that exposing our kids to the LIFE that is in Christ. If this person does not stop this with the Youth Group I would talk to the pastor. What she is doing is not only inappropriate but it is raping the minds of those children with evil images. I consider this a form of child abuse. As for visiting someone else's house and they turn on a movie that is objectionable, you need to politely excuse yourself and leave the TV room to the kitchen or leave the home altogether. When asked why you are doing this, be honest and say why. If the kids are on a sleep-over or otherwise visiting a friends house and these sorts of inappropriate movies are shown, then you need to talk to the parents about your concerns and if they think nothing of it, you have no choice but to not allow your children to visit that home. Some of this may make a scene because people do not like to be confronted with moral truths. You have an obligation to say something. You can say it as politely and diplomatically as you can, but say something you must, or do something like leave the area, but you cannot just sit there and allow the kids to be exposed to this stuff, or yourself either. Jesus stepped on toes all the time. If we are not stepping on someone's toes then we are probably not living a very good Christian life. God Bless, Bro. Ignatius Mary Footer Notes: This forum is for general questions on the faith. See specific Topic Forums below: Spiritual Warfare, demons, the occult go to our Spiritul Warfare Q&S Forum. Liturgy Questions go to our Liturgy and Liturgical Law Q&A Forum Liturgy of the Hours (Divine Office) Questions go to our Divine Office Q&A Forum Defenfing the Faith Questions go to our Defending the Faith Q&A Forum Church History Questions go to our Church History Q&A Forum

Question Title

Posted By

Question Date

re: movies

stacey

Wednesday, September 24, 2008

Question:

I was visiting a friend a few months ago who attends the church I used to go to. She is single but keeps alot of kids all the time. She was playing a horror movie that had a lot of very objectionable content(ie. rape, murder, and occult theme) with me and the kids around.

She could tell I was uncomfortable and asked me why. I tactfully told her how I felt especially since I am a sexual assault survivor. She said "Well, it doesn't bother me-I've been raped too and it doesn't bother me at all to watch this. I don't see what the problem is."

She then went on to give me some twisted logic about how when you're filled with the holy spirit it shouldn't bother you. She's also taken our church youth group to movies that some of us have found objectionable.

What is the best way to handle this when your at somebody elses house or a church field trip and you want to get your point across without causing a scene? When your at your own house you can just change the channel.

Question Answered by Bro. Ignatius Mary, OLSM

Dear Stacey:

Sorry for the delay in answering.

Well, your friend appears to have some emotional or maturity problems. To say that if one is filled with the Holy Spirit they will not be bothered by such inappropriate movies is Pride, arrogance, uncharity, and theologically incorrect.

It matters what we allow into our minds. We need to guard our senses -- what movies and TV shows we watch, what music we listen to, that games we play.

Satan can sift our imaginations like wheat. It we place these images in our minds then that can become fodder for Satan's mill to manipulate our imaginations and worse.

There are four things that apply here:

1) Temperance: The Catholic Catechism states:

1809 Temperance is the moral virtue that moderates the attraction of pleasures and provides balance in the use of created goods. It ensures the will's mastery over instincts and keeps desires within the limits of what is honorable. The temperate person directs the sensitive appetites toward what is good and maintains a healthy discretion: "Do not follow your inclination and strength, walking according to the desires of your heart." (Sirach 5:2; cf. 37:27-31.) Temperance is often praised in the Old Testament: "Do not follow your base desires, but restrain your appetites." (Sirach 18:30.) In the New Testament it is called "moderation" or "sobriety." We ought "to live sober, upright, and godly lives in this world." (Titus 2:12)
To live well is nothing other than to love God with all one's heart, with all one's soul and with all one's efforts; from this it comes about that love is kept whole and uncorrupted (through temperance). No misfortune can disturb it (and this is fortitude). It obeys only [God] (and this is justice), and is careful in discerning things, so as not to be surprised by deceit or trickery (and this is prudence).(St. Augustine, De moribus eccl. 1,25,46:PL 32,1330-1331)

2) The appearance of evil: St. Paul warns in 1 Thess 5:22, "Abstain from all appearance of evil." Not only are we to avoid doing evil, we are to avoid even the appearance of evil.

3) Think upon things that are Excellent: St. Paul teaches us in Philippians 4:8

Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things.

4) Guard the Senses: As mentioned above, the devil can mess with our imaginations. If we allow negative images in our minds then the devil can use that against us. These images can also effect our psychological health and well-being.

St. Ignatius of Loyola in his Constitutions wisely teaches:

"All should take care to guard with great diligence the gates of their senses (especially the eyes, ears, and tongue) from all disorder, to preserve themselves in peace and true humility of their souls..."

What this person is doing is wrong. It is exposing these kids to a Culture of Death in these types of movies. Do we not enough culture of death in our society as it is? The Church should be a haven away from that exposing our kids to the LIFE that is in Christ.

If this person does not stop this with the Youth Group I would talk to the pastor. What she is doing is not only inappropriate but it is raping the minds of those children with evil images. I consider this a form of child abuse.

As for visiting someone else's house and they turn on a movie that is objectionable, you need to politely excuse yourself and leave the TV room to the kitchen or leave the home altogether. When asked why you are doing this, be honest and say why.

If the kids are on a sleep-over or otherwise visiting a friends house and these sorts of inappropriate movies are shown, then you need to talk to the parents about your concerns and if they think nothing of it, you have no choice but to not allow your children to visit that home.

Some of this may make a scene because people do not like to be confronted with moral truths. You have an obligation to say something. You can say it as politely and diplomatically as you can, but say something you must, or do something like leave the area, but you cannot just sit there and allow the kids to be exposed to this stuff, or yourself either.

Jesus stepped on toes all the time. If we are not stepping on someone's toes then we are probably not living a very good Christian life.

God Bless,
Bro. Ignatius Mary

Footer Notes: This forum is for general questions on the faith. See specific Topic Forums below:
Spiritual Warfare, demons, the occult go to our Spiritul Warfare Q&S Forum.
Liturgy Questions go to our Liturgy and Liturgical Law Q&A Forum
Liturgy of the Hours (Divine Office) Questions go to our Divine Office Q&A Forum
Defenfing the Faith Questions go to our Defending the Faith Q&A Forum
Church History Questions go to our Church History Q&A Forum