sponsor is king, and the fickle viewers are the power be hind the throne. To ensnare the widest possible audience the producer must appeal to the lowest common denomi nator of mass emotion. If the Lord Jesus Christ has not delivered the believer from that level of interest and enjoyment, what has He done for him? TV dramatically portrays the difference between the community of the Spirit and the community of worldli ness. The people of Christ are given a new nature which seeks to grow in the image of God. It is an upward way to an exciting life of joy and purpose. Television, however, plays to a perverted mass mind which seeks to be further perverted. Evil feeds on itself until it destroys its host. The author, playwright, and producer are destined to help the worldly mind drag itself down still lower. Period ically society must revolt against the course of evil to destroy itself and the community with it, and we are now in one of those hysterical baths of witch-hunting and repentance. The really big men in money and production are biding their time until the phase is over and once again it becomes a cheery, “ Business as usual.” Why is it the church can not lead the way in prophe- cying to the moral climate of the nation? More than denunciations are needed. Too often the world’s retort has been, “ Oh, those narrow-minded Christians are against something else now!” The need is for an inviting alternative on the part of the Christian community to entertainment by TV. May it not be that the reason America has not been won for Christ on a grander scale is not because of the lack of evangelism, but the lack in sanctification? In the book of Acts the joy, the love and the exciting, cohering power of the Holy Spirit convicted and convinced the surrounding society of the truth of the apostles’ message. “ See,” they could declare, “ Christ calls you from sin to this kind of a life. Does an exciting life of purpose and power enthuse your imagination? Then let the blood of Christ cleanse you from sin. Be baptized and become a part of the body of Christ.” As part of our striving to present an appealing alterna tive to the wasted hours before the hypnotic screen, we in our home are going all out for a “ Back To People” movement. The idea behind it is simple. The spiritual, social and mental interaction of Christian people is more fun than anything. We’re out to discover each other, and I know of many other homes that are doing the same. Take an evening at home with the TV gone. We read a chapter from “ Little Visits With God,” by Jahsmann and Simon (Concordia, 1957) and had a lively discussion. Then we played with some toy plastic models and had some refreshments. After that we played a game called “ Occupations” which we made up ourselves and got into some of the things missionaries do. I don’t believe there are as many facts in the world as there are boys’ questions to go with them. Maybe I just like to talk, but discussions have always fascinated me. To exchange ideas about what you believe and why, and to have your mind enriched by a Christian of thiry-four or a boy four is one of life’s purest pleasures. It occurs to more and more of us that radio has a great future after all. The few good programs on TV could well be enjoyed by listening to them on radio. Anyway, in case a good ball game comes up, or there’s a good program for the children involving demonstrations or gadgets the TV is still within reach. And there’s always the possibility of timing in a worthwhile rally or Christian service on Sunday. Who knows? Some enterprising Christian some where will get enough of the Lord’s people to back him in producing a program worthy to be brought into a Christ-honoring home.
THE TV GOES DOW N ST A IR S (cont.) it or not, the dramas trouble some of us most of all. The reason for this is clear. 1 Peter 2:9 declares: “ But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should show forth the praises of Him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.” The Christian’s heart is in the world but it is ruled by God. His soul is here on earth but it is nourished in the heavenlies with Christ. We inhabit this life, but we are indwelt by God’s life through the Holy Spirit. The kingdom of heaven was ordained to be a totally different breed of men from the world of pilgrims riding the wild horses of pride and pleasure. But the television has invaded the sanctity of the home with a way of life utterly alien to the Christ life. Of course, we study literature with no reference to Him. But the TV, hour after hour, thrusts into the family circle a way of living without grace at meals, without prayer, without reference to the Word of God, without the hope of salva tion. Here is a way wherein the goals of life are satisfac tion of immediate and basic emotions. The fulfillment of objectives are born through status-seeking, nourished through self-aggrandizement, tempered by ethics of expedient altruism and teary-eyed sentimentalism, and consummated in artificial representations of joy and make-believe happiness. Naturally, one may learn something from drama in which the Christian viewpoint plays no part. But I have witnessed Christians turn on their TV as soon as they enter the house. It rattles on interminably. One drama after the next is usually tenth rate, inane rubbish which drones on and on and on, and a stupid, foreign way of life plays on our eyesight until sleep mercifully ends the enchantment with drivel. This sort of thing has a wear ing effect. The philosophy underlying it all makes its subtle intrusion into our thinking. This is the sort of thing which now characterizes the mind of the American public as a whole. Think about it for a minute. Dr. Truman B. Douglas of the home mis sions board of the Congregational Christian Churches, speaking in Indianapolis, said recently, “ Cheating on quiz programs is only a litle fix, not worth the indignation that it has elicited. The big fix is television itself, with its contempt for and perversion of the minds of men.” One reader, writing to the editor of a Cleveland paper said, “The polls showed that the American public ap proved of TV quiz fixing by a ratio of 9 to 1. The moral and intellectual climate of this nation has reached such a state of stagnation that it outrivals that of the Dark Ages which eclipsed Europe for so many centuries.” The
Rev. Robert St. Clair is pastor of the North Hill United Presbyterian Church, Akron, Ohio. As a pastor for nearly a decade, he has been a specialist in
conferences and seminars on the
I application of I Christianity to personal I and fam ily life.
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THE KIN G 'S BUSINESS
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