freedom of thought

[Christ_empowered]

do you think we still have this, especially in the US (anybody can chime in, I'm just particularly curious about the US) ? It seems like the worst sort of control and destruction of freedom would be thought control, right?

I just thought about this. You watch TV, right? I mean, I don't, but most people do. You see sitcoms and dramas, lots of commercials. Entertaining, yes; but what else? I think we absorb a lot of social norms and worldly wisdom through TV and movies. What's funny and what's not; what's hot and what's not; what's OK and what's not, so on and so forth.

Then you have schools doing "mental health screenings." I know: serious mental health problems are a serious problem. Problem is, these screenings hand vulnerable kids right over to mental health pros who often create victims. And tell people what/how to think. And are more interested in you being well-adjusted to...whatever...than in you doing something, being G-o-o-d, so on and so forth.

I'm not saying that we should all live in caves and think our own thoughts. In the world, not of it; that means we have to be *in* the world, right? Plus, "hold every thought captive to Christ" and "be ye not conformed unto the ways of this world, but be ye transformed by the renewal of your mind." Boom: 2,000+/- years ago, these issues were dealt with, by Christ.

Question is...do you think, with all the mass media and everything, people are becoming less able to think for themselves, put things together, maybe a little less depth to our personalities? Just a thought...

 

[jasonc]

do you think we still have this, especially in the US (anybody can chime in, I'm just particularly curious about the US) ? It seems like the worst sort of control and destruction of freedom would be thought control, right?

I just thought about this. You watch TV, right? I mean, I don't, but most people do. You see sitcoms and dramas, lots of commercials. Entertaining, yes; but what else? I think we absorb a lot of social norms and worldly wisdom through TV and movies. What's funny and what's not; what's hot and what's not; what's OK and what's not, so on and so forth.

Then you have schools doing "mental health screenings." I know: serious mental health problems are a serious problem. Problem is, these screenings hand vulnerable kids right over to mental health pros who often create victims. And tell people what/how to think. And are more interested in you being well-adjusted to...whatever...than in you doing something, being G-o-o-d, so on and so forth.

I'm not saying that we should all live in caves and think our own thoughts. In the world, not of it; that means we have to be *in* the world, right? Plus, "hold every thought captive to Christ" and "be ye not conformed unto the ways of this world, but be ye transformed by the renewal of your mind." Boom: 2,000+/- years ago, these issues were dealt with, by Christ.

Question is...do you think, with all the mass media and everything, people are becoming less able to think for themselves, put things together, maybe a little less depth to our personalities? Just a thought...

I would be lying to myself if I didn't admit that media doesn't shape me or us. it does.

 

[His_nee (Jeff)]

that's one/many of the things Jesus came to set us free from, set apart and free from media perversion, society force, sin of the world, sin of the self, self deception and demonic deception -- all freely and generously set free from in Yeshua HaMaschiach. as every thought and dream and emotion and feeling is willingly and joyfully brought subject to Yeshua, as Yhwh permits and accomplishes this in us as we trust in Him to do so, we then may be vessels for His use.
since it requires dying to our self, and willingly extravagant self-sacrifice to do His Will, not too many follow Him too long..... ....

Luke 6:17-21
J.B. Phillips New Testament (PHILLIPS)
17-19 Then he came down with them and stood on a level piece of ground, surrounded by a large crowd of his disciples and a great number of people from all parts of Judea and Jerusalem and the coastal district of Tyre and Sidon, who had come to hear him and to be healed of their diseases. (And even those who were troubled with evil spirits were cured.) The whole crowd were trying to touch him with their hands, for power was going out from him and he was healing them all.

Jesus declares who is happy and who is to be pitied, and defines a new attitude towards life
20 Then Jesus looked steadily at his disciples and said, “How happy are you who own nothing, for the kingdom of God is yours!

21 “How happy are you who are hungry now, for you will be satisfied! “How happy are you who weep now, for you are going to laugh!.

Put your trust in God alone Matthew 6
19-21 “Don’t pile up treasures on earth, where moth and rust can spoil them and thieves can break in and steal. But keep your treasure in Heaven where there is neither moth nor rust to spoil it and nobody can break in and steal. For wherever your treasure is, you may be certain that your heart will be there too!”
22-23 “The lamp of the body is the eye. If your eye is sound, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eye is evil, your whole body will be full of darkness. If all the light you have is darkness, it is dark indeed!”
24 “No one can be loyal to two masters. He is bound to hate one and love the other, or support one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and the power of money at the same time.”
.

 

[Deborah13]

I think you have got it right CE.
I think one of the biggest problems is people just don't spend as much time thinking at all. They are listening to what they feed their mind but not really thinking about life. When people lead simpler lives
without so much noise to entertain them, they spend more time just thinking.

