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Here in the United States we have a great deal of freedom to do whatever we basically please as long as it doesn't involve theft, harm, or damage to anyone. But with this freedom, I have seen advertisements for a summer TV show on NBC called ``Passion.'' The advertisements for this show are the equivalent of soft porn! The degree of freedom that we have in the United States dictates responsibility for our actions, but it appears that in the quest for financial gain NBC has decided that responsibility for their hideous actions has gone out of the window. They feel that because they have the `right' that they can show all of this debauchery to the youth of America. They feel that it is not their responsibility for filling the minds of the viewers with all sorts of filth. It is not their responsibility for the increase in teenage pregnancy from the viewers that don't have the intelligence to determine that what they are seeing is just fake and phony. A lot of kids will take what they see on the television and act out for themselves what they saw. Children don't have the experience yet to determine what they should do or not. That is why God gave them parents to lead and guide them during their growing up stage. But, a good deal of children and teenagers have been left to raise themselves for their parents both have to work leaving the kids to their own devices.
Thus when these children watch shows like this, they don't have anyone there to tell them what they are seeing is not reality, but some evil imagination of a man's mind. thus we are seeing the children that are in school acting out what they have seen on the television. Of course the broadcasters of such filth say that it isn't their responsibility if someone actually does what they saw on their show! They don't want to take any responsibility for their distorted portrayal of life. When they show unmarried couples having sex with no responsibility for whether the outcome is a baby, abortion, or AIDS. They don't show any of the real consequences for their portrayal. All they show is the lust and lasciviousness, and not the consequences of sin!
Romans 1:17-32
17 For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.
18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness;
19 Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them.
20 For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:
21 Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.
22 Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,
23 And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things.
24 Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves:
25 Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.
26 For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature:
27 And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet.
28 And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient;
29 Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers,
30 Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents,
31 Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful:
32 Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.
Look at what is portrayed on the television and what Romans 1:29-32 describes as wickedness. What the children are watching in the afternoon is what the Bible describes as wickedness. And the producers of these wicked shows want to promote an immoral lifestyle among our youth. They want to show all of the sin as a good thing. They want to show wickedness as righteousness. And they have pleasure in promoting an amoral lifestyle among America's youth just as described in verse 32!
So when a young man sees a kid on television kill someone over a girlfriend, the networks take no responsibility for the youth's actions! They emphatically say that it is their First Amendment Right of free speech to show such immoral decadent behavior!
The more I think about it, the more I am persuaded that the kids are highly influenced by what they see on television. I'm not the only one who feels this way for this excerpt from http://www.sayno.com/violence.html shows how the Attorney General of California feels about the mass media and their glamorization of sin:
Violence in the media is capable of having an indelible, negative impact on youth. Ralph Lewis writes that the mass media occupies a significant portion of time in the daily lives of Americans, and that a large proportion of television offerings portray violent, aggressive behavior. Recent surveys indicate that about 98 percent of American households have one or more televisions; the television is on about 28 hours a week for children 2 to 11 years of age and about 23 hours a week for teenagers. Research shows there are about five to six violent acts per hour on prime time and about 20 to 25 violent acts on Saturday morning children's programs. These violent acts account for about 188 hours of violent programming per week, or about 15 percent of all program time.
Mass media presentations that often glamorize violent acts, but rarely show their consequences, serve to normalize violence and desensitize our response to it. The underlying message is that violence is a legitimate strategy for solving problems. Dr. Delbert Elliott of The Center for the Study and Prevention of Violence, concludes, "What is learned is not only how to do violence, but a desensitization to violence and rationalizations for disengaging one's moral obligations to others.'' There is also a pervasive problem in the way in which women are portrayed in all levels of the media. Sexist stereotypes of women as victims, as passive, as "enjoying" or even deserving of abuse-and sexist stereotypes of men as aggressive, unemotional, more intelligent and valued members of society who solve problems primarily by force-feed into a climate in which it is permissible to batter women.
But it is my opinion that the networks don't care how they damage the fabric of society. Their only goal is to make as much money as possible regardless of the consequences! It was even shown on CBS the other day that they have decided to reduce the filth on their station in favor of shows like Touched By An Angel Whereas one network is making a little effort in cleaning up their act, NBC and MS-NBC on the other hand are sinking deeper and deeper into the mire of filth!
3014 E Street Philadelphia, PA 19134 Church Office Phone: (215) 634-3637 Published by: Rev. LeRoy D. Cressy (215) 535-4037
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