Lil Red Posted January 14, 2004 Share Posted January 14, 2004 runnergurl - even if it is a religion that is not really what God is about? How can that be a good thing? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
~runnergurl~ Posted January 14, 2004 Share Posted January 14, 2004 I don't think people would really believe that's how it all works, but at least for me, it's a reminder about God being involved in my life. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sojourner Posted January 14, 2004 Share Posted January 14, 2004 I don't think people would really believe that's how it all works, but at least for me, it's a reminder about God being involved in my life. The thing is there are always people who will believe that's how it really is. It tells half-truths about God -- and lies are always more believable if they contain some degree of truth. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lil Red Posted January 14, 2004 Share Posted January 14, 2004 The thing is there are always people who will believe that's how it really is. It tells half-truths about God -- and lies are always more believable if they contain some degree of truth. yep Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the_rev Posted January 14, 2004 Share Posted January 14, 2004 Well, i love it, never can go a friday without it, I always record it! Am I strange? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PyroPenguinX07 Posted January 15, 2004 Author Share Posted January 15, 2004 Well, i love it, never can go a friday without it, I always record it! Am I strange? I don't think you are. Joan and JAG are my two Friday night shows. Now if people actually believed thats how our faith works they haven't done enough research and aren't trying as hard to find out as they should be. Even the mother goes to talk to a priest about her problems she just doesn't make up excuses. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seatbelt Blue Posted January 15, 2004 Share Posted January 15, 2004 I'm cool with it, as long as they keep their disrespectful gaze away from my St. Joan (I love her). Some people are all protective of Mary, but I'm strictly Joanie's boy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PatrickRitaMichael Posted January 15, 2004 Share Posted January 15, 2004 (edited) I like it as a show b/c it is interesting and the characters are truer to real life than say... anything on NBC (isn't it ironic how 'cool' the people on friends are supposed to be even though they only have 5 other friends, lots of failed relationships, and that's it?). Back to J of A, as something religious, it is not very good at all. But since I need a break every now and then, I figure it's better than some other stuff. I'm am such a rationalizer... Edited January 15, 2004 by PatrickRitaMichael Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jasJis Posted January 15, 2004 Share Posted January 15, 2004 I watch it occasionally. I kinda like it. Somethings cause me concern. But I do like how it portrays God being involved in our life. I usually look for a good thing in shows like this. I liked the rational explaination from her science-whiz brother when he said of course God could physically exist and probably does, based on rational scientific fact that matter is energy and ntelligent energy could manifest itself as anything it so desired, including as people. I liked the first show when Joan was talking to God and accused Him of being 'snippy'. God said He is NEVER snippy, that the "snippiness" was Joans rationalization of what God was saying to her. Some posters had said that nobody would talk to God that way. From my experience working with teens for these last few years, I'd say that Lot's of people do. You haven't ever heard people getting mad at God because they take His answer as being mean, or arrogant, or angry, when His answer may just be "Yes, but later" or "No, I love you to much to let that be come a problem for you. I've taked with Teens about things in the show. We'll come up with some positives first, then we might discuss things we don't think were portrayed well. We can learn from dung beetles too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CrushedUnderfoot Posted January 15, 2004 Share Posted January 15, 2004 I have'nt seen it becausre I'm in Australia, but it sure doesn't sound quite right... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anna Posted January 15, 2004 Share Posted January 15, 2004 We can learn from dung beetles too. Yeah, but we don't have to live with them! :lol: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PedroX Posted January 15, 2004 Share Posted January 15, 2004 I love the show, and watch it when I can. For the first, it is a refreshing look at real family struggles and show good family structure. A father who lives at home and is struggling to be the head of his house. He is deeply involved with his wife and kids and the kids respect him, even when they are fighting. The theology is a bit messed up, but no more so than "Touched by an angel" or "Highway to Heaven" or "The Bells of St. Mary's" and a lot less so than many show out there. It always shows organized religion in a postive light. The sheer fact that attractive, involved teens are seeking a relationship with God in the show is cause for celebration. I think that a family could watch this show together and then have great conversations about God and His involvement in our lives. Several of you have spoken of "lies" about God in the show. I rather see them as secular misconceptions. The screenwriters are not lying about God. They don't understand. Do you really think this is some sort of sinister plot? peace... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sojourner Posted January 15, 2004 Share Posted January 15, 2004 PedroX, You’re right, the show does demonstrate a good family structure, and does address family struggles with a realism that’s not present in many shows. The acting is good, the storylines are interesting, and so on. I have watched several of the shows with some good friends who also like it, and I do enjoy it more than I enjoy most television shows. I also agree that it’s good that it shows teens involved in seeking a relationship with God, and that it shows organized religion in a positive light. But “better than most” doesn’t make it good in my book, and I’m surprised that it does in yours. It presents theology that’s almost right, but not quite there, and for me that makes it more problematic than something more obviously off kilter because it requires more precise knowledge on the part of the viewer to be able to pick out where it goes wrong. I have exactly the same issue with all the shows you mentioned. In my experience, the majority of people don’t think critically about what they watch, and families don’t sit around discussing television shows on a Friday night. Perhaps the term “lie” is a little strong in this context, given that it is likely not the screenwriter’s intention to actually mislead people … but there is something to be said for not encouraging false ideas about God in the common marketplace, don’t you think? I want people to come to faith because they have a real, true understanding of God and the ways he works in our lives, and as a Christian I want to continue developing such an understanding of God in my own life. How does it benefit me to take in faulty theology, even if it’s better than most faulty theology? Peace, Sojourner Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PedroX Posted January 15, 2004 Share Posted January 15, 2004 Sojourner, First off, television shows (with the exception of EWTN) are not theology. They are enterainment. The arguement of our age is not whether or not entertainment is good theology (it patently is not!) but whether entertainment falls under St. Paul's admonitions of "whatsoever is good, whatsoever is true...etc." As entertainment (the only proper way to view "Joan of Arcadia" and any other television show) the show is very good. It is an objective good. Does it need adult supervision? Yes. Would I probably let my teenage children watch it with me? Yes (assuming of course I had teenage children!). Would I let my 8yr old (again, assuming!)? Probably not. I would rather have my family watching this than any other show currently on T.V. If we make the decision to watch T.V., then this is a grand example of the kind of show we should watch. You are taking this discussion into the realm of wether any t.v. is valid. That is a good, and neccessary discussion to have, but not pertinent to this thread. peace... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sojourner Posted January 15, 2004 Share Posted January 15, 2004 PedroX, You are quite right in saying that I question the validity of any television show, this one being no exception. This question is, at some level, significant to the question of whether it’s acceptable to watch this show and whether it is an objective good. I think it a mistake to segregate entertainment from other forms of communication. Simply because something is not labeled “theology” doesn’t mean that it doesn’t communicate a theological message. We should judge not only on the aesthetic qualities of a form of entertainment but also on the merits of the message it seeks to communicate. As to whether or not I’d let my hypothetical children watch this … I grew up watching no television and hated my parents for it, then watched a bunch of television and hated myself for it, and now am at the point where I rarely watch TV aside from news shows and the occasional episode of “Law and Order” or “Survivor.” I want my future children to be able to relate to their peers more easily than I was able to, and they need to learn to be able to discern good from bad, and watching the show with them could be a good place to start to develop that sort of thinking process ... I don’t know. Teaching my children discernment in this way would not be my first choice. I think my children will probably hate me. Peace, Sojourner Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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