 

[jasonc]

I think you have got it right CE.
I think one of the biggest problems is people just don't spend as much time thinking at all. They are listening to what they feed their mind but not really thinking about life. When people lead simpler lives
without so much noise to entertain them, they spend more time just thinking.

at least you don't have jasonc and jasoncran in your head thinking and fighting. sorry I had to.

 

[Kathi]

I do not have television reception and I have not for quite some time.I don't go to movies.I read only Christian literature and I do not read most magazines. I do not listen to secular radio.Some people would say that I do live in a cave.Especially nonchristians.I have made this sacrifice for God and I am very happy that I have.

 

[jasonc]

I do not have television reception and I have not for quite some time.I don't go to movies.I read only Christian literature and I do not read most magazines. I do not listen to secular radio.Some people would say that I do live in a cave.Especially nonchristians.I have made this sacrifice to God and I am very happy that I have.

I haven't hit that level yet but its coming to that point.

 

[Deborah13]

at least you don't have jasonc and jasoncran in your head thinking and fighting. sorry I had to.

Sometimes I think we can think too much too and be too hard on ourselves. Sometimes we have to stop fighting and just let the Lord love us.

 

[jasonc]

I was being light hearted with that comment. though at times I am too hard on myself.

 

[Deborah13]

I was being light hearted with that comment. though at times I am too hard on myself.

Oh good !

 

[reba]

 

[jasonc]

the entity known jasonc and jasoncran function in one body as the same person. lol.

 

[reba]

they do?

 

[Christ_empowered]

yeah..I got out of the habit of tv watching after Teen Challenge. Doesn't really matter to me now, you know?

Music...I'm bad. Secular, and too much of it. Internet...not so terrible.

But...I'm concerned, for our culture. As in...what happens when we're all (mostly) thinking the same things, reading the same things, believing the same things, so on nd so forth? Living the same way, we're all "well-adjusted,"etc. ?

Scary.

 

[reba]

Unthinking masses are easier to control...

 

[Christ_empowered]

yeah, its that, and...and...how will people come to Jesus if they aren't allowed to confront life, with ups and downs and such?

 

[His_nee (Jeff)]

and fatal. eternally as well as temporally. Yeshua says somewhere "society is stupid, blind and pernicious(death dealing)" and also "the flesh profits nothing" and again "whatever is born of the flesh is flesh" .... ... .. ...
and, semi-final --- Yeshua says somewhere 'unless you renounce society, you cannot be my disciple' (will look for the ref, but it's difficult to find)

it's a hodge podge from search but here it is >>> (partly) >>>
Luke 14:33 In the same way, those of you who do not give up ...
... none of you can be my disciple unless he gives up all his possessions." ... So likewise every one of you that doth not renounce all that he possesseth, cannot be ...biblehub.com/luke/14-33.htm
Matthew 16:24 Then Jesus said to his disciples, "Whoever ...
... let him renounce self and take up his cross, ... unless thou thyself too be continually prepared for death."' ... cannot be my disciple.biblehub.com/matthew/16-24.htm
Scripture: Luke 14:25-33
... especially in a society fired up by capitalism and consumerism. ... “You cannot be my disciple unless you renounce your possessions. ...my.execpc.com/05/9B/alexis/Discipleship2007.htm
Whoever does not carry his cross and come after me, cannot be ...
... cannot be my disciple. ... 33 So likewise every one of you that does not renounce all that he possesses, cannot be my ... Unless you are prepared to leave ...

 

[agua.]

do you think we still have this, especially in the US (anybody can chime in, I'm just particularly curious about the US) ? It seems like the worst sort of control and destruction of freedom would be thought control, right?

I just thought about this. You watch TV, right? I mean, I don't, but most people do. You see sitcoms and dramas, lots of commercials. Entertaining, yes; but what else? I think we absorb a lot of social norms and worldly wisdom through TV and movies. What's funny and what's not; what's hot and what's not; what's OK and what's not, so on and so forth.

Then you have schools doing "mental health screenings." I know: serious mental health problems are a serious problem. Problem is, these screenings hand vulnerable kids right over to mental health pros who often create victims. And tell people what/how to think. And are more interested in you being well-adjusted to...whatever...than in you doing something, being G-o-o-d, so on and so forth.

I'm not saying that we should all live in caves and think our own thoughts. In the world, not of it; that means we have to be *in* the world, right? Plus, "hold every thought captive to Christ" and "be ye not conformed unto the ways of this world, but be ye transformed by the renewal of your mind." Boom: 2,000+/- years ago, these issues were dealt with, by Christ.

Question is...do you think, with all the mass media and everything, people are becoming less able to think for themselves, put things together, maybe a little less depth to our personalities? Just a thought...

I think you've hit the nail on the head here. We are being dumbed down for sure imo. Also I remember being told that it takes ~ 10 years to become an expert at something but now we seem to try to cram in so much information on different subjects that mostly we know little about a lot really. It's probably better to know a lot about a little imo and this probably can be likened to how each Christian has a separate gift and is expert in that area.