The Highway Forums General Discussion Open Forum Evils of TV

Along the lines of practical holiness, a discerning Christian will get rid of the TV.

http://www.themoorings.org/life/separation/television/check.html

Been TV free for years, best thing we ever did.

So, by reason of logic, any professing Christian who owns a TV is not "discerning". But would not one who possesses discernment know what is profitable unto godliness and what isn't in regard to what comes over the air? TV in and of itself possesses no evil. This mentality is typically promoted by Arminian Fundamentalist Baptists, e.g., Bob Jones University et al, who like the Pharisees heap man-made laws upon the backs of others which they think are the way to godliness. Typically, such taboos are TV, dancing, card playing, drinking of alcohol and more. Using the same "logic" as the author writes in the linked article, shouldn't one also avoid owning a computer? Doubtless there is far more sinful activity, worldly philosophy, lascivious material etc., on the Internet than one could possibly find watching TV. And why not add radios, DVD/CD and cassette players to the list... and how about ....... ad nauseam? <img src="/forum/images/graemlins/scratchchin.gif" alt="" />

The Lord Christ taught:

Notice, the all-wise One didn't say to cast out the world and all that it contains, but if YOUR eye, or YOUR hand causes YOU to stumble (aka: sin), then you should remove it. Of course, He didn't mean to literally pluck out your eyes or amputate your hands, but rather if there is something which appeals to your flesh, you are to remove yourself from the enticement. Notice carefully, that here is not to be found in His teaching any universal condemnation of "things". Each individual is different. God didn't create man with a cookie cutter and thus each is given to certain sins which others may not be so tempted.

This is a matter of "Adiaphora" (things indifferent). And being so, it encompasses the body of Christ within which are those who are weak in the faith and those who are strong. Those who are weak have no warrant to demand of those who are strong to conform to their particular scruples. And those who are strong are to avoid ridiculing and/or tempting those who are weak in the faith. And no less important is the issue of church polity which is never to be based upon those who are weak but rather all church polity is to be grounded upon the freedom which Christ has bought for His sheep by the shedding of His blood.

See here:

True Christian Freedom, by Samuel Bolton

The Weak and the Strong, by Prof. John Murray

Liberty of Conscience, by Donald MacLeod

Freedom in Christ, by G.I. Williamson

Christian Liberty, by A.W. Pink

Lastly, the author of the website you referred to holds to spurious doctrine(s), aka: semi-Pelagianism which makes his teaching(s) rather dubious at best. <img src="/forum/images/graemlins/rolleyes2.gif" alt="" />

In His grace,

I have to agree with Pilgrim here. My first exposure to Christianity came in Jr High School at a Baptist School setup under the auspices of Bob Jones University. While I can now appreciate some of the truth I received there, the whole experience was very negative. By that I mean, Christianity was a negative; it was a long list of all the things one could not do, and most of them had nothing at all to do with the gospel or holiness. They had strict rules about hair length, dress, reading material, music, and on and on. You should have seen the list of things you could get demerits for.

Also, this teaching reminds me of the heretical United Pentecostal Church in which my brother is a minister. Just have a look at some of their materials to see this is exact sort of teaching pressed to the extreme. The thing is with legalism, it never stops with one thing, because let's face it, anything in this world can be a cause of sin or stumbling, even a church service, or prayer, or a bible study. If we are to cast off everything that could potentially cause sin, we'd have to live alone in caves. Though honestly, many monks tried that in earlier times and it didn't even work there.

I can sympathize with the view about television; there is no doubt that it is filled with sin and evil, but there is also some good on there that I personally enjoy. For example, I enjoy the broadcasts of John MacArthur's Grace To You. If I tossed my tube, then I would be depriving myself of something I find spiritually edifying.

Anyway, I didn't mean to turn this into a rant, but oneo f the things that appealed to me about the general Reformed faith when coming out of Charismania was the emphasis on Christian liberty, after so many years of being taught to pursue a false form of holiness that was all based on man's rules.

Jeff

Correct.


If you can't discern the whole effect of TV, you certainly won't discern what's good for you on it. IE Do you turn it off while the commercials come on?

It is best to truly understand the weakness of the flesh. Why not 'abstain from all appearance of evil' and just cut off your right hand by throwing the TV out?

Christ did not come to save us IN our sins, He came to save us FROM our sins, and give us power to walk new. I don't do it because I have to, I do it because I have new desires, and TV isn't one of them. I have a Bible to be read and re-read, a God to be prayed to (and listened to), Godly books to read, people to minister to (in person and on the internet), there's no time or place for TV in that environment.

