STARTLING! LARRY BOOKER'S Latest Message!!!(wait til you see this!!!)

[The Lemon]

Jeff,

All I can say is Wow! I can't elaborate even close to what you have, all I will say is that loving the World to me is much more than watching a TV. We have all sinned the last time I read the Bible, and true to form we slip up daily.

Having said that, that does not give us the right or license to live in sin and love this World, its agenda, or flow, but certainly there are parts of life that are just simply a part of being a human. We can "Super Spiritualize" alot of stuff and walk smuggly through life with our head in the sand, or we can be a functional and informed part of society beyond the four walls of a church or organization.

Some things have been defined as wrong and sin for so long that some folks never question them or their validity, that fine, for them, but as for me, I want to study and really know what is truly right and wrong.

We all have opinions and that is our rindividual right. So, in my opinion there needs to be more to life then how many services you attend, what programs are going on at the church, the latest fundraiser or District conference. I prefer a balance, although that is ceretainly hard to find. I used to attend a church that used to hand out cards that said "Hope for the Home" when door knocking ect., the ironic thing was that most of the staff at the church (including me), did not have a home life to speak of, we needed hope for our own homes and we were peddling this card saying "we have the answer" - sure..o.k.

All I'm saying is that is is certainly good and bad in all forms of media..it is obsurd to make a broad brush statement about TV and leave all the rest alone...it's called common sense. And we should be able to play horseshoes and even (gasp) a card game with family and friends and not feel condemned. And if you watch a movie that has a love scene, there are ways around watching it, and surely there is a difference between seeing something you may not agree with and fantasizing about it.

[NotforSale]

[QUOTE=Jeffrey;920507]

What does it mean to "love the world?"
Interestingly enough, John goes on to ellaborate what he is talking about that people are selling their lives out for -- and it's all within a few verses of this one.

For you to insinuate I have a passion for things that are anti-Christ because they are content in a story is demeaning.

Not just Hollywood either. It's all around us. All media. All communication. All advertising. Our young women confuse the word "modesty" with "covering up" while exchanging that for tight skirts, over-the-top fashion experiments and all because they have no concept of godliness because they are spoon-fed rules. They aren't sinners. They are spiritually immature.

Well, since I'm from a "different tribe" (popular for separatists to say), I think the problem is your pastor's "standard" in the first place. If you can teach her that she can be part of her world, without being of it, that's a victory in itself. She may wear designer fashions, and even do her hair like Jennifer Aniston, but that doesn't mean she's "of the World." We confuse the forest for the trees, and most of our girls are great tree inspectors, with little experience in a forest.

Actually, the meaning is not non-sequitur, nor does it need to be. Creating a prohibition because of concerns regarding some programming on television is really more of a boggling of the mind. Do you read books? Internet? Do you watch any videos?

I can respect your opinion to keep a television out of your home, if that makes you more comfortable. However, to generalize all television programming with separatist snobbery is something different.

The meaning is that while television can be dangerous, so can a computer, so can a public library, a cell phone, behavior in private -- the goal is to let the Spirit train, and to be led by principles of love. This is an umbrella that governs our conscience in all areas. If we are too weak for any of them, then sit it out. But to point at others and decry their immorality because of it just stinks.

He may have spoken to you about this, but he hasn't to me. He's told me not to become entangled with fornication, adultery, lying, cheating, be an honest man, love my neighbor, love my wife, love my children, reach my city, etc. If the Word of God is your measuring stick, then you must admit that you are taking your liberties to support any corporate gathering of people to become enslaved by prohibitions.

Speaking earlier of non sequitur. I have NO idea what point you're trying to

You seem big on argumentation and logic, but this one falls miserably short. "If God wanted them to see it they would have been there." Really? So this concludes, that obviously, God doesn't want them to see it and in fact, forbids it? That's logical to you? Stories were the most common form of media at the time. A good story teller was a popular man. I'm not so sure the details were spared because of our sanitized, Puritan, Western views.

Have you seen the movie? Probably not

And it's not about "how much blood and guts" as much as the whole film intent on taking you there. Taking you to that place. No different than some of the altar call closings I've heard, and lightyears better than many of the Easter dramas I've seen. We are sharing in that moment. It's realness moves the story from a romanticized abstract into a very real, historical event. You don't need to see it, but for those of us who did, we were touched by it... no matter what judgements you have for Mel Gibson...

You really believe that? A movie that insinuates the people had sex (they do some kissing and the scene cuts), or something similar, and now I'm hellbound? That's how secure you view your salvation?

What is Song of Solomon was not supposed to be sermon material? What if it were to teach a society what passionate love correctly looked like? Why sermonize from it?

When you say "flesh" I assume you say anything not spiritual dimensional. Surely, you have flesh feeding. Pleasure that refreshes us without destroying us is a legitimate pleasure. We are, after all, still pretty well locked to this earth. We have a downpayment of the future, but are living in the now. Having a laugh, enjoying a story or otherwise being entertained are not unpardonable sins. And I don't know where you get that TV has no "learning value." But you don't have one, so it's hard to make that claim.

The stories of God were not just for academic exercise. They were a way of life, a way of communicating the story. The point is, we have a double-standard. Those stories would utterly fail our sanitary inspection.

Excellent post!

I've said this before. People that get online, grinding the AXE of "No TV" are either confused or deceived. The online world is far worse than TV ever was, or will be.

As far as the Bible telling the story, or reading and learning about other ways of life, nothing quite brings us there like a movie can. We just watched, "September Dawn". I've read, and talked about the Mountain Meadows Massacre by the Mormon Church, but this film showed the atrocity of this mass murder by those who claimed a righteous and religious fervor.

We understand the impact of drama, using this “Tool” to promote our Christmas, Easter, and other programs of great interest, then we cry FOUL when someone else creates this affect. I find this hypocritical.

When we limit ourselves by not exposing our eyes to the realities of suffering, bloodshed, and the chaos of this World, we become "Dumb", unable to comprehend what is really taking place on this Earth in regards to History, War, Love, Religion, Culture and a host of other events going on while we fall into American slumber.

One of the greatest fears in Religious hierarchy is that we LEARN.

[Jeffrey]

But I appreciate the objections this poster raised. I need that in my life too. Someone to challenge you and make you reconsider your positions from time-to-time. I also reflected yesterday on the programming I enjoy. Took account of that. So while I agree with his logical ends of prohibition, and the overly-sanitized Puritanical approach to life, I was able to take away some things to consider as well.