The Stranger

[Sam]

A few years after I was born, my Dad met a stranger who was new to our small town. From the beginning, Dad was fascinated with this enchanting newcomer and soon invited him to live with our family. ..The stranger was quickly accepted and was around from then on.

As I grew up, I never questioned his place in my family. In my young mind, he had a special niche. My parents were complementary instructors: Mom taught me good from evil, and Dad taught me to obey. But the stranger, he was our storyteller. He would keep us spellbound for hours on end with adventures, mysteries and comedies.

If I wanted to know anything about politics, history or science, he always knew the answers about the past, understood the present and even seemed able to predict the future! ..He took my family to the first major league ball game. ..He made me laugh, and he made me cry. The stranger never stopped talking, but Dad didn't seem to mind.

Sometimes, Mom would get up quietly while the rest of us were shushing each other to listen to what he had to say, and she would go to the kitchen for peace and quiet. (I wonder now if she ever prayed for the stranger to leave.)

Dad ruled our household with certain moral convictions, but the stranger never felt obligated to honor them. ..Profanity, for example, was not allowed in our home -- not from us, our friends or any visitors. ..Our long time visitor, however, got away with four letter words that burned my ears and made my dad squirm and my mother blush. ..My Dad didn't permit the liberal use of alcohol but the stranger encouraged us to try it on a regular basis. ..He made cigarettes look cool, cigars manly, and pipes distinguished. He talked freely (much too freely!) about sex. ..His comments were sometimes blatant, sometimes suggestive, and generally embarrassing..

I now know that my early concepts about relationships were influenced strongly by the stranger. Time after time, he opposed the values of my parents, yet he was seldom rebuked. And NEVER asked to leave.

More than fifty years have passed since the stranger moved in with our family. He has blended right in and is not nearly as fascinating as he was at first. Still, if you could walk into my parents' den today, you would still find him sitting over in his corner, waiting for someone to listen to him talk and watch him draw his pictures.



His name???



We just call him "TV." I really fear what his grand kids will be like.

[kayl]

Brother Sam, Do you own a tv?

[geekette]

A friend of mine was troubled by the fact that my parents had (have) the TV set on all the time. I pointed out that it was pretty much background noise and he just needed to speak a little bit louder.

I'm sure people said the same thing about the radio 75 years ago.

[Sam]

Are any of us old enough to remember when it was a sin to listen to the radio?
or to read a novel?
or to read the "funnie papers" (comic books or comic strips)
Novels and comics were sin because they were not true and were therefore lies.
Anybody remember when it was a sin to display ankles, forearms or cleavage?
Anybody remember when it was a sin to take medicine (even aspirin) or go to the doctor?
Anybody remember when it was a sin to have insurance?
Going to a doctor, taking medicine, or having insurance were wrong because they were not of faith.
Anybody remember when hunting, golfing, fishing, softball and going to amusement parks or carnivals was wrong?
Anybody remember when any gold --gold rimmed glasses, gold teeth, gold colored belt buckles, gold hatpins, gold buttons, gold earrings, etc. were wrong?

[deadeye]

Originally Posted by Sam

Are any of us old enough to remember when it was a sin to listen to the radio?
or to read a novel?
or to read the "funnie papers" (comic books or comic strips)
Novels and comics were sin because they were not true and were therefore lies.
Anybody remember when it was a sin to display ankles, forearms or cleavage?
Anybody remember when it was a sin to take medicine (even aspirin) or go to the doctor?
Anybody remember when it was a sin to have insurance?
Going to a doctor, taking medicine, or having insurance were wrong because they were not of faith.
Anybody remember when hunting, golfing, fishing, softball and going to amusement parks or carnivals was wrong?
Anybody remember when any gold --gold rimmed glasses, gold teeth, gold colored belt buckles, gold hatpins, gold buttons, gold earrings, etc. were wrong?

And this is all right now???

[deadeye]

Originally Posted by Sam

A few years after I was born, my Dad met a stranger who was new to our small town. From the beginning, Dad was fascinated with this enchanting newcomer and soon invited him to live with our family. ..The stranger was quickly accepted and was around from then on.

As I grew up, I never questioned his place in my family. In my young mind, he had a special niche. My parents were complementary instructors: Mom taught me good from evil, and Dad taught me to obey. But the stranger, he was our storyteller. He would keep us spellbound for hours on end with adventures, mysteries and comedies.

