There is such a
thing as TRUE recreation.
00:00:01.98\00:00:05.10
But there is also something
that we might call FALSE
00:00:05.13\00:00:08.37
recreation.
00:00:08.40\00:00:09.78
We'd like to discuss
these aspects of recreation
00:00:09.81\00:00:13.46
as they pertain to health...
00:00:13.49\00:00:15.09
both mental and emotional health
00:00:15.12\00:00:17.00
and during the next half
an hour, we will be discussing
00:00:17.03\00:00:20.46
some things about that,
00:00:20.49\00:00:21.71
and we hope you will join us.
00:00:21.74\00:00:22.71
Welcome to "Help
Yourself to Health"
00:00:44.46\00:00:46.71
with Dr. Agatha Thrash
of Uchee Pines Institute.
00:00:46.74\00:00:50.20
And now, here's
your host, Dr. Thrash.
00:00:50.23\00:00:55.27
True recreation has the
connotation of restoration...
00:00:55.30\00:00:59.36
...whereas entertainment
has just the connotation of fun,
00:00:59.39\00:01:03.91
maybe excitement, maybe injury.
00:01:03.94\00:01:09.51
Whatever it is in your mind,
00:01:09.54\00:01:12.23
let us make a study of
some of the principles of true
00:01:12.26\00:01:17.62
recreation as we might
find them in the Bible...
00:01:17.65\00:01:20.03
and I would like to present
to you from Matthew 13:44...
00:01:20.06\00:01:26.31
something that I can recommend
to you as always being a feature
00:01:26.34\00:01:31.40
of true recreation.
00:01:31.43\00:01:32.67
It is something that we can
joy in with our Heavenly Father,
00:01:32.70\00:01:37.70
knowing that He is the
Author of all TRUE recreation.
00:01:37.73\00:01:42.63
Let me just read...
00:01:42.66\00:01:43.80
"The kingdom of
heaven is like a treasure,
00:01:43.83\00:01:46.96
that a man
discovered hidden in a field
00:01:46.99\00:01:49.64
In his excitement, he hid
it again and sold everything
00:01:49.67\00:01:54.27
he owned to get enough
money to buy the field,
00:01:54.30\00:01:57.30
and to get the treasure too. "
00:01:57.33\00:02:00.01
Now this describes the
enjoyment that this man had.
00:02:00.04\00:02:04.28
The Bible says... this
version of the Bible...
00:02:04.31\00:02:07.09
says that he
actually had excitement about
00:02:07.12\00:02:10.26
the fact that he
had found the treasure.
00:02:10.29\00:02:13.53
Now if we can get that
same kind of excitement about
00:02:13.56\00:02:16.51
things having to
do with spirituality,
00:02:16.54\00:02:18.96
this can bring to
us true recreation.
00:02:18.99\00:02:23.12
But there are things having
to do with the things that God
00:02:23.15\00:02:26.67
has created that make
it so that we can have true
00:02:26.70\00:02:30.06
recreation from that too.
00:02:30.09\00:02:32.18
Have you ever considered
the recreation that Adam and Eve
00:02:32.21\00:02:35.06
might have had in
the Garden of Eden?
00:02:35.09\00:02:37.24
Picture a bit if you can...
00:02:37.27\00:02:39.91
Adam and Eve in
the Garden of Eden...
00:02:39.94\00:02:43.52
they did not have
to work for a living.
00:02:43.55\00:02:46.36
Everything that they needed...
00:02:46.39\00:02:48.07
their clothing
was provided for them,
00:02:48.10\00:02:50.26
they carried it
around with them in the form
00:02:50.29\00:02:52.93
of a covering of light...
00:02:52.96\00:02:55.01
a robe of pure, white light.
00:02:55.04\00:02:59.63
The canopy of the
earth made by the firmament
00:02:59.66\00:03:03.23
that enclosed
the entire earth and
00:03:03.26\00:03:06.07
made the
temperature uniform throughout
00:03:06.10\00:03:08.83
and made it just so that it
had exactly the right humidity
00:03:08.86\00:03:12.17
exactly the right temperature
00:03:12.20\00:03:14.60
to be comfortable and helpful.
00:03:14.63\00:03:17.20
That was all provided for them
in the atmosphere around them.
00:03:17.23\00:03:21.84
Then their food was provided
for them by the trees and the
00:03:21.87\00:03:26.11
shrubs of the garden...
00:03:26.14\00:03:28.73
so that they had their food
already for them just to pick
00:03:28.76\00:03:32.74
and peel and eat.
00:03:32.77\00:03:36.50
Grains that they took, I
suppose they would probably
00:03:36.53\00:03:40.02
just rub them...
rub the shuck off,
00:03:40.05\00:03:42.88
and I'm sure that it was
much different than it is now.
00:03:42.91\00:03:47.00
But for them, that
was recreation too...
00:03:47.03\00:03:49.78
gathering the wonderful things
that God had provided for them
00:03:49.81\00:03:53.96
in the Bible.
00:03:53.99\00:03:55.46
Down through the
centuries, things changed...
00:03:55.49\00:03:58.78
in fact, for Adam and
Eve, it changed right away.
00:03:58.81\00:04:02.15
Once they
introduced sin into the Garden,
00:04:02.18\00:04:05.47
then the whole aspect
of recreation changed...
