G-rated movies earn more than R-rated movies

by Tony Perkins

A study recently released by the Dove Foundation shows that the average G-rated flick is considerably more profitable than its R-rated counterpart. However, at least 12 times more R-rated movies were made in the time period of the study — 1989 to 2003. In addition, films with a PG rating consistently report higher profits and rates of return than PG-13 and R-rated films. The study found that family-friendly movies, on average, made a $79 million profit. In contrast, R-rated films, on average, resulted in a deficit of $6.9 million. This trend is being recognized by some in Hollywood ,, according to Daily Variety magazine, as there has been a drop in R-rated movies made since 1999.

While the media and politicians like to divide the country up by red and blue states, the simple fact is that parents everywhere want to be able to occasionally bring their children to a movie that has no gratuitous sex or violence, but simply entertains. Too often on our televisions and in movie theaters, family values are ignored. But now that we are responding with our pocketbooks, Hollywood is finally taking notice. The Dove Foundation Web site (Link) routinely reviews recent movies and suggests what ages are suitable audiences. This is a great resource for parents, as is Focus on the Family's Plugged In site at www.pluggedinonline.com.

(Tony Perkins is the president of the Family Research Council in Washington, D.C.)
(from Pastor's Weekly Briefing - June 17, 2005 - a ministry of Focus on the Family)

Church May Be Expelled from Meeting Place

Antioch Bible Church, one of the largest congregations in the Seattle, Wash., area may have to find a new place to meet after the local teacher's union asked school officials at Lake Washington High School to stop renting to the church, The Seattle Post-Intelligencer reported.

Rev. Ken Hutcherson, pastor of the church, has led a congregation of more than 3,500 people every Sunday for six years in the local school to avoid having a mortgage. But, now the teacher's union wants to sever ties with Hutcherson, well-known for his conservative views. "The Lake Washington Education Association strongly condemns the bigoted views of Dr. Ken Hutcherson," wrote union president Kevin Teeley in a recent newsletter. Teeley, who is openly gay, said allowing the church to use school property implies the district condones Hutcherson's beliefs.

State law requires school districts to allow community groups to use their buildings during off hours — and currently at least ten other churches in the area rent district facilities for services. (from Pastor's Weekly Briefing, June 17, 2005 - a ministry of Focus on the Family)

Ruling Upholds Traditional Marriage

The Superior Court of New Jersey's Appellate Division upheld the traditional definition of marriage this week, rejecting arguments that the marriage laws violated state guarantees of privacy and equal protection. The decision is firmly grounded in the concept that our government consists of three co-equal branches, with the judiciary required to give appropriate deference to legislative decisions. For that reason, the New Jersey court criticized the infamous Goodridge court for making a "normative judgment that conflicts with the traditional and still prevailing religious and societal view of marriage as a union between a man and a woman that plays a vital role in propagating the species and provides the ideal setting for raising children. Consequently, ... Goodridge does not establish a right of equal access to marriage, ... but instead significantly alters the nature of this social institution."

Judge Anthony J. Parrillo, concurring with Judge Stephen Skillman, explained that "distillation of marriage down to its pure 'close personal relationship' essence ... strips the social institution 'of any goal or end beyond the intrinsic emotional, psychological, or sexual satisfaction which the relationship brings to the individuals involved.'" Parrillo further said that "any societal judgment to level the playing field must appreciate the proper divide between judicial and legislative activity. ... It is, therefore, a proper role for the legislature to weigh the societal costs against the societal benefits flowing from a profound change in the public meaning of marriage." (from Pastor's Weekly Briefing, June 17, 2005 - a ministry of Focus on the Family)

Job Prestige

The following occupations carry the most and least prestige with other people, according to a 2004 survey by Harris Interactive: (from Pastor's Weekly Briefing, June 17, 2005). I find it interesting that "entertainer" is so low on the list, and yet a good number seem to think that the world is waiting to hear from them!

