by looloo 21 Replies latest watchtower scandals
This is all very strange, for over 6 years we had the CO's to stay in our house for a week, twice a year,
THEY always wanted to watch at least some of the 'soap operas',
This is just individual's, who develop cranky ideas, like 'beards', 'bow-ties', etc
fokyc
This is just individual's, who develop cranky ideas, like 'beards', 'bow-ties', etc
It is strange that the "opinion of individuals" has made it into recent study articels of the Watchtower claiming that it has been a topic for about 25 years in this magazine:
w0710/1pp.28-29pars.11-14DeliveranceFromtheTrapsoftheBirdcatcher******
11
Nearly a quarter of a century ago, TheWatchtower lovingly warned the household of faith about TV serials. This observation was made about the subtle impact of popular soap operas: "The search for love is used to justify any conduct. For instance, one unwed pregnant youth says to a friend: ‘But I love Victor. I don’t care. . . . To have his baby is worth everything to me!’ The soft background music makes it hard to consider her course to be so bad. You too like Victor. You feel sympathy for the girl. You ‘understand.’ ‘It is amazing how you can rationalize,’ stated one viewer who later came to her senses. ‘We know that immorality is bad. . . . But I realized that mentally I was taking part.’"12
Since those articles were published, this type of heart-corrupting programming has become increasingly available. In many places, such programs are broadcast 24 hours a day. Men, women, and many teenagers frequently feed their minds and hearts on such entertainment. We, though, must not deceive ourselves with false reasoning. It would be wrong to reason that depraved entertainment is no worse than what is seen in the real world. Can a Christian really justify choosing to be entertained by the sort of people he would never dream of inviting into his home?13
Many benefited when they took to heart that warning provided by "the faithful and discreet slave." (Matthew 24:45-47) After reading the straightforward, Bible-based counsel, some wrote to tell how the articles had personally affected them. One confessed: "For 13 years I was a soap-opera addict. I thought that I was safe simply by attending Christian meetings and being semiregular in the field service. But I adopted the worldly soap-opera attitude that if your husband mistreats you or you feel unloved, adultery is justifiable—he brought it on himself. And so when I felt ‘justified’ I took this bad course and sinned against Jehovah and my mate." This woman was disfellowshipped. Eventually, she came to her senses, repented, and was reinstated. The articles warning against TV soap operas gave her the strength to refuse to be entertained by what Jehovah hates.—Amos 5:14, 15.14
Another reader whose life was affected said: "I cried when I read the articles, for I discovered that my heart was no longer complete toward Jehovah. I promised my God that I would no longer be a slave to these serials." After expressing appreciation for the articles, one Christian woman admitted her addiction and wrote: "I wondered . . . if my relationship with Jehovah could be affected. How could I have ‘them’ as friends and also be a friend to Jehovah?" If such TV shows corrupted hearts 25 years ago, what impact do they have today? (2 Timothy 3:13) We must be aware of Satan’s trap of unwholesome entertainment in all its forms, whether TV soap operas, violent video games, or immoral music videos.