00:04:05.50\00:04:09.44
After that, they had
to work for a living.
00:04:09.47\00:04:11.52
By the sweat of their
brow, they earned their bread.
00:04:11.55\00:04:16.38
And now, they didn't
have the protective covering
00:04:16.41\00:04:20.04
that they had had.
00:04:20.07\00:04:21.93
They now had to make
their clothes as well.
00:04:21.96\00:04:26.15
So this made a
certain amount of drudgery
00:04:26.18\00:04:28.48
in what they had to do.
00:04:28.51\00:04:29.86
But even so, I'm
sure it was far different
00:04:29.89\00:04:32.49
than it was after the flood.
00:04:32.52\00:04:35.05
After the flood, then the earth
was swept clean of much of the
00:04:35.08\00:04:41.19
beautiful verger that covered
the earth prior to the flood.
00:04:41.22\00:04:47.35
And now, the ravished
earth was no longer the beauty
00:04:47.38\00:04:53.82
that it had been before.
00:04:53.85\00:04:56.56
Now Adam and Eve had a
whole different way of looking
00:04:56.59\00:05:03.63
at recreation and
especially Noah and his sons
00:05:03.66\00:05:08.67
had a very different
attitude than Adam and Eve did
00:05:08.70\00:05:13.29
in the very beginning of time.
00:05:13.32\00:05:16.06
Now we come on down
through history and we get to
00:05:16.09\00:05:19.08
the time of the Greeks.
00:05:19.11\00:05:21.40
The Greeks had athletic-type
sports which they enjoyed
00:05:21.43\00:05:26.70
very much...
00:05:26.73\00:05:27.72
And a large percentage of
the people actually engaged
00:05:27.75\00:05:31.13
in the sports.
00:05:31.16\00:05:33.39
Then we come on down
to the Romans and fewer
00:05:33.42\00:05:38.91
percentage of the
people engaged in the sports.
00:05:38.94\00:05:41.65
Most of them
became spectator sports.
00:05:41.68\00:05:45.12
Then we come on down through
the centuries to our day...
00:05:45.15\00:05:48.94
and now, we have
become largely couch potatoes.
00:05:48.97\00:05:52.52
We like some board
games and some parlor games
00:05:52.55\00:05:55.29
and some computer games.
00:05:55.32\00:05:58.53
But we don't like the games
that Adam and Eve had in the
00:05:58.56\00:06:01.44
beginning.
00:06:01.47\00:06:02.44
Or, that this man in
Chapter 13:44 of Matthew had...
00:06:02.45\00:06:08.16
where for JOY, he went
and sold all that he had...
00:06:08.19\00:06:12.34
so that he could enter
in to that GREAT experience.
00:06:12.37\00:06:15.22
He felt that this recreational
experience with the Lord was
00:06:15.25\00:06:19.13
worth everything to him.
00:06:19.16\00:06:21.35
And, we can have that
very same experience too.
00:06:21.38\00:06:24.04
We can have true recreation.
00:06:24.07\00:06:26.85
But there are some
things having to do with sports
00:06:26.88\00:06:29.73
which many people
think of as true recreation
00:06:29.76\00:06:32.49
which are not the
very best for us...
00:06:32.52\00:06:35.66
And I have here, Don
Miller, who is my associate
00:06:35.69\00:06:38.61
at Uchee Pines.
00:06:38.64\00:06:39.96
He is in the
education department there.
00:06:39.99\00:06:43.57
Don Miller is a health
educator and a health counselor.
00:06:43.60\00:06:47.91
And, he will talk with
you some now, about sports.
00:06:47.94\00:06:51.68
What do you have here?
00:06:51.71\00:06:52.68
Well... I'm going to tell you
00:06:52.71\00:06:53.68
about a study that was done
00:06:53.71\00:06:54.68
down in Texas a
number of years ago
00:06:54.71\00:06:55.68
about what does sports
00:06:56.46\00:06:57.46
do to people.
00:06:57.49\00:06:58.46
You know I was very much
involved in sports through
00:06:58.49\00:07:02.84
high school and
college and in the military,
00:07:03.20\00:07:06.71
and I just remember what
it did to me to go up against
00:07:06.74\00:07:10.03
the other team... you just...
you had this thing in you.
00:07:10.06\00:07:12.94
And...
00:07:12.97\00:07:13.94
there are certain
00:07:13.95\00:07:14.94
theories about
00:07:14.97\00:07:15.94
what sports do for a person..
00:07:15.97\00:07:16.94
But what I want to do is
show you a study on the screen
00:07:17.74\00:07:21.10
that was done in Texas
with high school varsity sports
00:07:21.13\00:07:25.47
players, 1600 of
them... that's a big study.
00:07:25.50\00:07:29.20
And this is what
00:07:29.23\00:07:30.20
they found after seeing
00:07:30.23\00:07:31.20
how these boys reacted.
00:07:31.37\00:07:32.34
They found that they
had increased aggression...
00:07:33.52\00:07:36.61
I don't think we need anymore
increased aggression in our
00:07:36.64\00:07:40.12
society.
00:07:40.15\00:07:41.12
Increased irritability... that's
inbred into the sports person.
