Have You Been to WWPF Lately?

[tstew]

Originally Posted by theoldpaths

No I won't say that God blessed the UPC just because of TV; other church groups who don't have truth have taken stands against tv in the past before.

I'm glad that your church is experiencing revival and I hope the best for your church and the UPC.

Incidentally, there is a difference b/n Res 4 being passed and owning a television in one's house. Resolution 4 has not affected the requirement of not owning a television in the UPC manual as far as I know, however, there are many that believe that allowing tv everywhere in the UPC is coming as licensed UPC ministers have been doing so for years without any discipline.

As for me, I've done my experimenting with TV when I left the UPC and went to a church pastored by an x-UPC'er and came to the same conclusion for myself - I am stronger without TV; so I went back to the UPC/WPF church where I was planted and have rec'd benefits for doing so.

I use the internet quite a lot without violating any of my convictions, therefore, why should I get rid of my internet presence? Using the internet, do I see murder, pornography, lying, cheating, stealing, adultery, swear words? No. Do I join in partaking of the world's idols on the internet? No. Do I see a constant stream of men and women who do not abide by things taught in the bible? No. Do I sit for hours and get into a passive state of mind that makes me more susceptible to the things being being shown me that are inspired by some sinner's imagination? No.

Now I can't speak for others who do not have a tv but use the internet. If they are partaking of the same evils on the internet, then I would agree that there is no difference. If one is watching the same filth streamed in their pc/web browser that is on tv, then they have not forsaken the same stuff.

Your personal testimony is an example of why we should be teaching Biblical principles. Just set no evil thing before your eyes...no matter where they are. If you are unable to obey that principle when around a TV...then don't be around a TV. There are many who can responsibly watch a TV and avoid all of the evil things that you mentioned (not sure what channels you were watching though, ), but cannot resist the temptation of those things that you listed (which can much more readily be found online in much more extreme forms and can even come to you without you looking for it). Plus there is the whole added dimension of the interpersonal relationships that can be developed online.
What happens when nobody has TVs anymore because they are completely obsolete, but we have an entire generation of people who have problems with the new technologies because instead of instilling Biblical principle, we were busy railing against a specific technology.