I received this email today from AFA about CBS censoring veggie tales. It blows my mind the crap they allow on television and yet censor a program like this. Here is a link to see the full page. http://www.afa.net/Petitions/Issuedetail.asp?id=218
Ok, so when I first heard about this it really ticked me off. I mean, with all of the foul lauguage on TV today, you would think that this wouldn't be a problem. However, I have come to the conclusion that MAYBE kids will get hooked on the TV version of Veggie Tales and then their parents will begin to buy the real versions a the store. I know that it's frustrating, but at least Veggie Tales DOES have a positive message and NO violence. It's a start. We can't expect everything to change overnight! PRAY HARD
This is the kind of thing that usally makes me roll my eyes in disgust. But more than anything I am saddened at the downward spiral society has taken VeggieTales is a *Christian show (Saturday morning fun, Sunday morning values ) so they need to leave the scriptures in place. If people get offended then they should do what we, as Christians, are told to do when something offends us.... "Don't like it? Don't watch it!" (*edited for spelling)
Oh My Goodness that is insane!!! I can't believe where this world isheaded. It is so sad. I do agree with lovinghomeschool. Parents will buy videos for their kids and it will have the bible referances.
Well, my kids don't watch network TV anyway, at all. I honestly doubt I'd make the exception even if it WAS not censored, because then I'd be fight ing against whatever came on "next", and the one half-hour would suddenly become 2 hours. And second, because we can watch them any time (uncensored) at the library. Marylyn, Carl and I both wasted lots of time last night reading Phil's blog, thank you very much!!! We are so out in la-la land that we had no idea Big Idea went under. I told Carl that the first time I met your Charles, he said his goal was to work for Big Ideas. Bet y'all are glad that was one goal that never came about!
Yep.. Charles had an opportunity to give his resume to Big Idea, but the timing wasn't right, and his animation skills aren't really up to that level yet. All in all, it is just as well. I wasn't thrilled about the idea of moving to Chicago anyway. Brrrr!!! Right after Veggie Tales they are showing either LarryBoy or 3-2-1 Penguins (they are rotating the two shows.) They left the prayers at the end of 3-2-1 Penguins in the shows!! We've been pretty happy so far with how they are handling the shows. It's sad that they had to cut the Godly parts out, although they would have had to do some cutting anyway to fit into a half-hour tv format. But like someone else said, and like Phil Vischer has said, hopefully it will get kids familiar with and interested enough in the characters that they will check the full videos out of the library or buy them at Wal-Mart and then they'll see "the rest of the story." (Was that showing my age, or what?? :lol
O/T ( Off Topic) Marylyn_TX, are you referring to Paul Harvey's The Rest of the Story ? ( I think that's his name. ) Anyway, if you are I don't know much about him but when I was about 14 I was given a book titled that and I absolutely loved it! I was either told or read that it used to be a radio show. It's funny you said that b/c I was just talking about it to my DH and plan to try and find it either online or at the library. Anyhoo, I hope we are talking about the same thing :love:
Yep, that's the one. I didn't know he had made it into a book, I've just heard the radio series. I think his son, Paul Harvey, Jr, is still doing them, maybe.. I haven't listened to a station that has him on for years, so I don't know for sure.
I cannot disagree at all with NBC's "censoring" of the program. The lines that were edited are in fact blasphemous to people of other beliefs, or even those who are agnostic, but otherwise perfectly law-abiding and moral individuals. NBC's goal in this is to be religion neutral, as it should be. Remember, Fred Rogers was a minister, but he never quoted biblical passages or even referred to God (that I can recall anyway). That is the kind of thing that should be on broadcast television. Trying to compare it to whatever Madonna happens to be doing on primetime is not relevant, even though it does make for an amusing broad-stroke comaprison.
As far as I am concerned, NBC has no intention on being religiously nuetral. Most Christians are law-abiding and moral citizens as well and yet we are expected to sit through fowl language, sex, partial nudity, and I am expected to believe that they are trying to be neutral when most of what they show goes against my faith. I think Madonna acting as though she is doing something to a cross is blasphemous to people who love the Lord, or most of them anyway. Where are our rights? Why should what we believe in be cencored because it is offensive to non-believers and yet what we do not believe in is splashed all over TV. I am struggling seeing the neutral kindness on TV. Madonna acting sleezy with a cross is perverted, it represents a sexual act for our youth to veiw. It is pornographic as far as I am concerned and yet, lets allow trash like this because we want to be neutral. Scripture does not place negetive thoughts into people minds. Perverted acts upon a cross do! But that's okay...we want to be neutral and not offend others. As far as I am concerned it is as easy for non-believers to turn off the TV as it is for Christians.
Having Madonna perform a mock crucifixion IS blasphmous to my religion, not to mention to my Savior. If NBC's goal is to be religion neutral then that shows doesnt need to be aired. It is very hard for me to swallow this type of biased opinion from NBC. The two are relevant what is the deal anyway if Christ is being mocked its ok?, but oh no we dont wanna say Jesus loves you on tv?
Exactly What about that awful show they kept advertising about that guy that sees "Jesus" and talks to him. It was some terrible show that they were airing for shock value :roll: I never watched it but the previews were offensive enough. They didn't worry about how Christians might feel about that Thank God it apparently didn't last long. The difference between Mr.Rogers' Neighborhood and VeggieTales is that with either you know what you're getting. His was a show about his neighborhood. It's not only Christians that live in neighborhoods. VeggieTales is a Christian show about Christian Vegetables telling Christian stories from the Christian Bible
If a Moslem program was being shown on NBC, I would assume it had Moslem values. I wouldn't be offended with them showing it, UNLESS they were refusing to show Christian shows. I would chose to either not watch it, or I would watch it with my kids and discuss any parts I might disagree with. Any non-Christian that found Veggie Tales blashemous could do the same. If NBC was afraid of "offending" non-Christians, why did they buy a show that was Christian to begin with? And why did they say they were cutting it for "time" when they weren't? I think if I were anti-Christian, I would be more offended for Biblical stories being presented in the cut form. It would seem that NBC is trying to get Biblically based stories into my child without letting me know it. I would probably let my kid get the video from the library, at which time I would realize how Biblical it was, and then I'd REALLY be upset. The problem is that NBC does NOT censure shows evenhandedly. Christians receive special treatment, it seems.
For the record, I'm not sure Veggie Tales ever says that "Jesus" loves you; it's always "God". While I agree with your post, I do think we need to make that difference clear. If I'm wrong about this, please someone set me straight!
Sounds to me like it's a decesion that says the Bible itself is Offensive. I guess they would boycott all those Bible as literature classes in college too.