Television - Revelations

[Fidelio]

Once upon a time there were reasonably good shows on television such as Leave it to Beaver, Andy Griffith/Mayberry RFD, Beverly Hillbillies, Three Stooges, Honeymooners. Anything since 1989 I don't have any idea of as I quit television back then when my fiancee asked, "Do we have to have a television?"

[Josh]

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?

Normalisation of same-sex relationships is a recent thing but has become common in modern children’s programming.

Of course, those of us who complained about a slippery slope a decade ago were ignored and told we are paranoid. Just like those of us who objected to “civil unions” were told we were paranoid to be worried this would eventually lead to same sex marriage.

[Szdfan]

Normalisation of same-sex relationships is a recent thing but has become common in modern children’s programming.

I understand the complaint, I question the rhetoric. Depicting a same-sex couple going to the grocery store in a children’s program may be normalizing same-sex couples, but it’s not a depiction of “gay sex” anymore than a depiction of a heterosexual couple at the grocery store is a depiction of heterosexual sex.

[Outsider]

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?

Most all of the "DC Universe" comics-based shows have incorporated gay sex into their themes. Realize I'm not speaking of hard-core pornography, but depictions that go far beyond what was acceptable for even heterosexual interactions when Dick Van Dyke was in prime time. Marvel, not so heavy-handed except perhaps in the show geared for the youngest of their audiences, "Runaways". I have heard- though I can't testify first-hand, that even Bert and Ernie on Sesame Street are supposed to have "come out" as gay.

[Outsider]

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.

You can stream just about anything on television both "live" and "on-demand" on the internet. And things which go far beyond that. As I replied earlier, it's not so much the technology, but the uses people make of it. I mean, the technology used to make the Cherubim on the ark of the covenant was the same as the technology to make an image of Dagon, correct? One was idolatry, and the other wasn't...

Though even the symbols approved by god (such as the brass serpent Moses had cast in the wilderness- and for which Hezikiah was praised for breaking into pieces in 2 Kings 18:4) can become subjects of idolatry. I'm talking about the literal idolatry of celebrities and politicians.

[Outsider]

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?

Normalisation of same-sex relationships is a recent thing but has become common in modern children’s programming.

Of course, those of us who complained about a slippery slope a decade ago were ignored and told we are paranoid. Just like those of us who objected to “civil unions” were told we were paranoid to be worried this would eventually lead to same sex marriage.

I'm not interested in judging "those on the outside". It's not so much the normalization of gay that bothers me as the demonization of normal relations. For example, in Marvel's "Runaways" the term "hetero-normative" is tossed about a whole lot. Not by the characters which "discover" they are gay of course- that would be bad propaganda.

And this may be hijacking one of my own threads with a "bunny trail", but another thing which annoys me about the current wisdom of fools is the notion that everything is "nurture" (as in nature vs nurture), unless it is something they want to give a pass to (gays are "born that way", but "gender" is "learned behavior", men are "toxic" from "testosterone poisoning"). It's all really quite insane.

[Neto]

Even most of the very old shows (Beverly Hillbillies, Petty Coat Junction, etc) all include what people sometimes refer to as "eye candy" - the beautiful girls. And there are often also sexual innuendos. Last night I watched a nearly 1 hour interview of three scientists regarding Darwinism. One of the men is probably a believer, but the one whose article or book was the main focus of the discussion made a statement regarding intelligent design, that the world is a mess, and that it seems that a really intelligent entity would have done better. Of course there is a Biblical explanation for this, but it's true, the world is a mess, and and he stated, humans seem to be the worst of the lot. (He mentioned Adam & Eve, Cain & Abel, etc.) The corruption on TV, the internet, in the newspapers & magazines, in advertising, it's all in human society since the beginning. I am not justifying TV - not at all. We don't have one, even though our congregation now allows them. We had a borrowed one briefly during our first year in Brazil - watching it for language comprehension practice, but haven't had one since.

All that said, I do not think that the TV is specifically referred to in the Revelation. (Except as another evidence of pervasive evil.)

[Josh]

Many Mennonites recognised the danger of television 100 years ago, realising it has no purpose outside of feeding the lusts of the eye. The modern era proves these men and women of God were right.

[ohio jones]

Many Mennonites recognised the danger of television 100 years ago, realising it has no purpose outside of feeding the lusts of the eye. The modern era proves these men and women of God were right.

Slightly exaggerated, since 100 years ago only a few inventors (no Mennonites known to be among them) were working on the concept of television.

By 1928, [Philo T.] Farnsworth had developed the system sufficiently to hold a demonstration for the press. His backers had demanded to know when they would see dollars from the invention; so the first image shown was, appropriately, a dollar sign.

Not until the late 1930s did TV move from experimental status to commercial viability in a few major urban markets. By the 1950s it was becoming more widespread, and my grandfather (the Mennonite one) was invited by a neighbor to stop by and see this newfangled invention. As the story goes, Grandpa said it would be okay "as long as you don't show me the devil." They sat down to watch, and an entertainment program came on featuring a guy in a jumpsuit (we can assume it was red, but this was before color TV) with a tail and horns, carrying a pitchfork. It didn't take Grandpa long to make up his mind about TV.

[Aurien]

Many Mennonites recognised the danger of television 100 years ago, realising it has no purpose outside of feeding the lusts of the eye. The modern era proves these men and women of God were right.

Slightly exaggerated, since 100 years ago only a few inventors (no Mennonites known to be among them) were working on the concept of television.

Perhaps they were Mennonite prophets who could see the future?

By 1928, [Philo T.] Farnsworth had developed the system sufficiently to hold a demonstration for the press. His backers had demanded to know when they would see dollars from the invention; so the first image shown was, appropriately, a dollar sign.

Not until the late 1930s did TV move from experimental status to commercial viability in a few major urban markets. By the 1950s it was becoming more widespread, and my grandfather (the Mennonite one) was invited by a neighbor to stop by and see this newfangled invention. As the story goes, Grandpa said it would be okay "as long as you don't show me the devil." They sat down to watch, and an entertainment program came on featuring a guy in a jumpsuit (we can assume it was red, but this was before color TV) with a tail and horns, carrying a pitchfork. It didn't take Grandpa long to make up his mind about TV.