Scientist	52%
Doctor	52%
Firefighter	48%
Teacher	48%
Military officer	47%
Nurse	44%
Police officer	40%
Priest/minister/clergy	32%
Member of Congress	31%
Lawyer	17%
Entertainer	16%
Union leader	16%
Journalist	14%
Accountant	10%
Stockbroker	10%
Real estate agent	5%

Ministry & Technology - searching for information

Technology can be a great asset in ministry. Email, web searches, retaining research done on a computer can be a great time saver. However, the challenge of locating that information across the different folders on a computer can be a challenge -- even when logical folders are used to file the data. I had been using PaperPort v 9, which allows the saving of documents, pictures, etc. with descriptions which are searchable. However, it has a problem, and now hangs when started. I had also been using the index solution of Wordperfect (but that had also stopped working). The problem was also that Wordperfect could not index many other types of files.

So the search began for a means by which to index PDF files, documents, etc. I first tried Software995's "Search within". It seemed to index the harddrive fairly well, but the search routine was too spartan. Google Desktop had released a free search utility, but it doesn't search Wordperfect documents at this point (I switched to WordPerfect following Wordstar -- that goes back a few years and just haven't made the switch to Word).

Yahoo Desktop Search (based on X1 search engine) - beta (link) has the ability to search over 200 file types, and also gives a viewer pane to show where the word/s are listed. This was much closer to what I was looking for. Yahoo Desktop Search is in beta form, but I did not have any problems with it, though didn't really do an extensive evaluation because I moved on to Copernic Desktop.

I have landed on Copernic Desktop Search (link) as my search engine of choice. It also searches the major file types, including word processing, email (Outlook & Outlook Express), pictures, audio and shows a viewer pane with the results. Booleen operators (and/or) are possible as well as date searches. It is free and works well. In some recent research I need for a sermon, I was able to search through 900+ emails from a particular email list of which I am a subscriber and found some helpful information. Copernic has the ability to search through the viewer pane and highlights the search words.

So, if you are in need of a program to index and search your computer harddrive for stored research, etc., Copernic Desktop Search is worth a look. Note: for materials that I scan, I save in a PDF file (Use Acrobat 5.0) and then use the paper capture tool which turns the scan into a searchable file from the scan.

One final note: I did notice that Yahoo Desktop Search found some things that Copernic did not -- so, it is possible to run both programs!

Creation vs. Evolution poll results

Offered three explanations for the origin of humans in a CBS News/New York Times poll six months ago, 13 percent of respondents said they believed "we evolved from less-advanced life-forms over millions of years, and God did not directly guide this process." Twenty-seven percent believed "we evolved from less-advanced life-forms over millions of years, but God guided this process." And 55 percent believed "God created us in our present form." (from Pastor's Weekly Briefing, June 10. 2005)

Abotion "do-it-yourself" results in nineteen year old life imprisonment

A 19-year-old Texas man, Gerardo Flores, was sentenced to life in prison for his role in the death of his girlfriend's unborn twins. Erica Basoria, 17, acknowledged asking Flores to help end her pregnancy by stepping on her stomach. She had earlier started jogging and hitting herself to induce a miscarriage. When her efforts failed, she asked her boyfriend to help.

The conviction under the Texas fetal-protection law could not be extended to the mother because she had a legal right to an abortion. (From Pastor's Weekly Briefing, June 10, 2005)

Reminder of the Imperative of Study for Pulpit Ministry

J. H. Jowett wrote after observing ministers:

"...I do not know what time ministers here spend in their studies. They are evidently engaged in a hundred outside works that must leave them very little time to prepare their message. I am going to stand steadily against this pressure, even at the cost of being misunderstood.... If the pulpit it to be occupied by men with a message worth hearing we must have the time to prepare it. I feel the preaching of the Word of God is incomparably my first work in New York." (quoted in On Being a Pastor, Prime & Begg, p. 107).