To Dabble or Not?

I don't watch much mainstream TV, so I occupy my mind with other things: reading my Bible more, listening to audio-books while I cook and clean, and listening to podcasts. I'm especially fond of podcasts because I find they are a better way to pick and choose my news and entertainment sources that way.

Some of the podcasts I listen to on a regular basis are

• The John Ankerberg Show (very well thought out and informative)
• Generation Why (interesting topics & fun rapport between the hosts)
• FreemanTV (a recent discovery that I'm still on the fence about)
• Let My People Think (from Ravi Zacharias International)
• Stuff They Don't Want You to Know (Just fun and often interesting)
• Prophecy Zone Radio News (Interesting topics, bad reception/recording)
• Beyond Boston Prophecy (Good but not often consistent with topics)

Of course, my opinions are mine alone. When I say that a couple of these shows have some production issues, I should also point out that they are doing what they can to spread the Gospel. For the other issues, I have some opinions I want to address regarding the podcast I just recently subscribed to: FreemanTV.

The podcast is highly informative and hosts are very sincere and likable. I really do enjoy listening to many of the shows, but I'm not clear about where Freeman and Jamie stand theologically.

One of the things I do enjoy about the show is that the hosts address topics that most Christians don't take time to hear about. One of the reasons I even subscribed to Freeman TV is because I heard the hosts as guests on another podcast. They were discussing the symbols and other things hiding under what people often call "The Illuminati". 

When I subscribed to the podcast, I noticed that most of what is discussed has to do with things that Christians are warned not to dabble with: occultism, different theologies, and so on.

Since I do know that "dabbling" with something is different that being aware of something, I appreciate being informed. After all, I didn't pick up on a lot of the hidden symbolism in popular music and advertising until I watched some of G Craige Lewis' "Truth Behind Hip Hop" videos (this is an article about Lewis). That encouraged me to start paying more attention to the subtle messages I was getting by watching what I thought of as harmless entertainment.

I think I must have listened to 3 or 4 of the FreemanTV podcasts before I heard the one that had addressing Christians. It was only then that I realized that one of the hosts identifies as a Christian. And that set off a bit of a worry flag for me. 

The show about Christians was to address some very relevant issues: namely that a lot of Christians are willingly blind to many of the things that we shouldn't be. I know that's true because I had been blind to a lot of the very open (but subtle) anti-Christian messages in music, television, advertising, and almost every other thing we are exposed to from the time we wake up to the time we go to bed.

The hosts made very good points on almost every level, but I found the whole of the show ironic. While they were addressing these issues, they were also blind to some core issues of the Christian life. (This is in addition to the fact that the seem to ascribe to the idea of shunning all churches because of bad experiences with certain churches.) But I want to talk about the other issues that concerned me.

For instance, while they both attested to a belief in Jesus, but one of them does not identify as a Christian and the other seems not to understand why other Christians aren't willing to explore the occult. She feels that it's essential that we read about such things and work to understand them. I get her intentions, but I felt she didn't understand that, for some of us, to dabble could be dangerous. Aleister Crowley was, after all, a man born into a 'religious' family. His fall began, like it does for a lot of people, with his dabbling in dark and occultic things. 

What I'd really like for any Christian-hosted show is that, no matter what topics they cover, they make sure to include the core topic of Christianity: the message of Jesus' offer of salvation. That is the most important topic for any Christian. What good is any other message we have if we don't tell people of salvation?

To understand that there is evil so that you can be aware of it is fine, but to get too involved with understanding can be a slippery slope. Some of us are better equipped for that. Just like some of us can drink on special occasion, yet not become alcoholic, but hand us one cigarette and we are forever fighting to quit. (I'm describing myself in that example, by the way.)

I don't like to dabble in things to understand them. I don't need to dabble with drugs to know that they are addictive and could lead to a really bad lifestyle. I do, however, appreciate learning about drugs and what they can do. That way, I can warn others. 

The FreemanTV podcast is one that I would recommend Christians listen to, but with caution and prayer. I don't think that we should let ourselves get too fascinated with things that don't help our Christian faith. 

Some very interesting podcasts I have listened to lately include 

• The Rise of the Ezekiel 38 Nations (a multi-part podcast from The John Ankerberg Show)
• The Christian Show (from Freeman TV)
• The West Memphis Three (from Generation Why)

Thanks to all the people who are doing what they do to inform people about things that mainstream media ignores. I can criticize all I want, but they are at least doing their part.

Peace

--Free