But your Jude 4 preaching teaches that a person ought not to be bothered with all that, just relax, have a beer, and watch the Superbowl, while descrating the Lord's Day. That is probably why one of your moderators partakes in astrology....

WHile that my be what is best for you, you are taking something thatt you feel personally convicted about, and wishing to make it normative for the whole body of Christ. It is the same as saying "I used to be an alcoholic (or a party animal ro whatever) so I don't even go near the stuff anymore, for fear that it will drag back into a sinful lifestyle, therefore, YOU are a weak undiscerning Christian if you drink a beer or a glass of wine."

It is great if you have gotten rid of your TV, especially if it was a stumbling block to your own faith and pursuit of holiness. But just because you have a personal issue with it does not mean that everyone else does. You are making quite the judgemental leap here to assume that everyone shares your own specific weaknesses.

I appreciate that you want to guard against antinomian behavior, and you have a good point about television, but you are going way too far in ASSUMING that people are not discerning enough, or "Christian" enough to make Godly choices in the matter. That is the heart of legalism, my friend.

BTB,


You do not know Pilgrim, and this is very nearly obscene.

Shame on you, and shame on your spirit.

Denny

Romans 3:22-24

Would you mind please substantiating your claim that one of us moderators practices astrology?

Yes, I too am curious about the origin of this claim about a moderator practicing "astrology". I've been around the Highway since 1996 or so, and this is the first I've ever heard of that! I think either proof to substantiate the assertion or an apology should be proffered.

Theo

Then why are you on the Internet? Hmmmmm.....?

Christians don't mention their astrological sign, but especially not their Chinese Zodiac sign. When one advertises it about themselves, they are condoning the practice, and knowingly or not they have become active participants in the propogating of it.

http://www2.blogger.com/profile/02576699017770933239

There is a difference between passive and active visual communication. Television is passive, not allowing you to determine precisely what the next scene may be. The internet however is active, and I determine exactly what the next scene will be. I decide the information I receive, and I also am able to respond to the same information. The internet also allows me to propogate the gospel throughout the world, whereas sitting in front of the one-eyed hypnotist in the corner merely keeps one from doing that.

Now if someone wants to come on and confirm that this site is an ungodly place to visit, where people want to be left in their sin, then please do and I won't come back. There is not time to be wasted arguing with pretenders.

Actually, the software of Blogger is such that, if one enter his birthdate in his profile template, it will publicly display his age, astrological sign, and Chinese zodiac year. Unfortunately, there is no way to turn off the display of the astrological sign without removing any information about my birthdate from my profile template. So, to avoid further calumnies from individuals such as yourself, I have removed said birthdate information from the profile template.

You, however, have no excuse for making such a serious charge as to accuse me of "partaking in astrology" based on such flimsy information and what amounts to little more than ignorance--and what's more, to do so without bothering even to contact me privately first, which option was readily available.

Here is the point:
How many times did you see that information by your own name and think nothing of it? After a while you become numb to it until someone points it out to you. Sure, it may have been done in another manner, but then none of you would listen. Everyone thus far who has responded has become NUMB to the evil associated with TV. Not one has even recognized that TV is not doing you any GOOD for eternity, but merely drawing you into the world.....WAKE UP PEOPLE!!!!

What wrong have I done for a software program, outside of my control, to translate my birthdate into astrological nonsense? It is far worse to make false accusations based on mistaken assumptions, which you have done--not only toward me, but also toward Pilgrim, whom you charge with being among those in Jude "who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness". And on what basis? That he allows for even the possibility of watching television without sin! But this position of Pilgrim's is in accord with what the inspired Apostle says, "I know and am persuaded in the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean of itself" (Rom. 14:14), on which principle you may read the following: "The Weak and the Strong," by John Murray.


What on earth does your charge against ME have to do with TELEVISION, on which I had said not a word?? Why don't YOU wake up and smell the Pharisee within. <img src="/forum/images/graemlins/coffee2.gif" alt="" /> Your legalistic attitude has already caused you to make all manner of uncharitable assumptions about the people on this board, most unbecoming of one who calls himself a brother. <img src="/forum/images/graemlins/scold.gif" alt="" />

You do realize that Jonathan Edwards sermon "Sinners in the Hand of an Angry God" was delivered to a people who were believing and doing exactly the type of things you currently believe and do. It might be prudent for you to read it again with a personal emphasis.