00:07:41.13\00:07:46.26
Reduced honesty... it's amazing,
you watch these pro-sportsmen
00:07:46.29\00:07:50.29
out there and you can SEE that
they weren't across the line...
00:07:50.32\00:07:53.89
you can SEE that they didn't
touch somebody or they did
00:07:53.92\00:07:56.77
touch somebody... but
they just complain loudly
00:07:56.80\00:08:01.66
because they've been called for
their violation, reduced honesty
00:08:01.69\00:08:06.01
Decreased self-control.
00:08:06.04\00:08:08.33
Decreased independence...
they were dependent upon
00:08:08.36\00:08:12.66
other people.
00:08:12.69\00:08:13.76
And then there was
that last one, #6...
00:08:13.79\00:08:16.54
A slight
increase in self-esteem...
00:08:16.57\00:08:20.52
Now I'm always amazed that
we send our children to esteemed
00:08:20.55\00:08:25.71
classes.
00:08:25.74\00:08:27.22
We sit there and
say... Well, their problem is
00:08:27.25\00:08:29.66
their esteem is too low.
00:08:29.69\00:08:31.07
But the Bible says
we are to esteem others
00:08:31.10\00:08:33.81
better than ourselves.
00:08:33.84\00:08:35.47
And I think many times,
we misdiagnose or we mislabel
00:08:35.50\00:08:40.26
what we consider might be
esteem in these people involved
00:08:40.29\00:08:43.95
in sports and it's
more of an arrogance.
00:08:43.98\00:08:46.87
You can see it in pro-sports...
00:08:46.90\00:08:48.88
the football player goes
across the finish line or the
00:08:48.91\00:08:52.42
goal line with his football
00:08:52.45\00:08:53.77
and he stands there and he
wiggles his legs and he does all
00:08:53.80\00:08:56.62
kinds of jiggles and
jaggles around there.
00:08:56.65\00:08:58.60
...Looks like a foolish
person doing these things
00:08:58.63\00:09:01.16
All pride!
00:09:01.19\00:09:02.42
The basketball players nowadays,
00:09:02.45\00:09:04.72
they go out there and they
snuff the ball and they hang on
00:09:04.75\00:09:07.76
the loop like a chimpanzee.
00:09:07.79\00:09:09.65
It's all show...
00:09:09.68\00:09:10.94
It's all a part of their
arrogance and their thing.
00:09:10.97\00:09:13.59
As a matter of
fact, from my thoughts
00:09:13.62\00:09:15.88
going to
Washington Sports Program...
00:09:15.92\00:09:17.16
you go to the arena,
or the field, or whatever
00:09:17.20\00:09:19.80
...you're watching a bunch of
00:09:19.83\00:09:20.80
millionaires run around
00:09:20.83\00:09:21.80
and play a game.
00:09:21.83\00:09:22.80
There are better ways to
spend our monies nowadays...
00:09:23.27\00:09:27.01
So I think we need to
take our children away.
00:09:27.04\00:09:29.04
Now I will be talking about a
few things later on, soccer moms
00:09:29.07\00:09:32.25
about sports that really aren't
the best thing for our children.
00:09:32.28\00:09:35.93
There are better
things that they can be doing
00:09:35.96\00:09:37.48
But that's what the
Texas study showed, Dr. Thrash,
00:09:37.51\00:09:40.29
and it really doesn't do
any favors for young people.
00:09:40.32\00:09:42.43
Yes, as I looked at that
list that you have there,
00:09:42.46\00:09:45.16
I thought those aren't things
that we used to think of as
00:09:45.19\00:09:49.04
sportsmanship where we
thought of honesty, honor,
00:09:49.07\00:09:54.72
fair-dealing, trying
to help the under person
00:09:54.75\00:09:58.45
to do better.
00:09:58.48\00:09:59.51
And, when I was in school, I
remember those were the things
00:09:59.54\00:10:02.91
that were
considered to be sportsmanship.
00:10:02.94\00:10:06.14
Concerning children in sports,
00:10:06.17\00:10:08.75
there are now teams
of all sorts for children
00:10:08.78\00:10:12.63
and we would think that
children would be much more
00:10:12.66\00:10:16.34
altruistic and idealistic...
00:10:16.37\00:10:19.10
but let me just read some
of the things that we find that
00:10:19.13\00:10:22.64
some of these children's
teams foster in the children...
00:10:22.67\00:10:27.51
First, a study
which was published in the
00:10:27.54\00:10:31.41
"Journal of Sports
Psychology," in 1981,
00:10:31.44\00:10:35.80
showed that quarreling
occurred on a regular basis.
00:10:35.83\00:10:40.93
The children would
quarrel with each other.
00:10:40.96\00:10:43.28
Furthermore, they would
quarrel with the coach...
00:10:43.31\00:10:46.69
or the umpire.
00:10:46.72\00:10:48.45
And it wasn't at all uncommon
for them to quarrel with
00:10:48.48\00:10:52.29
the parents of
some other player.
00:10:52.32\00:10:54.81
Fistfights would break out.
00:10:54.84\00:10:57.16
Fistfights that were
a fight to the death.
00:10:57.19\00:11:01.17
They tried, really,
to do each other in.
