Participants: Danielle Harrison (Host), Wayne Blakely, Ron Woolsey, Michael Carducci
Series Code: PC
Program Code: PC000121A
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00:01 The following program discusses sensitive issues.
00:03 Parents are cautioned that some material 00:05 may be too candid for younger children. 00:40 Hello, and welcome to Pure Choices. 00:42 My name is Danielle Harrison. 00:44 And I am with Coming Out Ministries. 00:46 Today we have the whole team here. 00:48 And I want to welcome each one of you guys. 00:50 Thank you for coming. 00:52 Thank you. 00:53 Good to be here. 00:55 All right, so today I'm really excited 00:57 to be talking about the influences of the media 01:00 in the last few generations, 01:01 especially on the way that we view homosexuality 01:04 and transgenderism in the church. 01:07 So, Wayne, I'm going to direct this first question to you. 01:11 And I just wanted to ask you 01:13 if you think that there is an element in the media 01:16 that really has been pushing to make 01:19 sexual perversions more acceptable 01:21 just among society over, you know, the last century? 01:25 Yeah, absolutely. 01:27 I think it's part of Satan's counterfeit. 01:30 And I think he started, you know, a long time ago. 01:34 When I make presentations, 01:36 I talk about starting as early as the 1920s 01:39 to see what he started to do through print, radio, 01:42 even black and white films, 01:45 and the element of, like the flapper girls, 01:49 and kind of pulling men away from their marriage, 01:53 and getting them engaged 01:55 with the view of the female body. 01:58 And we slowly progressed from there into the '60s 02:01 and even into television 02:03 where we introduce gay characters 02:06 in order to get normalization you get it through the... 02:09 All in the family, the Archie Bunker 02:11 would be the least 02:13 likely candidate to accept homosexuality. 02:16 And then music, I mean, 02:18 it just goes on continuously 02:21 how people get shaped through media. 02:25 I agree. I agree. 02:26 So do you think that there's an element of this, 02:28 an aspect that's actually done underhandedly meaning 02:31 that it's done like on a subconscious level 02:34 where we don't realize that it's affecting our views? 02:36 I do, because we forget that 02:39 Satan knows the gospel better than we do. 02:42 And so he knows how to go about deceiving. 02:46 And look what happened in the Garden of Eden, 02:47 you know, it caught Eve off guard, you know, 02:51 she looked at the dazzling beauty of things, 02:53 some of these things sound good, feel good. 02:56 And we even put a Christian label 02:59 on some of those things 03:01 before we realize that 03:02 we've been influenced by the type of beat, 03:06 the type of look, 03:08 whether some things, you know, modest or not. 03:11 The enemy just spirals in through us 03:14 if we're not paying attention 03:16 and abiding in Christ and knowing, 03:19 you know what would be honorable by God. 03:23 Amen. 03:24 You know, Wayne, I was actually shocked 03:27 when I started looking into media 03:29 and the influence that they have... 03:31 They've made really sex a weapon. 03:34 We all know the term sex sells. 03:36 But I didn't realize how much 03:39 subconscious manipulation there was going on. 03:42 And when I started to really see 03:45 more of that information, I was truly shocked. 03:49 I've recently got my hands on a documentary 03:52 and this was put out a few years ago. 03:54 It's an older documentary, it's called Merchants of Cool. 03:57 And this is a pretty vulgar documentary. 04:01 I mean, it has a lot of vulgar content. 04:03 So I wouldn't really recommend it 04:05 as proper viewing material for most audiences. 04:08 But it was really eye-opening for me 04:10 because I saw that my life was a product 04:13 of what they were, they were revealing, 04:15 they had been doing, 04:17 and this was just a secular perspective. 04:20 So in this documentary, I'm going to read a quote here. 04:24 And this man was talking about the five enormous companies 04:28 that have pretty much driven 04:30 and been responsible 04:31 for selling youth culture over the last few generations. 04:35 And they said or he said, 04:38 "They look at the teen market 04:41 as part of this massive empire to be colonized. 04:45 You should look at it as the British Empire 04:47 or the French Empire in the 19th century. 04:49 Teens are like Africa. 04:52 That's the range that they're going to take over 04:55 and their weaponry are 04:57 films, music, books, CDs, internet access, 05:02 clothing, amusement parks, and sports teams. 