Labeled Christian Must Mean Safe?

Tuesday, September 12th, 2006 at 10:19 am

ABC NEWS: “Facing the Giants” is about a down-and-out high school football coach who uses religion to fuel a personal and professional comeback.

The two evangelical pastors from Georgia who made the film on a shoestring budget thought they might get a PG rating because the hard football hits and frank talk about one character’s infertility. They say they were shocked when the motion picture association told them they got the PG rating because of the film’s religious content.

Read the entire story here

Okay, so this is old news, but not for me! I just ran across this story this morning.

This Christian movie, which I have never seen, earned itself a PG rating for its evangelical elements. Christians are outraged and are offended that the Bible and its message, long been looked at as standard for good, could be cause for a PG rating in a said G story.

I agree that it should have a PG label. I can say this without even seeing the movie. I will tell you why I feel this way.

We have 5 kids and one on the way and are Christian fundamentalists. We live on the Word of God, period. We do our best to raise our children in a manner pleasing to Him. It isn’t easy. The world sends mixed messages to them and I am in a constant battle to guard and keep them safe. To be successful at this I must be very careful and not let the words “Christian”, “religious”, or “evangelical” cause me to lower my guard. Actions should by more of a guide than a simple word or label.

Getting to my point – The PG rating lets me know that I MUST screen the movie first. Although “Facing The Giants” is probably a wonderful movie filled with Christian theme and evangelical discussion, I still feel the need to watch it first and make sure there aren’t any inconsistencies that could confuse my children during these impressionable years.

Many movies, books, and musical recordings have been labeled “Christian” or “Religious”. These are just labels and they do not mean “safe”. They should not and cannot replace good old Parental Guidance.

“Facing The Giants” official movie site