The negative influence of Holywood upon our children was publicized yesterday in USA Today. Sharon Jayson reported that middle-schoolers who are forbidden to watch R-rated movies are less likely to start drinking than peers whose parents are more lenient about such films. This is the result of new research on 2,406 children performed by researchers at Dartmouth Medical School. This research revealed that among those whose parents allowed them to watch R-rated movies, almost 25% had tried a drink without their parents' knowledge. That compares with barely 3% who tried a drink among those who were "never allowed" to watch R-movies.
This study has revealed that allowing your children to watch R rated movies (or R rated television) results in a 23% likelihood that they will consume alcohol before they are 14 years old. Virtually anyone would admit that those children who experiment with alcohol at such a young age are more likely to experiment with prescription drugs, marijuana, other narcotics, sex, crime, violence etc.
The article goes on to argue that "a lot of PG-13 movies should be rated R." Wow! Now the USA Today has not only said allowing your children to watch R rated films leads to alcohol use, but that “a lot” of PG 13 movies should be rated R! This is not the Baptist Record reporting or Focus on the Family or AFR. This is the USA Today.
My question is, “What about the other 77% of those children allowed to watch R rated films that have not used alcohol yet?” What percentage of them will eventually try alcohol and move on to bigger and better drugs of choice as compared to the other 93% of children who were not allowed to watch such films? I think the answer is obvious. Entertainment and media affect our families and children more than we could ever imagine. That is why we are instructed in the Word of God to “make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires” Rom 13:14. We should make no provision for our flesh, nor for our children’s flesh. The Psalmist in Psalm 101:3 wrote, “I will not set before my eyes anything that is worthless.” Are you setting before your eyes any worthless thing? Are you subjecting your children to it?
When you subject yourself and/or your children to entertainment that is less that glorifying to God, you accomplish several things in your family’s life.
1. You teach your children that it is acceptable to tolerate what God hates in order to enjoy some worldly pleasure. That is why you “overlook” the filth in that reality TV show, right?...to enjoy some worldly pleasure? That is why you pay whatever it costs now to get into that movie that has “just a few bad scenes in it.” Your worldly entertainment means more to you than your holiness, or your children’s holiness.
2. You lower their resistance and sensitivity to sin (and yours) by providing your children (and yourself) constant access to the world and its lies. When you allow less than God honoring movies, reality TV shows, or sitcoms to be shown in your home, or when you go to an ungodly movie, you allow the TV or cinema to say things and do things in front of your children that you would never allow otherwise…but it is worth it for the entertainment value, right?
3. You deaden your children’s conscience as well as your own conscience by allowing Hollywood to disciple you on what is acceptable. Ten years ago, God-fearing Christians were repulsed by the sight of homosexuals kissing on television. After ten years of virtually every sitcom, reality TV show, and movie having homosexual roles, scenes, and apparent normalcy we hardly blink. And, what one generation tolerates, another generation will embrace. Keep that in mind the next time you “overlook” that scene. As you tolerate it, your children are embracing it.
4. You waste your time and the time of your children. Studies show that it is possible to read through the entire Bible in 72 hours. The average family watches that much television in 2 weeks. So, in a years time, you could have read through the entire Bible about 26 times if you replaced television with the Word of God. Where are our priorities?
These are just a few things that happen when you allow less than God honoring, God glorifying programs to be viewed by your family. Be careful that you don’t entertain your children to alcoholism, drug addiction, and on into hell because you are more concerned with Hollywood than you are holiness. Finish well and don’t let the movie industry stop you!
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Sunday, April 25, 2010
Sunday, April 18, 2010
Friday, April 16, 2010
No More Scripture!
Okay. I have a question. Assume the ice cream shop down the road that you love going to with your family put a front page add in your local paper stating, “no Scripture allowed!” “We don’t want you wearing it, reading it, or promoting it in our store.” “If you want to promote your faith or your belief in the Word of God, go somewhere else, because it will not be allowed here.” If that were to happen at your favorite ice cream shop, assuming you are a born again believer, what would your response be? Would you keep going to the ice cream shop? Would you continue to carry your kids somewhere where they have outright banned the Bible? Would you keep giving the people who have deliberately chosen to spit in the face of God your money?
Well, I am not a boycott boy or a petitioning parent or a picketing pastor. I don’t get caught up in official strikes or marches, or one million emails to the company that promotes a filthy commercial, but I do stay away from bars, casinos, and I guess movie theatres for the most part since I haven’t been to one since 2007. I would have to say, though I would not stand out in front of the ice cream shop and picket or declare an official boycott, I would not go back. I would not take my kids there and I definitely would not give them my money. Would you?
No, stop…think….answer the question. What would you do if your favorite ice cream shop made a public statement: no Scripture allowed?
Well…
That is exactly what the NCAA did in these last 24 hours. They made a statement that no player would be allowed to follow the example of Tim Tebow and paint Scripture references on their faces. I know, I know...they made the statement broad enough to cover anything being promoted, not just Scriptures, but every picture they showed on the news was of Tim Tebow's Scripture. Let's not be dumb here. We know what the issue is. They could really care less if he had written a vulgarity on his face (that would just be his game face...you know...to intimidate), but Scripture...that is just too offensive to the minority.
