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> From: 00mcshaw@bsuvc.bsu.edu
> 
> I felt very convicted and am not planning on a return visit.  I'm not
trying to be preachy (I've got a mote in my own eye, thanks),
 but I thought some of us might need to look over our shoulder
 to some of the stances and convictions
> that we believed in and held onto before the General Conference approved
> videos for 'educational and inspirational purposes.'

me:  Somehow, I have a feeling this subject matter (video/television) 
has been covered extensively before I subscribed to H-F, but here
goes....

I have been doing a lot of looking over my shoulder lately, too. The
UPC churches in our area have been very lenient on the issue
of television.  We have had cable television (and 3 TV's) in our
home for years. I would like to share something that happened
one night in our home:

We were always careful about what we viewed on
television. Our 9 year old daughter knew which shows were
off limits and which ones were permitted. All new shows had
to be approved by us before she was permitted to watch them.
She came to me one night and asked if she could watch a new
show "Sabrina, the Teenage Witch". I told her that the
name alone should answer that question for her. Well, she
begged and cajoled, as kids will do, and I said, OK, let's watch
it together tonight and we'll see what it is all about. We sat
together on the living room sofa that night as the show started.
The show opened with a big black "talking" cat whose first words were 
"I am your Lord and Master, you will bow down and worship me!!".
My daughter looked at me, her eyes wide with astonishment and
said " Well, I guess I am not going to get to watch this show,
am I?" I told her she was *absolutely* right. This show **really**
 got me to thinking AND praying about television. I searched the Word, I
read everything I could find on the subject from the UPC publishing
house. I truly began to feel convicted over television. My husband did not
*entirely* share my conviction, but agreed to disconnect the cable on a 
TRIAL basis for the summer when the next bill was due (June 1st) My
daughter and I have done great without television, I only miss CNN 
and the local and evening news, but I wouldn't put the TV back in 
for those. My hubby, God bless him, is really having a struggle.
He hates to read. The only book he reads is the Bible. My daughter and I 
bought him a couple of good books for Father's Day which he read 
out of *sheer desperation!  I used to be an avid reader, and now without
television I have read more books in the past eight weeks than I have 
in the past eight years. My hubby doesn't say much, but I know he
misses his NASCAR races, and the old Westerns like Bonanza, etc. 
Shortly after we disconnected the TV, our pastor taught a bible study
on how we must be very careful not to condemn someone else who
does not feel condemnation or conviction over the same things we do.
OUCH, OUCH OUCH!!! I felt **so** terrible that I had influenced my husband 
to feel conviction over something that condemned me. Especially when
he turned to look at me during the bible study and gave me that
"smile" that husband's do when they *really* want to say "I told you
so"!  Following the bible study, I truly felt convicted over being
convicted!!! 
Go figure!!  My motives were pure in their intent, as I want my family
to be saved more than anything else in this world. No matter how you
justify it, television is an evil presence in our homes. 
Fall will soon be here, and I am praying that our home remains 
television free. I still am not sure, that the ends justified the means 
in this case, but am confident that I will receive some helpful posts
concerning this. C'mon Bro. Tim, I am ready to receive your insight
on this!!  I missed you, things were kind of "quiet" on H-F while 
you were in NY.  :-) :-) 


Sis Donna (sorry this was so lengthy) Perine
fmbritchie@citynet.net













got me to thinking
about how many things there are like this on seemingly "harmless"
kids programming and I started feeling