05:06 These are the weaponry that they have used 05:10 to make money off of this market." 05:13 So, Michael, I just want to ask you, 05:15 you know, based on this quote, a multi-billion dollar industry 05:20 that looks at the teen market as Africa to be colonized. 05:26 You know, when we think about that 05:27 as our youth in the church, as a church, as a family, 05:32 what do you think our responsibility really is 05:34 to prevent this manipulation that they're trying to do 05:38 to keep them from stealing our youth away from us 05:41 and away from loyalty to God? 05:44 You know, it's interesting 05:46 how we're bombarded constantly by images. 05:48 And when we speak to young people you can, 05:51 you know, you can start to see the trends 05:53 that are going on and the latest color, 05:55 and the media, and the fashion industry, 05:57 they control all of that. 05:59 You know, the latest color now for this year is this color. 06:02 And the next thing you know 06:03 you see it in all the department stores, 06:05 you see all the kids wearing it. 06:07 Even gang related things in high schools 06:10 have to do with a certain brand of tennis shoe. 06:12 And they marketed that if you have this tennis shoe 06:15 that you'll jump higher, you'll be faster. 06:17 If you use this toothpaste, people will want to kiss you. 06:19 If you wear this bra, 06:21 people want to like touch you and so. 06:23 You know, we're bombarded by that constantly. 06:25 And I remember that for me 06:27 as I was coming out of the gay culture, 06:31 I was, you know, very new in my walk with God. 06:34 And so the Lord had removed my boyfriend. 06:36 And here I am one night, Thursday night 06:39 watching "Will and Grace". 06:40 It was a story about a gay man that had a straight roommate 06:43 that was a female. 06:44 That was me. 06:45 I did great with, you know, female roommates 06:47 that were straight. 06:48 And so even though my life was moving towards God, 06:51 on every Thursday night at 8 o'clock 06:53 there I was watching "Will and Grace". 06:55 And one night, the Lord just spoke to me. 06:57 And so maybe that's the first, you know, 07:00 the first step is to be open 07:02 to what the Holy Spirit is speaking to us. 07:04 And the Holy Spirit said, "Mike, 07:05 why are you watching this?" 07:06 And I was like, "I'm just watching my favorite show." 07:09 And the dialogue to me was, 07:11 "How can you expect me to help you 07:13 if you keep your foot stuck in this one thing." 07:16 And so I really struggled that I knew, you know, 07:18 being a TV-baby, I was raised with television. 07:21 I knew that there was no way 07:22 that I can just turn the channel, 07:24 because the way my mind was 07:25 I was only always looking for the smut 07:28 that was on TV or sexual situations, 07:31 because I had totally bought in 07:33 to what the media was feeding me. 07:35 And so the only option for me is I had to make a decision to 07:37 not only turn off the television, 07:39 I had to disconnect my cable 07:40 and get the television out of my house. 07:42 Because I knew that personally I was powerless against, 07:46 you know, what the media was putting out there for me. 07:48 Amen. Amen. 07:49 So do you think us as parents, 07:51 there's something that we can do 07:52 to help shepherd our young people? 07:57 Absolutely, Danielle. 07:58 And I think it's not enough to just turn your TV off. 08:01 And I think that's not fair, 08:02 if you've got children that are used to television, 08:04 and used to the media, 08:05 or even the fact if you're trying to guard them from that, 08:07 you've got to give them an alternative 08:09 that's going to not only occupy their time 08:12 but for them to find interesting 08:15 and something that they enjoy doing. 08:16 And you have to present it in a way 08:18 to elevate them higher than what they would get with media. 08:22 You know, it's not just enough like on a Sabbath afternoon 08:24 to take a nap, you know, 08:26 and then expect your kids to love the Sabbath. 08:28 You know, you have to be invested with them. 08:30 You have to show them and spend time with them. 08:33 And teach them the benefits of changing your plans, 08:37 and getting the television out. 08:38 Amen. Amen. I agree. 08:40 And, you know, I think as much as 08:42 we need to educate them, 08:46 we need to not just hide them away from the world, 08:50 we need to give them that education, 08:51 so that they know how to navigate in the world. 08:55 And I think it is important for us 08:57 to protect them and shelter them, 08:59 but we have to be the place where they're getting 09:01 their education first. 