Television - Revelations

[Outsider]

Would you consider television the "image of the beast" as foretold in Revelations? Because I do.

I have believed this since I was 18 years old- even though after a brief period of trying to convince my family and friends of this I drifted off to sleep and universalism. It was easy to do, as it has happened with the main body of the Quaker community, as I have been led to believe (perhaps wrongly?). But I'm taking myself down a "bunny trail" here.

I think the Catholic/Orthodox empires were the first beast, and the Protestant empires (in which we now live) are the second. I believe the television, movies, etc. are the "image of the beast". Look at the values it's presenting. Am I alone in thinking this?

[steve-in-kville]

One question:

Do you own a computer?

[Outsider]

One question:

Do you own a computer?

Obviously I do. I also have owned televisions, VCR's and numerous other devices to project and view recorded video and sound. It's not the technology I'm particularly concerned with. It's the worship of the technology's content, the ideas/values it promotes, which concerns me. For example, nearly every television show now- even the ones directed for kids- has to have gay sex portrayed in it. And I remember my Grandfather holding up his hands before the television set to receive "blessings" and such from televangelists. Its relentless promotion of war, and intolerance for anyone who disagrees with its messages. And people have and do routinely parked their children in front of this electronic babysitter, letting it shape their minds from the time they are babies on.

Of course, I also remember "King of Kings", "The Robe", and "Ben Hur". Like any medium, including text, it can be used for good or ill. My point is that just using the technology doesn't equate with worshiping the image, at least not in my mind. I'm not advocating shunning the technology- if so, then why not the printing press, books, or any other medium which can be used to express ideas?

Though nowadays I envy the old-order Amish in their discipline which gives them the strength to just do without television and such in their homes altogether. As even the supposed "christian" programming is often a distortion of the story of the Gospel or the Biblical stories they're supposedly portraying.

[temporal1]

One question:
Do you own a computer?

Obviously I do.
I also have owned televisions, VCR's and numerous other devices to project and view recorded video and sound. It's not the technology I'm particularly concerned with. It's the worship of the technology's content, the ideas/values it promotes, which concerns me.
For example, nearly every television show now- even the ones directed for kids- has to have gay sex portrayed in it. And I remember my Grandfather holding up his hands before the television set to receive "blessings" and such from televangelists. Its relentless promotion of war, and intolerance for anyone who disagrees with its messages.
And people have and do routinely parked their children in front of this electronic babysitter, letting it shape their minds from the time they are babies on.

Of course, I also remember "King of Kings", "The Robe", and "Ben Hur". Like any medium, including text, it can be used for good or ill. My point is that just using the technology doesn't equate with worshiping the image, at least not in my mind. I'm not advocating shunning the technology- if so, then why not the printing press, books, or any other medium which can be used to express ideas?

Though nowadays I envy the old-order Amish in their discipline which gives them the strength to just do without television and such in their homes altogether. As even the supposed "christian" programming is often a distortion of the story of the Gospel or the Biblical stories they're supposedly portraying.

You’re pretty much answering your own questions.
You have LOTS of company in your observations and complaints. By Christians, and others.

Even tech leaders do not allow their children free access to technology; i find that “telling.”
They are willing to profit, while obviously seeing serious downsides.

Tech leaders opt-out of tech schools ..
http://forum.mennonet.com/viewtopic.php ... ates#p6187

Worship of, creating false idols, is central to how Christians should question all choices.
You mentioned books, etc. - yes. All choices can lead to ruin, when+if it degenerates into idol worship.

Scriptures speak to it.

1 Corinthians 10:23
https://biblehub.com/1_corinthians/10-23.htm

22Are we trying to provoke the Lord to jealousy? Are we stronger than He?

23“Everything is permissible,” but not everything is beneficial. “Everything is permissible,” but not everything is edifying.

24No one should seek his own good, but the good of others.…

Also, 1 Corinthians 6:12
https://biblehub.com/1_corinthians/6-12.htm

1 Corinthians 8:9 / stumbling blocks
https://biblehub.com/1_corinthians/8-9.htm

.. i am very weak on Revelation, i’m afraid to even read it.
i have no confidence in my ability to understand it
but, i find plenty to draw from in other NT books, and the OT.

i share your grief on what i know is out-there, not only in front of everyone’s children, but being spoon-fed to them as they are sitting ducks for it in their public schools, and in so many homes.
many have no choice, no escape. “sitting ducks” for evil is not an exaggeration.
the fear of millstones seems to have been lost.

in my view, much of what is being normalized should be criminalized, just as a matter of common sense and common decency .. .. no longer common.

