Joe Joseph

When I say that watching TV is an abomination to the Lord I believe that it is a surefire way to losing spirituality. Why are we turning ourselves and our families over to these things? Let me ask those who watch hours on Television, are you a Christian, being fooled, by satan’s ploys? If you are being fooled then you are NOT living upto the standard Christ set for you. Then you are in risk of being left out of His kingdom. We wouldn’t want that, would we? Not at the cost of a few cheap films and television programs.

FALSE STANDARDS AND WANTONNESS... A main cause of many problems, nowadays, is insecurity. People are insecure about everything. Students are brought up, thinking that if they don’t score good marks, then they are useless. And that if they don’t get a better job than the next fellow, then they have failed or if they don’t have a car or a mobile phone, that they are next one on the bankrupt list. A great percentage of the population is insecure. And what does TV do? It just fires it up. TV programs often set a certain standard of success. TV programs and films and world magazines teach the viewers what is hot to wear and what is not. What is accepted and what is not. So, many people are insecure if they don’t live up to the standards as portrayed on the screens because they think that they are failures. Whether we know it or not, many of our dreams and aspirations are somehow linked to the glamour and things shown on TV. Who could be behind this? I’ll give you a hint... it’s a five letter word and you’ve gussed it right... its satan.

I’ll explain it a bit... suppose there is a person in a village far from all the glamour and riches of the city. And he gets hooked onto cable and starts watching all the programs and soap operas and Hindi Films etc etc. Wouldn’t his belief systems and aspirations then slowly and gradually turn to wanting all the glamour and riches? And then he decides to leave the village and want to attain all the glamour and the vain glory? Because he then begins to think that’s what good living is about. This was an example of person who was completely out of contact with the riches of the world. We are not so. So, then think whether this media would or would not have had an effect on your wants and desires and standards for success. Because the bible says that we are not to be CARNALLY MINDED and this is an ENEMY AGAINST GOD.

How many people walk around with low self esteems and self respect because they fail to reach the fake success talked of in films? Even christians, are always worried about jobs and this and that. And their prayers are always - God, give me this. God give me that. We then forget that this is not what God called us for. A Christian's success is measured by how close he is to Jesus. How many hours do you spend talking to Him? Not about Jobs but about God and Spiritual things. If you aren’t in close relationship with Jesus then yes, you are unsuccessful. Even if you have a job or a great degree or the biggest house in the world, if you are not close to Him you are UNSUCCESSFUL. If this is the case then you have to be worried. Not if you don’t have a job or a good education, or if others are rich and you are not. God will take care of all these once you start living for Him.

On Wantonness..... It came in the Delhi newspapers some months ago that a Russian news reader took off her clothes halfway through reading the news. How amazingly disgusting! This was a gimmick by the channel to increase the viewership and the viewer is subjected to all kinds of these things. It is so clearly prophesied in philipians 3:9 ....Whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame. How true! people glory in shameful things. What all we hear of the celebrities and their lifestyles. Shameful acts. And all of them glory in their shame. Actresses come in see through dresses to award nites and bask in the glory of their shame. Men and women do private amorous acts on screen in front of millions of viewers and they glory in their shame. How shameful! All forms of movies have these in varying degrees... english, hindi, malayalam and all other movies. It is sin to watch it in whatever degree the perversion is shown. And even more shameful if we as Christians sit and watch and enjoy all this. If we are doing so, then are we Christ’s? We must really think about it. I have read a book by A.W. Tozer which was written sometime in the fifties or sixties and in that he warns of sensual songs etc on the radio. If things were bad then, what is it now? With lewd and raucous filth being boasted of openly and glorified?

EMULATIONS.... How many Christians try to follow and fashion themselves after movie stars and pop stars? They shave their beards and fashion their hair like the movie stars and wear the type of clothes they wear. Are we to follow Christ or a bunch of characterless clowns? How many Christians I have seen with photographs of movie stars in their rooms. We might know it is wrong to put up photographs of Christ in our houses but we are willing to stick up the photographs of movie stars in their rooms. We might know it is wrong to put up photographs of Christ in our houses but we are willing to stick up the photographs of movie stars! That means you admire these people and their work. It only amounts to idolatry. Also, you have conformed to the world, if you do so. This is NOT suitable for a Christian. And those who do so should repent. For those who do so ,you should also stop reading these film magazines and ‘gossips’ about the film stars. How shameful their secret lives are and people write about it as if they are the perfect role models and as if their next affair is going to decide the National Budget. Disgusting.

