Why is the TV against Christ?

[Wryetui]

I sadly see documentaries on National Geographic, Discovery, History Channel and other TV channels that always go against Christ... either he was a buddhist monk, either he has a lot of children, either the christianity is a lie and other things that really hurt me...

Isn't enough that Jesus was tortured because of us two thousands years ago? Even today people split on Him, beat Him and raise their fists against Him...

 

[GregConstantine]

Ratings, but, one big reason is that we Orthodox are not out there making our own quality TV shows and movies. We are not out there engaging that culture, we are more concerned about Greece Independence Day, making pierogies, coming up with conspiracy theories about the Big Bad West and how all the ills of Orthodox society is the direct result of the West coniving against us, and arguing about archaic calendars.

No one take us seriously.

 

[Kristos]

because relativism can only define itself by what it is against not what is stands for

 

[LizaMarie]

Ever notice all these shows that doubt Christ's divinity, and magazine articles claiming to have found his bones, ect, seem to come around the Lent and Easter season?

 

[dzheremi]

The "higher textual criticism" movement that came out of 19th century Europe and has some incredibly influential proponents (Bauer in the 1930s; Ehrman today) has taken over all popular media. Shows about "hidden books of the Bible", "Jesus' secret ____" (years, family, teachings, etc.) feed this idea of Christian conspiracy against the "real" Jesus that is of course being found by heretics like The Jesus Project. Only heretics can save us, even if all their stupid theories contradict one another and they're always coming up with a new thing whenever a new manuscript or codex is found.

2,000 years and the question "Who do you say that I am?" is still very relevant. The secular world has answered, and it's 5,000 different things -- all wrong.

 

[SeventhValley]

Higher criticism is not on the same level as these trash shows.

Ehrman's books give a good account of history and are scholarly. Where as these shows have a ancient aliens vibe.

 

[Wryetui]

I just think that we have more reasons to think Jesus existed then the other hypotesis, but godless people can just post godless stuff...

 

[buzuxi02]

Hollywood is dominated by non-christians.

 

[Shieldmaiden4Christ]

I'm just curious why the TV should be for Christ.

 

[Wryetui]

Because Christianity is part of our history, because Christ is the one true God, because TV is a very powerful weapon that has to be used carefully and can dominate thousands of people with their thinking, if your faith is not well-settled you can easily fall apart, they should, at least not attack Him. You don't see any documentary on National Geographic or History Channel that is pro-Jesus, that, at least, says good things about Him and what He did, they prefer to introduce us to Zen Buddhism to see their "huge" benefits, or to ocultism, or even I saw people talking with "angels" and the new age stuff that will eventually crush our society...

Mark 14:27:
27 And Jesus said to them, “You will all fall away, for it is written, ‘I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered.’

 

[Trying_to_be_Orthodox]

Turn off tv.

 

[Shieldmaiden4Christ]

Turn off tv.

Exactly.

 

[Wryetui]

I live in Romania, where not being orthodox and a believer makes you a weirdo, but I lived in Spain and there christians have to hide, I don't want to imagine the US...

 

[Shieldmaiden4Christ]

In the U.S., it depends upon the region. People are pretty judgmental about not being the "right" brand of Christianity in my region of the country. I live in a heavily Southern Baptist and "nondenominational" area of the country, where people don't understand religion outside of their personal paradigm. A great majority of the services here are "contemporary" services ... it's essentially feel-good pop Christianity. People don't hide their religion; they like to flaunt it. I prefer a quieter more mystical spirituality and experience.

 

[ArmyMatt]

Cause if what Greg said: ratings.

Lord have mercy!

 

[dzheremi]

Higher criticism is not on the same level as these trash shows.

Ehrman's books give a good account of history and are scholarly. Where as these shows have a ancient aliens vibe.

This is not the place to have such a discussion, but I would recommend that you and anyone else who may be of the opinion that Erhman and his methodological forefathers are on safe scholarly and scientific ground read the book "The Heresy of Orthodoxy" by Andreas J. Kostenberger and Michael J. Kruger (Crossway, 2010). The scholarly merit of the higher textual criticism method, or at least its modern application following Bauer (who is the ancestor of all who came after him and applied his central thesis to their own work, including most famously Erhman), is very much in doubt, as is amply shown in this text and other works referenced in the text. It may not be completely without merit, but it is -- if you'll pardon the phrase in this context -- very much a self-fulfilling prophecy.

 

[dzheremi]

I live in Romania, where not being orthodox and a believer makes you a weirdo, but I lived in Spain and there christians have to hide, I don't want to imagine the US...

