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Sunday, May 18, 2008

Who said it?

"Few things in our culture are more spiritually numbing than the television. Even the so-called 'good' shows are by and large banal and low-minded and anything but cultivating of a rich, deep capacity to enjoy God. And when you add to that the barrage of suggestive advertisements that accompany virtually every program, I do not wonder why so many of our professing Christians are spiritually incapable of experiencing high thoughts and deep emotions."

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

This is very true to the utmost. One of the few channels I would watch(The History Channel) has now been dumbed down and carries installments which have little to do with real historical matters.

The reality show seems to be all the rage now. I cannot make an informed enough comment on them since I do not watch them. However, listening to others discuss them, I get the impression most are based on humiliation.

There was a time when some mainstream television actually had meaning and a moral message behind it. The Lone Ranger would even quote scripture from time to time. Imagine someone doing that on a primetime show today. Do you think it would stir up a hornet's nest?

The television has become the babysitter for many of our children today, along with the computer and video games. When was the last time you saw a group of kids playing together in a neighborhood yard? To stay inside after school used to be deemed punishment.

Just look around at all of the inventions and contraptions over the last 100 years, or even the last 10 years to come along to demand the mind's attention. I'm afraid the things of a spiritual nature take a backseat way too often.

Neil

Anonymous said...

John Piper said it.

Now....tell me, what did I win?

R. L. Vaughn said...

Fine print rules:

You must be registered and a release form must be completed. You must be 18 years of age or older, and not baptized by, ordained, or affiliated with a Baptist church. You must be present to win. Decisions of the judges are final!

;-)

R. L. Vaughn said...

Bro. Skipper is correct, but I think we have enough rules in place to keep him from winning the prize. ;-D

The original post is excerpted from Advice to Pastors (7 Feb 1996) by John Piper