Theater thing is getting on my nerves

[Mankin]

Go for a walk, read a good book, write to some friend, cook a meal for someone, etc..

I do do those things, well except cooking a meal. Just like there are good books there are good movies as well. Don't judge the whole thing of movies according to just some bad movies.

 

[Loveaboveall]

I have to admit that for a long time I was on the opposite side of the fence. Watching TV and movies is one of my most favorite past times! I love James Bond movies, action and suspense. That is my nature of the flesh coming out in me! It has taken my wife several years to finally convince me to get rid of the TV and the thing that convinced me is what I presented to yall earlier. Every TV show except some Discovery programs and channels such as 3ABN will almost instantly change your brain wave function. What you watch will bypass the frontal lobe and there is nothing you can do about it but not watch it. That is why people can sit in front of it for hours.

So, I know where everyone is coming from, I just was hoping to help yall "see the light" like me wife finally did to me.

I missed it for about a month but don't even think about it now. If you don't watch the first episode of "24" Then you won't miss the rest!

The same is for movies. I haven't been to the theater in 3-4 yrs and I don't miss it at all. I think about it every now and then when I see a preview, but it is much easier to avoid temptation now.

Oh JM, I played WOW for several months with several of my friends, Best entertainment around. But, I started to see how it ruled my life and I just couldn't in good conscious do that anymore. (Not to mention all the occult stuff in it)

 

[Mankin]

You got rid of your T.V Movies and T.V. shows are not an addiction for me. I think you are taking this a little too far. Not all entertainment hypnotizes you.

 

[Eila]

So, in other words a very small segment of the population is extrapolated to cover the whole?

I guess it was a small segment, but it was in 3 different locations I lived - 2 in different places in the US and one in another country. I've always thought (well at least the past 15-20 years) that it was more common to view going to the theater as acceptable than being anti-theater - at least in the 30 something and younger crowd. So is no theater-going just a traditional SDA view?

 

[Eila]

The same is for movies. I haven't been to the theater in 3-4 yrs and I don't miss it at all. I think about it every now and then when I see a preview, but it is much easier to avoid temptation now.

Hey Loveaboveall!! I gotcha beat It's been at least 6 years for me, but I think we have very different reasons

 

[Mankin]

Pretty much.

 

[OntheDL]

You got rid of your T.V Movies and T.V. shows are not an addiction for me. I think you are taking this a little too far. Not all entertainment hypnotizes you.

If I give you 10 cups of water, one has deadly poison, you don't know which one, what would you do?

Take your chances? 1 in 10: so you have a pretty good chance not to get poisoned? Or not drink from any of them at all?

You have posted the same question a few weeks back. Maybe God is laying something on your heart. Why not just let go and let Him lead you away from the worldliness and worldly pleasures? He can give you Godly pleasures that will not be boring and burdensome.

 

[JonMiller]

I have no issue with people saying, "Don't go to the theater, I think it is a bad influence" or "Since I quit going to the theater, I have been so blessed". (and go into why it is a bad influence, or why you are blessed)

But saying "You are sinning when you go to the theater" or "Do you know who I saw coming from the theater the other day, Jon. He is such a sinner" or even thinking "Oh, that Jon, such a sinner for going to the theater" is not good, and can even be harmful.

Theater going is in no wise a sin if we look at the Bible. It can only be maybe thought of a sin if you add a lot to the Bible. It is church tradition that going to the theater isn't good, this is fine. Just like it has been church tradition that caffiene isn't good (it seems to me that this is as ignored as theater going).

Adventists are prone to legalism in the past, we should make sure that we are still not prone to legalism now. We also need to watch ourselves that we do not copy the actions of the pharisees in the past, nor that we drive people from the church.

JM

 

[Loveaboveall]

You got rid of your T.V Movies and T.V. shows are not an addiction for me. I think you are taking this a little too far. Not all entertainment hypnotizes you.

I said the same thing when my wife was working on me because I LIKED IT! but you can deny it all you want but it is true, most all of tv has an hypnotic power over you! Read Neil Nedleys book "Depression: the way out" He even gives very good evidence that TV is a very strong contributor to depression because of its effect on the brain!

 

[Loveaboveall]

I have no issue with people saying, "Don't go to the theater, I think it is a bad influence" or "Since I quit going to the theater, I have been so blessed". (and go into why it is a bad influence, or why you are blessed)

But saying "You are sinning when you go to the theater" or "Do you know who I saw coming from the theater the other day, Jon. He is such a sinner" or even thinking "Oh, that Jon, such a sinner for going to the theater" is not good, and can even be harmful.

Theater going is in no wise a sin if we look at the Bible. It can only be maybe thought of a sin if you add a lot to the Bible. It is church tradition that going to the theater isn't good, this is fine. Just like it has been church tradition that caffiene isn't good (it seems to me that this is as ignored as theater going).

Adventists are prone to legalism in the past, we should make sure that we are still not prone to legalism now. We also need to watch ourselves that we do not copy the actions of the pharisees in the past, nor that we drive people from the church.

JM

You are absolutely right, we cannot judge another person's heart! And that is what must be done to know if they have sinned by "going to the theater". I don't think anyone here has tried to say that if you go to the theater you are sinning. They have tried to point out that there really isn't anything there worth watching and it COULD be very detrimental to your health! If you went to watch "Marching of the Penguins" and someone told you that was a sin that would be ludicrus at least in my eyes. But, there is much danger in the theater and as like DL said, are you going to take a chance that your cup is full of poison?