In most cases, nobody has to hide their Christianity. That said, there is a growing movement in the modern day to legislate religion out of public life altogether. This has been so since at least 1948, when "Separation of Church and State" was redefined following McCollum v. Board of Education to mean that religion classes taught in schools violated the Establishment Clause of the constitution which bars the government from establishing a national religion. That case and others like it have served as precedent in other cases that have eroded the public expression of Christianity in particular. It is assumed by the secular-minded political elite and a growing percentage of the general public (particularly the youth, sadly) that this is a good thing, as Christians (by which they mean almost without exception Evangelicals, who are loud and annoying and need to go sit in the corner for at least the remainder of this century and think about what they've done to abuse and tarnish the name of Christ in the public mind in the USA) wield too much influence in American politics, and this makes others feel "oppressed" or some such.

Imagine that...the statistical majority of a country attempting to wield a majority of the political influence in that country. Perhaps only in decadent and self-satisfied Western countries is this considered the height of madness and arrogance.

 

[gurneyhalleck1]

Television, by and large, is for entertainment, or at least most people see it that way. TV isn't the best place for learning and personal growth.

I know for many Christians television is the "idiot box" and I hear "turn off the TV!" and "I sold my TV!" I'm just going to be honest and say, I love TV, but I have expectations and enough common sense as a Christian to know what to watch, what not to watch, and when I watch something, I try to GET something out of the show that applies TO my Christianity.

If people are thoughtful, insightful, and pay attention getting past the judgmental anti-TV kick, you'll see Christian messages in Walking Dead, Breaking Bad, and a host of other shows. A lot of shows that get deemed un-Christian are usually from people who don't watch TV and don't know jack squat about the programming.

But I think we all need to get out the word about Christ in our neighborhoods, conversations, and friendships, online, and by word of mouth, and most especially IN OUR DAILY LIVING WITH OUR ACTIONS if we want to be beacons of Christ.

When we get right down to it, is ANYONE in TAW (myself most DEFINITELY included!!) really so amazing that people come up to them and say, "you know, you're the most honest, giving, kind, ethical, and loving person I've ever met? Who is this Jesus you worship? I want to get to know him!"

I would bet zero.

I tell myself all the time that THAT is what we should hear! But we do such a stinking job of being Christians that the daily behavior and witness with our actions side of these discussions gets overlooked. We expect senators and congressment, judges and presidents, famous folks, TV and the internet to make the world a better place. In reality, we're supposed to. I submit I've done a lousy job of trying to do so!

I should be a work of Christ in action. Am I? I should be beckoning others to know the Faith with my life. I don't think I am. I'm a joke.

TV is for entertainment. Living the Orthodox life before others is the advertising the Church needs.

 

[dzheremi]

Amen, Gurney. I was very sad today to realize that I was derelict in my duties on the local college campus where I had a meeting. Coming back from the meeting, I noticed a large group of young people listening to and arguing with one of those "Fear God"/"God hates X" people (you know...carrying the big sign with ominous messages on it and yelling at people about how God is going to smite them for their various sins) who was on campus doing the streetcorner preacher thing. I wasn't feeling well (turns out I've got a touch of food poisoning; oh hooray), but as I passed the crowd I thought of how wonderful it could be if I could sit with the preacher and some of the crowd and have an actual conversation, and not a shouting match. I don't doubt that the preacher would not have gone for it (such people feed on the controversy they can cause by being disruptive; it's not really about God, ultimately), but maybe some of the youth would have. I find that so many young people around me are really thirsty for God, but have been burned by religion that has only been presented to them in that way -- loud, derisive, and hateful. The true faith of God is none of those things.

I hope I am presented with such an opportunity again, when I am physically able to take advantage of it. Not so that people will say I am good, but so that they can start to be reacquainted with Him and learn that He truly is.

 

[AutumnSnow]

The "higher textual criticism" movement that came out of 19th century Europe and has some incredibly influential proponents (Bauer in the 1930s; Ehrman today) has taken over all popular media.

I hate to mention it, because I am Ashkenazi Jew on my mother's side (and her father fled Germany right before WWII as he was not only Jew, but a 'mischling') but all these movements have deep roots in Marxism, which was mainly promoted by atheist Jewish individuals. I recently got in touch with a segment of my German-Jewish relatives who still practice Judiasm, and was for a while interested in Messianic Judiasm. BUT. From what I observed, it seemed like those old traditions are nothing more than cultural ritual, and what they actually do believe seems to me antithetical to the Torah/Old Testament, or the Bible taken as a whole.

I have met innumerable Muslims of very strong faith, who have a deep respect for Christ and other religious people in general, but I see the polar opposite in Jewish communities I have lived in or visited. Pure antipathy for our Savior, and when you have influential Jewish persons in Hollywood or television, it becomes almost fashionable to bash Christ, either virulently or subtly - the latter being the worst, because it leads people away from Christianity by degrees without them even realizing what has happened.

No flames please, I am simply stating personal anecdotal observances, and have no wish to stir up trouble on a Christian forum, of all places.