James

I slid my dinner plate away after I was done eating tonight, thanked the Lord for the wonderful meal I had just eaten and for some reason the next thought in my head was "food fight" and that scene from the movie Animal House.

And the next thought was what an abomination that was, to fight with food. And I sat there a little perplexed with wonder that God had put that thought in my head, because I think he did, and why I had never looked at it from that perspective before. That is an old movie and I had never thought of that scene that way before, that it is (sure seems like it is) an abomination to be so disrespectful with food like that.

We've all encountered the violence, language, debauchery, nudity, promiscuity, etcetera and just general down right undermining sinfulness and evil illuminated on television and in the movies, but has there ever been anything that you've noticed that almost was snuck by you like that? Whether you noticed it when you saw it or it occured to you later? You know, something seemingly little that made you say "Hey!...that was sort of subliminal and it wasn't good".
......................................

Read a fictional short story some years back and it was about an archeological team in the future excavating a town from the present time. So, imagine your town under 30 feet of dirt and these people are digging it up in the future.

And what they found was that our culture seemed to center around this "thing" that was in just about every single dwelling without exception. This "thing" always was placed in prominence in the dwelling, whether up on something high like an alter or encased in a piece of furniture. It was placed in a spot that was most visible from inside the dwelling, had chairs and couches facing it and frequently had a clear area in front of it. It was also frequently in more that one position or room in the dwelling, many dwellings had more than one of these in a place of prominence.

So they came to the conclusion that it had to do with our religion and it was worshiped or involved in worship in some way. And they kept looking for more clues as to what this "thing" actually was about. They found clues from preserved photos that we used to sit in front of this "thing" and stare at it. And then they figured out that this "thing" would make pictures and that we would stare at the pictures.

And then they figured out that we used to stare at this "thing" for extended periods of time. Whether alone or as familys. And then they figured out what the "thing" was called - "television". And they figured that we called our God "televison" or that our God was the pictures this 'televison" produced or something similar.

Ever wonder what our society and world would be like without it? Vastly different. Sort of a weird post, any thoughts about it or anything even remotely related would be cool.

Boanerges

The best 4 weeks my family ever had was the 4 weeks our tv was broken- definitely makes you go hmmm!

epistemaniac

thats a great point James.... one of my "a ha" moments was really taking the time to listen to the words to the song called "Imagine" by John Lennon .... its so soothing... it just "sounds" so good, so soothing... calling for love for everyone etc... but once I fully realized what that message was I realized what an abomination that song must be to God!

Imagine
John Lennon

Imagine there's no heaven
It's easy if you try
No hell below us
Above us only sky
Imagine all the people
Living for today...
Imagine there's no countries
It isn't hard to do
Nothing to kill or die for
And no religion too
Imagine all the people
Living life in peace...
You may say I'm a dreamer
But I'm not the only one
I hope someday you'll join us
And the world will be as one
Imagine no possessions
I wonder if you can
No need for greed or hunger
A brotherhood of man
Imagine all the people
Sharing all the world...
You may say I'm a dreamer
But I'm not the only one
I hope someday you'll join us
And the world will live as one"
Its a song promoting atheism, secular humanism, and communism... propaganda and nothing more... other than it is couched in a beautiful melody..... some of the the message is, of course good... but the worldview of the song... is antichrist, its atheism

blessings,
Ken

epistemaniac

as far as TV itself goes... I think it can be just like the radio, records, cassettes, cd's, dvd's, even computers.... hopefully the people in the future will b able to determine that people made decisions about what they watched,what they listened to... I have tons of sermons on my computer in mp3... I have the bible on cd.... a bunch of bible programs for my computer.... I have a bunch of teaching videos by RC Sproul... so I think that the medium itself is neutral... just like a musical instrument, it can be played to the glory of God or to the glory of the devil...

but I do fully agree with your point that the TV has become too much a focal point and unless it is conscientiously used for good, it is far too easy to follow th drift of culture and become like the frog in the kettle... that as the water gradually gets hotter and hotter, the frog is oblivious, until there is a very real meltdown.. so too with our consciences.... we stop using the Bible as our standard for good and evil and allow the TV to dictate our morality to us until finally there is no real morality at all other than "if it feels good do it" or "do it for yourself, you deserve it" whether it means leaving your husband, wife or children.... its a very selfish relativistic morality that is preached and taught.....

