Which do you have more of….

TVs or children?

What does this say about your priorities?


If an alien from outer space were to walk into the average American home and look at its décor, what would he think was the religion of that family? What is the most prominent item in your house, especially in the room your family spends the most time in? To what item does all the seating face? What single industry/ hobby has congress postponed its plans just to accommodate?

To hear most people talk, you must have TV in order to survive. I have seen people who COULDN’T AFFORD FOOD scrounge up the money to pay their cable bill!

Honest, you would survive without a TV. People did for thousands of years, you know.

The Bible says, “Whatsoever a man thinks in his heart, so is he.” When we sit in front of the TV, we turn our brain over to Hollywood. We think what they want us to think. We become what they want us to become. This would be ok, maybe, if Hollywood was made up of Christians, or even just people who believed in traditional values. The fact is that 80% (according to surveys) of those in Hollywood believe traditional Christian values are evil and they actively teach this in the things they produce.

When Hitler took a new country over, do you know what he did? He had speakers placed on each corner blasting pro-nazi propaganda 24/7. This constant barrage caused the people to eventually begin thinking like Hitler wanted them to. Satan is doing the same thing today…


In large screen, high-definition, stereo surround sound!


Let me give you an example: when was the last time you saw a happy, contented stay at home mother on TV? Especially one with children instead of toddlers? I can think of one from my early adulthood---Peg Bundy. Hardly someone anyone wants to be like. All the other women with children had careers. This is brain washing.


Keep a tally sometime of how often the parents are wrong and the children are right in TV land. You might be surprised. Hollywood evidently thinks kids are smarter and parents are outdated and slow. This is the natural outcome of evolution, of course. It is also propaganda to get the society as a whole to distrust parents and their judgment making it easier for the government to pass laws (such as the Convention on the Rights of the Child) to take control of our children away from us. Control the child and you control the future.


These are just some examples. There are many, many more.


Researchers have discovered that the act of sitting in front of the TV produces endorphins. In other words, the act of watching TV causes our bodies to produce drugs that stone us. We are literal, physical addicts.


TV also causes the left side of the brain (the part that controls logical thought) to shut off. This leaves us vulnerable to any suggestion they put out there.


Now, to be honest, we do have a TV. It does sit in a prominent place in our living room (though not the center of the décor). It is, however, seldom actually on. Our family watches one video on Saturday night and one on Sunday and Sunday afternoon football. When the children are sick, I will allow educational videos. I also will allow them to watch videos when my teens baby-sit to make it easier to monitor everyone and less likely anyone will do anything to get in trouble. Hubby and I will occasionally watch a video on our date night. The only other time our TV is even on is if there are children doing school on the two computers and a third child needs to watch his math video (Math U See comes with a video of the author teaching a class for each lesson. It is like having a math tutor come into my house everyday!) The point is, we go days without turning it on and, barring illness, the longest it is on in one day is three hours (some movies are quite long). The national average is four or more hours per day with the thing being on from sunrise to bedtime and beyond not at all unusual.

When I first turned the TV off, my oldest (who was three) didn’t know what to do with herself. There was a time of withdrawal. But within two weeks her vocabulary had doubled and she had learned how to entertain herself. She was actually much happier and more peaceful.


How does the ideal of being amused at all times (not just TV but the computer, video games, internet, constant text messaging, mp3 player, etc.) mesh with the Bible? The Bible says to “Let this mind be in you which was in Christ.” Christ spent His entire time on earth serving others and working for the kingdom of God. The Bible also says to “do all things as unto the Lord.” Can you do this (have a Christ-like mind and do all things for God) while zonking on entertainment? Isn’t entertainment an inherently selfish activity? Absolutely!

Now, obviously I don’t’ believe we should never be entertained. I do believe before we do anything we should evaluate what the best use of our time would be as if God was keeping a ledger of our minutes and was going to hold us accountable for them (He is, you know). My family spending time together in front of a good, clean movie or historical documentary (some are quite interesting) is a time of bonding our children to us and of teaching them (we have stopped more than one movie to discuss the morals of those in the show.) At these moments, there is nothing better we could be doing. In the evening when most families are totally stoned on the latest sit-com, we are reading books to our children (Last night: Calvin and Hobbs [fascinating philosophy discussions and many examples of how NOT to think], The Sign of the Beaver [historical fiction teaching the ways of the Indians in the early colonial days], Happy Hollisters [children’s mystery written in the 50’s], Hank the Cow Dog [wonderful stories of a ranch mutt. He always does what is right in the end. Loads of giggles], Watership Down [a group of refuges travel to find a new home and to build a new community. A story of courage, humanity, wisdom in leadership, faith and trust. They just happen to be rabbits], The Lord of the Rings, The Holy Bible, Melodies of Praise [the hymnal I grew up with. We sing one song together each evening]) This habit gives the same entertainment value as a TV show (often more) without the drug-like affect. It brings us closer together, encourages the use of the imagination, and builds brain cells instead of destroying them. This is the best use of these minutes for our family.


Where are your priorities? What is most important to you? Look around your house as if you were that alien and you will begin to see. Don’t let the culture or even life-long habits make these decisions for you. You are responsible to God for how you use your minutes and your brains cells. You are responsible for what goes on in your child’s head.


Our Amusements Are Dulling Our Minds
http://makinghome.blogspot.com/2009/01/our-amusements-are-dulling-our-minds.html


Where is your family alter?
Well? Where is it?
http://teaministry.blogspot.com/2008/11/place-where-we-meet-god-and-god-meets.html