Marla Talks TV; Miss O' Hara Talks...Frankly

Marla Swoffer wrote a post (My So-Called TV Life) about television that I could have written almost every word of myself, from her constant exposure to TV as a child, to which shows she preferred as a young adult, to why she gave it the boot. I think I was more of a TV buff than she was, though, and it is a temptation to me when it's around (TLC, anyone?). Unlike Marla, I have the capacity to be fascinated with the stupid reality shows and makeover stories. I know that if I had a TV, I could conceivably watch that stuff all day long, then look up and say, "Oh boy, have seven hours flown by so quickly?"

Marla writes,

"And as I observed an incresase [sic] in movies and TV depicting immorality (and usually glorifying it) and a decrease in restraint/regulation of content, I realized it could pose a real danger to a family by exposing children to themes and behavior that did more than reflect a godless society, but actually conveyed as "normal" a set of values (if you can call them that) held by a minority sector of the culture found predominantly in the humanities, i.e. the media, the arts, and education--the 'communicators' with the most power to influence a culture as a whole through language and images. They got a foothold during the 60s and have continued to dominate the media" (emphasis mine).

Addendum: Ruthie at Grace has been blogging about TV Turn-Off Week in a series of posts.

Miss O'Hara, a new friend, has a really interesting and frank post about sex, Christians, and calling a spade a spade here. She is tired of hearing certain sins decried while others are ignored...she advocates decrying ALL sin and exposing hypocrisy within the church:

"[W]hen we become Christians, we are to become new creatures, changed to reflect Him. That means that all sin - ALL SIN - must be removed from our lives, and that includes sexual sins, since our bodies belong in their entirety to Him.

No, it isn't fun or pretty to let God remove these things from us, but they must go, or we are not worthy to be called His own - in fact, chances are that if your life isn't changed when you are born again, something is pretty wrong. (We are all broken, besmirched vessels.)

It isn't fun to hear. But it has to be said, doesn't it? Because something has to be done. We're being a really poopy light to this lost world, if you ask me. Maybe I'm shaking this rat to death because at least it's Truth, and it's painful, but somehow soothing.

Still, despite these admittedly harsh and not-fun truths, we aren't hearing it anywhere, are we? The only things we hear from the churches are "Homosexuals are evil and going to hell!" I beg your pardon, but aren't all sinners going to hell without Jesus' intervention? Hrm? And what qualifies us to condemn gays when our kids and teenagers and (ignored and anchorless) adult singles are dressing and fornicating like porn stars, when our 'married couples' are divorcing and tearing families apart over pettiness, when there is more than enough sin in our own 'special interest group' for us to deal with?

Hello? I feel like I'm in an echo chamber! I know I've been sticking to this topic lately, but perhaps there's a reason. Very few others are getting it out there (I'm shocked and encouraged to see it pop up once in a while), instead spreading messages to the tune of "Christians hate sex" at one end, "Homosexuals are hellbound" on the other, and Rick Warren/Oprah/Deepak Chopra...in the middle, with the truth (which is way better anyhow) being utterly obfuscated. Not good. Is it any wonder our society is a mess in this area (which spills over into others)? Our churches can't get it straight! We're to be God's ambassadors, people! So let's get the message right, shall we?"