09:02 So they're not just 09:03 only getting education from the world, 09:05 so I appreciate you bringing that, 09:07 the necessity to educate out. 09:10 Now in this documentary, 09:11 they go on to show how MTV 09:14 which was one of the most popular stations 09:17 had actually hired people 09:18 to go into the homes of the youth. 09:21 And to study them, 09:23 and to ask them what they liked, 09:25 what brands they liked, 09:26 what they did to hang out or whatever. 09:27 They invested a lot of time and money 09:29 in studying the young people and how they ticked. 09:32 And as a result of those studies, 09:35 they actually came up with characters 09:38 that they would put in the forefront 09:40 of all of their TV shows. 09:42 And this was a personality type 09:46 that they saw was extremely effective 09:49 in selling their, 09:51 whatever they were selling to the young people. 09:54 And they saw that the guy characters 09:59 would always be perverse, unintelligent, and immature. 10:03 Now these characteristics were 10:04 what drove the younger mentality, 10:07 sparked their interest, kept their interest. 10:09 So this was the personality type 10:11 that they put on to the male character 10:13 is perverse, unintelligent, and immature. 10:16 And for the women characters, it was premature, 10:19 like maturing before they should, 10:21 and very seductive, and sex symbols. 10:25 Now, Ron, I want to ask you, you know, 10:27 when we look at the design that God has for the structure 10:30 and the purpose of the home. 10:32 When we have these kind of personality types 10:34 presented to our youth, 10:36 what does that do to degrade the minds of the young people? 10:40 I think it does a great deal 10:41 to degrade the minds of the young people. 10:44 As you're reading that, sharing that information, 10:47 I just immediately, 10:49 I pictured one of the very popular television shows, 10:54 not just one but several 10:57 where that very thing is portrayed throughout. 11:00 And as young people are to find these 11:04 television characters physically attractive, 11:08 then they tend to want to emulate 11:10 the behavior as well. 11:12 And in a lot of these... 11:13 Even the family shows, 11:15 the father is usually the buffoon. 11:18 Yes. 11:19 He's the one that they all deceive 11:21 and they play tricks on 11:23 or they keep him out of the discussion. 11:25 He is the butt of all the jokes, right? 11:26 That's right. 11:27 And the children kind of rule the roost. 11:29 And the mother is the one 11:31 that they go to for counsel or whatever. 11:34 The father pays for everything but he's not respected. 11:37 He's totally disrespected. 11:41 And when you see that over and over and over, 11:44 this is a brainwashing of our children. 11:46 By beholding, we become changed. 11:49 And of course, it's very important 11:51 in television programs 11:53 that the characters are attractive, 11:57 sexually attractive, physically attractive. 11:59 And so then that behavior 12:01 is associated with being attractive. 12:05 Yes, that's a profound thought. 12:07 I think that there's so much manipulation going on. 12:10 That is so underhanded 12:12 and even in these things that they were, 12:14 the way they portray these characters. 12:16 So I remember you, Ron, 12:18 you talked about in your testimony 12:21 how you saw the cover of a Time magazine 12:25 and how that cover jumped out at you. 12:27 And you really started considering 12:31 accepting these thoughts 12:33 that you had had and pulled away. 12:35 So I appreciate you talking about 12:38 the impact of the media on you 12:40 turning and walking out into the gay culture. 12:43 So, Wayne, I'm just, I'm curious 12:45 do you remember that there was necessarily 12:48 anything in your experience 12:51 that you saw from the media that encouraged you 12:54 to turn and to walk out into the world? 12:56 Well, you know, I was pretty sheltered 13:02 with respect to, you know, 13:03 what we could watch having been raised 13:05 in a Christian home. 13:09 And so it wasn't until I left home 13:12 that I began to look at those influences 13:16 that were coming through. 13:18 You know, obviously through "The all in the family" program 13:22 that I was mentioning with Archie Bunker. 13:26 And then I began to see in the sitcoms 13:27 that it was starting to be... 13:30 Homosexuality was beginning to be accepted. 13:34 And so I think that really did have an influence to me 13:38 that this was okay, 13:40 this was something that I could accept 13:42 if society was beginning to accept it. 13:45 That was half the battle 13:46 because now I didn't have to feel ashamed. 