00:11:01.20\00:11:03.13
It wasn't just to hurt them a
little but to really injure them
00:11:03.16\00:11:08.74
Crying was another common
complaint on several occasions.
00:11:08.77\00:11:13.73
It was generally in the context
of some perceived injustice
00:11:13.76\00:11:17.70
done to themselves, or
some failure that they had done.
00:11:17.73\00:11:21.33
They might leave the playing
field or the court crying
00:11:21.36\00:11:25.84
because they
perceived that they had failed
00:11:25.87\00:11:28.38
and they had really
hoped or had their ideals
00:11:28.41\00:11:32.99
pinned on doing well
and they did not do so well.
00:11:33.02\00:11:37.07
Rivalry with other
children was greatly increased
00:11:37.10\00:11:40.84
and altruism was
greatly decreased.
00:11:40.87\00:11:45.35
Now, these are all
antisocial expressions.
00:11:45.38\00:11:49.95
These are expressions
which, if they are fostered
00:11:49.98\00:11:52.81
and cherished by the
child, will lead to a handicap
00:11:52.84\00:11:57.51
in later life.
00:11:57.54\00:11:58.59
So, we want to
watch over our children...
00:11:58.62\00:12:00.95
sports are fine,
00:12:00.98\00:12:02.34
but the sports that
are not competitive sports
00:12:02.37\00:12:04.97
and that foster these
kinds of antisocial expressions
00:12:05.00\00:12:09.89
that can
handicap the life forever.
00:12:09.92\00:12:12.01
Now, not only can the
general life be handicapped
00:12:12.04\00:12:18.19
and the social
expressions be handicapped,
00:12:18.22\00:12:20.98
but also, the body
can be handicapped.
00:12:21.01\00:12:23.72
And Don Miller is going to
talk with you about some of the
00:12:23.75\00:12:27.59
problems that people get in
who are in competitive sports.
00:12:27.62\00:12:31.20
Okay... Every
sport has its equipment,
00:12:31.23\00:12:34.40
and, of course,
we've always got the balls.
00:12:34.43\00:12:36.41
Every sport has a ball
involved just about in its
00:12:36.44\00:12:39.08
particular sport.
00:12:39.11\00:12:40.15
But there are pieces of sporting
equipment that we don't really
00:12:40.18\00:12:43.38
think about too often, we really
00:12:43.41\00:12:44.38
don't want to think about it.
00:12:44.41\00:12:45.38
One piece of sporting equipment
that becomes very handy
00:12:45.94\00:12:48.83
is the Ace bandage.
00:12:48.86\00:12:50.80
I have used these things a
lot of times when I have been
00:12:50.83\00:12:54.42
engaged in sports.
00:12:54.45\00:12:55.42
Also, ankle
braces and ankle supports
00:12:55.43\00:12:59.01
because we hurt
ourselves so much.
00:12:59.04\00:13:00.81
As a matter of fact, every year,
there are 10 million sports
00:13:00.84\00:13:04.68
injuries in this country alone.
00:13:04.71\00:13:06.25
We have knee
supports and leg braces,
00:13:06.28\00:13:10.63
and quite often,
we've got the crutches.
00:13:10.66\00:13:13.73
I had to use one of
these after breaking a leg
00:13:13.76\00:13:16.21
in a sporting event.
00:13:16.24\00:13:18.31
These are standard
equipment in sports nowadays
00:13:18.34\00:13:22.52
We have to be very
careful with our bodies.
00:13:22.55\00:13:24.56
I know of a
couple of situations,
00:13:24.59\00:13:26.67
one, a friend of mine,
00:13:26.70\00:13:28.24
an older man was involved in
just a pickup game of basketball
00:13:28.27\00:13:32.31
...just something as simple
as playing a game of basketball.
00:13:32.34\00:13:35.94
Bouncing around.. but, you
know, it got a little bit rough
00:13:35.97\00:13:38.68
...think you're going to
play a little street rules,
00:13:38.71\00:13:40.57
"jungle rules" as
we used to call it...
00:13:40.60\00:13:42.55
and through all this thing,
he caught a finger in his eye.
00:13:42.58\00:13:46.95
and now he is
permanently blind in that eye
00:13:46.98\00:13:50.23
...just from a
simple game of basketball.
00:13:50.26\00:13:52.57
Once when I was
stationed in Key West, Florida,
00:13:52.60\00:13:55.92
I was an officer there
at the Marine barracks and
00:13:55.95\00:13:58.31
we were playing a softball game
00:13:58.34\00:14:00.43
and our coach,
who was also a player,
00:14:00.46\00:14:02.38
he was running to 3rd
base, and the ball was coming in
00:14:02.41\00:14:05.90
and he just dove head first
00:14:05.93\00:14:07.88
and his hands went out first
00:14:07.91\00:14:10.58
and it just took his thumb
straight back and it was just
00:14:10.61\00:14:13.41
dangling up against his arm
00:14:13.44\00:14:15.00
and he stayed in the game
because he LOVED the game.
00:14:15.03\00:14:17.95
But he really did a
miserable job on his hand.
00:14:17.98\00:14:20.93
I remember years ago, I was
stationed in Atlanta, Georgia,
00:14:20.96\00:14:24.74
and I was going to play
racquetball one noontime
00:14:24.77\00:14:27.29
with our director, a colonel...
