Body: | Roman R-Rated Entertainment
Television: Psalms 101:3 "I will set no worthless thing before my eyes"
Carefully sensor what television you and your children watch!
Did early Christians have TELEVISION too? Sure sounds like it!
Immorality, Sex and violence!
260-330 AD Lactantius "I am inclined to think that the corrupting
influence of the stage is even worse [than that of the arena]. The subjects
of comedies are the deflowering of virgins or the loves of prostitutes....
Similarly, the tragedies parade before the eyes [of the audience] the
murder of parents and acts of incest committed by wicked kings.... Is the
art of the mimes any better? They teach adultery by acting it out. How do
we expect our young people to respond when they see that these things are
practiced without shame and that everyone eagerly watches." (Lactantius
Institutes bk. 6, chap. 20, paraphrased)
140-230 AD Tertullian "The father who carefully protects and guards
his virgin daughter's ears from every polluting word takes her to the
theater himself, exposing her to all its vile language and attitudes." He
asked rhetorically, "How can it be right to look at the things that are
wrong to do? How can those things which defile a man when they go out of
his mouth not defile him when going in through his eyes and ears?" (Matt.
15: 17-20). (Tertullian The Shows chaps. 21, 17)
260-330 AD Lactantius "He who finds it pleasurable to watch a man
being killed, even though the man has been legally condemned, pollutes his
conscience just as much as though he were an accomplice or willing
spectator of a murder committed in secret. Yet they call these
'sports'-where human blood is shed! ... When they see men placed under the
stroke of death. begging for mercy, can they be righteous when they not
only permit the men to be killed, but demand it? They cast their cruel and
inhuman votes for death, not being satisfied by the mere flowing of blood
or the presence of gashing wounds. In fact, they order the [gladiators]
-although wounded and lying on the ground-to be attacked again and their
corpses to be pummeled with blows, to make certain they are not merely
feigning death. The crowds are even angry with the gladiators if one of the
two isn't slain quickly. As though they thirsted for human blood, they hate
delays.... By steeping themselves in this practice, they have lost their
humanity.... Therefore, it is not fitting that we who strive to stay on the
path of righteousness should share in this public homicide. When God
forbids us to kill, he not only prohibits the violence that is condemned by
public laws, but he also forbids the violence that is deemed lawful by men.
(Lactantius Institutes bk. 6, chap. 20, paraphrased)
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