I for one am glad that I cannot afford cable tv and since I can only get 4 or 5 channels and these only by a small antenna on top of the tv that never allow them to come in very clearly, so I just never watch tv any more... instead I read.... or I do watch movies... and here is what I have to be careful and try to screen whatever I watch through a self conscientiously Christian worldview.... I am not always successful to be sure.... I sometimes laugh at what I ought not, I sometimes laugh at the somewhat sacrilegious humor of The Holy Grail or Kung Pow or Dumb and Dumber etc... but.... its a battle to be sure... you can't walk into a supermarket without being deluged by pictures of half naked women on the cover of some magazine or other as you go through the check out lane....

but we fight on!! losing some battle but knowing that the battle is ultimately won as we, through the power of God's grace and mercy.

(Philippians 2:12-13) Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.

blessings,
Ken

Boanerges

I guess if you come down to it a tv is like any other tool- if use properly it can yield good results but if misused it can be disasterous!

James

That song is very seductive. Sounds so sweet and alluring. And makes it sound like we are missing out and the good people are waiting for us to "join them".

To me, it is also about the "eat, drink, and be merry for tomorrow we die" mentality as well.

Imagine there is no heaven? First line of the song....so, no heaven is a good thing? Yea, right.

And as far as the TV goes and everything else where someone is telling me what to think, or how things are, or what I need to do, or want me to do something - I've just totally soured on it.

Discerning good from evil is a full time job these days, so eliminating the things that cause the most problems makes it easier, a little easier.

Boanerges

Hopefully we are all just sharing our hearts and not trying to tell anyone what to think brother

epistemaniac

I think James is just saying that it is people on TV who are always telling us what to do... how to think etc... reminds me of the lines in the Rolling Stones song "I can't get no satisfaction"...

When I'm drivin' in my car, and the man come on the radio
He's tellin' me more and more about some useless information
Supposed to fire my imagination

When I'm watchin' my TV and a man comes on and tell me
How white my shirts can be
But, he can't be a man 'cause he doesn't smoke
The same cigarettes as me..."



so James... yeah... filtering all the information we are flooded with everyday... more information... sings signs everywhere there's signs....than at any other time in history... is indeed a full time job... whether it be tv the computer whatever.... it can be draining to have to work so hard at filtering out so much bad when the pay off for just a little bit of good just doesn't seem to be worth it most times....

as an added bonus here is another song that is a pretty funny (in a sad sort of way really) bit of satire about smoking..

The Advertising Man
by David Wilcox

If you want some real contentment,
to live life at its best,
You can buy these dry tobacco leaves, to breathe into your chest.
And then look up at the billboard, while all the promises come true, for you.

You'll feel alive with pleasure, playful as a child.
You've come to where the freedom is.
You're cool and mild.
You'll laugh with every lungful as the change comes over you.

So look up at the billboard.
See her smiling, sexy and tan.
But the only one who's laughing is the advertising man.

Those portraits of pleasure, of those who like to smoke,
They're laughing in the photograph, but we don't get the joke.
Now why would they be smiling while they're looking down our way?
I guess they're making easy money climbing up the rungs,
From selling us a parasite that's feeding on our lungs.
They must be laughing in astonishment that we believe the things they say.

So look up at the billboard.
See her smiling, sexy and tan.
But the only one who's laughing is the advertising man.

Now crack'll kill you quickly. That's why it's got to go.
They'll get more of your money if they kill you nice and slow.
And the only one who's laughing is the advertising man."

blessings,
Ken

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Boanerges

Gotcha!

epistemaniac

hey... you got my back too my friend

blessings,
Ken