Television

[TeleBodyofChrist]

I guess I'm one of those MB Anabaptist sinners with 4 TVs and a Bose radio. Watching the hockey game at the moment. Hope I don't die before the game ends. Good thing I believe in eternal security. Sorry, being sarcastic. And there goes another sin. But joking aside, there sure is quite a range of practise within Anabaptism.

Yes, there is. It actually makes it harder to find your niche as well because they are all different.

[Josh]

I guess I'm one of those MB Anabaptist sinners with 4 TVs and a Bose radio. Watching the hockey game at the moment. Hope I don't die before the game ends. Good thing I believe in eternal security. Sorry, being sarcastic. And there goes another sin. But joking aside, there sure is quite a range of practise within Anabaptism.

There certainly is. Certain CMC brethren I am closely acquainted with have the TV and YouTube going all the time with all sorts of stuff.

They learned it well growing up moderately plain with "family night" on Fridays a good excuse to watch "wholesome" movies they rented from the library. Their dad wishes he could put that cat back in the bag now.

Too late.

[Sudsy]

I guess I'm one of those MB Anabaptist sinners with 4 TVs and a Bose radio. Watching the hockey game at the moment. Hope I don't die before the game ends. Good thing I believe in eternal security. Sorry, being sarcastic. And there goes another sin. But joking aside, there sure is quite a range of practise within Anabaptism.

There certainly is. Certain CMC brethren I am closely acquainted with have the TV and YouTube going all the time with all sorts of stuff.

They learned it well growing up moderately plain with "family night" on Fridays a good excuse to watch "wholesome" movies they rented from the library. Their dad wishes he could put that cat back in the bag now.

Too late.

To me, being in the world but not of the world means that I can live within the culture I am surrounded by and do many things that culture does but not to give the same importance as the world does to those things. And there are some things that scripture explicitly calls sin that I should not do. But if we have an area where we cannot control that has an adverse affect on our walk with God, then it is best to abstain from that area. Some are willing to have a group carve out just what is and what is not acceptable and/or beneficial. I prefer this come out in sermons for the individual to consider in their personal relationship with God. TV is just one of many means of communicating and it has both godly and worldly programming. I am blessed and challenged by many sermons I have access to through TV.

I believe Jesus was so involved in sinner's lives where they lived and something like TV He just had no time for. If I gave that much involvement in sinner's lives, I doubt I would have much time for TV also. I wouldn't need a rule against it.

Perhaps if we are to live by rules, there should be a rule about sharing our faith X times a week and then giving a weekly testimony to an accountability partner on how we kept that rule. I doubt that keeping rules in the area of sanctification motivates one into ministry to others. Don't you think, if we are to live by rules, we need to emphasize what must be done and have it checked on as much as what shouldn't be done and checked on ? I'm yet to be convinced rules are the answer to furthering the Kingdom. But I am open to listen to CM views.

[TeleBodyofChrist]

I guess I'm one of those MB Anabaptist sinners with 4 TVs and a Bose radio. Watching the hockey game at the moment. Hope I don't die before the game ends. Good thing I believe in eternal security. Sorry, being sarcastic. And there goes another sin. But joking aside, there sure is quite a range of practise within Anabaptism.

There certainly is. Certain CMC brethren I am closely acquainted with have the TV and YouTube going all the time with all sorts of stuff.

They learned it well growing up moderately plain with "family night" on Fridays a good excuse to watch "wholesome" movies they rented from the library. Their dad wishes he could put that cat back in the bag now.

Too late.

To me, being in the world but not of the world means that I can live within the culture I am surrounded by and do many things that culture does but not to give the same importance as the world does to those things. And there are some things that scripture explicitly calls sin that I should not do. But if we have an area where we cannot control that has an adverse affect on our walk with God, then it is best to abstain from that area. Some are willing to have a group carve out just what is and what is not acceptable and/or beneficial. I prefer this come out in sermons for the individual to consider in their personal relationship with God. TV is just one of many means of communicating and it has both godly and worldly programming. I am blessed and challenged by many sermons I have access to through TV.

I believe Jesus was so involved in sinner's lives where they lived and something like TV He just had no time for. If I gave that much involvement in sinner's lives, I doubt I would have much time for TV also. I wouldn't need a rule against it.

Perhaps if we are to live by rules, there should be a rule about sharing our faith X times a week and then giving a weekly testimony to an accountability partner on how we kept that rule. I doubt that keeping rules in the area of sanctification motivates one into ministry to others. Don't you think, if we are to live by rules, we need to emphasize what must be done and have it checked on as much as what shouldn't be done and checked on ? I'm yet to be convinced rules are the answer to furthering the Kingdom. But I am open to listen to CM views.

Rules are not the answer to furthering the Kingdom, but I know that some people need this to make it. I am trying to think of a way to explain what I mean. I see this even outside Anabaptist circles and in the world.

Some people do better with constant guidance and accountability to others. You see this with the need for life coaches and constant advice on what they should do.

I do not think everyone needs this, and it goes back Romans 14. I struggle with this as I do not need some of the rules but most churches require everyone follow all the rules. So, then I have to think about not causing a brother or sister to stumble.

Honestly, thinking this through I realize now that seeing others in my church not following these agreed upon practices did cause me to stumble as I saw it as hypocrisy. I am not longer a member because of it.

[Sudsy]

Rules are not the answer to furthering the Kingdom, but I know that some people need this to make it. I am trying to think of a way to explain what I mean. I see this even outside Anabaptist circles and in the world.

Some people do better with constant guidance and accountability to others. You see this with the need for life coaches and constant advice on what they should do.

I do not think everyone needs this, and it goes back Romans 14. I struggle with this as I do not need some of the rules but most churches require everyone follow all the rules. So, then I have to think about not causing a brother or sister to stumble.