00:14:27.32\00:14:29.23
and we'd get out
there and he was very good
00:14:29.26\00:14:31.46
and I wasn't good at all...
00:14:31.49\00:14:33.10
and he'd be there
and hitting that ball
00:14:33.13\00:14:34.39
and every once in a while,
I'd turn around and look at him
00:14:34.42\00:14:36.26
And he'd say,
"Don't turn around"
00:14:36.29\00:14:38.36
and he'd be playing
some more and I'd look back
00:14:38.39\00:14:40.75
and he'd say,
"Don't turn around. "
00:14:40.78\00:14:42.28
Well, he'd realized I
was turning around too much
00:14:42.31\00:14:44.48
So, every once in a
while, he'd take that ball,
00:14:44.51\00:14:46.21
and he was very good,
00:14:46.24\00:14:47.40
and he would plant that thing
right in the middle of my back.
00:14:47.43\00:14:50.96
And it hurt terribly.
00:14:50.99\00:14:52.52
But I realized
what he was doing,
00:14:52.55\00:14:54.36
if I ever turned
around while he hit that ball,
00:14:54.39\00:14:56.92
and I had caught
that ball in my eye,
00:14:56.95\00:14:59.16
I would have lost my eye.
00:14:59.19\00:15:01.07
And they lose their eyes
all the time in sports nowadays.
00:15:01.10\00:15:05.19
As a matter of fact,
you'll see many times,
00:15:05.22\00:15:07.26
especially in
racquetball and handball,
00:15:07.29\00:15:09.41
the now almost
standard equipment
00:15:09.44\00:15:11.58
is special eye protection
00:15:11.61\00:15:13.25
so if you're going to be
involved in these sports,
00:15:13.28\00:15:15.35
protect your bodies.
00:15:15.38\00:15:17.05
Now, we've already
talked about the fact that
00:15:17.08\00:15:18.73
it's going to be hard
to protect your character
00:15:18.76\00:15:21.02
because your
character will suffer trauma...
00:15:21.05\00:15:23.78
but protect your body too.
00:15:23.81\00:15:26.86
We see the football players...
00:15:26.89\00:15:28.23
they've got
their shoulder pads and
00:15:28.26\00:15:31.27
everything seems to be padded...
00:15:31.30\00:15:32.65
but they're broken
down men many times...
00:15:32.68\00:15:35.28
their playing span is
very short from their injuries.
00:15:35.31\00:15:39.90
And that goes right
back to the earliest times
00:15:39.93\00:15:42.96
into their sporting experiences.
00:15:42.99\00:15:44.63
Right now, if I were to
go outside and pickup a rock,
00:15:44.66\00:15:48.24
and throw it at a
tree or somewhere,
00:15:48.27\00:15:50.97
pretty hard, I would be
hurting for about a week because
00:15:51.00\00:15:54.42
I've got a
permanent rotator cuff injury
00:15:54.45\00:15:56.93
because the first
day of softball season,
00:15:56.96\00:15:59.19
every year in the military,
00:15:59.22\00:16:00.69
I'd get out there and I'd
throw that ball as hard as I
00:16:00.72\00:16:03.68
could because it's the
first day and you feel great
00:16:03.71\00:16:06.06
and I permanently injured my
rotator cuff in my right arm.
00:16:06.09\00:16:09.99
It's a thing
that I'm stuck with.
00:16:10.02\00:16:11.98
I have basically done a job
on my knees because for years,
00:16:12.01\00:16:15.57
I was a competitive runner.
00:16:15.60\00:16:16.80
And it's not a bad thing to run.
00:16:16.83\00:16:18.76
Running is a good sport.
00:16:18.79\00:16:19.88
But when you
really get into running,
00:16:19.91\00:16:21.28
this is what you do...
00:16:21.31\00:16:22.58
You're running in a race,
00:16:22.61\00:16:23.91
and I'm talking
about a distance run...
00:16:23.94\00:16:26.15
and you're always trying to
beat that person up ahead of you
00:16:26.18\00:16:29.56
And you beat that person,
and then there's another person
00:16:29.59\00:16:32.43
And you're putting your body
through stresses it's really not
00:16:32.46\00:16:35.21
made to take.
00:16:35.24\00:16:36.21
And I basically
slowly wore down my left knee
00:16:36.22\00:16:39.44
until the point I really don't
want to run anymore because
00:16:39.47\00:16:42.19
I don't want to be stuck with
osteoarthritis as I get older.
00:16:42.22\00:16:45.78
And so, we need to learn
to take care of ourselves...
00:16:45.81\00:16:48.25
the bruises, the
strains, the sprains...
00:16:48.28\00:16:51.11
and part and parcel
with sports injuries.
00:16:51.14\00:16:54.82
But there are greater injuries
that people succumb to...
00:16:54.85\00:16:58.28
We see them, broken
necks and broken bones,
00:16:58.31\00:17:01.73
broken backs...
00:17:01.76\00:17:03.69
I wonder is it really worth
all the pain and the debility
00:17:03.72\00:17:08.85
that we experience
through these sports,
00:17:08.88\00:17:11.85
and so, I'd rather get
involved in the type of a sport
00:17:11.88\00:17:14.77
like walking in the woods and
working in my garden and doing
00:17:14.80\00:17:18.64
things with
myself and with my Lord
00:17:18.67\00:17:21.21
They're not competitive and
they're pretty safe for my body.
