tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25640206.post6392531855126476893..comments2023-05-30T02:34:51.780-05:00Comments on FullyPersuadedBaptist: Our Entertainment: The Cultivating Of Holiness - Part 3James McEntirehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18076786630641849452noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25640206.post-30709740634041999352008-01-22T13:12:00.000-06:002008-01-22T13:12:00.000-06:00Boundry,Thanks for reading and glad you found some...Boundry,<BR/><BR/>Thanks for reading and glad you found some things of interest.<BR/><BR/>I don't know that we really see that much differently concerning Paul and his books and the application of his relationship to books to today. My point was, although it may not have been expressed clearly, that instead of spending our time entertaining the flesh it might be better used to stimulate the intellect. Paul used books to that end, it seems to me. We too should use books to that end but by no means is that the only tool available to us today.<BR/><BR/>I am not opposed to all fiction. I agree that it can be an art form. I agree that it can teach good moral lessons. My point is simply that non-fiction does the same things and you have the added benefit of learning about something that is true.<BR/><BR/>I would respectfully disagree with the assumption that things are not always "black and white". I believe they are. I also believe that at times we have difficulty discerning the black from the white and consequently end up with a gray area in our own minds. If we had the wisdom of God this would not be true. This is why we should be seeking wisdom from God so that we can increase our capacity to see all things in their true light.<BR/><BR/>I am not opposed to the internet. I have a high-speed connection and spend hours on the internet every week reading, researching, and blogging. If you took my comments to mean that we should abstain from the internet I was not as clear as I should have been.<BR/><BR/>I do not believe the internet is a waste of time. I believe it can be a waste of time, like many other good things when abused.<BR/><BR/>Many people use the internet for the purpose of evangelizing and to give voice to their beliefs. That's great! No problem with that here.<BR/><BR/>As for not being able to know who people really are and what they are about, you admit that this is partially true. This is my point thus caution is necessary. Just because technology has advanced to the point where you can enjoy video and voice chat does not diminish the danger. Sometimes people in real life are not what we believe them to be. How much more is there the possibility of this being true of people we only know through an internet connection.<BR/><BR/>We agree there is risk, this is the point I was making. I don't believe I indicated we should "avoid" the internet???<BR/><BR/>We may have to disagree concerning the role playing games. I am quite confident we should not be assuming a role that we would not want to be in real life. Nor should we allow our children to participate in that kind of activity.<BR/><BR/><B>But we do need to be In it. This means being relevant to the culture in which we live. Our children need to be protected yes, but not insulated to the point that they can't relate to the very people they are trying to reach. I've seen this first hand. If we want to reach the world we have to be able to speak their language. There is dirt in the world but in order to rescue people from the fallen world we also have to deal with the dirt, not isolate ourselves in a sterile bubble.</B><BR/><BR/>Not knowing you very well, I cannot be sure what you mean by this. There is a sense in which I can agree but to be quite frank most of the time when I hear people say things like this they are simply seeking to justify their worldiness.<BR/><BR/>The Bible is abundantly clear that we are to be separated from the world. It is hard to read the Bible and miss this timeless principle. Of course this does not mean that we have nothing to do with the world. But we are to be reaching out to them from a position of holiness and separation. We are not to go where they are but be seeking to bring them to where we are.<BR/><BR/>The gospel is relevant in every culture and time. Men are guilty of violating God's holy standard and thus in danger of judgment. God provided His own Son a substitute for the sinner. All who enjoin repentance toward God and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ will become a new creature and old things will pass away behold all things will become new.<BR/><BR/>Thanks again for reading. I hope I have clarfied a few areas where there seems to have been some misunderstanding.James McEntirehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18076786630641849452noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25640206.post-47750533358437914962008-01-19T22:19:00.000-06:002008-01-19T22:19:00.000-06:00Hello Sir. Very interesting blog and very interes...Hello Sir. Very interesting blog and very interesting post to read. There are a few points that I think that we need to be careful of however. First you not the virtue of reading. I will agree that reading is one of the best activities, but I think that we need to be cautious when we equate Paul's era with the modern era. Paul wanted his books, his intellectual food. Books are intellectual food but in Paul's day they were one of the only forms of it aside from a live "lecture." Today we have many avenues open to us that he did not have. So I have a hard time with making the broad assumption that because reading was Paul's choice in his day with his available resources, it should therefore be our first choice today.