Focus on the Family Criticized for Watching, Reviewing 'Fifty Shades of Grey'
Focus on the Family publication on popular culture, Plugged In, is being criticized for watching and reviewing "Fifty Shades of Grey," an erotic romantic drama film about a sadomasochistic relationship between a young college student and a young business magnate.
"Based on E.L. James' best-selling novel and nearly unrivaled cultural sensation, 'Fifty Shades of Grey' gives us not one but two broken people hoping to find salvation in each other," writes Plugged In reviewer Paul Asay in the conclusion, before describing the extent of nudity and explicit sexual content the film features.
"This is a love story, it could be said. But any love story without God gets twisted into a broken, heartbreaking jumble," Asay says, and earlier warns readers about the sexual content, saying, "Ana [Dakota Johnson who has acted as Anastasia Steele in the Hollywood movie], who is a virgin when the story starts, spends large quantities of screen time naked, and we see pretty much every part of her that there is to see, including full-frontal nudity."
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Plugged In is a publication which facilitates discussion of popular culture to help families make better entertainment choices. However, some Christian ministries have objected to Focus on the Family's decision to review the film.
"You will never find a review of a pornographic film or TV show here at Gospel Spam. We have a simple policy regarding porn: we don't review it. We review art here," writes evangelist Shane Dodson in a blog post in response to the review. "Should Christians visit porn sites so they can examine the content in order to warn others about the dangers of pornography? The Scriptures warn us to 'flee from sexual immorality,' not run toward it in the name of evangelism. Even the lost knows that this material is trashy, why is it that a supposed mature Christian ministry hasn't quite figured it out?"
Truth in Action Ministries also responded to the review, writing on Focus on the Family's Twitter page, "You don't have to watch it to know how it can burn you. Proverbs 6:27."
"Can a man scoop fire into his lap without his clothes being burned?" reads the verse.
"I will set no evil before my eyes. This should go for reviewers too. There was no need to see this to let people know it was wrong," writes one Shannon Rice on the Facebook page of the publication.
However, some are thanking Plugged In for warning Christians not to watch the film.
One Katy Jones wrote: "Thank you for your ministry! I referred a Christian friend to this review when she was considering seeing 50 Shades with some non-Christian friends. Today she said she will be taking her daughter out to a kid movie instead of going with those friends. Great job and wonderful resource for us yet again!"
"Fifty Shades of Grey" is directed by Sam Taylor-Johnson with a screenplay by Kelly Marcel, and is based on E. L. James' bestselling novel. It premiered at the 65th Berlin International Film Festival on Wednesday and had a wide theatrical release on Friday by Universal Pictures.