00:17:21.24\00:17:24.46
I feel a whole lot better with
sports like that, Dr. Thrash.
00:17:24.49\00:17:27.04
Yes, those are
very acceptable sports.
00:17:27.07\00:17:29.50
Another type of recreation
that many people engage in
00:17:29.53\00:17:33.56
that we would find unacceptable
00:17:33.59\00:17:36.78
is that of drinking and drugs.
00:17:36.81\00:17:39.35
Recreational drugs and
recreational alcohol can be very
00:17:39.38\00:17:44.01
ruinous, not only to the
health but to the entire life.
00:17:44.04\00:17:47.21
And many people sacrifice their
lives and all their potential
00:17:47.24\00:17:51.12
on these alters...
00:17:51.15\00:17:52.59
...the alter of
alcohol and the alter of drugs.
00:17:52.62\00:17:55.44
We recommend to you
that you totally avoid them,
00:17:55.47\00:17:58.64
that they be
left entirely to the
00:17:58.67\00:18:04.35
animals that we
do experiments on
00:18:04.38\00:18:06.94
and not use them at all
in your recreational habits.
00:18:06.97\00:18:11.42
I have a number of studies
done on blood alcohol levels
00:18:11.45\00:18:14.97
in individuals and the
disabilities that they have
00:18:15.00\00:18:19.57
at various levels.
00:18:19.60\00:18:20.70
I have also been a witness
against individuals who have
00:18:20.73\00:18:28.72
had high blood alcohol levels
and have committed some crime.
00:18:28.75\00:18:32.90
And so I
00:18:32.93\00:18:33.90
recommend to you
00:18:33.93\00:18:34.90
that you not consider
00:18:34.93\00:18:35.90
anything that has the great
potential that alcohol does
00:18:37.25\00:18:41.32
and drugs, of
ruining your life forever
00:18:41.35\00:18:44.14
I recommend that you
simply leave that alone.
00:18:44.17\00:18:46.69
It isn't worth the
altered, perverted sense of fun
00:18:46.72\00:18:53.36
that some people have
when they use these substances
00:18:53.39\00:18:57.70
It is not worth that to
risk all of your future.
00:18:57.73\00:19:02.07
Now another part of recreation
is something that has both a
00:19:02.10\00:19:06.10
blessing and a curse
00:19:06.13\00:19:07.48
and that is music.
00:19:07.51\00:19:10.06
I have just read a book
by Dr. Eurydice Osterman
00:19:10.09\00:19:13.96
who is the head of
the department of music at
00:19:13.99\00:19:18.90
Oakwood College.
00:19:18.93\00:19:20.09
Dr. Osterman has
written a book called...
00:19:20.12\00:19:22.43
"What God Says About Music. "
00:19:22.46\00:19:24.50
And I have enjoyed reading that
00:19:24.53\00:19:26.70
And as I read it, I thought
about the large place that music
00:19:26.73\00:19:33.47
has in the earth made new.
00:19:33.50\00:19:36.21
I'm sure that God will teach us
00:19:36.24\00:19:39.05
all sorts of things
like... how to play a harp,
00:19:39.08\00:19:42.19
apparently we will have
that as innate knowledge...
00:19:42.22\00:19:45.04
we will not have to be taught.
00:19:45.07\00:19:46.71
We will be simply
issued the harp and immediately
00:19:46.74\00:19:49.93
we will be able to play...
00:19:49.96\00:19:51.57
What a joy that will be...
a very challenging instrument.
00:19:51.60\00:19:55.17
But we will also sing.
00:19:55.20\00:19:57.79
The human voice is the most
beautiful musical instrument
00:19:57.82\00:20:02.49
on earth.
00:20:02.52\00:20:03.49
And, singing can be
a great blessing to us.
00:20:03.50\00:20:06.61
But there is that about
music that can also be a curse.
00:20:06.64\00:20:10.01
And Dr. Osterman talks about
that in her book on music...
00:20:10.04\00:20:14.06
...about how the physical body
is affected by the kind of music
00:20:14.09\00:20:19.25
that we listen to.
00:20:19.28\00:20:20.46
Much of this kind of
music we will find in the
00:20:20.49\00:20:23.40
mass media today... in
radio and in television
00:20:23.43\00:20:26.82
And we recommend to you
that you learn that kind of
00:20:26.85\00:20:30.25
music that can be damaging
to your psychological makeup
00:20:30.28\00:20:33.80
and to your physical body
and that you avoid that kind
00:20:33.83\00:20:37.24
of music.
00:20:37.27\00:20:38.24
With television, there are
also some other dangers that
00:20:38.25\00:20:42.52
we should mention.
00:20:42.55\00:20:43.60
One is that the flicker of
television requires a certain
00:20:43.63\00:20:51.28
time span...
00:20:51.31\00:20:53.49
because of the fact that the
eye has to unite those flickers
00:20:53.52\00:20:58.26
into one steady image...
00:20:58.29\00:21:01.79
And making that flicker
synthesis requires a certain
00:21:01.82\00:21:06.81
amount of time.