Honestly, thinking this through I realize now that seeing others in my church not following these agreed upon practices did cause me to stumble as I saw it as hypocrisy. I am not longer a member because of it.

If rules were suggested areas to consider in living a Christian life and were not tied to qualifying for fellowship, I would have no problem with them and agree they could be beneficial. I don't think it right also to flaunt the way we live in front of another believer who we know has a weakness in that area. I might have a glass of wine at times but should hold off and drink something else when another believer is having control issues in that area.

The guidelines in our MB church focus more on things, for instance, keeping unity and not causing strife. If we don't totally agree on some issue, aside from the statement of faith, then it is important on how we discuss our different opinion and with who. I enjoy my coffee times with the teaching pastor discussing those areas. We are not into judging how others proceed in their faith journey but provide lots of opportunity through various ministries to get involved.

I stumbled too and gave up on church for some years. It wasn't the hypocrisy regarding rules, as we had none, but the attitudes of some believers toward the pastor and others. I thought I was better off away from that environment. Years later I learned that I needed fellowship with other believers and was not meant to live this life on my own. However, I'm still searching for more spiritual fellowship and that is why I come to these forums so often.

Good to chat with you. God bless.

[mike]

Television, like terrestrial radio, is dying. It will likely exist for a while yet, but it's going downhill fast. There has been a 33% decline in TV ratings in the past four years. There is no way TV as it currently exists can sustain such a rate of decline.

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles ... -audiences

But the same content is getting out to people. Just in a different way, through the Internet. As advertisers bail, TV will go away. Because all of it is sustained by advertising dollars. And according to the above link, TV advertising costs have grown by 20% in the same time period. Advertisers will not put up with this. Just like newspapers. They will be around for a while, but advertisers will one day say enough with propping up a dying form of media.

[Sudsy]

Television, like terrestrial radio, is dying. It will likely exist for a while yet, but it's going downhill fast. There has been a 33% decline in TV ratings in the past four years. There is no way TV as it currently exists can sustain such a rate of decline.

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles ... -audiences

But the same content is getting out to people. Just in a different way, through the Internet. As advertisers bail, TV will go away. Because all of it is sustained by advertising dollars. And according to the above link, TV advertising costs have grown by 20% in the same time period. Advertisers will not put up with this. Just like newspapers. They will be around for a while, but advertisers will one day say enough with propping up a dying form of media.

Interesting. Some guys I know just record all their favourite programs so they can watch them at a convenient time and skip over all these advertisements. I think many are tired of all this in your face advertising and technology allows us to avoid it. Most advertising I look at is a bundle of local newspaper and various sales info and coupons for fast food buys that come in a bundle thrown on my driveway. When convenient I scan the bundle and most all of it ends up in a special garbage container.

Cable TV here is providing more individual station selection. This could be a good means of control in the near future for those who want a TV for the good it can provide. That is if advertising continues. We pay a bit extra for a nature channel and I enjoy and learn from programs that show me various places in the world and their cultures. The quality and size of video access we have today is remarkable and it is even getting better. I may not be able to travel and visit all these beautiful places in the world and in space but it is a blessing to me to be able to see them right here in my home.

[temporal1]

Television, like terrestrial radio, is dying. It will likely exist for a while yet, but it's going downhill fast. There has been a 33% decline in TV ratings in the past four years. There is no way TV as it currently exists can sustain such a rate of decline.

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles ... -audiences

But the same content is getting out to people. Just in a different way, through the Internet. As advertisers bail, TV will go away. Because all of it is sustained by advertising dollars. And according to the above link, TV advertising costs have grown by 20% in the same time period. Advertisers will not put up with this. Just like newspapers.

They will be around for a while, but advertisers will one day say enough with propping up a dying form of media.

beside paying advertisers, lib activists find tv eminently useful for biased political propaganda. they will do what they can to extend artificial life for their specific agenda. there is a reverse effect, causing many to leave in utter disgust. i see disgust for tv in people of all ages.

people in nursing homes can be captive audiences. i've seen that.

(i think) the phrase, "screen time" is an important one.
even if television collapsed, "screen time" continues. it prevents loopholes.

one thing to keep in mind, government can+does prop up that which is not self-sustainable.
there are various means to this end, it's not all about direct subsidies.
wealthy+powerful activists+lobbyists have become a fact of life. they keep very busy.

they definitely keep after wealthy corporations. i never expected to see big corporations become so involved with social engineering experiments! but, they have. i presume this is due to both pressures from political activists AND lib government incentives (tax credits, grants, etc.)

[Haystack]

Television, like terrestrial radio, is dying. It will likely exist for a while yet, but it's going downhill fast. There has been a 33% decline in TV ratings in the past four years. There is no way TV as it currently exists can sustain such a rate of decline.

When I first started learning about Anabaptists I thought it was funny they didn't allow radios. Growing up NMB I never listened to the radio and none of the other kids my age did either. People either used CD's or ipods, and radios were what "old people" listened to. I understand the rule and why it's in place, what I find hard to believe is that people actually still listen to radios

[Adam]

Television, like terrestrial radio, is dying. It will likely exist for a while yet, but it's going downhill fast. There has been a 33% decline in TV ratings in the past four years. There is no way TV as it currently exists can sustain such a rate of decline.

When I first started learning about Anabaptists I thought it was funny they didn't allow radios. Growing up NMB I never listened to the radio and none of the other kids my age did either. People either used CD's or ipods, and radios were what "old people" listened to. I understand the rule and why it's in place, what I find hard to believe is that people actually still listen to radios

In the NMB world, I would say that radio is still very popular among those who have to commute to work, especially talk shows. Having listened to both secular and Christian radio talk shows, I would agree that it is best to avoid them.