Untruths from One of the World’s Most Influential Pulpits
By Luke Stamps
I recently found a funny and, at the same time, insightful list of “51 Untruths I’ve Learned from Television.” Many of the items are hilarious. Here are a few choice cuts:
1. Law enforcement departments hate working together. Someone will always pull rank or jurisdiction.
18. Ventilation systems prove to be great hiding spots.
23. Babies are born the size of 5-month old infants.
28. The more blades on my razor, the more often my wife will caress my face in the bathroom.
35. My friend and I can always meet at the same restaurant and get the exact same table.
But some of the items on the list offer a penetrating analysis of how television reflects and shapes our culture’s view of life’s big questions.
14. Promiscuous sex has incredibly few negative side affects (sic).
19. A better credit card is the best answer to my personal debt crisis.
31. You won’t get in trouble if you are sincere about your intentions.
34. Broken families are more comical than tragic.
42. Alcohol only improves life…never ruins it.
44. Your health problems can be easily cured with the new prescription medication.
50. Non-married couples have better sex.
Read the whole thing here. This list serves as a helpful reminder of our need for spiritual discernment, not only with regard to how our own thinking might be shaped by our media intake, but also with regard to how the ambient culture is influenced by one of the most powerful pulpits in the world: the television.
Luke Stamps is a Ph.D. candidate at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in systematic theology. Luke is a weekly contributor to the Credo blog and also blogs at Before All Things. Luke is married to Josie, and they have three children, Jack, Claire, and Henry. Luke is a member of Clifton Baptist Church in Louisville, KY.
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