Joshua Lanius

February 18, 2025

Is Watching R-Rated Movies Sinful?



On February 5th at 10:40 a.m., Associate Professor Josh Ketchum, D.Min., stood in front of the entire student body of Freed-Hardeman University. Ketchum looked up at the students with his trademark smile as they glanced down at him over the tops of their smartphones. Ketchum was the day’s chapel speaker. His topic was: is watching R-rated movies sinful? 

Ketchum spoke with humility and charisma as his voice echoed through the university’s gym. His focus was on his delivery. He wanted to remain calm and speak clearly and concisely. 

Freed-Hardeman University sophomore, Bible major, and son to Josh Ketchum, Austin Ketchum, said, “My dad was real nervous about it, but I thought he handled it well. It was a tough topic.”

Professor Ketchum began the answer to his question with a scripture, 1 Corinthians 10:23. The verse says, “‘All things are lawful,’ but not all things are helpful. ‘All things are lawful,’ but not all things build up.” His opening argument was just because someone has the right to do something, does not mean they should. He then reposed the question, changing it from “is watching R-rated movies sinful?” to “should Christians watch R-rated movies?”. His answer was no, but…

No, But…

Ketchum admitted it was difficult to nail down a precise answer. He instead presented four reasons why he answers no, followed by two reasons that no is followed by a but...

The first reason he believes Christians should not watch R-rated movies is because of their sanctification. To be sanctified is to be set apart. Romans 6:22 says, “But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the fruit you get leads to sanctification and its end, eternal life.” Christians are called to be set apart. 

The second reason he believes Christians should not watch R-rated movies is because of their influence. He cited more of 1 Corinthians, reading 10:31-11:1, which says, “So, whatever you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God, just as I try to please everyone in everything I do, not seeking my own advantage, but that of many, that they may be saved. Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ.” Ketchum later said this passage is the key to his belief on the topic. Christians are called to glorify God in all that they do. 

The third reason he believes Christians should not watch R-rated movies is because of their weakness. “We can talk about how those things are sinful to watch and create lust or evil thoughts within us,” Ketchum said, “But we can also think about how those things tempt us and weaken us to delve into them more. They desensitize us to sin. What we accept by watching and enjoying, we soon accept by doing.” Ketchum then stated the old adage: “Garbage in does equal garbage out.” Christians are called to focus on holy things rather than sinful things.

The fourth reason he believes Christians should not watch R-rated movies is because 

such media glorifies sin and sin put Christ on the cross. Ketchum shared a Charles Spurgeon quote which says, “If I had a brother who had been murdered, what would you think of me if I daily consorted with the assassin who drove the dagger into my brother's heart; surely I too must be an accomplice in the crime. Sin murdered Christ; will you be a friend to it?” Christians are called to flee from sin, not glorify it. 

Professor Ketchum restated his beliefs in his Southern drawl. Christians should not watch R-rated movies because of their sanctification, their influence, their weakness, and the fact such media glorifies sin. Then he exhaled as he sang out the word “buuuuuut…”

“Christians have liberty,” Ketchum said, making the first point against his reasons. “We must allow freedom and liberty of opinions. We are not Pharisees… Give liberty to others. Be aware of the temptation to judge others in this area.” Pharisees in the Bible are known for being hypocritical and judgemental. Ketchum was highlighting the importance for a modern day Christian not to be hypocritical and judgmental by rashly labeling watching R-rated movies as sin. 

The second and final but to Ketchum’s nos is Christians all must draw lines with entertainment. “Those lines develop and change over time,” Ketchum said, “We should listen to our conscience and not violate our conscience… Listen to others. Respect others. Develop your own convictions.” Christians should draw their own lines that agree with their convictions and consider their sanctification, influence, and weaknesses.

Ketchum’s answer to “is watching R-rated movies sinful?” was taken from both the Bible and modern-day western culture. Not every student and faculty member agreed with what Ketchum said. There are many different perspectives and answers to this question. Freed-Hardeman University Associate Professor of Art Jud Davis’s answer more deeply considers other cultures and personal conscience. His answer was sometimes, because…

Sometimes, Because…

Professor Davis began his answer with a story. A story he heard from former missionary Elsie Huffard. Davis said, “She and her husband Elvis were working with an African tribe that did not wear clothing. Elsie contacted many congregations that donated dresses and clothing for the community. The tribe women were so excited, they rifled through the dresses and picked favorites. When Sunday rolled around Elvis and Elsie were excited to see the tribe as they gathered for church. As they stood near the entrance of the building, the women began to arrive. They were proudly wearing their new dresses, however, each of them had cut holes in the front of the dresses so their breasts could be proudly seen.” Davis said that because of their culture, nudity was not a sin for the tribe. Stories like this one, along with deeper considerations, led Davis to his answer. His answer was sometimes, because what is sin for one Christian may not be sin for another. 

“We should monitor our sin, and do our best not to sin,” Davis said, “But we all have a conscience. Hopefully that conscience is molded through the study of scripture. But my conscience and your conscience may not be at the same place because of our cultural differences, maturity, extensive study, etc. Could something we both do be a sin for one and not for the other? I believe so.” Just as nudity was not a sin for this tribe but would be for some, Davis expressed his belief that watching R-rated movies is sinful for some but not for others. 