13:48 Right. Wow. 13:50 So what about you, Michael, do you remember media 13:52 playing a part for you? 13:53 I remembered just as you asked Wayne that, 13:55 there's totally different image came in my head. 13:57 I was about 20. 13:59 And I remember there was a television show. 14:02 It was made for TV movie 14:04 and it starred my favorite movie star, 14:07 Kate Jackson. 14:08 I don't even know why her name is still in my head. 14:10 But so here she played a wife of a husband, 14:13 her husband was a doctor, young, good looking. 14:16 And he ends up secretly going to the gay bars. 14:20 And it was a story back in the '70s in 1970s, 14:23 about a couple 14:24 how he transitions to be open about his homosexuality, 14:29 falls in love with a very good looking man, 14:31 and it was just too much for the media. 14:34 I've read a book recently talking about the gay agenda. 14:36 And what they've done... 14:38 What the book said was that they introduced, you know, 14:41 gay characters or gay scenario very easily into the media. 14:45 And then based on the reaction from the media, 14:48 they determined whether they can push 14:49 the envelope more. 14:50 When they showed that movie back in the early '70s, 14:53 the reaction was so abrupt and negative 14:58 from the Christian community 15:00 that it was just too much and they realized that. 15:01 So what they did is they pulled back. 15:03 They didn't show anything that had gay content for a long time 15:07 and then there was a comedy show called "Family" 15:10 that actually had a gay character 15:12 represented as... 15:13 And it was a comedy program so that actually introduced 15:16 the whole homosexual idea a little bit more. 15:19 For someone like me, you know, I was looking for affirmation. 15:22 I was looking, you know, for those ways 15:25 to solidify my direction, 15:29 to solidify my acceptance, 15:32 and the fact that this was an okay thing. 15:34 I remember that movie in particular 15:36 having an impact on me 15:37 for someone in my very early '20s. 15:39 And I can see how the gay agenda 15:41 has also infiltrated and triumphed in the media. 15:44 Yeah. 15:46 It really has and you know being a kid in the '90s 15:50 and going through high school and all of that 15:53 during the turn of the century, 15:55 you know, for me I was in that realm 15:59 where homosexuality was really starting to be promoted 16:04 and celebrated more and more. 16:07 As I got older, and I look back and I really see how, you know, 16:12 music videos, Hollywood movies, fringe cultures and then, 16:17 you know, pop culture as I started to get older 16:19 really has presented it in a greater light. 16:23 And that's one of the things that documentary 16:26 really opened my eyes to is 16:27 of how much media really does drive 16:31 even the fringe cultures. 16:33 Because we think about the media driving pop culture. 16:36 But that documentary showed me how much the fringe cultures 16:39 really are driven by the media too 16:40 and we don't realize that so. 16:44 Well, as we're going to look more into homosexuality here, 16:50 Wayne, do you think that the media really 16:53 has played a significant part 16:57 in the acceptance that we see today, 17:00 the grand acceptance of homosexuality? 17:03 Over the course of time, 17:06 the lyrics of songs have become more bold 17:11 and accepting homosexuality 17:13 and programming people to believe 17:17 a certain way outside 17:19 of what they might have thought or believed, 17:22 especially those who had been raised 17:25 in Christian environments 17:26 and part of the breaking free and going out 17:29 and doing your own thing, 17:31 you start listening to another brand of music, 17:33 another kind of music. 17:35 And artists are aware of this 17:37 and so they start imposing 17:40 lyrics and songs 17:42 that are going to shape you and mold you 17:45 as you dance to the music or as you listen to it. 17:47 The music... 17:48 Even music that doesn't have strong beats 17:51 but that has romantic implications. 17:56 Softer music, still the lyrics in those songs start shaping 18:01 how you think in your mind 18:03 and about the acceptance of self, 18:05 about the acceptance of behavior 18:09 that isn't condoned through the Word of God. 18:12 So I've really noticed that over the last few years, 18:16 we've seen an influx 18:18 of same sex couples 18:23 in advertisements, 18:25 and same sex weddings in advertisements. 18:27 Do you think that what came first the chicken or the egg? 18:31 You know, just when you said that I recently... 