What I Did That I Said I Would Never Do

Yesterday I did something totally crazy... something that I had never done in my entire life... something that you would not expect someone like me to do.

I went to a movie theater!

Now before you <gasp> in horror or shock, hear me out.

I was raised in a conservative Christian home and attended a conservative private Christian school and went to a wonderful conservative Baptist church. Never once did I or my parents (or most of my friends and their parents) darken the door of a movie theater. Students in the school and leaders in the church were not permitted to go to the theater. And it wasn't a bad thing. It was the preference of those who were above us and we chose to be under those restrictions.

Well, here is the thing. My well-meaning teachers taught us that it was sin to go to the movie theaters. Looking back I would say that they taught it that way because it was sin for me to go to a theater because it was disobedience to my authority, but the way that it came across was that the sin was to darken the door of a theater.

So most of my friends and I grew up with the idea that movie theaters are bad. Even when I was no longer under the authority of my school or my parents, I chose not to go to the theater. Just because I figured if there was a reason I shouldn't go as a kid, the reason probably hadn't changed as an adult. But eventually my logic kicked in, and I couldn't come up with a Biblical reason that it would be sinful for me to go to a theater. So here were the reasons I didn't go:

1. Example - I am a leader in my church and I want to set a good example. Some people think it is sinful to go to the movies and I don't want to offend them. And for those who are ok with movies, what I do in moderation, those who follow me will do in excess. 
2. Obedience - On top of it, many of the churches that I would hang with or work for don't want their leadership going to the movies. 
3. Not the best use of my money - It is really expensive for even two people to go to the movies. For the price of 2 movie tickets, I could buy the Blu-ray in a few months and watch it as many times as I want. Or I could rent it for a dollar. Not to mention the added price of snacks and beverages. [I would say this is my #1 reason!]
4. Temptation - I could see the temptation to watch a movie in the theater that I would not watch at home. But I wouldn't spend the money. Also, I check all of my movies through the parental guides on websites like Plugged In and IMDB. 

Some things that I observed going to the theater:

1. It is much smaller than it looks in the movies. I went to a large, popular theater, and the room was smaller than I thought it would be. The screen was smaller than I thought it would be. 
2. It wasn't as crowded as it is in the movies. I went to an after-work hours showing of the movie and there were thirteen people in the theater. It felt more like sitting in someone's living room with surround sound than anything. I guess I thought it would be more like seeing a Broadway show.
3. I wasn't knocked to the ground for walking through the doors or suddenly overwhelmed with guilt. 
4. In fact, sitting in that theater sure was a lot like sitting in the theaters at museums watching educational films. (Hmmm....) Or sitting in a Broadway show, but smaller, less-crowded, cheaper, and filmed instead of live. 

What I liked:

1. It was a really fun date night for my husband & I. 
2. The surround sound!!
3. There were no distractions - like my phone ringing, someone knocking on the front door, the air conditioner kicking on so I can no longer hear the tv, feeling the need to multi-task, etc.
4. The popcorn - now I understand the hype about movie theater popcorn :)

What I didn't like:

1. The price, especially considering I can purchase or rent it cheaper. 
2. All the previews - I really like fast-forwarding or just skipping right over those, especially since I want to watch the movie, not the previews. 
3. The possibility for disruptive guests - I assume that can be circumvented by choosing a family-friendly time to attend
4. Being reclined on my couch in my pajamas with a blanket is more comfy than sitting in those only fairly comfortable seats. 

So overall, I don't think that it is a sin to attend a movie theater. If it is a sin to go, shouldn't it also be a sin to rent a movie at Redbox? go to Blockbuster (if you can find it!)? watch things on Netflix? have a television? God wants us to be careful of what we place before our eyes, and we do that at home and outside the home. 

I am not anymore godly or holy or "Christian" because I watched a movie on Blu-ray in September 2013, than I would be if I watched the movie a few months earlier. 

Going to a movie theater was actually pretty fun. I have no intention of making it a regular habit (I would go broke!), but maybe every once in a while for a date with my husband. But it is up to you. 

Obey the requirements of those in authority over you. Wisely choose what you place before your eyes. Remember that you are a representative of Christ wherever you go and whatever you do. 

And remember, this is the girl who would have never darkened the door of a movie theater a year ago. 

~Kay