Should a Christian go to the movies?

"You say, 'I am allowed to do anything'—but not everything is good for you. You say, 'I am allowed to do anything'—but not everything is beneficial." —1 Corinthians 10:23 (NLT)

Like many choices we face today, the question of whether or not watching movies is a sin is not a topic directly addressed in the Bible. In those cases, our decisions are a matter of personal conviction.

Some families are convicted that watching movies are not beneficial for them. So if your parents have told you not to watch movies (or even just certain movies), it's your responsibility to honor and obey them (Ephesians 6:1). For those who are convicted against watching movies or going to the theater, to do so would be going against their conviction and would be sin (1 Thessalonians 5:19; Ephesians 4:30).

Establishing Your Personal Convictions

"Whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God." —1 Corinthians 10:31 (NLT)

If your parents have given you the freedom to choose whether to watch movies or go to the theater, then it's a decision you can make between you and God. Thankfully, the Bible has given us some easy guidelines about how to live and think as followers of Christ.

First, we must be sure to glorify God (1 Corinthians 10:31). Second, whatever we're doing ought to be of some benefit and not something that causes us harm (Philippians 4:8). What it really comes down to is examining and knowing what our goals and motivation are all about. Here are some questions you can ask yourself when examining your heart's desire to see any given movie.

Will this movie hurt me or trigger temptations?

Be aware of what you're getting into prior to consuming that content. We shouldn't knowingly watch movies that have content that will cause us harm. That's just not wise. If there's a specific topic that tempts you to sin, guard your heart from that kind of content (Proverbs 4:23).

Hollywood loves to sideswipe audiences with salacious content, so it's wise to check content warnings rather than going in blind. You can use tools like the Parental Guide on IMDB or a Christian review site like PluggedIn. Maybe everyone's talking about a certain movie, and now you're confused or curious. Avoid making judgments on movies simply based on others' opinions. Do your own research and formulate your own opinions.

Is there any benefit to what I'm watching?

Are you able to see good and pure themes in movies or do you focus on the negative or sketchy things? If you're going to see a war movie, will you be inspired and encouraged by the soldiers' bravery? Or will you get nightmares from the blood and the violence? Both Christian and non-Christian movies will have good and bad themes and elements. It is up to us to choose to dwell on the things that are good (Philippians 4:8).

Will this movie hurt or encourage those around me?

We want to be aware of how our actions affect others. This is what the Bible is talking about when it says we shouldn't cause other believers to "stumble" (Romans 14). For example, if your friend struggles with lust, avoid watching movies with them that involve sexual content (Matthew 5:28; 1 Corinthians 10:25-33; Romans 14:13).

How will watching this movie reflect my Christian reputation?

"Live clean, innocent lives as children of God, shining like bright lights in a world full of crooked and perverse people." —Philippians 2:15 (NLT)

While it is true that we can't control what everybody thinks of us, it's still important to be able to explain our motivations as to why we do or do not want to watch a movie. For example, will we be able to hold onto our credibility as a Christian if we walk into a movie that glories the occult?

There are legit reasons for researching certain movies with a watch though. Maybe you're spending time with non-Christian friends and want to open up conversations about spirituality through a shared story. Maybe you're writing a movie review for a Christian website. Not everybody is going to accept every reason—and not every reason may be truly valid in the first place. So it's very important to pray and ask God for guidance when we're unsure if certain things will be beneficial.

Practice Spiritual Discernment

Whether watching a movie is a sin for you personally is a matter between you and God. Use spiritual discernment to figure out what kind of content is beneficial to you. Aside from your Creator, you know yourself best. You know what sort of "objectionable content" will slide off and what will affect you negatively. As Christians, we have the Holy Spirit in our hearts (Acts 2:38), guiding and telling us what's good or not so good (2 Timothy 1:14; John 16:13).

Pay attention to what He might be nudging you away from. If there's any doubt as to whether something will be bad for you, stay away from it. It's not worth the risk of searing your conscience into uselessness (1 Timothy 4:2; 1 Thessalonians 5:19).

"I want you to understand what really matters, so that you may live pure and blameless lives until the day of Christ's return. May you always be filled with the fruit of your salvation—the righteous character produced in your life by Jesus Christ—for this will bring much glory and praise to God." —Philippians 1:10-11 (NLT)