Christianity Today reviews an R-rated movie. Camerin Courtney, a single Christian woman—there's a shocker, eh?—shares with us her insights:

Most of the few Christian voices speaking to the growing single segment of the population offer ten easy steps to find our soulmate. As if it's that wondrously simple. Carrie, Samantha, Charlotte, and Miranda, however, show how challenging it really can be for intelligent, accomplished, and admittedly neurotic women to find lasting love. They, unlike many Christians, don't insult my intelligence. Instead they speak to the complexities of relationships in a postmodern age-addressing baby lust, the mommy wars, sexual temptation, dating outside your "class," commitment-phobia, the reluctant desire to be rescued by a man, and the simultaneous fear that you'll lose your own hard-won identity in the process. Yes, materialism and hedonism abound. But so does a messy wrestling with complex new realities of life that I wish I saw more of in Christian circles.

All of this said, there is a lot of sex and nudity in the movie. Be warned: There's a threesome, a naked man in a shower, some steamy makeup sex. The sex scenes between married folk are somewhat less offensive, but there were too many times when it seemed that the producers were simply trying to shock.

Sex and the City is ambitious for all the characters, emotions, and crises it tries to shoehorn into two and a half hours. But the attempt elevates it above most chick flicks and romantic dramedies of late. SATC offers well-developed characters, smart dialogue, interesting plots and sub-plots, and a ton of heart. Not to mention eye-candy galore in the leading men and odd-yet-fabulous fashions. Still, I personally wasn't satisfied with the way the Carrie-Big plotline played out. And I think the franchise shines best when showcasing the characters' little, daily struggles and neuroses-Why hasn't he called? Is he really just not that into me?-as it did on the TV show than when trying to make bigger statements (both of the relationship and fashion varieties) as it does here.

A certain contingent of CT readers objected to finding Camerin's high opinion of pornography in the magazine of evangelical conviction, and once again CT had to explain to its bumpkin readers that they could hardly ignore the movie. Christians who care about their faith and the Arts are not paid to ignore movies!

Apparently they could find no middle ground between reviewing a movie and commending a movie.

Elsewhere among the followers of Jesus were recited these words in their Order for the Worship of God yesterday:

O Lord, great God, whom we behold in awe and wonder, who has kept covenant and steadfast love with Your people from age to age: we have sinned and done wrong and acted wickedly and rebelled, turning aside from Your commandments and ordinances. We have known in our hearts what is right, and yet we did wrong anyway. We have been fascinated by evil, delighted with pleasing ourselves, satisfying our desires, pampering ourselves with pleasures. O Lord, great God, have mercy on us according to Your steadfast love. We know You are a God who delights in goodness. You, O Father, in the name of Jesus, the Lamb who was slain and yet lives forever more.