Howdy Doody

I saw my first television set when I was a college freshman, I had read of this new invention, but had never seen one when I entered the university in 1948. UNC-Chapel Hill was playing Notre Dame in football at the polo grounds in New York City. Two of my friends in the college dorm said, “there is one of these new television sets at a furniture store downtown, lets go and see if we can watch the game.” The television set was in the window of the furniture store, and a large group of people were on the street watching the football game on the small picture screen in the window. I have not seen a television set in many years, but I understand that they now have very large screens, some 40”-50”. My first television set, a very large wood-set container, had a screen of 4 by 6 inches, about the size of an index card. Today's young people cannot imagine the simplicity of this invention, not only in it's physical aspects, but in the programming, subjects, production, etc.

Howdy Doody, a puppet, appeared on television from 1947-1960, children grew up with images of this puppet and this puppet's friends in Doodyville, and the imaginary activities there. Like the early movies, it was easy to immerse yourself in the imaginary plots, the brain is wired for imagination. Even today, in the 21th century, this antiquarin book collector sells old books, particularly children's books, to parents who want their children to have the thrill of an old book that they loved. One of my university friends said he had never ordered but one thing online, an old book. He wanted his child to experience the thrill he enjoyed from that book.

In the countryside of America, early movies were shown at night on the side of large, outside buildings. The first movie I saw was in the nearby town, on the side of a large building. Young minds were caught up in the antics of Tom Micks and Lash LaRue, the young mind was intrigued and fascinated by the world of someone's imagination, put on film and miraculously transported to your sight. Small towns gained movie theater buildings, my mother talked of seeing silent movies, but it was from these movies that the girls acquired their hairstyles, and their desire for certain clothing.

The local movie theater would usually run a movie for one week, sometimes there would be a double feature on the weekends. Movies for the rest of us were an escape from the realities of our poverty, hard work, the limitations of our physical lives. Perhaps movies, like books, like the limited magazine circulation of a few years ago, gave impetus to the desire for self-development, acquaintance with others activities away from your world.

There is nothing as broadening as reading, equipping the imagination, to see through the author's mind, thoughts and visions that he is willing to share. Movies/television, for the sighted, is a sharing experience with the cameraman. The screenwriter and producer direct your senses to what they want to share with you, what they think is best for you. Often, the best knowledge, the best sights, are probably left on the cutting room floor.

Early, as a graduate student, I remember speaking at a large baptist meeting, I said then, and nothing has happened over the intervening sixty years to change my mind, “if Satan had desired to invent something to make people just as mean as possible, he would have designed a television set.” Someone said, “a picture is worth a thousand words”, just think of the good television could have done, as far as education, and informing the public. Like comparing the Holy Bible to penthouse magazine, one must be able to read, like comparing a situation comedy (I Love Lucy) to the most decadent of pornography, easily found on some television channels, one must have sight to see them.

One must have interest in the subject matter involved. One can travel the world with television, learn many things with self-help programs, watch the very best in entertainment from clean comedians and clean historical presentations, one can watch the best in secular and religious programming. News from across the earth is brought to you instantaneously, congressional hearings, court trials, sports events, ball games, golf, racing, Olympics, activities which you could never afford, or gain admission, right there in front of you. You could not buy such a well positioned seat.

Ancient rulers, with all the trappings of office, could not dream of today's ability to serve or fool the public. Yet with all these advances, the same human nature which led to ancient plunder, entices today's political corruption, have we failed to learn anything at all? Ancient, historical, biblical, Canaanites sacrificed their babies to their false god Moloch in that fiery holocaust (the inhabitants of the promised land before the arrival of the Isrealites, and God specifically warned Moses about them, before the time of birth control, worshiped the God Moloch, placing their babies on his arms, glowing white from heat, as a sacrifice), compare this to today's partial birth abortions.

The answer is as simple in the 21st century as it was in the 1st century, and every century before and afterward, from the advent of world creation, through the first five thousand years before the great flood the next five thousand years before the birth of our redeemer and the cross, and the next two thousand years after the cross: Have we learned anything? You cannot serve two masters: you cannot serve God and Mammon (Matthew 6:24, Luke 16:13). You cannot serve the sovereign God of the universe, and the world (world, flesh, and devil)

Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. (Galatians 5:19-25)

When the holy spirit of Jesus Christ possesses you, you live Christ-like. Technology is wonderful, all advances to improve the quality of life are wonderful. It would be hard for me to survive without a telephone, my comfortable car for getting around, the microwave in which I prepare my food, enjoy all these advances, the poorest in America live better than the crowned heads of Europe lived just 200 years ago. But do not let them be your idols, lead to your spiritual defeat. I have said with Alzheimer's patients, “brilliant minds sailing into darkness.” God forbid that a world, cultures, national societies, should not use blessings for cursings. With all modern technology and blessing, tragic if we sail off into darkness.