18:34 Well, we fly a lot 18:36 and what I noticed on an airline was that 18:40 where you might normally see, you know, 18:42 husband and wife taking their seat on the plane. 18:44 This was a gay couple. 18:46 Where the man, you know, instantly, you know, 18:49 put himself over on to his significant other. 18:53 You know, it began to be something 18:57 that this is the shaping of society 18:58 that you will accept, you know, 19:00 these things and then, you know, 19:02 as I was looking in magazines on the plane, 19:06 I could also see again through media, 19:10 same sex couples promoting that 19:13 this is just as normal as heterosexuality. 19:15 That's right. 19:17 Could I insert here that 19:18 it's not just the television programming 19:20 and advertising but in the news media, 19:24 this is being so propelled through the news media 19:28 as well as the regular television programming. 19:30 That's right. 19:32 That's right. Yeah. 19:33 And, you know, Michael, I remember 19:35 in one of your presentations on transgenderism, 19:38 you showed a clip that included Bruce Jenner as Caitlyn 19:42 and he was saying, "I'm the new normal." 19:45 And how do you think it is that 19:47 that this is where we've come to in our society 19:50 where an image like "Caitlyn Jenner" 19:53 is the new normal? 19:55 Well, because again based on how much of the media 19:59 you've been exposed to and for someone like me 20:01 that's lived a long time, I remember being 15 years old. 20:04 And seeing Bruce Jenner on the cover 20:06 of the "Wheaties box" 20:07 after he won the decathlon, you know, in the Olympics, 20:10 he was considered 20:13 the best athlete of the world, right? 20:15 The most healthy or athlete man of the world. 20:18 And I remember looking at that and thinking to myself, 20:20 "Man if I could only be as masculine as Bruce Jenner." 20:23 And so I think that the media very carefully chose Bruce 20:26 because of his exposure, because he has previous shows, 20:31 and because of the fact that he was so masculine, 20:34 and then to come around with this transgenderism. 20:36 Even in that film clip advertising his show, 20:39 it shows like the birds, you know, 20:41 flying freely above the beach 20:43 and, you know, talking about the freedom. 20:45 Every single scene of the media is delicately produced 20:51 and put together in a way to influence you 20:53 whether you hear words or not. 20:55 So then when you see these birds flying in the sky, 20:57 then the next words that Caitlin says is like 21:01 "Well I'm the new..." 21:04 The new freedom, right? 21:05 Anyway, the new... 21:07 What was the word? Normal. 21:08 The new normal. That to me is so frightening. 21:12 You know, for all those people 21:13 that don't have another avenue out 21:15 and that to think that the only way 21:17 that you could be normal is by mutilating your body. 21:19 And going through this production 21:21 of putting in hair weaves and false eyelashes 21:24 and, you know, a lot of makeup, 21:26 then that's the only way that you can really be normal. 21:29 Wow. 21:30 Then it is, it is staggering to look at that 21:33 and as you're speaking about, 21:36 you know, the image of the birds flying, 21:38 it's really is an image of freedom. 21:41 But they don't show the dark storm clouds 21:45 that each and every one of us experienced in that journey 21:49 of not finding contentment 21:50 and not finding that peace in that place, 21:53 but they won't portray that side of it. 21:56 And I think that's interesting and I think it really shows 21:59 that it's not a balanced view 22:01 that they're trying to put forward. 22:04 And it's just a matter of time I think for him, unfortunately, 22:09 before it really starts to show that the facade can't remain, 22:15 that it's not just all birds and blue skies. 22:19 So I want to turn here and look at a quote. 22:23 This is a little bit more of a holy influence 22:26 than what we've been looking at thus far. 22:29 This is from the book "Patriarchs and Prophets" 22:31 written by Ellen White. 22:33 And she says that "The surroundings exerted..." 22:37 The surroundings that 22:39 the people saw around them 22:41 in the time before they crossed the Jordan 22:43 into the Promised Land, 22:45 "That these surroundings exerted 22:47 a polluted influence upon the Israelites. 22:50 Their minds became familiar with the vile thoughts 22:54 constantly suggested. 22:57 Their life of ease and inactivity produced 23:01 its demoralizing effect 23:02 and almost unconsciously to themselves 23:06 they were departing from God and coming into a condition 23:11 where they would fall an easy prey to temptation." 23:15 And there's two things that stick out here to me 23:17 very prominently. 