More on Labels and Ratings

As some people have compared the LifeWay “Read with Discernment” stickers to movie, music, and video game ratings, the more I don’t like the idea of labels on books.

For one thing, when someone else tells me to be cautious of this thing or that thing, then I could be lulled into thinking that there are no other problems with the content. Some violence? That’s OK, I can handle some violence. Bad language? I’ve learned to tune bad language out, so I can see that movie, no problem.

But what about worldview? That’s the serious issue that all readers and movie goers and TV viewers need to pay attention to, with discernment.

Was The Golden Compass OK because it didn’t have cussing kids or nude-y romance?

Maybe the ratings systems have done this to us—given us this false sense of security, that we can put our brains away and just be entertained because there’s nothing bad or it wouldn’t be rated G. Or PG.

Horror, horrors, horrors! Who says movie studio execs are the right people to tell me what is safe to watch? Or music people what to listen to? Gamers, what to play?

Should I not be thinking this through myself, checking with Scripture as the authority, not relying on the label plastered to the cover of the book?

The fact is, that’s precisely what the LifeWay people say to do in their warning. But horrors if people start assuming that the books without the label can therefore be swallowed whole without discernment.

The other thing is, the LifeWay “briefings,” a more detailed explanation for the reason a “Read with Discernment” label is placed on a book or author, seems to deal exclusively with worldview. I didn’t once see any mention of language or violence or sex. It was all about theology and adherence to Scripture.

All those are good things, but once again, I wonder if this process won’t lull some readers into thinking everything without a warning is spot-on theologically. Is that the case?

I have a feeling there might be one or two books without labels floating around that seem to endorse greed, gossip, lust, all kinds of other sinful behavior. Sure, it isn’t paraded as sinful behavior endorsed by Christians, but isn’t that the net result when sinful behavior is at the core of a character and the author doesn’t even make it an area of concern?

It isn’t portrayed as a weakness, as an area that needs to be changed, as the root of possible future problem, nothing. It’s portrayed as part of who this person is, and in the end he comes to realize God can help him with his problems. Not the sins which are left unidentified as sin. Just the problem of not having a girlfriend or whatever.

But are these books receiving warning stickers?

Maybe, just maybe, we should can the whole label, sticker, rating thing and get back to doing our homework about what we read.