Women read fashion magazines and see fashion programs and movies and wants to be slim and then start to impose diets upon themselves to become like models or their friends. If you are doing so, let me ask you this..... don’t you have any self respect? You are selling yourself and are trying to look like somebody who you are not. And then being fooled by a smart man with nothing else to do but to sit and think up these things. Why must you look pale thin? I feel sad for these stick like models who look as if these french fashion houses are stricken by famine. DON’T CONFORM TO THESE FOOLS, dear christian friends I implore you. God has blessed you with food etc so why must you diet to look thin (I am not talking of people dieting for health reasons or reasons of financial constraint) Also, don’t think you are not pretty because you don’t look like the movie stars or if you don’t dress like them. If you do, then you are being trapped into the trap that satan set. You must fight it. I can show you a thousand women who by worldly standards are ‘pretty’ but in actuality are pretty scary to look at with enough paint on their face to paint the street lanes in the whole of Europe. All this is fake beauty and superficial. Don’t reduce to being a superficial fool. You must fight it.

These above points have been a sort of macroscopic analysis on the harmful effects of television viewing. I will elaborate slightly on a more microscopic analysis for those who say that they watch only a little TV once in while and don’t think it affects them or their prayer life or their life with Jesus. The regular viewer should read the following too because it will remove all doubts as to why I say that watching Television, a little or a lot is SIN. THE MICROSCOPIC ANAL ANALYSIS YSIS Before I start, let me point out one thing. I have mentioned this already but just to refresh your memory. Whether you watch Television or Movies for hours or for a little time, you are equally partaking in it. And you are WILLFULLY enjoying the things it shows. Because, I don’t think anybody is making you switch on the TV and watch it by force, kare they? Or tying you down with ropes to a chair everyday in front of the TV to make you watch. If not, then you cannot dismiss even a little time of TV watching as trivial. Whatever you watch, you watch with full responsibility and awareness and with intent. Don’t counter that some programs bore you or don’t interest you so you are not actually ‘enjoying’ them or taking pleasure in them. But the thing is, you are not tied down to a chair to not stop watching. Are you? (I am saying this because I have come across this line of reasoning from somebody) So, with this little thing cleared, let us go on. Let us refer the first verse quoted earlier.

ROMANS 1:29-32 “Being filled with all UNRIGHTEOUSNESS, FORNICATION, WICKEDNESS, COVETOUSNESS, MALICIOUSNESS; FULL OF ENVY, MURDER, DEBATE, DECEIT, MALIGNITY; WHISPERERS, BACKBITERS, HATERS OF GOD, DESPITEFUL, PROUD, BOASTERS, INVENTORS OF EVIL THINGS, DISOBEDIENT TO PARENTS, WITHOUT UNDERSTANDING, COVENANT BREAKERS, WITHOUT NATURAL AFFECTION, IMPLACABLE, UNMERCIFUL:

Who knowing the Judgement of God, that they are WORTHY OF DEATH, not only do the same, BUT HAVE PLEASURE IN THEM THAT DO THEM”. What Paul clearly talks of in these verses is that all people who do these sins are worthy of death. But he hammers in a vital point at the end (How beautiful and apt the words of God are.)... THOSE WHO HAVE PLEASURE OR ENJOY IN THEM THAT DO THESE SINS ARE EQUALLY WORTHY OF DEATH!

Also again in II corinthians 10:5 “Casting down IMAGINATIONS, and EVERY high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into CAPTIVITY EVERY THOUGHT to the obedience of Christ”.

And again in II corinthians 6:14,15 “Be ye NOT unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrightousness? And what communion hath light with darkness? And what concord hath Christ with Belial? Or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel?” ...... verse 17 “Wherefore come out from among them, and BE YE SEPARATE, saith the Lord, and TOUCH NOT the UNCLEAN THING; AND I WILL RECEIVE YOU”.

These verses should be sufficient enough for any diligent Christian. But since we are not easily convinced by verses, I will elaborate on them. I will elaborate on specific sins that are shown and that which we indulge in knowingly or unknowingly while watching TV programme, Movies, Plays etc..

(to be continued)