Christians should not need "entertainment"! If you have not studied this weeks lesson it talks about this very issue of biblical happiness. All we need is Jesus and the hope of eternal life! Just think about it for a sec, are you going to need TV and movies in heaven to be entertained? What about video games? I am not condemning you just trying to get you to think a little! God has created so much "wholesome" things on this earth for our happiness but we discard those for man made pleasures. Personally, I can't wait for heaven to get away from so much of the worldliness around me. I don't know if I would have said that 4 yrs ago when I enjoyoed so much of it!

I think of it like this: When you first start dating a girl you want to be with her every second of the day. You want to take her wherever you go, right? Well, Jesus should fill that role in our heart, in my opinion. We should be thinking and talking with Him throughout the day as our best friend. Can you take Jesus with you to watch a movie? Are you spending time with Jesus when you are playing video games? Can you spend time with Jesus taking a jog down to the river? You can use this question for anything! If the answer is ever NO then I have decided that it is not worth my time to do it. This is all very personal and others should not try to judge you on this, but you must be honest with your answers.

 

[JonMiller]

I disagree with you on the entertainment. Entertainment is a need, just like food or water.

Now it is true, we should try to have uplifting and positive entertainment.

Speaking against entertainment is unbiblical.

JM

 

[Loveaboveall]

Hey Loveaboveall!! I gotcha beat It's been at least 6 years for me, but I think we have very different reasons

You can't leave me hangin, What is your reason?

 

[woobadooba]

I disagree with you on the entertainment. Entertainment is a need, just like food or water.

Now it is true, we should try to have uplifting and positive entertainment.

Speaking against entertainment is unbiblical.

JM

Can a blind man live without being entertained?

A person can live without entertainment. A person can not live indefinitely without food and water.

As for stating that to speak against entertainment is unbiblical, you will, of course, have to provide us with a scriptural reference to prove this. Of course, those who say entertainment is unbiblical must also provide such evidence, as it were.

When we say something is Biblical or unbiblical, we mean to imply that there is something in the Bible to back such a statement. Otherwise there is no warrant to say such a thing.

For the record, I do not believe entertainment is evil. As mentioned before, it is amoral. Thus it can be used for good or evil, but isn't intrinsically bad in itself.

 

[Adventist Dissident]

Can a blind man live without being entertained?

A person can live without entertainment. A person can not live indefinitely without food and water.

As for stating that to speak against entertainment is unbiblical, you will, of course, have to provide us with a scriptural reference to prove this. Of course, those who say entertainment is unbiblical must also provide such evidence, as it were.

When we say something is Biblical or unbiblical, we mean to imply that there is something in the Bible to back such a statement. Otherwise there is no warrant to say such a thing.

For the record, I do not believe entertainment is evil. As mentioned before, it is amoral. Thus it can be used for good or evil, but isn't intrinsically bad in itself.

so what do you propose we do for enjoyment?

 

[woobadooba]

so what do you propose we do for enjoyment?

Whatever agrees with Phil. 4:8

 

[Eila]

You can't leave me hangin, What is your reason?

Left ya hanging huh? Well, my reason is because I have kids and I don't believe in babysitters There are not a lot of great movies out there to watch anyway. I did just see the Nativity Story (at home) - that one is pretty good IMO!

 

[Mankin]

Entertainment is a need. We need to be entertained or else we will go insane. We need to choose good entertainment and it does not matter where you see the movie but what movie you see. This is true.

 

[Jon0388g]

I have no issue with people saying, "Don't go to the theater, I think it is a bad influence" or "Since I quit going to the theater, I have been so blessed". (and go into why it is a bad influence, or why you are blessed)

But saying "You are sinning when you go to the theater" or "Do you know who I saw coming from the theater the other day, Jon. He is such a sinner" or even thinking "Oh, that Jon, such a sinner for going to the theater" is not good, and can even be harmful.

JM

I'm offended you chose my name to illustrate your point (hehe joking )

I do disagree though. Going to the cinema is either sinful or it is not. Sin is sin.

The case you outlined falls under the "judge not" umbrella. That is what would be wrong. But calling sin by its rightful name is very Biblical.

It cannot be sin for one person and not for another. Whether that person has been convicted or not is another issue. We must have faith that the Lord is refining us into that pure gold, ready to be tried in the fire!


Jon

 

[woobadooba]

I'm offended you chose my name to illustrate your point (hehe joking )

I do disagree though. Going to the cinema is either sinful or it is not. Sin is sin.

The case you outlined falls under the "judge not" umbrella. That is what would be wrong. But calling sin by its rightful name is very Biblical.

It cannot be sin for one person and not for another. Whether that person has been convicted or not is another issue. We must have faith that the Lord is refining us into that pure gold, ready to be tried in the fire!


Jon

This is the all or nothing fallacy.

No, it isn't an all or nothing situation, because it is no more sinful to go into a theater that has showings of movies that are immoral, than it is to go into a grocery store that promotes and sells things that are harmful to a person's health. Just as a theater shows movies that are immoral, it could also show movies that are good (these are very rare however); likewise, a grocery store could sell and promote both good and bad things.

It's not the theater itself that makes one guilty of sin; rather, it's what you do when you are in the theater that constitutes that which is sinful. You can't be guilty of sin just simply by being there.

Nevertheless, it would be best to refrain from going to the theater for the reasons that I gave earlier.

 

[JonMiller]

I'm offended you chose my name to illustrate your point (hehe joking )

I do disagree though. Going to the cinema is either sinful or it is not. Sin is sin.

The case you outlined falls under the "judge not" umbrella. That is what would be wrong. But calling sin by its rightful name is very Biblical.

It cannot be sin for one person and not for another. Whether that person has been convicted or not is another issue. We must have faith that the Lord is refining us into that pure gold, ready to be tried in the fire!


Jon

It's not a sin, it might be placing yourself in temptation that is not beneficial to you.

JM
(my first name is Jon)