23:19 It says that their life of ease and inaction and inactivity. 23:25 It was demoralizing, 23:27 especially on them 23:29 not just that they were seeing these things 23:31 but that they were inactive and dormant 23:32 and they weren't really, 23:34 you know, doing much of anything. 23:36 Then it goes on to say that 23:37 it was almost unconscious to them 23:40 how much that was impacting them. 23:43 So I just wanted to bring that up 23:45 and then invite you guys to just 23:47 maybe comment on something that evokes in you. 23:51 Well, one of the sins of Sodom was idleness. 23:56 And it's been interesting to me to notice 23:59 where the great meccas of homosexual culture are. 24:03 And they tend to be the places, the resort areas 24:07 where there's much leisure, much entertainment, 24:11 much social activity, a lot of idleness there too. 24:17 And we know of the old adage 24:19 that an idle mind is the devil's workshop. 24:23 And it also comes out of the Bible 24:24 about the story of the demon that was cast out. 24:31 But the void was not filled. 24:35 And so the demon comes back 24:37 and finds the house swept and garnished. 24:40 It says and he goes and invites seven other friends, demons. 24:43 And they come in 24:45 and then the situation is much worse off, 24:48 seven times worse than before. 24:50 So yes, this idleness is a very dangerous thing 24:56 to let our minds just wander. 24:58 We should make a concerted effort 25:00 to fill our minds daily 25:01 through our devotions, our reading, 25:03 and our various activities with the things of the Bible 25:08 and things of nature, things that are wholesome. 25:10 Amen. 25:12 I think there's such a thing as discipline viewing 25:15 and there are still good things on television today. 25:17 I mean look at 3ABN, 25:19 Dare to Dream, Christian programming. 25:22 This is where God can bring into our lives things 25:25 that we don't get through reading, 25:27 through the experiences of other people, testimonies, 25:30 things that direct us back to God's ways 25:32 instead of the world ways. 25:33 But we have to be careful because I refer to this 25:38 as it can be a bad tool today too. 25:40 So some people have that... 25:41 Like Mike and I, we've pulled the plug, you know, 25:43 but yeah, 25:45 let's talk about what can be done 25:47 through media in a good way. 25:49 Amen. 25:50 And I think that's very, very important for us to touch on 25:53 because we wouldn't be here today filming programs 25:56 to be aired on television 25:57 if we thought that the TV was only something 26:00 to be used for the enemy. 26:01 I think that just like anything else in the world 26:05 that God has intended to be used for a blessing, 26:09 Satan tries to make a counterfeit 26:10 and that can be used for evil 26:12 but it can also be used as a powerful witnessing tool. 26:15 And it can be a blessing that enriches us as well 26:18 through the things 26:20 that are made available through media. 26:21 I have an intense love for videography 26:25 and an interest for going to school for that, 26:27 you guys know that. 26:29 I know that 26:31 and I have a love for art also and for photography 26:33 so these things can be used in a beautiful way 26:36 to really share the Lord 26:38 in a powerful and profound manner. 26:41 Now I want to kind of wrap things up here 26:43 with this quote. 26:44 This is also from the book, Patriarchs and Prophets. 26:47 It says, "Satan is using every means 26:49 to make crime and debasing vice popular. 26:52 We cannot walk the streets of our cities 26:54 without encountering flaring notices of crime 26:58 presented in some novel or to be acted in some theater. 27:02 The mind is educated to familiarity with sin." 27:06 But it goes on to say on page 460, 27:09 "We must be aided by the abiding influence 27:12 of the Holy Spirit 27:14 which will attract the mind upward 27:16 and habituated to dwell upon pure and holy things. 27:21 And we must give diligent study to the Word of God." 27:25 And so I think that that's the important thing 27:27 when we invite the Holy Spirit 27:29 to be an active part 27:31 of the things that we're viewing, 27:34 that we're looking into, that we're appreciating, 27:38 that we're sharing through our ministries, 27:40 we can be using the media to uplift the cross 27:43 and to share Christ through the Holy Spirit. 27:46 And to bring people into having a mind 27:49 that is habituated 27:50 and stayed upon the pure and holy things 27:52 especially upon the Word of God. 27:54 So thank you for joining us today. 27:56 God bless you. |
Revised 2017-08-03