There is a lot of buzz for Ryan Reynold's new superhero movie "Deadpool," but there are some Christians who say the film is unfit for viewing.
The issue is tackled head-on by the ministry Desiring God headed by Pastor John Piper. According to member Phillip Holmes, there are seven questions Christians must first ask themselves to determine if they should watch the film or not.
1. When will I tear out my eye, if not now?
"Deadpool" undoubtedly has a lot of graphic images that cause people to think sinful thoughts. Holmes quotes the Bible verses Matthew 5:29-29, which says that a person who "who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart. If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away."
2. Am I longing to see God?
Would watching "Deadpool" bring Christians closer or father away from God? "The defilement of the mind and heart by watching nudity dulls the heart's ability to see and enjoy God. I dare anyone to watch nudity and turn straight to God and give him thanks and enjoy him more because of what you just experienced," says Holmes.
3. Do I care about the souls of the nudes?
Holmes says that when people pursue nudity for their own entertainment, they are "implicitly endorsing the sin of the women who sell themselves to this way and are, therefore, uncaring about their souls."
4. Would I be glad if my daughter played this role?
"Most Christians are hypocrites in watching nudity because, on the one hand, they say by their watching that this is okay, and on the other hand, they know deep down they would not want their daughter or their wife or their girlfriend to be playing this role. That is hypocrisy," Holmes says.
5. Am I assuming nudity can be faked?
Nudity is not make-believe, says Holmes, and people cannot justify that it is similar to murder and violence on the screen. When people film murder scenes, nobody really gets hurt and nobody dies. What cannot be faked is nudity.
6. Am I assuming nudity is necessary for good art?
Some believe that nudity is a form of art, but Holmes believes that there is "no great film or television series that needs nudity to add to its greatness."
He even says that there are several ways to make a TV show or film "true to reality without turning sex into a spectator's sport and without putting actors and actresses in morally compromised situations on the set."
7. Am I free from doubt?
Lastly, if people harbour doubts about the movie, then it's better if they don't watch it. Romans 14:32 reads: "Whoever has doubts is condemned if he eats, because the eating is not from faith. For whatever does not proceed from faith is sin."
