Posted on 04/19/2015 7:19:27 AM PDT by Gamecock
Do any of you remember the 90s show Seinfeld? Well there was one episode where Elaine has a "Christian" boyfriend Puddy. Elaine is deeply troubled because he does not seem bothered by the idea that she is going to hell. He says "You are the one going there, not me." She says "David, I am going to hell, the worst place in the world with devils and those caves and the ragged clothing" Puddy says "Pretty rough" and so she begins hitting him and says "you SHOULD BE trying to save me." Puddy says, Don't boss me, this is why you are going to hell." Elaine: I am not going to hell, and if you think I am going to hell YOU SHOULD CARE that I am going to hell, even though I'm not."
How times have changed. In the 90s pop culture seemed to somewhat understand that if you would warn someone of what you believed to be impending disaster it meant you cared for them, even if they thought it was not true. Now if you warn someone of the danger large segments of society would immediately impute motives of hate and bigotry, which, of course, is itself profoundly unthinking and prejudicial. But I suppose if you repeat a cultural narrative enough times it becomes true to uncritical minds. When the news media makes the 40-member Westboro Baptist church WORLD FAMOUS then you know they are grasping at straws to promote their narrative. And, to top it off, many of those members come from one family ... By making these kind of obscure, marginalized moralists into headline news the media obviously has an agenda and has done our country a disservice by promoting a dualistic, Manichean world, in which those who share their views represent the forces of goodness and light while those who don't share their views represent the forces of evil and darkness. As a result society begins to suffer. But I suppose the media makes its money in controversy. Peace and truth are too boring and unprofitable.
Further, I guess with all this propaganda and a President who seems to share the media's view, we should not be surprised in being misunderstood, but it seems the new generation has so grabbed on to their completely made-up narrative about Christians created by the media and image consultants that they have become unwilling to take the time to understand from another person's perspective, and just label it with such vitriolic terms like "hate". As a result, there is, sadly, no longer any room for civil discussion on our society, but only a shouting down and demonization of those not towing the line. Fact is, there is real hate and bigotry in the world ... lots of it. But people need to learn to differentiate between those who wish us harm with those who simply disagree with us. To watch the actual Seinfeld scene click here.
Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline, so be zealous and repent." - Jesus, Rev. 3:19
Apart from the grace of God in Jesus Christ we are all lost and undone, helpless and morally ruined. We are all sinners and merely changing our outward behavior is not enough. We need a new heart.
“Pretty rough”
It will only seem like an eternity.
(Good thread, though).
It's all gone.
There is no right or wrong. You need to keep your wacko religious views to yourself. Perversion trumps religion as a social value. And few people seem to be familiar with ideas, quotes or personages from either the Old or the New Testament. That part of the culture seems to have evaporated.
But American Idol is on.
You took my Jesus Fish !
‘You need to keep your wacko religious views to yourself’
Only if you are Jewish or Christian........the values upon which this once great country was founded.
Thanks for new tagline.
wacko views,,
there’s a lot behind that response .
I had not heard of the show but watched the scene but it was so short I did not get much from it.
Just reminded me of why I quit watching tv several years before that.
It appears the intention of the scene is that the woman wanted to hear about God or that she wanted to make sure the man cared about her, typical as who knows what a woman wants?
The scene is probably depicting a man that is only concerned about his own salvation and no one else.
But it could go much deeper than that as maybe he knows that she would reject Jesus if she hears it from him although he would be an exceptional Christian to be that understanding.
And if they are shacking up as it appears, being exceptional is unlikely, however in modern Christianity anything goes except using tobacco so it could be.
Not enough movie to know what is going on.
As a Christian I can watch this show and see total depravity in action, just like we see in the world around us. It oozes throughout all episodes. Just like we once were...
And fear not, in the end of this episode a priest tells them they are both going to Hell.
As a Christian I can watch this show and see total depravity in action, just like we see in the world around us. It oozes throughout all episodes. Just like we once were...
good post
Great tagline. I love the consistent witness of the Spirit on this:
“My son, do not despise the LORD’s discipline
or be weary of his reproof,
for the LORD reproves him whom he loves,
as a father the son in whom he delights.—Proverbs 3:11-12 (10th Century B.C.???)
“In your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. And have you forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons?
“My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor be weary when reproved by him.
For the Lord disciplines the one he loves,
and chastises every son whom he receives.”
It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons.”—Hebrews 12:4-7 (67 A.D.?)
For no good reason.
Then turns around and wants to be saved from "the heat oh my God, the heat!"
Plus it makes Puddy out to be a hypocrite.
He wants Elaine to steal the neighbor's paper, so HE won't sin.
And the ending is priceless.
The priest says: "You're not married? In that case you're BOTH going to hell."
I never watched SEINFELD but somehow I saw this episode. I remember shaking my head at “Puddy’s” attitude towards Elaine, especially in light of the fact he was fornicating with her. But most modern artists love to poke any faith in the eye with the most obvious of stereotypes.
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