If I wanted to know anything about politics, history or science, he always knew the answers about the past, understood the present and even seemed able to predict the future! ..He took my family to the first major league ball game. ..He made me laugh, and he made me cry. The stranger never stopped talking, but Dad didn't seem to mind.

Sometimes, Mom would get up quietly while the rest of us were shushing each other to listen to what he had to say, and she would go to the kitchen for peace and quiet. (I wonder now if she ever prayed for the stranger to leave.)

Dad ruled our household with certain moral convictions, but the stranger never felt obligated to honor them. ..Profanity, for example, was not allowed in our home -- not from us, our friends or any visitors. ..Our long time visitor, however, got away with four letter words that burned my ears and made my dad squirm and my mother blush. ..My Dad didn't permit the liberal use of alcohol but the stranger encouraged us to try it on a regular basis. ..He made cigarettes look cool, cigars manly, and pipes distinguished. He talked freely (much too freely!) about sex. ..His comments were sometimes blatant, sometimes suggestive, and generally embarrassing..

I now know that my early concepts about relationships were influenced strongly by the stranger. Time after time, he opposed the values of my parents, yet he was seldom rebuked. And NEVER asked to leave.

More than fifty years have passed since the stranger moved in with our family. He has blended right in and is not nearly as fascinating as he was at first. Still, if you could walk into my parents' den today, you would still find him sitting over in his corner, waiting for someone to listen to him talk and watch him draw his pictures.



His name???



We just call him "TV." I really fear what his grand kids will be like.

Make fun of this little essay all you folks want but it accurately describes the impact TV has had.

I know that the internet has changed everything....but the stand that many Apostolics took for so many years was based on right thinking.

Internet has made an end run around that stand, and folks have realized that content must be the focus.

But I will to this day not have a TV in my home.....the very character of an actual TV lends itself to total domination of the life of a home....most homes that have them, they are on all the time....and folks have to schedule their lives around their favorite shows.

i know that there are ways to record them and so on...but it still holds true.

At least with a computer you pick and choose what and when you view...not so much with a TV.

[deadeye]

Originally Posted by Sam

Are any of us old enough to remember when it was a sin to listen to the radio?
or to read a novel?
or to read the "funnie papers" (comic books or comic strips)
Novels and comics were sin because they were not true and were therefore lies.
Anybody remember when it was a sin to display ankles, forearms or cleavage?
Anybody remember when it was a sin to take medicine (even aspirin) or go to the doctor?
Anybody remember when it was a sin to have insurance?
Going to a doctor, taking medicine, or having insurance were wrong because they were not of faith.
Anybody remember when hunting, golfing, fishing, softball and going to amusement parks or carnivals was wrong?
Anybody remember when any gold --gold rimmed glasses, gold teeth, gold colored belt buckles, gold hatpins, gold buttons, gold earrings, etc. were wrong?

I still believe it is wrong and immodest for a woman to show cleavage....and I dont care for a man showing it either...(say no to crack)

[Sam]

Originally Posted by deadeye

And this is all right now???

Reminds me of the holiness preacher who had just finished a strong fiery sermon. A very well-endowed young lady displaying a lot of healthy cleavage walked up to the altar and stood there in front of him. He leaned over and said, "Sister, this is a holiness church. We look down on blouses like that."

[Sam]

The Modern 23rd Psalm


The TV is my Shepherd, I shall not want.
It maketh me to lie down on the sofa.
It leadeth me away from the scriptures.
It destroyeth my soul.

It leadeth me in the paths of immorality,
For the sponsors' sake.
Yea, though I walk in the shadow of my Christian duties,
There will be no interruptions,
For the handheld TV is with me.
Its cable or wireless controls,
They comfort me.

It prepareth a commercial before me,
In the presence of my carnality.
It anointeth my head with humanism.
My coveting runneth over.

Surely laziness and ignorance shall follow me,
All the days of my life,
And I shall dwell in the house of TV forever.

-Author Unknown

[deadeye]

Originally Posted by Sam

Reminds me of the holiness preacher who had just finished a strong fiery sermon. A very well-endowed young lady displaying a lot of healthy cleavage walked up to the altar and stood there in front of him. He leaned over and said, "Sister, this is a holiness church. We look down on blouses like that."

LOL