A couple of bloggers I follow both had posts today featuring a website that assigns your blog a MPAA-style rating based on words, categories and topics.
Of course, this brings up a good question: what should a “Christian” blog’s rating be? Scott Williams of LifeChurch.tv wrote about his experiences working in the corrections system for over 13 years and how, due to the things he saw and heard, that job would be rated R. Similarily, I worked at a behavioral health hospital for a year and due to the things I saw and heard would have to give that experience an R rating. I may have seen some of those people at their absolute worst, but I was able to help several of them change their lives for good and that is what it’s all about.
Some (myself included) argue that if books received ratings, the Bible would be rated R, or worse. And while there are some who will disagree, I believe the best way to lead someone to Jesus is to show them unconditional love. Which means getting to know them, hanging out with them and being “there” for them where they’re at. That means you don’t wait for them to clean up. That means you might hear things that would be rated R and see things that would be rated R. And it WILL get messy. Just look at King David as an example; he committed adultery and murder, all while serving God. And then later we read where he kills one of his sons. But I’m constantly reminded of something Perry Noble loves to say:
“The ONLY difference between a non-Christian and a Christian is JESUS… that’s IT!!! If we lose sight of that we lose sight of what He REALLY did for us on the cross!”
So what’s your blog rated? I thought for sure mine would be rated R, but as it turns out, it’s only PG. But I think that’s because the website only rates the front page instead the whole blog; I have a feeling if they rated every post I wouldn’t have gotten a PG rating.
