I was wondering what the church’s stance on movies with sexual content is? For example a common movie known to many is Titanic. It has sexual content. Is it OK to watch this movie and others like it or not?
It’s not objectively wrong, but if it’s a near occasion of sin, you should avoid it.
Also, what about Boondock Saints? In this movie the MacManus brothers are killing in the name of God. They kill murders, mafia members, etc.
If said movies are not appropriate I would like to clean out my DVD collection.
Same goes for
Boondock Saints. While the inherent thematic approval of vigilante “justice” is morally problematic, whether or not it is immoral to just watch depends on whether or not it would constitute a temptation.
I probably should avoid movies like that more than I do. It’s very easy, when I see injustice portrayed, to whip myself up into wrath.
But objectively speaking, it’s not wrong to watch them. Just put God and prayer first, and avoid anything that leads you away from Him.
I think we have to recognize that what we watch is what we become.
That’s not true across the board, so generalizations aren’t really useful here. For instance, if I see a movie in which murder is committed, that doesn’t make me more likely to murder.
Whether watching a story that contains, say, fornication, is more likely to make someone predisposed toward that sin, is something that can easily vary from person to person.
For example, if I watch a movie that contains any cursing or blasphemy, I will find that the words quickly lose their repulsive qualities and more frequently pop into my mind as possible ways of expressing myself to others (I could certainly see how if I watched enough of these types of movies, I could fall into sin by cursing).
See, that’s not true of me, though, so to generalize on the matter is not valid. I watch movies with blasphemy in them, and - sinful as I definitely am - taking the Lord’s name in vain is something I’m never tempted to.
In my judgment, watching a movie with nudity is absolutely out of the question for a Catholic.
Bad call. That’s puritanical nonsense. Nudity in itself is not wrong to portray; in fact, it needn’t even be sexual.
I recall when I watched
28 Days Later (I think that was the one), the main character wakes up out of a coma at the beginning, and he’s completely naked. You see everything, but it’s not sexual at all. Why is that problematic? It’s not. So this “no nudity” principle is not a good one at all.
That said, I know your struggles. For a long time, I lived a very immoral life and enjoyed movies that had content that was so bad that I try not to even think about it anymore. It’s certainly tough to let go of these sorts of things, but I guarantee that you won’t be losing anything by giving it up (you’ll actually be a much happier and joy-filled person!)
Your experience may not be like everyone else’s experience. Like many, you’re too quick to absolutize your own experiences and apply them to others.