[Wade]

Though nowadays I envy the old-order Amish in their discipline which gives them the strength to just do without television and such in their homes altogether. As even the supposed "christian" programming is often a distortion of the story of the Gospel or the Biblical stories they're supposedly portraying.

Old order Amish?
I have not met one Mennonite who has a television. If I did I would likely never go back to their home... I can't relate to any Christian having a TV, but maybe that is because of my background and how much it has changed my life staying away from it.

We got rid of the television before I even became a Christian. I tell people it has had one of the biggest impacts on my children for the positive then almost anything else. Family devotion time probably is one thing that has had a bigger impact.

[Sudsy]

Though nowadays I envy the old-order Amish in their discipline which gives them the strength to just do without television and such in their homes altogether. As even the supposed "christian" programming is often a distortion of the story of the Gospel or the Biblical stories they're supposedly portraying.

Old order Amish?
I have not met one Mennonite who has a television. If I did I would likely never go back to their home... I can't relate to any Christian having a TV, but maybe that is because of my background and how much it has changed my life staying away from it.

We got rid of the television before I even became a Christian. I tell people it has had one of the biggest impacts on my children for the positive then almost anything else. Family devotion time probably is one thing that has had a bigger impact.

I grew up without TV. However, we would spend one week each summer at my aunts and us kids were glued to the set. Later on after I had left home, my parents did get a TV. As soon as I was married and on my own I got a TV. I guess that makes me a lousy Christian.

Wade, I doubt you would enjoy our MB church as my guess is that 90%+ have TVs. And TV clips are often used as part of the Sunday sermon. There are many Mennonites in our area with TVs.

[Wade]

Though nowadays I envy the old-order Amish in their discipline which gives them the strength to just do without television and such in their homes altogether. As even the supposed "christian" programming is often a distortion of the story of the Gospel or the Biblical stories they're supposedly portraying.

Old order Amish?
I have not met one Mennonite who has a television. If I did I would likely never go back to their home... I can't relate to any Christian having a TV, but maybe that is because of my background and how much it has changed my life staying away from it.

We got rid of the television before I even became a Christian. I tell people it has had one of the biggest impacts on my children for the positive then almost anything else. Family devotion time probably is one thing that has had a bigger impact.

I grew up without TV. However, we would spend one week each summer at my aunts and us kids were glued to the set. Later on after I had left home, my parents did get a TV. As soon as I was married and on my own I got a TV. I guess that makes me a lousy Christian.

Wade, I doubt you would enjoy our MB church as my guess is that 90%+ have TVs. And TV clips are often used as part of the Sunday sermon. There are many Mennonites in our area with TVs.

Your right that I wouldn't enjoy the MB church.

I grew up in a home where the first thing my mom did in the morning before any else of us got up was turn on the TV and about the last thing before bed was shutting it off. Don't be mistaken that my mom was and is still really active and gets lots done but the first thing to go to when not busy was the TV.

The TV caused issues in my marriage early on because of so much immodesty that my wife didn't like me seeing. Eventually I got mad and cancelled all TV. It took over a year of not having it and then going over to my parents house one day - a commercial came on and all of a sudden the scales fell off and I seen all the disgusting suggestive things all over.

It was amazing watching the Disney movie CARS afterward with my children... Comments about all kinds of sexual things are in that movie. They are planting seeds for immorality in children, and it seems almost on purpose!

I am thoroughly convinced the TV is extremely effective in making people desensitized, and that is a place that makes Satan happier than even having people living in fear.

[steve-in-kville]

One question:

Do you own a computer?

Reason I ask this question is, if you have internet you have TV. maybe you don't realize it, but you can "live stream" anything you want, many times for free.

[Fidelio]

Television is an effective tool for brainwashing the masses. It promotes acceptance instead of reflection and the constant barrage of images works to destroy the viewer's attention span, which further feeds the brainwashing by allowing slogans and brief messages to embed as truth. It works! Companies don't bay billions for advertising for no return.

[Szdfan]

For example, nearly every television show now- even the ones directed for kids- has to have gay sex portrayed in it.

Can you give specific examples of which kids shows have gay sex in them? For that matter, which kids shows have heterosexual sex in them?