00:21:06.84\00:21:07.81
Then when you receive
the image into the eye,
00:21:07.82\00:21:11.60
after that
flicker synthesis is done,
00:21:11.63\00:21:14.64
then it must be passed
to the back of the head
00:21:14.67\00:21:18.01
where we have the visual
cortex... way back here in the
00:21:18.04\00:21:20.97
back of the head.
00:21:21.00\00:21:21.97
That doesn't take long, but
it does take a split second.
00:21:21.98\00:21:26.35
And then, not only must we
receive it there in the visual
00:21:26.38\00:21:30.86
cortex, but then we must
transfer it to another area
00:21:30.89\00:21:34.03
which is an
interpretation area...
00:21:34.06\00:21:36.34
another split second.
00:21:36.37\00:21:38.35
Then we have to
transfer it to yet another area
00:21:38.38\00:21:41.59
where we synthesize
all of these aspects
00:21:41.62\00:21:44.81
of what has
gone on in the brain,
00:21:44.84\00:21:47.60
so that we can send the
composite picture to the
00:21:47.63\00:21:51.79
judgment center of the brain.
00:21:51.82\00:21:54.41
In the judgment center, we
criticize what we have seen.
00:21:54.44\00:21:57.67
Now television does
not give us enough time
00:21:57.70\00:22:01.06
to criticize what we have seen.
00:22:01.09\00:22:03.26
All of these steps
take a little bit of time
00:22:03.29\00:22:05.42
once we get to
the judgment center,
00:22:05.45\00:22:07.41
then it isn't possible
for us to take the time
00:22:07.44\00:22:11.11
with commercial TV to evaluate
what we see in commercial TV.
00:22:11.14\00:22:16.35
Now you will observe that
3ABN broadcasts its programs
00:22:16.38\00:22:20.97
in an
altogether different way...
00:22:21.00\00:22:22.52
The flicker is the same,
00:22:22.55\00:22:24.58
all the things that happen
in the brain are the same,
00:22:24.61\00:22:27.30
EXCEPT for what happens
in the judgment center...
00:22:27.33\00:22:30.35
You're given plenty of
time to make a judgment
00:22:30.38\00:22:34.19
about what I have
said or others have said
00:22:34.22\00:22:37.04
so that you can see if
that is moral or immoral
00:22:37.07\00:22:41.28
If it agrees with your
religion, or it does not agree.
00:22:41.31\00:22:44.49
If it's offensive
to your sensibilities,
00:22:44.52\00:22:47.82
or it's not offensive.
00:22:47.85\00:22:49.35
All of that takes time.
00:22:49.38\00:22:51.48
Commercial TV does
not give you that time.
00:22:51.51\00:22:53.97
I consider that to be
a very difficult problem
00:22:54.00\00:22:57.84
with commercial TV,
00:22:57.87\00:22:59.34
and one of the reasons why
parents should be extremely
00:22:59.37\00:23:03.85
careful with television.
00:23:03.88\00:23:05.20
So far as I'm concerned, a child
does not need to see television.
00:23:05.23\00:23:09.35
They can watch 3ABN...
00:23:09.38\00:23:11.32
it's not commercial TV
and they will be much edified
00:23:11.35\00:23:15.03
by watching 3ABN.
00:23:15.06\00:23:17.03
Now there are some aspects of
television that Don Miller will
00:23:17.06\00:23:22.87
talk with you about and
00:23:22.90\00:23:23.89
perhaps at this time, he
will say a few words about that.
00:23:23.92\00:23:27.00
I'd like to say a few
words about that because
00:23:27.03\00:23:29.18
things have changed
since I was a child.
00:23:29.21\00:23:30.98
I was born in 1947.
00:23:31.01\00:23:33.25
1950s was the year
the television came out
00:23:33.28\00:23:37.47
and things were on
television back then which
00:23:37.50\00:23:40.58
I consider, even
today, to be rather innocent.
00:23:40.61\00:23:43.43
I mean... I grew
up with Beaver Clever.
00:23:43.46\00:23:45.35
I grew with Ozzie and Harriet
00:23:45.38\00:23:47.02
I grew up with these
very simple family situations.
00:23:47.05\00:23:50.81
But things have changed...
00:23:50.84\00:23:52.28
there's been a whole
paradigm shift as it were
00:23:52.31\00:23:55.13
to today's
television programming.
00:23:55.16\00:23:57.14
And I don't watch
television anymore.
00:23:57.17\00:23:59.78
I do not have a TV. I
have not had TV for years.
00:23:59.81\00:24:02.48
But I hear about
what's going on these TVs
00:24:02.51\00:24:05.07
I read in newspapers.
00:24:05.10\00:24:06.28
I read about that guy
named "Beavis" and his friend.
00:24:06.31\00:24:08.69
I read about Mary with children.
00:24:08.72\00:24:10.68
and all these
things... the very programming
00:24:10.71\00:24:13.25
is meant to change a
person's whole mindset.
00:24:13.28\00:24:17.17
Even going back to the
detectives and the dramas
00:24:17.20\00:24:23.54
back in my youth,
00:24:23.57\00:24:24.54
you had the things
like "Highway Patrol" and
00:24:24.56\00:24:30.84
programs like that.
