Television and Alcohol

Recently I posted on our decision not to have a television. Afterward, I thought it might be important to clarify: I don't think that our decision is the only right one. In fact, I think that the clearest way I can explain our decision may be by comparing it to John Piper's attitude toward alcohol. He is a teetotaler, and commends teetotaling. Yet when he became the pastor of Bethlehem Baptist Church, he argued against the church's constitution, which required members to be teetotalers. He said,

I want to hate what God hates and love what God loves. And this I know beyond the shadow of a doubt: God hates legalism as much as he hates alcoholism. If any of you still wonders why I go on supporting this amendment [removing the requirement that church members be teetotalers], after hearing all the tragic stories about lives ruined through alcohol, the reason is that when I go home at night and close my eyes and let eternity rise in my mind I see ten million more people in hell because of legalism than because of alcoholism. (Source)

I take much the same approach to television. We have chosen not to have one, for what I believe are good reasons. Yet I am unwilling to make it a rule for all precisely because it would go beyond Scripture.

Moreover, I want Elisabeth (and any other children God gives us) to see this in practice throughout her formative years: that as parents we make decisions for our family through faith and wisdom on "disputable matters." The fact that they are disputable doesn't mean that we are not convinced in our own minds. On the contrary:

1. There are a host of things on which we must make judgments.
2. We can gladly embrace those who make other judgments consistent with the Gospel.
3. We can learn from those who make other judgments without denying the integrity of our own position, or dismissing them out of hand.
4. We diligently guard against casting judgments on disputable matters as being central to faith.
5. The Gospel defines the criteria of our judgments, and our evaluation of those who judge differently.
   

I think that this is how children learn to be truly catholic in the faith, while remaining faithful - both of which are desperately needed in our time. [Ian Murray offers an outstanding treatment on true Christian catholicity here in the life of George Whitefield.]

(HT: Justin Taylor)