Just as Davis suggested nudity is not a stumbling block in some cultures, neither is profanity. “Who decided what words are bad words or classified as profanity?” Davis asked. “It is an arbitrary social construct, just like the naked tribes people. Bad words in English are not bad words where they don't speak English; it's just arbitrary sounds.” Watching certain R-rated movies by itself can cause some Christians to lust or fall into the temptation of cursing and therefore sin, but not all Christians may struggle with such temptations.

In his answer, Davis focused on the differences in the people watching the R-rated content. Freed Hardeman junior Grady McCall set his focus on the differences in the motivation of using the content in the film, leading his answer to be no, when…



No, When…

Grady McCall is the sole film major at the university. McCall’s answer to “is watching R-rated movies sinful?”, from a filmmaker’s perspective, was more nuanced than Ketchum’s. His answer was no, when the mature elements in the film are used effectively to catalyze the story. 

McCall said, “We can’t say that all R-rated movies are sinful when some of them are using the sin to make a point against it.” McCall then mentioned an extreme example, The Wolf of Wall Street. Martin Scorsese’s docudrama is rated “severe” in Sex & Nudity and Profanity on iMDB (Internet Movie Database). The movie holds the world record for the most uses of the F-word in a film with 569 uses. McCall recognized this and said the movie “has every intention of glorifying all of these things for the first 70% of the movie. The main character gets richer and richer and goes deeper into all of these horrible things and the movie doesn’t spare you from the horror of watching it go down. The last 30% of the plot, however, is where it all goes south. He gets in trouble with the police, his business starts to fail, his wife finds out he is cheating and starts to leave him, and he loses almost everything. At the end of the movie, he learns his lesson and lives more humbly. All of the sin in the first half of the movie was necessary to give you a sense of how bad this man was and how far he came. I was personally driven further away from these sinful activities because I saw in detail how it all ruined his life. This is the message of the film and the intended effect of showing all of this sin. I’m not saying this is a Christian movie by any means, but the point still stands: The intention behind using these elements in storytelling is what matters.”

McCall said mature elements are acceptable in a film when used purposefully in the story. Davis said, “‘Mature elements’ are fancy words for ‘justification.’” From the perspective of the Christian artist he is, Davis continued, “With regards to including ‘mature elements,’ you have to ask, is it a stumbling block for others? By putting your name to something that includes things in a film that are ‘mature,’ are you causing others to stumble? If you are asking that question and the answer is no, I think you are good to go. If yes, you have to rethink your actions. Some things can't be avoided and people will be offended. But if you are acting out of pure heart, I believe the person offended has to resolve that issue in their own mind.”

Freed-Hardeman sophomore and communication sciences and disorders major Anna Claire Butt gave a similar answer to McCall’s with different reasoning. Her answer was no, when she can confidently say the specific film glorifies God. She said, “You will basically never hear me say that anything is a sin unless the Bible clearly and adamantly states that itself. With that being said, it doesn’t really matter if I think it is a sin or not, because it doesn’t pass through my first line of defense, which is asking myself the question: ‘Does it glorify God?’ If I can genuinely say that an R-rated movie with profanity and nudity glorifies God, then I would be totally fine to watch that movie, however, this is rarely, if ever, the case. If I cannot answer ‘yes’ to that question fully and confidently, then I try to keep the things that do not glorify God out of my life as much as possible. I will say a lot of times it is with these types of movies.”

Other members of the Freed Hardeman community gave a more definitive answer to the question at hand. Freed-Hardeman University Professor of Bible and Historical Theology Rick Brumback, Ph.D., answered yes, because…

Yes, Because…

Professor Brumback’s answer was yes, because he believes the Bible states it is sinful to allow these things (profanity and nudity) into our hearts and minds. Brumback and Ketchum both point out, however, that some movies are rated R because of violence, and Brumback said the “Bible does not raise the same concerns about that content that it does for pornography, blue language, and sexual immorality.” 

Brumback cited many scriptures including Matthew 15:18-29, 1 Corinthians 14:20, Ephesians 5:3-5, James 1:13-17, and Hebrews 5:14. These verses call Christians to keep their heart’s pure and themselves away from temptation. The chief verse he shared as the support to his beliefs was Psalm 101:3A, which says, “I will not set before my eyes anything that is wicked.”

“If we are not different from the world with regard to such sinful behaviors, how are we really any different than the world?” Brumback asked, “How would we call non-Christians to experience the pure and blessed life in Christ if we do the same practices?” 

The Lines We Draw

In his talk, Ketchum said, “We must all draw lines with entertainment.” He later said he hoped he made it clear that the line is “always changing and ever being applied.” He continued by sharing where he currently draws the line. “I draw the line when it comes to content along sexuality and profanity. I do not enjoy watching violence, but I can tolerate it or understand it if appropriate and realistic.” He shared that he and his family generally avoid R-rated movies.

