El Paso Bishop Mark Seitz – Watching ‘Fifty Shades of Grey’ Movie ‘a Sin’

Amid the hype surrounding the "Fifty Shades of Grey" movie, at least one person in El Paso suggests you not watch it. Bishop Mark Seitz of the El Paso Catholic Diocese is urging Catholics to skip the movie, because to watch it, he says, "would be a sin."

In a Facebook post titled "Fifty Shades of Gluttony", Seitz referred to the movie as mainstreamed pornography and "sexual gluttony." You can read the full text of the Bishop's post HERE.

Seitz also released the following statement about the film to the media:

"There is no doubt that Fifty Shades of Grey will be the country's #1 movie over the weekend. It will be attended by couples and singles alike who are interested in seeing what is the world's most popular, so-called "erotic" triology come to the big screen. But this is more than going to a Valentine's Day movie. Fifty Shades of Grey is pornography with a dangerous and degrading mainstream appeal.

To be a consumer of pornography is to participate in it. And that's a sin. Whereas the true nature of a sexual relationship is to allow a person to give himself or herself for the sake of the other, in pornography, the end becomes not self-donation but self-gratification-the opposite of its intended purpose. This is not in any way to say that sexual expression is not intended by God to be enjoyed, but it is to realize that the greatest joy comes in the act of self-giving, not in self-seeking.

As Shades gained popularity, the words "mutual consent" have often been used. But I believe true consent cannot exist when it is driven by fear. Shades makes it clear that emotional and physical fear drive the relationship between the two characters. Shades is nothing more than watching scene after scene of domestic violence play out for entertainment.

These days, it can be a struggle to allow sexuality to find proper expression in our lives. Not only in matters of sex, but in all that we do, our lives are filled with challenges to truly love the other with a life-giving love rather than to seek our own benefit. We must always struggle to control our appetites so that they don't control us. The fact that our appetite for food can lead us to overeat or, to eat unhealthy food, should not lead us to glorify overeating or obesity. We sympathize with those who do have problems with this and we seek to help them."

What do you think about Bishop Seitz's comments?