"Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For everything in the world-the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does-comes not from the Father but from the world. The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever." 1 John 2:15-17
It seems the more I seek the Lord, the more I find myself being called away from things of the world. I wish I always responded with cheerful obedience, but I'll admit I often go kicking and screaming, "Please, Lord. Not that. Not something else that will make me look like a weirdo."
Oprah was the first to go. I have long been a fan of Oprah and once flew to Chicago to attend a taping. But over the years it seems she has developed an agenda - and it's not family friendly. I've been checking her show's lineup for fear of missing her interview with the Duggars. But after finding shows that advocate divorce, open marriage, homosexuality and transgender, and even watching a show in which she glorified polygamy, it has become clear that not even the Duggars can redeem Oprah.
Next to go - TV dramas. I find the characters on Grey's anatomy extremely annoying, but J likes the show and I get caught up in the storyline. However, I've recently been disgusted by the show's portrayal of casual sex, adultery and divorce. I found myself wondering, "If it is not okay to do these things, why is it okay to watch them being done?
As I was pondering the above, I came across the following link on Candy's blog.
What's Behind the Wall?
Now Tracy's opinion is very strongly worded, but that's just a personal preference. I tend to like people who are either hot or cold, even if they think I'm sinning. I don't agree with all of her thoughts on "hellivision." (Sorry, I also like inflammatory language.) But I do think she makes a great case for severely limiting or eliminating TV.
I find it interesting that she mentions "panic attacks". While I am not sure they are "caused by spirits", I have long wondered if our daily dose of murder and mayhem (in the form of nightly news) is a contributor to the anxiety and depression many Americans experience.
I've also wondered how our fascination with Hollywood (or "unholywood") contributes to our mental state. Were we really meant to become engrossed in the lives and problems of fictitious characters, reality show stars and celebrities? It is astonishing how much of our day to day conversations are centered around made-up story lines and people we don't even know.
Please understand that I do not believe watching television is inherently sinful. Drew and J are watching football as I type. Yet even something as harmless as sports comes with a price. Last week Drew said, "When I turn 8, can I have a bud light?" Do you see how the commercials are training his appetites? How long will it be before he notices the cheerleaders' short skirts?
Commercialism (the cravings of the sinful man)... Sex and violence (the lusts of the flesh)... materialism (the boasting of what he has and does)... TV seems to show the worst of what the world has to offer, yet we love it so.
"The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever."
Before you turn on the tube, consider the cost. Immorality aside, can we find no better way to spend time?
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2 comments:
For budgetary reasons, we have not subscribed to cable or satellite for a while. I haven't really missed it. Oh, I liked Turner Classic Movies and the Discovery channel, but TCM tended to keep me up way too late. We were not big sports nuts, aside from hubby's occasional motocross race.
Of course, I replaced tv-time with computer time, and I'm having to cut back on that. But at least on the computer, you choose what you read, and what images make it past the "gatekeeper." With tv, it's harder to control the flood of images. Even the kids' channels had some objectionable commercials on them.
We have watched a few shows on DVD--no commercials. :) But, I find my appetite for video is quite diminished these days. I'm more of a forum- and blog-addict. Guess I'm not much of a movie person, either.
I think it's cute you like incindiary language. LOL!
Oh, friend, I am so with you on this. We have been without TV for months now (overseas and all), and I love it. We have a few series we've bought to watch as a family (Little House on the Prairie, Cosby, and I Love Lucy), and Doug and I have some that we watch occasionally (West Wing, Lost, etc.), like in place of a movie... but I definitely don't miss being pulled into something I normally wouldn't watch just because it's on.
And I am SOOOOO with you on the Oprah thing. Makes me sad- she used to talk about the Lord... but now it's gotten so new-agey and glorifies anything but godliness, it seems.
Thanks for writing about your own struggles in this area- it's sometimes hard to know if we're supposed to be "in moderation" people or "cut it off" kind of people in this area... but it's just comforting to know that others are struggling through the same things we are!
Jess
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