Regarding sexuality and nudity in movies

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Obviously, every movie that causes a person to sin is to be avoided; but where does one draw the line between morally acceptable (in other words, minor) sexuality or nudity in films, and that which is harmfully erotic and sinful? Are all such films to be avoided? I personally think it is a good idea to avoid such movies, but is it a mortal sin to view even a film with nudity and/or sexuality that is tastefully done and not a temptation (such as Braveheart or Titanic)???

I’d appreciate feedback on this. 🙂
 
The operative word is temptation. If the action on the screen prompts one to choose sin, well, the answer is obvious. As one’s demographic changes, so one’s temptations also change, at least mine have. What might once have interested - or tempted - now tends to stultify. I vote with my feet.
 
Many movies have people cursing in the movies. I am trying to give up watching movies like that. I tend to like to watch cartoons more but they couldn’t make enough for me to watch. I’ve been renting many spiritual movies from Netflix, and I’ve watched almost all of them…

grhhh, I am old but I still like to watch cartoons 😃 😛
 
I think it totally depends upon how it is done in the film. Some nude scenes are anything but erotic. My all time favorite movie, A Room with a View actually has quite a long scene with full frontal male nudity, but it is playful and humorous, nothing that is going to get anyone worked up.

For the most part, in films where the nudity is erotic, it is because that is the intent of the filmmaker. I think that there are times where nudity is shown in movies to underscore someone’s humanity and vulnerability. It isn’t all about sex.
 
I don’t go to movies often, but I read the other day that “Shindler’s List” contained nudity in the context of the story, not merely gratuitous exploitation. Simple nudity is not a sin. As John Paul II reminded us, the human body, in God’s Image, is neither sinful nor non-sinful; sin comes from within.

If one seeks out motion pictures for tittilation, they should be avoided.
 
mystified said:
I don’t go to movies often, but I read the other day that “Shindler’s List” contained nudity in the context of the story, not merely gratuitous exploitation. Simple nudity is not a sin. As John Paul II reminded us, the human body, in God’s Image, is neither sinful nor non-sinful; sin comes from within.

If one seeks out motion pictures for tittilation, they should be avoided.
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One of the biggest myths is that sex in marriage is boring…on the contrary it is a ‘physical blessing’…hardly surprising as God invented sex ! On the topic of movies i can tell you i was both shocked and disappointed recently when i accompanied nieces and nephews to see EPIC MOVIE…to make it worse i hadn’t been to movies for ages. Filthy language , blasphemy , inappropriate suggestive girating from semi-nude female actresses…i actually felt ill after the show. I would love to hear what American bloggers think about young folk around the world being subjected to such trash !!! Is this what Hollywood is going to be unleashing on the world in the future…? In a recent e-mail Dave Armstrong [APOLOGIST] told me bluntly that church unity would not have its roots in the USA…has the USA lost its moral compass ? If so what a shame…my father [88] fought with the Americans in ww2 and he told me of the respect he had for the average American. Please tell me things haven’t changed !!! Peace to all in the USA !!!👍 👍 👍
 
DB & Ali,
You named most of the reasons why I can find other things to do with my time and money. The last movies I saw were “Shrek” 1 & 2, in Spanish with children in the home of a friend in México a couple of years ago. Would probably have gone to see “Passion of the Christ”, but the lines were long and local theater doubled the ticket prices to over $10 (plus $5 for popcorn:eek: )
 
There is a scene in The Passion of Bernadette in which she is ministering to an older sister who has some sort of terrible infection of her breast. Bernadette is shown picking maggots off the poor lady’s breast, certainly not the kind of scene that could possibly get anyone hot and bothered. That people have declared they wouldn’t see the picture/own it because of that scene says, IMHO, more about their sense of prudishness than it does about rightness or wrongness of nudity in film.
 
Aragorn1 said:
So is it OK to watch films like Braveheart and Titanic?
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In the case of Braveheart, the nudity was subtle and in the context of a wedding night. So for me it’s cool.
In Titanic , it’s more questionable because the nudity occurred in the context of an artist drawing his beloved ,but there were clear sexual undertones and when the characters consummated their illicit affair. Morally questionable behavior, but not unwatchable as it was done in a fairly tastefull way.
I go to movies to enjoy a good story and well defined characters. I ignore the nudity if I find it surpurflous.
I believe the intent in your heart of hearts matters as to whether it’s sinfull to watch a movie with nudity. If it’s clearly xrated or r rated just for nudity think twice.
God love you!
 
Aragorn1 said:
nudity and/or sexuality that is tastefully done and not a temptation (such as Braveheart or Titanic)???
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Titanic’s nudity was tasteful? And didn’t Braveheart feature a bunch of men mooning the enemy? So, does tasteful mean just not overtly sexual?
 
water said:
Many movies have people cursing in the movies. I am trying to give up watching movies like that. I tend to like to watch cartoons more but they couldn’t make enough for me to watch. I’ve been renting many spiritual movies from Netflix, and I’ve watched almost all of them…

grhhh, I am old but I still like to watch cartoons 😃 😛
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Just wondering, have you seen The Thief and the Cobbler? (Link goes to video, it’s public domain)

It’s an amazing movie, and the, ah, ‘inspiration’ for Disney’s Aladdin (read: they stole absolutely everything from it and screwed it up). TT&TC is far, far better.
 