Professor Davis agreed Christians must draw lines. He then said, “I know my line. My line may be different from yours. My problem is when you try to impose your line on me. That’s when I can see the Pharisee in you. I believe I can find my own line and do not need your help.” 

McCall shared that to him, the message of the movie is the most important factor when considering where to draw the line. “Many films include violence and nudity and profanity to make a point about it or to add realism to characters that aren’t so pristine in real life,” McCall said, “This is important in my opinion. Take the movie Hacksaw Ridge, a movie about a Christian man who braves the horrors of war to save people left behind after a brutal battle. This film is rated R, contains profanity and intense violence. These things on their own are not good to take in as Christian, but if you were to take them out of the film, the point would be lost. The film is meant to show the horrors of war and the bravery of Desmond Doss, and removing the violence and horror and tension, you wouldn’t care as much and the message wouldn’t resonate as much as it does. With all of this said, there is a line. If the message of the film glorifies the sinful content, I’m out. If it’s clearly thrown in for crowd appeal or just because sexy scenes sell, I’m out. I also understand that not everyone who watches a movie is in it for the message all the time, and everyone should know their own limits for what they can take in.”

Butt shared that her line is drawn based on the question she posed before: “Does it glorify God?” She then mentioned Steven Spielberg’s R-rated Schindler’s List, saying, “That movie showed me exactly what it means to show kindness, and I have never been the same since… that movie was monumental in my life, and it genuinely made me a stronger Christian… You can agree with me or not, but that movie can be used to glorify God.” 

Professor Brumback answered in regards to his line with his own questions. “For those who are not bothered by seeing sexual immorality on the screen, or hearing profanity in songs or movies/television, I ask these questions… Would that person allow the one cursing to talk that way openly and unapologetically at the family dinner table?... Would I be listening to this music, watching this movie/episode with Jesus or my mom or one of the elders sitting right beside me?... If not, why not? Does having it come through the media make it spiritually OK?”

Conclusion

Professor Josh Ketchum, Professor Jud Davis, Grady McCall, Anna Claire Butt, and Professor Rick Brumback are all devout Christians. Their responses shared similarities but were ultimately individual. Each Christian draws their line in a unique place. Each Christian answers the question “is watching R-rated movies sinful?” in a different way. 

Ketchum later said he believed his chapel talk was received well. “I think it challenged the students to think about a topic they had often just assumed was OK,” he said, “Some faculty affirmed my discussion as well as students. Some commented on their appreciation for it. I heard it has even changed some viewing habits.” 

Butt said, “I thought the answer that Professor Ketchum gave was a very valuable, well thought-out, and Biblically based answer that can help me along with many other Christian college students better understand and be ready to make a defense against something that we deal with almost daily.”

Davis concluded his explanation by outlining a movie that deals with the same type of morality of this conversion, Footloose. “The preacher of the town church believed it was his place to ‘draw lines’ for all of the people after the tragic death of his son. In the end, he realized he could only be a preacher and minister and it was up to the townspeople to guard their own souls. So the question is, was it a sin for me to watch the subsequent fight and dance scene after that epiphany? Only God and I know.”

McCall agreed with most of Ketchum’s points and affirmed the thoroughness of his talk. McCall, however, added, “If you can think about the purpose of the visuals in films, there is some really profound and edifying content in R-rated movies. If you are just in a film for a good time or just want something entertaining, stick to more family-friendly options; there is nothing wrong with that either. It ultimately comes down to what you can handle and where your intentions and heart lie.”

Brumback drew his conclusion from Philippians 4:8, which says, “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.” 

The question “is watching R-rated movies sinful?” does not have a definitive answer. As Ketchum pointed out, Christians must be mindful of their sanctification, their influence, their weakness, and the fact such media often glorifies sin when considering what media to consume. 

As Davis outlined, what is sin for some is not sin for all, so Christians must consider their own conscience. As McCall added, another aspect to consider is the intention of the filmmakers in using the mature elements. Mature elements can be used in films without glorifying sin, like in Hacksaw Ridge. Mature elements can even be used in films in ways that glorify God, like in Schindler’s List, as Butt mentioned. Christians must also acknowledge scriptures that call them to keep their eyes away from wicked things, as Brumback did. Each of these aspects should help Christians reach their own convictions on the matter. Christians should draw lines based on their personal convictions and not be hypocritical or judgmental to those whose convictions are different. As Ketchum said as he brought his message to a close, “We are not to make rules that God has not made.”

On February 5th at 11:00 a.m., Professor Josh Ketchum punctuated his chapel talk with a grin and dismissed the students of Freed-Hardeman University. Many students never did look up from their smartphones. Some did not hear a word Ketchum said, but the ones who did were left in thought. Thinking about the question posed. Pondering the points made. Trying to reach their own conclusions. Maybe they asked if something could be sin for one Christian but not be sin for another, as Davis proposed. Maybe they asked the same question as Butt: “Does it glorify God?”. Maybe, like McCall, it is all about the message of the content. The more and more questions asked, the foggier it became. One thing, though, was absolutely clear: each Christian must reach their own answer.