One sabbath, when we were discussing the quarterly lesson, a hot debate arose. It was about whether it is right to watch movies or not. Many people said it's right so far what you are watching is not bad. I just held my peace, listening to what people say. Sometimes it feels good to listen to friends, at least you can learn something from them!
From my experience, it is very difficult to find the so called good movies. The movie industry is one of Satan's tools in polluting people's minds, especially the youth! Back then, many families had no televisions and life was just good. But today the situation is different. The TV set is one of the basic human needs if you wish to consider it that way. The sitting room is not complete if there is no TV set. A careful observation will reveal shocking facts. The television has brought more harm to the society than good. The prevailing moral decay in our society can be attributed to the Television.
Most of what we watch on our television is totally imagination. It is not real. Those people are acting. The film writer usually has some messages which he/she wants to convey to the society. Have you ever tried to write down the themes from the popular movies, say Hollywood?
Most have never done that. But let me tell you and then go try to prove it. Here are the widely presented themes in the popular movies;
1. Love. Love everywhere. Even a military movie must have a love scene. Unfortunately, these people do not teach Biblical love. They often show that marriage is not important. They are promoting divorce. People enjoy love affairs outside marriage. The characters are portrayed as caring, romantic and so on. But all this tends to pollute the mind. We have a good number of single mothers. They are ready to bear children but not to be married. What do you as a Christian, learn from this?
2. Pornography. I am sorry for being too direct but that's the truth. Most movies have porn sections. Will you skip that section or just watch out of curiosity? Is it lawful to watch porn? You have the answers!
3. Murder and violence. This is common and no body cares. People are killing each other without sound reasons. Scenes of violence have filled most of the movies. It is complete imagination. There is no such a thing as car races in real life. Crimes are legitimized in the movies.
4. Retaliation. This is the central theme in almost every movie. Be it in love affairs or other injustices, the characters often seek to revenge. But we know what Biblical revenge is supposed to be. Returning good for bad. But it is not so in the movies. People are thirsty for revenge. And we often sympathize with the injured character. What a deplorable state!
5. Spiritualism. This sounds awkward but it is true. Spiritualism is often presented in the movies in modern way. Underground scenes are very popular. The Greek gods are honored in an unnoticed manner. No body suspects.
6. Drug abuses. You will see the CIA and FBI on the mission to combat the gangs. We often side with the CIA officials in arresting the criminals.
I have tried to sort out the prominent themes in the popular movies. Now, let's come back to our question, should i watch movies? Sometimes we watch movies to kill time. But let me tell you, there is no time to kill. Time is the LORD's. At the end everyone will give an account of how he spent the time given him! "Our time belongs to God. Every moment is His, and we are under the most solemn obligation to improve it to His glory. Of no talent He has given will He require a more strict account than of our time." Christ's object lessons pg. 342.
We are to guard what enters our minds. We should not allow filthy stuffs to defile our minds. "You will have to become a faithful sentinel over your eyes, ears, and all your senses if you would control your mind and prevent vain and corrupt thoughts from staining your soul." Adventist home pg. 401.
It is true that, notwithstanding the evils entailed in the movies, there are some moral lessons which can help us. This argument sounds nice, but this is what Ellen White had to say about story books which of course can be likened to movies in our times; "The world is deluged with books that might better be consumed than circulated. Books on sensational topics, published and circulated as a money-making scheme, might better never be read by the youth. There is a satanic fascination in such books. . . . The practice of story reading is one of the means employed by Satan to destroy souls. It produces a false, unhealthy excitement, fevers the imagination, unfits the mind for usefulness, and disqualifies it for any spiritual exercise. It weans the soul from prayer and from the love of spiritual things. Works of romance, frivolous, exciting tales, are, in hardly less degree, a curse to the reader. The author may profess to teach a moral lesson; throughout his work he may interweave religious sentiments, but often these serve only to veil the folly and worthlessness beneath." Adventist home pg. 412, 413.
If that is what the messenger of God had to say about story books in her times, what about today's movies which are full of porn and violence? Are they not loathsome?