00:24:30.87\00:24:31.86
You never saw
blood and guts flying...
00:24:31.89\00:24:33.49
You never saw the
violence that you seen nowadays
00:24:33.52\00:24:36.48
in programs on the television
00:24:36.51\00:24:38.44
So, I've even forgotten the
names of the programs back then
00:24:38.47\00:24:41.09
That's good! Things are
getting better in my mind.
00:24:41.12\00:24:43.29
But, we see that as
programming changes...
00:24:43.32\00:24:47.55
well, they've done some studies.
00:24:47.58\00:24:49.29
They've gone to places where
they've never had television
00:24:49.32\00:24:52.85
and finally,
they've gotten TV in.
00:24:52.88\00:24:55.66
And, as soon as TV is
introduced in a society,
00:24:55.69\00:25:00.48
they find a number of things...
00:25:00.51\00:25:02.04
One, homicides go up.
00:25:02.07\00:25:03.93
Delinquency goes up.
00:25:03.96\00:25:06.22
Attitudes of children in schools
00:25:06.25\00:25:08.31
down as low as the
first and second grades
00:25:08.34\00:25:10.66
go down.
00:25:10.69\00:25:11.84
In South Africa, for years,
the homicide rate had been
00:25:11.87\00:25:15.39
falling, falling, falling...
00:25:15.42\00:25:17.14
and then TV was introduced
00:25:17.17\00:25:19.04
and as soon as
TV was introduced,
00:25:19.07\00:25:20.99
for the next 15 years,
it went up precipitously.
00:25:21.02\00:25:24.76
Now, it's interesting to
look at the time in which
00:25:24.79\00:25:28.07
TV was
introduced in South Africa
00:25:28.10\00:25:30.40
and how much it rose and
take the same period of time
00:25:30.43\00:25:33.93
for TV introduced
into the United States
00:25:33.96\00:25:36.84
and the rise in crime was
much lower in the United States.
00:25:36.87\00:25:41.59
Why was it lower
00:25:41.62\00:25:42.59
in the U.S.,
00:25:42.62\00:25:43.59
than it was in South Africa?
00:25:43.62\00:25:44.59
Are they different?
00:25:44.62\00:25:45.59
Were they created
by a different God?
00:25:46.13\00:25:47.68
No... because when TV
was created or introduced
00:25:47.71\00:25:51.07
into the United
States, back in the 50s,
00:25:51.10\00:25:53.64
the programming was quite
innocent and family-oriented.
00:25:53.67\00:25:57.04
BUT, when TV was
introduced in 1975,
00:25:57.07\00:26:00.86
in South Africa,
programming at that time
00:26:00.89\00:26:03.56
had become quite violent.
00:26:03.59\00:26:05.80
Quite perverted...
if I can use that word.
00:26:05.83\00:26:09.80
And it changed the
people, because what you view,
00:26:09.83\00:26:14.44
what you behold
is what you become.
00:26:14.47\00:26:17.08
And so, if you
want to become a Beavis,
00:26:17.11\00:26:20.18
watch Beavis.
00:26:20.21\00:26:22.28
If you want to become
like Christ, observe Him.
00:26:22.31\00:26:25.22
Observe Him in the
Word, observe Him in nature.
00:26:25.25\00:26:29.53
Because one of these days,
we're going to be like Him...
00:26:29.56\00:26:32.80
if we allow Him to make
us that way... Dr. Thrash.
00:26:32.83\00:26:35.29
I feel that even what
we might call "innocent TV"
00:26:35.32\00:26:40.04
as a Christian parent, we need
to be very mindful of the fact
00:26:40.07\00:26:44.51
that most "innocent TV" and
"innocent drama" teaches our
00:26:44.54\00:26:49.86
children that they can get
along very well without God.
00:26:49.89\00:26:53.25
And I'm not certain that that's
the message that we want to
00:26:53.28\00:26:56.51
transmit to them.
00:26:56.54\00:26:58.39
Now one big time when we need
to have Christian recreation
00:26:58.42\00:27:03.85
is on Sabbath.
00:27:03.88\00:27:05.23
and singing, walks in
nature, water walks or
00:27:05.26\00:27:11.27
water and nature studies...
00:27:11.30\00:27:12.60
all of these can be a
part of what we do on Sabbath
00:27:12.63\00:27:16.91
that can teach our
children about the wonders
00:27:16.94\00:27:19.53
of God's creation.
00:27:19.56\00:27:20.64
And as we see the
wonders of God's creation,
00:27:20.67\00:27:23.68
we come to have a heart
filled with gratitude for Him.
00:27:23.71\00:27:27.90
We know that God
created this world,
00:27:27.93\00:27:31.04
then He made Adam and Eve
00:27:31.07\00:27:33.76
and He gave this world
to them as a wedding gift.
00:27:33.79\00:27:38.27
It's a gift that is so varied
00:27:38.30\00:27:42.93
so big...
00:27:42.96\00:27:44.30
that we can spend
an entire lifetime
00:27:44.33\00:27:47.08
trying to study the
various aspects of it
00:27:47.11\00:27:50.06
and we still never exhaust
00:27:50.09\00:27:52.23
the marvelous source.
00:27:52.26\00:27:53.23