This is the same NCAA that many professing believers give more time to than they give to God. This is the same NCAA that many professing believers show more affection for and loyalty to than they show and give to God. This is the same NCAA that many professing believers devote their Saturday’s to, even though it may cost them their Sunday’s in the house of God…at least for a season…you know a baseball season or a football season. Think about this! The stands are packed with professing believers who yell without reserve, who wear their team’s T-shirt and hat, who wave their team’s flag, and who will at least verbally, if not physically attack someone who says something derogatory about their team. A lot of emotions are wrapped up in college sports. A lot of love is expressed for the NCAA. A lot of money is spent for the NCAA. A lot of miles are put on vehicles and motor homes for the NCAA. A lot of Bibles go unread, a lot of offerings go un-given, a lot of prayers go un-prayed, and a lot of worship goes un-expressed while we would never think for a moment of shorting our favorite team.
I mean come on guys…it’s the 21st century. Sports are the thing. We drag our kids around the state virtually every weekend of the year chasing after the athletic dream....soccer, baseball, softball, football, etc. That quarterback that funnels beer on the weekends, sleeps around with anyone and everyone, and maybe even shoots up is our child’s hero! Your kids have his poster on your wall. Your kids are wearing his jersey, his name. What an example. What a hero. What a role model. Athletes are our heroes and our children's heroes. Not David Brainerd, or David Livingstone, or John G. Paton. I am sorry. I know most of you are saying, “Who is David Brainerd, David Livingstone, and John G. Paton. Well, they aren't athletes, which would probably explain why most of you don't know them.
Anyway, the question at hand was, what would you do with that favorite ice cream shop that basically spit in the face of all Christians and said, no more Scripture allowed…you know they hung the sign that said, “No shoes, no shirt, and any Scripture…No service.” If you said, with me, I couldn’t go back there. I wouldn’t go back there. I would find me another place to get ice cream with my family, then you must also say I can’t continue to give my hard earned money to the NCAA or carry my kids there. I will not invest in anyone or anything that would spit on the Words of the One True God. I will find me some other entertainment to participate in. After all, what is good for the godless ice cream shop, should be good enough for the godless NCAA, right?
But then again, we don’t worship ice cream shops do we?
P.S. A good alternative entertainment is to introduce yourself and your kids to true heroes…like Brainerd, Livingstone, and Paton. Until next time…
Well, I am not a boycott boy or a petitioning parent or a picketing pastor. I don’t get caught up in official strikes or marches, or one million emails to the company that promotes a filthy commercial, but I do stay away from bars, casinos, and I guess movie theatres for the most part since I haven’t been to one since 2007. I would have to say, though I would not stand out in front of the ice cream shop and picket or declare an official boycott, I would not go back. I would not take my kids there and I definitely would not give them my money. Would you?
No, stop…think….answer the question. What would you do if your favorite ice cream shop made a public statement: no Scripture allowed?
Well…
That is exactly what the NCAA did in these last 24 hours. They made a statement that no player would be allowed to follow the example of Tim Tebow and paint Scripture references on their faces. I know, I know...they made the statement broad enough to cover anything being promoted, not just Scriptures, but every picture they showed on the news was of Tim Tebow's Scripture. Let's not be dumb here. We know what the issue is. They could really care less if he had written a vulgarity on his face (that would just be his game face...you know...to intimidate), but Scripture...that is just too offensive to the minority.
This is the same NCAA that many professing believers give more time to than they give to God. This is the same NCAA that many professing believers show more affection for and loyalty to than they show and give to God. This is the same NCAA that many professing believers devote their Saturday’s to, even though it may cost them their Sunday’s in the house of God…at least for a season…you know a baseball season or a football season. Think about this! The stands are packed with professing believers who yell without reserve, who wear their team’s T-shirt and hat, who wave their team’s flag, and who will at least verbally, if not physically attack someone who says something derogatory about their team. A lot of emotions are wrapped up in college sports. A lot of love is expressed for the NCAA. A lot of money is spent for the NCAA. A lot of miles are put on vehicles and motor homes for the NCAA. A lot of Bibles go unread, a lot of offerings go un-given, a lot of prayers go un-prayed, and a lot of worship goes un-expressed while we would never think for a moment of shorting our favorite team.
I mean come on guys…it’s the 21st century. Sports are the thing. We drag our kids around the state virtually every weekend of the year chasing after the athletic dream....soccer, baseball, softball, football, etc. That quarterback that funnels beer on the weekends, sleeps around with anyone and everyone, and maybe even shoots up is our child’s hero! Your kids have his poster on your wall. Your kids are wearing his jersey, his name. What an example. What a hero. What a role model. Athletes are our heroes and our children's heroes. Not David Brainerd, or David Livingstone, or John G. Paton. I am sorry. I know most of you are saying, “Who is David Brainerd, David Livingstone, and John G. Paton. Well, they aren't athletes, which would probably explain why most of you don't know them.
Anyway, the question at hand was, what would you do with that favorite ice cream shop that basically spit in the face of all Christians and said, no more Scripture allowed…you know they hung the sign that said, “No shoes, no shirt, and any Scripture…No service.” If you said, with me, I couldn’t go back there. I wouldn’t go back there. I would find me another place to get ice cream with my family, then you must also say I can’t continue to give my hard earned money to the NCAA or carry my kids there. I will not invest in anyone or anything that would spit on the Words of the One True God. I will find me some other entertainment to participate in. After all, what is good for the godless ice cream shop, should be good enough for the godless NCAA, right?
But then again, we don’t worship ice cream shops do we?
P.S. A good alternative entertainment is to introduce yourself and your kids to true heroes…like Brainerd, Livingstone, and Paton. Until next time…
Sunday, April 11, 2010
Sunday, April 4, 2010
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