"PERILOUS TIMES SHALL COME"
THE APOSTLE PAUL prophetically stated in II Timothy 3:1, "This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come…" Dangerous times were in store in the days ahead when he wrote. Read on in this chapter and you will see in what sense he speaks of "perilous times." The times would be perilous morally speaking. Religion would be reduced to a "form" (verse 5), and without the restraining force of true religion morals erode. The times would be dangerous morally speaking, and when times are dangerous morally, it isn’t long until they are dangerous physically speaking. Violence will become increasingly prevalent (Genesis 6:5,11; Romans 3:10-18). We live in such times today, and should beware lest we become victims (either way). The old landmarks of right and wrong, which were divinely put in place, are being removed. Humanism blatantly asserts itself. Uncertainty and treacherous times are upon us. Let us consider some of the moral dangers.
Television
 A friend and reader in another state recently forwarded some e-mail correspondence that allegedly took place between a gentleman in Arkansas by the name of Jim Neugent and the ABC Network involving a television program. We were appalled by what we read; so much so that we contacted Mr. Neugent to verify the certainty of it.

 
 First, here is his e-mail letter in response, and then the correspondence with the ABC Network.x
x

Mr. Gibbons,x
 The program (The Practice) I mentioned in my original message to ABC was aired on Sunday evening, April 5, 1999, and [I] received the response on April 6, 1999.
 I will also forward you the ‘generic’ apology which was sent out yesterday, April 12, 1999.
 You have my permission to use all material which I wrote to ABC and that which I received from ABC.
 Thank you for your concern. We probably should be talking to the sponsors rather than ABC. I don’t have the complete [list] with me today…but among them are: McDonald’s, Wendy’s, Dodge, Tide, Dove, Target…
Jim Neugent
x
About the TV program:
 Hey…the following is a letter I wrote to ABC concerning a program called "THE PRACTICE". One of the lawyer’s mother decided she was gay and wanted her son to go to court to help her get a marriage license to marry her ‘partner’. I just sent the letter yesterday and really did not expect a reply…but I did…

x
Original message to ABC Network:
 ABC is obsessed (or should I say abscessed) with the subject of homosexuality. I will no longer watch any of your attempts to convince the world that homosexuality is OK. THE PRACTICE can be a fairly good show, but last night’s program was so typical of your agenda. You picked the 'dufus’ of the office to be the one who was against the idea of his mother being gay and made him look like a whiner because he had convictions. 
 This type of mentality calls people like me "gay bashers". Read the first chapter of Romans (that’s in the Bible) and see what the apostle Paul had to say about it…He and God and Jesus were all "gay bashers."
 What if she’d fallen in love with her cocker spaniel…is that an alternative lifestyle? (By the way…the Bible speaks against that too.)
    Jim Neugent
Response from ABC Online Webmaster (April 6):
  How about getting your nose out of the Bible (which is ONLY a book of stories compiled by MANY different writers hundreds of years ago) and read the Declaration of Independence (what our nation is built on) where it says "All Men are Created Equal"—and try treating them that way for a change!? Or better yet, try thinking for yourself and stop using an archaic book of stories as your crutch for your existence.

x
Reply to ABC Network:
 Thanks for your reply. Evidently, I hit a nerve from your harsh reply. I will share it with all with whom I come in contact. Hopefully, the Arkansas Democrat/Gazette Newspaper * will include it in one of their columns. And…I will be praying for you.

 
 Beloved, it is more than apparent that not only is television the great American wasteland, it is now a land fraught with mortal danger morally speaking. They who have forsaken the eternal verities of right and wrong (and their very source) are hitting us in the face with their senseless agenda, trying to brainwash naïve and unthinking people. There is method to their madness. This writer [editor] has chosen to go through life without a TV (an oddity to some); however, this has not made us completely free from the overflow of such garbage. While shopping in stores and while waiting for our car to be serviced, thereby exposed to omnipresent television, we have been bombarded with such senseless nonsense time and time again. Recently we were glad that the children with us were looking at a magazine instead of the blaring TV. It was hard to believe that such things were being said. It was supposed to be funny, a "sitcom" (in a family setting), with the canned laughter in the background (your cue to laugh). If they can get you to laugh, it will break down the moral repugnance of what is being said and pretty soon you will be brainwashed into accepting their agenda.

 
 This information mentioned above about the ABC Network was forwarded to some others. A response came back from the other side of the world: "I am glad you sent this information. We in India will soon be getting ‘THE PRACTICE’ on our cable. It is good to be warned." The problem is endlessly compounded with the rerun of such material in other countries. These are perilous times!

 
 The homosexual agenda is only one facet of the danger of television that we have highlighted. There is the anti-religious sentiment, the violence, the materialism, the humanism—all of this is there (and more)! Gore is glorified. Tender sensitivities are blunted. Human sexuality is degraded. The writer of Proverbs tells us that as a man thinks in his heart so is he. How we need to control our thoughts as Christians! Beware lest we have the mindset of this ungodly world. Consider Philippians 4:8.
The Internet
 With the advent of the computer and the Internet, a whole new world, and access to all of the world, is opened to us. Indeed, it is the information superhighway. How intriguing. However, everything is there, good and bad. The situation is about like driving down the street with all kinds of places to stop. Some places would not be desirable to stop. So we drive on. However, the ease of stopping, clicking, and going into an unsavory location is so fast and simple on the Internet. Precautions must be taken; especially with children.

 
 Even in doing research on religious themes, problems can be incurred. Type a word in a search engine and all supposed web sites related to the subject are displayed. A lady recently wrote: "I am to teach a class on angels (good ones). What material do you have on it? I have just one book on angels by Billy Graham. I went into a web site on ‘angels’ and got a shock of my life. It was plain filthy and a shame that someone should use such a site to promote pornographic material."

 
 Danger lurks. Children should not, and must not, be left alone on the Internet without definite supervision and protection. We understand there are certain software programs and setups that are very helpful in blocking this "stuff."

 
 Other dangers lurk on the Internet besides pornography. Let us not be ignorant, brethren. We need to be on our toes.

 
 BELOVED, any way that you look at it, we are living in "perilous times." The times are dangerous morally speaking and consequently become dangerous physically speaking, producing violence and its disruptive fruits. We are seeing it more all of the time. Let us be aware of this, live the righteous life, and enjoy the fruits of righteousness. 

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 * FOOTNOTE: Mr. Neugent informs us that the ARKANSAS DEMOCRAT/GAZETTE did indeed follow through with some stories regarding his letter to ABC and the homosexual agenda (and he has sent us copies of the articles). He writes:
 According to article, written by Michael Storey, the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) says there are 16 network prime-time series with 24 gay, lesbian, bisexual, cross-dressing or transsexual characters. NBC has 12; ABC = 4; CBS = 4; FOX = 2; WB = 2. [May 13, 1999]
 My complaint is that the attempts to normalize homosexuality are not just in the story line of so-called sitcoms and dramas but also on programs such as ABC’s 20/20 and NBC’s DATELINE. These programs (especially 20/20) have regular reports regarding the plight of the homosexual and their mistreatment. After such a report, Hugh Downs and Barbara Walters will usually say something like, "When is America going to wake up and start being ‘tolerant’?" As if to say, "Shame on us."
 TOLERANT? (Rev. 2:20 NIV) 
 I don’t hate these folks but I certainly don’t approve of what they are doing. 
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