By Phil Cooke, Ph.D. I love movies, but recently, I've discovered movies are getting more scary. Not because of horror, but the overall slide toward coarse language, vulgarity, and sexuality - even in movies marketed as "family" films. The current movie rating system began in 1968 and called for four rating categories: G for General Audiences, all ages admitted; M for mature audiences - parental guidance suggested, but all ages admitted; R for Restricted, children under 16 would not be admitted without an accompanying parent or adult guardian; (later raised to under 17 years of age, (and varies in some jurisdictions)); X for no one under 17 admitted. Then, in 1984 they made another adjustment. The industry split the PG category into two groupings, PG and PG-13. PG-13 meant a higher level of intensity than PG. And in 1990, X was replaced by NC-17. You can find detailed explanations of each category at the Motion Picture Association's website at www.mpaa.org. But today, we're seeing what insiders call "ratings creep" as more and more objectionable content is allowed in G and PG rated films. In 2004, the Harvard School of Public Health released a study that reported: "Ratings creep has occurred over the last decade and that today's movies contain significantly more violence, sex, and profanity on average than movies of the same rating a decade ago." That decade of "ratings creep" has sadly allowed more vulgar, violent, and sexually explicit content into movies. According to Movieguide Magazine, "The study found more violence and sex in PG movies, more violence, sex, and nudity in PG-13 movies, and more sex and profanity in R-rated movies. It also found more violence in G-rated animated movies than non-animated movies rated G." The industry responds that standards in American society are constantly changing, and the ratings just reflect that change. I'm not a numbers guy. I'm not one of those Christians who analyzes movies based on the number of bad words, violent acts, or exposed breasts. Great movies often have to portray the violent and horrible world we live in every day. How do you show the horrors of the Holocaust without violence? Or expose evil without showing it's consequences? To write a movie script, I once interviewed the Christian family of a young girl that had been murdered by a school classmate shortly after she became a believer. Before her conversion, she was a sexually active, profane, teenager who experimented with the occult. A Christian investor in the movie was shocked and said, "You can't show her using profanity or participating in Satanic rituals in the movie." At that point, the murdered girl's own mother said, "But if you don't show how deeply in sin she had fallen, you'll never be able to show how much God's grace changed her life." We don't want to be bound by legalism and dismiss a great movie because an actor used profanity. However, we do need to be responsible when it comes to our families. That's why now, more than ever, we need to be vigilant when it comes to checking out movies before our kids see them. To do that, I recommend you check out: www.hollywoodjesus.com www.movieguide.org www.decentfilms.com www.familystyle.com These and other sites review films with families in mind, and will let you know just how explicit a movie will be. Remember - movie theaters are not the safe places they used to be, and no one else is looking out for your family. Be responsible, and check out the movie, before you go. Author's Bio: Phil Cooke is a television producer and media consultant to ministries and churches. His new book "Branding Faith," releasing in February by Regal Publishers will change the way churches and ministries use the media. Find out more at www.philcooke.com.