<BR/>Also related to books, what is your reason for avoiding fiction? Jesus himself taught in parables which are fiction. Good literature has great power to teach, sometimes a greater one than real life. The world is complicated and things and things are not always black and white. Fiction can be used to illustrate points that are not so apparent in real life. Fiction can also be something beautiful that not only teaches but also shows the good. God delights in beauty and it is an illustration of himself.<BR/>The Internet is quickly growing and it is a part of our lives that we can no longer afford to ignore. There is a whole culture based around the internet arising and it will only continue to grow. Christians have unfortunately had a tendency to shun the new and as a result find themselves unprepared and behind when their voice is needed most. Online relationships (not romantic ones) can be a tremendous avenue to the lost that reaches to nearly every point on the face of the earth. As a Believer and a Gamer I have friends in almost every corner of the world, many in countries where no one is trying to reach them. "Unless you know the people in real life you do not and cannot know for sure who they are or what they are about." This is only partially true. With the advent of video and voice chat it is possible to sit and converse with someone anywhere in the world face to face with them seeing and hearing you as you are them. Is there a risk? Yes. But it is not a reason to avoid the internet. The internet is not a "time waster," it is the future.<BR/>Lastly I'm a little mystified on your views of role playing. I realise that this is a very "hot" topic in the christian community. I think it rather sad that this topic seems very little understood. Role playing can in fact have many good points. As a gamer I have seen and experienced many of them. Some include self motivation to read and research portions of history, learn a foreign language, foster friendships between ages and cultures that might not be made otherwise.<BR/>To sum up I think that you are right that we need to protect ourselves from evil. We need to be "in the world but not of the world." But we do need to be <B>In</B> it. This means being relevant to the culture in which we live. Our children need to be protected yes, but not insulated to the point that they can't relate to the very people they are trying to reach. I've seen this first hand. If we want to reach the world we have to be able to speak their language. There is dirt in the world but in order to rescue people from the fallen world we also have to deal with the dirt, not isolate ourselves in a sterile bubble.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25640206.post-4228785737701163752007-11-29T06:11:00.000-06:002007-11-29T06:11:00.000-06:00robert,Thanks for stopping by and commenting. Wel...robert,<BR/><BR/>Thanks for stopping by and commenting. Welcome to the blogging world. I don't make it around very much simply because of time constraints but enjoy blogging as an outlet to write and express my views.<BR/><BR/>I must ask; Spurgeon, is there any relation?James McEntirehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18076786630641849452noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25640206.post-37714831756026412312007-11-28T23:34:00.000-06:002007-11-28T23:34:00.000-06:00Pastor McEntire,Just discovered your blog (I'm new...Pastor McEntire,<BR/><BR/>Just discovered your blog (I'm new to the whole blog world) and I am very impressed by what I have read. I am looking forward to spending some more time reading your posts. Our world needs more Christians who are willing to take a stand for Christ which means often going against our culture.<BR/><BR/>God bless you, brother!<BR/><BR/>Pastor Rob SpurgeonRobert Spurgeonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04226070821149551427noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25640206.post-24313836068421507142007-11-27T10:04:00.000-06:002007-11-27T10:04:00.000-06:00Mom,And this is what we must all do. To the Lord ...Mom,<BR/><BR/>And this is what we must all do. To the Lord alone will we give account for our diligence in this area, but an accounting we must and will give.<BR/><BR/><B>Romans 14:12 - So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God.</B>James McEntirehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18076786630641849452noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25640206.post-77871834147360054582007-11-27T08:53:00.000-06:002007-11-27T08:53:00.000-06:00Entertainment in any form seems at first glance so...Entertainment in any form seems at first glance so innocent but it is like the "angel of light" it can be very distructive and evil. I am so glad that you did this teaching, it has shown me many things that I had not thought about in these areas. like you said , " now it is up to us to see how our entertainment choices measure up." MomTO BECOMEhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01358989235076877037noreply@blogger.com