water said:
Many movies have people cursing in the movies. I am trying to give up watching movies like that. I tend to like to watch cartoons more but they couldn’t make enough for me to watch. I’ve been renting many spiritual movies from Netflix, and I’ve watched almost all of them…

grhhh, I am old but I still like to watch cartoons 😃 😛
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Ya gotta LOVE that wascally wabbit!!!
 
mschoir01 said:
The operative word is temptation. If the action on the screen prompts one to choose sin, well, the answer is obvious. As one’s demographic changes, so one’s temptations also change, at least mine have. What might once have interested - or tempted - now tends to stultify. I vote with my feet.
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I agree. If temptation is there, then it’s probably not a good movie to watch. But with some sophisticated dramas or epic dramas ( gratuitious 300 plug here) it seems okay enough for me. Sometimes I think we forget to look at the human body as a wonderful work of art…
 
Spirithound said:
Titanic’s nudity was tasteful? And didn’t Braveheart feature a bunch of men mooning the enemy? So, does tasteful mean just not overtly sexual?
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Oops, I forgot about the mooning scene. That one was done in a long shot ,so it was bearable.
Yes, to me tastefull does mean just not overtly sexual.
Our bodies are beautiful. My husband is an artist by trade and does life drawing . Women or men pose naked in these classes; not for sexual reasons, but to allow artist to appreciate the human form. Should I forbid him to go to such a class?
That’s how I saw the Titanic scene. obviously the female charcter had devious reasons to have her drawing done, but he was all artist in that scene.
 
Aragorn1 said:
Obviously, every movie that causes a person to sin is to be avoided; but where does one draw the line between morally acceptable (in other words, minor) sexuality or nudity in films, and that which is harmfully erotic and sinful? Are all such films to be avoided? I personally think it is a good idea to avoid such movies, but is it a mortal sin to view even a film with nudity and/or sexuality that is tastefully done and not a temptation (such as Braveheart or Titanic)???

I’d appreciate feedback on this. 🙂
Click to expand...
I dont purposely view any movie to see sex scenes in them. alot of the movies will insert a sex scene into the film halfway through the story that wasnt in the trailer or preview. i’m a grown adult i can see something like a brief nude/sex scene and not sin. i’m secure enough in my faith and marriage to not be persuaded by this in any way. in fact i dont even remember those scenes. i dont think its a sin, i do however think that those who view pornography are in grave danger of sinning. i dont view anything like that myself.
 
I think it completely depends on the context of the nudity, which with probably about 98% of movies containing nudity, is unnecessary. However, there are films like The Mission, which the women are shown bare-breasted (if I remember correctly) which I do not find offensive and the movie worth seeing.

However, with that said, I tend to avoid movies with nudity, and most definitely sex scenes (regardless of whether there’s nudity or not). I’d rather watch something where I know I don’t have to worry (esp. when watching with my husband) about temptation or just plain inappropriateness. Plus, there’s plenty of other forms of entertainment…I love reading and would much prefer playing a board game with my husband than watching a raunchy movie :).
 
Sexual scenes are sexual acts between non-spouses. Can actually performing the material act willingly be licit in the absence of a formal sexual purpose? I believe not, because the material act is performed. Would it be right to offer sexual intercourse to prevent a war and many deaths? No. Therefore how can it be right to perform sexual activities in a film?

I do not believe in all the “pretended” thing. It’s not pretended. It actually happens. It may lack a sexual purpose, but it happens. And in my belief (which I stress is my belief), it should not happen.

I cannot think of any justification of a sexual scene in films and actually, I believe even kissing (romantic) should be performed by people who have some reason to kiss other than being in the role. I most certainly wouldn’t be happy to accept my wife’s excuse of “being in the role”, if I had an actress wife.

We can think a lot whether nudity is justified or not. But let’s ask ourselves honestly: is it necessary? How often would we give a positive answer to this? If it’s not necessary, then what makes us display it? What makes us want to show it, to see it, to allow it, to script it in, to promote it? Is there no hidden desire to show off one’s body, to gain some publicity, to improve the sales of the film, to “liberate” oneself from formal social boundaries for a short while, no desire to do something normally not allowed? I’m not sure it’s right to proceed with such desires even if there appears to be a perfectly legitimate excuses. Excuses are just that: excuses. Being aware that I myself excuse myself a lot, while my real motives might be quite sinful, I feel I have to say that excuses should be realised and examined to see if they are the real reasons for something or not.
 
I don’t like watching nudity. If there’s a sex scene between a husband and wife it is so easy to imply that why do they need to show them naked, but at the same time I don’t mind the nudity in Schindler’s List (now that I am 20, though not appropriate for someone under… 16 or so), because of it’s historical relevance. Do I think the sexual act is gross? No, but it is private and I don’t need to watch it even if they are make believe characters.
Titanic was not a good movie period. Titanic falls in with all those other teen movies that try to make you believe that if you love someone you should have sex with them. Do I think that by watching this movie I will think this? No, but it just annoys me so much that I can’t enjoy the movie. I also don’t think you are a bad person if you like these movies but this is my opinion.
P.S.
I also dislike the movie The Notebook for this reason.
 
Ravenchica09 said:
Titanic was not a good movie period. Titanic falls in with all those other teen movies that try to make you believe that if you love someone you should have sex with them. Do I think that by watching this movie I will think this? No, but it just annoys me so much that I can’t enjoy the movie. I also don’t think you are a bad person if you like these movies but this is my opinion.
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Yes, the sex scene between Jack and Rose was the thing about that film that bothered me the most. While the drawing scene was necessary within the context of the story, the sex scene was completely unnecessary.
 
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