Cut veggietales on NBC

[GhostontheNet]

What in the world are you talking about?

If you were paying attention, I challenged that such FCC regulations would unconstitutionally violate the free practice clauses of the Bill of Rights. I therefore asked you to cite the particular regulations you refer to.

PAX (now i NETWORK) is a cable network. They're not subject to any sanctioning.

Around these parts, it is, or at least was, possible to pick up PAX with a regular television transciever, in which I recall watching a program which was like Sesame Street speaking of how Yeshua is the only way of salvation.

[Radical Dreamer]

Complete and utter nonsense. As I consider it, almost any religious perspective is better than this secular materialistic crypto-nihilist garbage they peddle on the networks. I wanna see more of Yeshua, Buddha, Muhammed, and the Brahman, and less Worship My American Idol Because Celebrities are Our Only Gods, less Decadent Housewives, less Who Wants to Sell Their Soul and Work as a High-up in a Megacorp. I want to have children I can engage in decent intelligent conversations about the concepts of substitutionary atonement in Christianity and sunyaya and the subtle mind in Buddhism. Most of the reason 'Christian America' is so spiritually impoverished is that we think religious tolerance consists of a choking stranglehood on any expression of religion having any relevence to real life, much less hearing evidence that any of it is actually true and that man need not live on bread alone.

I disagree. Considering the impressionable mind of a child, especially a child growing up in these times, I would consider it dangerous for a child to watch a show that taught about Bhuddism or Hinduism in a positive light. It would be ridiculously easy for the child to get what their parents teach them and what their entertainment teaches them extremely confused.

Children don't have a whole lot of intelligence when it comes to discerning right from wrong, true from false, etc. Even with their parents' teachings backing them, a show denouncing what their parents have taught could be detrimental to a child's faith. Remember, we are to "train up a child in the way he should go," not "train up a child in all the religions and hope he picks the right one." Don't get me wrong, it's good to learn about other religions later in life, so that you can defend your faith and the like, but telling a five-year old about Jesus and then explaining the six pillars of Islam is not a good idea.

If there's one thing I do agree with you about, it's the shallow and absolutely trash-filled nature of reality TV shows and Desparate Housewives. But those shows are avoidable, and not all TV is mind-numbing. Still, I would rather my entertainment have no allusions to Christianity at all than to have a theologically skewed version of it that could lead people off track, and ruin an otherwise good show for me. *shrugs*

EDIT: Another thing...

Children don't want to engage in deep conversation, they want to pretend they're Power Rangers or Princesses. The mind of a child isn't developed enough to even stay attentive for 2 minutes in a conversation like the one you mentioned.

[MorwenLaicoriel]

You can get PAX with Network TV. Back before I had cable I still could watch PAX, because it came in through the TV antenna.

Now, in the small Texas down I lived in, it was only cable. But now that I'm in a bigger city, I could easilly get it with an attenna.

I'm guessing you live in an area where Pax is only on cable, but it doesn't mean Ghost is wrong--just that you guys live in different areas.

[Scarecrow]

Pax used to be on just Network TV but they took it off a few years ago... I guess in some places maybe you can still get it but I live in a relatively big city and you need cable...

[mitsuki lover]

I disagree. Considering the impressionable mind of a child, especially a child growing up in these times, I would consider it dangerous for a child to watch a show that taught about Bhuddism or Hinduism in a positive light. It would be ridiculously easy for the child to get what their parents teach them and what their entertainment teaches them extremely confused.

Children don't have a whole lot of intelligence when it comes to discerning right from wrong, true from false, etc. Even with their parents' teachings backing them, a show denouncing what their parents have taught could be detrimental to a child's faith. Remember, we are to "train up a child in the way he should go," not "train up a child in all the religions and hope he picks the right one." Don't get me wrong, it's good to learn about other religions later in life, so that you can defend your faith and the like, but telling a five-year old about Jesus and then explaining the six pillars of Islam is not a good idea.

If there's one thing I do agree with you about, it's the shallow and absolutely trash-filled nature of reality TV shows and Desparate Housewives. But those shows are avoidable, and not all TV is mind-numbing. Still, I would rather my entertainment have no allusions to Christianity at all than to have a theologically skewed version of it that could lead people off track, and ruin an otherwise good show for me. *shrugs*

EDIT: Another thing...

Children don't want to engage in deep conversation, they want to pretend they're Power Rangers or Princesses. The mind of a child isn't developed enough to even stay attentive for 2 minutes in a conversation like the one you mentioned.

The problem is that even adult Christians don't have the theological training and depth to help them distinguish between true and false religion.

As far as your final point goes,well that goes without saying.Children live in the realm of imagination for the most part and what they see on tv becomes ingrained in their imaginary lives.

[GhostontheNet]

Heh, one of my favorite New Testament scholars, Ben Witherington has on his blog has offered some amusing commentary on this one:

O.K. let me see if I understand this.

NBC has standards. It will broadcast 'universal' religious values, but nothing sectarian, nothing that supports or promotes a particular denomination or religion. (And what precisely would those values be?) On this basis, NBC is busily editing and then broadcasting Veggie Tales, perhaps one of the most creative Christian children's shows in years. One of the original creators and producers of the show, Phil Vischer has publicly protested the denuding of Veggie Tales of some of its more overt Christian material-- to no avail. Here is the link from the NY Times so you can read all about it.

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/09/23/arts/television/23vegg.html?th&emc=th


And then there is Madonna. She has been busily touring the world and producing all sorts of protests by Christians all over the place for a particular scene in her performance in which mounts a cross and sings from the cross.

Of course Madonna herself thinks Jesus would have no problem with this. The article says "Madonna also issued a statement on Thursday saying that the performance was “neither anti-Christian, sacrilegious or blasphemous.” “Rather,” it went on to say, “it is my plea to the audience to encourage mankind to help one another and see the world as a unified whole. I believe in my heart that if Jesus were alive today, he would be doing the same thing.”

NBC still hasn 't decided whether to air this part of the concert, which it will be airing at least some of during November sweeps week. No problem and no debate about editing Veggie Tales, but they're still debating about that crucifixion scene involving Madonna.

Now I know a lot of very conservative Christians who would love to see Madonna crucified, and if it was on national TV, all the better, but let's just imagine the debate in the NBC editing room for a moment:

Editor One:
" We'll you have to admit the crucifixion scene is known world wide, and there are millions who find religious value in it. I suppose that makes it a universal religious value."

Editor Two:

"Yeah, and Madonna has personally told us it passed the WWJD test! That ought to count for something."

Editor One:

"On the other hand, a cross is a symbol of Christianity, which is a particular religion, I'm thinking we had better edit this scene out of the concert."

Editor Two:

"Yeah but, Madonna on the cross is not the same as Jesus on the cross, and there is no religion that believes Madonna died for our sins--- is there??? I'm just asking..."

Editor One:

"O.K. you've got a point there. But I'm holding firm on that Veggie Tales decision. We can't be having Christianity leaking into our children's programming."

Editor Two:

"Certainly not!"

http://benwitherington.blogspot.com/2006/09/madonna-crucified-veggie-tales-maimed.html

[beau99]

I still don't know why people are complaining. If they'd watch the "edited" version, they'd see a good bulk of religious content still intact.