in the shadow..............

This is a soap box rant.....you have been warned.

.....So I did something I don't ever want to do again. I went to a movie without checking it out online and getting the low down on it. I don't go to a lot of movies for many reasons. One being there is a lot of junk being touted as "Good intellectual story telling" or "Must see good fun." For these reasons I am pretty thorough in checking out what I spend my money on and I usually know what I am getting into before the movie even starts....not this time. I thought it would be a story of a start up company and my 13 year old son's friend, who saw said movie, said it was more of a lawyer film......lawsuits and stuff.....he was 14 and he saw this film...sigh....

My mind has been going in circles since I saw this movie and I have been kicking myself for not walking out of the carnal cornucopia that was this movie. I think I was in some sort of shock and dismay. I had never seen anything so demoralising in my life. The portrayal of women and lack of honor of men was horrifying to me, yet I stayed and partook of the sleaziness. After watching the movie I was completely speechless. I couldn't even really talk to Skip until I had processed what I had just seen......and I wish I could process it right out of my head.

I am very sheltered and quite an optimistic person and right now I think..."You know..... that is a GOOD thing." Why on earth should I have to see all these images even if, according to the Screen writer, all these things in reality did happen, do happen and no one is putting a gun to these girls heads. They do these things of their own free will......great! What a terrible message to send out to the youth of this world. It is okay, it is fun and it is happening so just accept it and partake.

What really angers me is that this is so okay to so many people. I am left wondering are there men out there that would see this filth and get up and walk out or try to shield the woman that they are with from it....... I have read too much Jane Austin lately and I am looking for some sort of 19th century chivalry {Yes, I realise there was a double standard then, but my optimistic side hopes there were men of morals too, like I know there are now}....... and 'The Proclamation to the World'.....By divine design, fathers are to preside over their families in love and righteousness and are responsible to provide the necessities of life and protection for their families. Is not this something that I want my kids protected from. How am I to teach this commandment to my sons? Are we as a society so immune to the demoralizing portrayal of men and women that we just accept it as status quo?

I was not allowed to see PG movies until I could drive myself to them. I saw two movies that were PG....Star Wars and Heaven Can Wait before I was 16. Was that so bad? Did I die a slow death...no. After I could choose for myself, I admit I made some definite questionable choices. Some might argue that if I was allowed to see more before I was 16 I might not have picked some of those movies to see, because I was so held back .....{none were as bad as this one though.} ...I beg to differ.

Now PG 13 is the norm and many times these border on R. My son, now that he is 13 almost 14 thinks he should be able to see PG13 movies......and we just { a year ago } started in with some PG movies. I find myself saying, " No not that one.....sorry, but no." Do I really want to desensitize him to gratuitous violence and lasciviousness?

I get so much back lash for my standards on what I let my kids see.....and I can tell you right now this cements it for me. I want my boys to be appalled by seeing such filth. I want them to recognise that the Spirit has left the building and they should high tail it out of there too. I want to be a better example to them. My oldest asked me when I got home," How was it, Mom?" "Terrible." I said.

We are commanded to "Stand in Holy Places." I failed this time, but I am trying. I do believe that there is hope, but it will take not going to these movies or bringing them into my home. My standard must rise too.