Satan is controlling the world through the television. You will keep your mind clean if you distance yourself from movies. Why should you use your precious time watching that which only pollutes the imaginations? Why not spend that time studying the scriptures? Say NO to that which defiles the mind!
BENJAMIN JUMA.
0767438891.
Most of what we watch on our television is totally imagination. It is not real. Those people are acting. The film writer usually has some messages which he/she wants to convey to the society. Have you ever tried to write down the themes from the popular movies, say Hollywood?
Most have never done that. But let me tell you and then go try to prove it. Here are the widely presented themes in the popular movies;
1. Love. Love everywhere. Even a military movie must have a love scene. Unfortunately, these people do not teach Biblical love. They often show that marriage is not important. They are promoting divorce. People enjoy love affairs outside marriage. The characters are portrayed as caring, romantic and so on. But all this tends to pollute the mind. We have a good number of single mothers. They are ready to bear children but not to be married. What do you as a Christian, learn from this?
2. Pornography. I am sorry for being too direct but that's the truth. Most movies have porn sections. Will you skip that section or just watch out of curiosity? Is it lawful to watch porn? You have the answers!
3. Murder and violence. This is common and no body cares. People are killing each other without sound reasons. Scenes of violence have filled most of the movies. It is complete imagination. There is no such a thing as car races in real life. Crimes are legitimized in the movies.
4. Retaliation. This is the central theme in almost every movie. Be it in love affairs or other injustices, the characters often seek to revenge. But we know what Biblical revenge is supposed to be. Returning good for bad. But it is not so in the movies. People are thirsty for revenge. And we often sympathize with the injured character. What a deplorable state!
5. Spiritualism. This sounds awkward but it is true. Spiritualism is often presented in the movies in modern way. Underground scenes are very popular. The Greek gods are honored in an unnoticed manner. No body suspects.
6. Drug abuses. You will see the CIA and FBI on the mission to combat the gangs. We often side with the CIA officials in arresting the criminals.
I have tried to sort out the prominent themes in the popular movies. Now, let's come back to our question, should i watch movies? Sometimes we watch movies to kill time. But let me tell you, there is no time to kill. Time is the LORD's. At the end everyone will give an account of how he spent the time given him! "Our time belongs to God. Every moment is His, and we are under the most solemn obligation to improve it to His glory. Of no talent He has given will He require a more strict account than of our time." Christ's object lessons pg. 342.
We are to guard what enters our minds. We should not allow filthy stuffs to defile our minds. "You will have to become a faithful sentinel over your eyes, ears, and all your senses if you would control your mind and prevent vain and corrupt thoughts from staining your soul." Adventist home pg. 401.
It is true that, notwithstanding the evils entailed in the movies, there are some moral lessons which can help us. This argument sounds nice, but this is what Ellen White had to say about story books which of course can be likened to movies in our times; "The world is deluged with books that might better be consumed than circulated. Books on sensational topics, published and circulated as a money-making scheme, might better never be read by the youth. There is a satanic fascination in such books. . . . The practice of story reading is one of the means employed by Satan to destroy souls. It produces a false, unhealthy excitement, fevers the imagination, unfits the mind for usefulness, and disqualifies it for any spiritual exercise. It weans the soul from prayer and from the love of spiritual things. Works of romance, frivolous, exciting tales, are, in hardly less degree, a curse to the reader. The author may profess to teach a moral lesson; throughout his work he may interweave religious sentiments, but often these serve only to veil the folly and worthlessness beneath." Adventist home pg. 412, 413.
If that is what the messenger of God had to say about story books in her times, what about today's movies which are full of porn and violence? Are they not loathsome?
Satan is controlling the world through the television. You will keep your mind clean if you distance yourself from movies. Why should you use your precious time watching that which only pollutes the imaginations? Why not spend that time studying the scriptures? Say NO to that which defiles the mind!
BENJAMIN JUMA.
0767438891.
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Blessings upon you for this reminder
ReplyDeleteThis brings us back to the book of phillipians 4:8
Interesting!!!
ReplyDelete