The two people I have quoted have made statements that I agree with. As I stated earlier - I don't have a "TV" in my home. At one time, we did have TV; however, as a family,
we made the choice that we didn't want it in our home -
NOT because the preacher told us not to have it.
I've been raised in this thing - am still in this thing, so I'm not whistling in the dark here. For many years, as Barb stated, things were "
preached against." It wasn't a "heart issue", it was a list of rules. Things you
could do and things you
could not do. It was never things you
should not do.
In my opinion, preaching "against" stuff isn't going to get people into Heaven. Teaching and preaching that encourage people to develop a personal relationship with Jesus, encouraging them to WALK WITH HIM on a daily basis, teaching them to allow the Holy Ghost to speak to them and convict them, teaching them to live like JESUS taught while here on earth - these are the things that will get people into Heaven!
Too many people think as long as they were filled with the Holy Ghost at one time, follow the list of rules, "look" just right and "look" the part they are going to make it. All the while these same people are living from one service to the next on a Holy Ghost
emotional "high" and have never learned about the depth of the experience that they have that can lead and guide them. They depend solely upon the preacher to tell them what they can and can't do.
My aged (almost 100) mom can't get out much and she has a TV. She watches certain channels with only preaching, gospel singing, etc. The only "show" she watches is Wheel of Fortune. She gets so excited when she can figure out the puzzle before the contestant. I personally believe that watching that particular show helps keep her mind sharper. She doesn't even watch the news because she says it depresses her. You won't find a more Godly lady with a more Christ-like attitude. She has been filled with the Holy Ghost for MANY years. Don't even try to tell me that she isn't going to Heaven because she has that little box sitting in her living room!
And Whole Hearted, I was shocked beyond words the first time I realized that there are UPC ministers that have TVs in their homes; but believe me they ARE out there. Many more than you would think. I am shocked to hear some of them talk about particular shows that they watch on a regular basis. Some of them, if they don't have TV with cable or satellite can't wait until particular shows come out on DVD and then they buy the entire season. Or they simply subscribe to Netflix. {I just recently found out that Netflix has all the TV shows available. I thought it was just for "renting" movies because you didn't want to go to the local Blockbuster (or some other "video rental" store).
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I appreciate the ministry that take a stand against certain things; IF they do it in a spirit of love and not with a Pharisaical attitude. But I really have a problem with the ones who pick and choose what they think is wrong.
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