If you are at all familiar
with the Great Controversy,
00:00:01.36\00:00:03.60
you know that there is a
spiritual battle going on
00:00:03.63\00:00:07.07
for control of your mind.
00:00:07.10\00:00:09.20
Do you know what type of effect
00:00:09.24\00:00:11.57
media is having on
your spiritual life?
00:00:11.61\00:00:14.54
Join us today as we
discuss this very hot topic.
00:00:14.58\00:00:18.08
Hello, I'm Shelley Quinn
00:00:50.25\00:00:51.58
and we welcome you once
again to Issues and Answers.
00:00:51.61\00:00:54.02
And we're so glad
that you tuned in today,
00:00:54.05\00:00:55.85
because we will be talking
about a very important topic
00:00:55.88\00:01:00.66
that is The Effect of
Media on Your Spirituality.
00:01:00.69\00:01:05.03
Our guest today is
Pastor Octavian Poenaru
00:01:05.06\00:01:08.86
and you are the pastor
00:01:08.90\00:01:10.73
for the Colville Washington
Seventh-day Adventist Church
00:01:10.77\00:01:14.90
and another, you have a
district, is that correct?
00:01:14.94\00:01:16.84
Right, I have
another small church
00:01:16.87\00:01:18.51
which is I owned.
00:01:18.54\00:01:19.87
Okay, well, we're so glad
that you're here, Octavian.
00:01:19.91\00:01:22.64
You've been to 3ABN before
and we enjoyed you so much
00:01:22.68\00:01:25.78
that we wanted
you to come back...
00:01:25.81\00:01:27.35
Thank you very much.
And speak to this topic.
00:01:27.38\00:01:29.68
You actually do
quite a few seminars
00:01:29.72\00:01:31.79
as you travel
with us, don't you?
00:01:31.82\00:01:33.15
I had to...
00:01:33.19\00:01:34.56
Yeah, I do. Yes.
00:01:34.59\00:01:35.92
I'm invited here and
there when I have time off
00:01:35.96\00:01:38.39
or when I can take time
off from my main responsibility
00:01:38.43\00:01:41.80
as a local pastor.
00:01:41.83\00:01:43.16
Yes. Well, we're very thrilled.
00:01:43.20\00:01:45.10
We're gonna be talking
about The Battle for Our Mind.
00:01:45.13\00:01:49.47
Right.
00:01:49.50\00:01:50.84
And I know that
we're gonna be doing
00:01:50.87\00:01:52.21
several programs actually.
00:01:52.24\00:01:54.18
This one is "The
Effect that Media has
00:01:54.21\00:01:56.54
on Our Spirituality."
00:01:56.58\00:01:58.61
Then we will talk about
00:01:58.65\00:01:59.98
the effect that it
has on our family life...
00:02:00.02\00:02:02.55
Family Life, yes.
Right. Then our health.
00:02:02.58\00:02:05.45
And finally you're going
to give us some solutions...
00:02:05.49\00:02:07.52
Right, right. Wonderful.
00:02:07.56\00:02:09.62
Please just jump in
00:02:09.66\00:02:11.66
and I'm just gonna
turn it over to you.
00:02:11.69\00:02:14.20
Well, before I express
my concerns about media
00:02:14.23\00:02:19.70
and the relationship
with the spiritual life,
00:02:19.73\00:02:21.70
the family life,
health and so on.
00:02:21.74\00:02:23.97
I would like to say
00:02:24.01\00:02:25.71
that the media
has been given to us
00:02:25.74\00:02:28.61
is a great
blessing first of all.
00:02:28.64\00:02:30.28
Then there are a lot of benefits
00:02:30.31\00:02:33.01
when it comes to
media and technology,
00:02:33.05\00:02:35.42
and I think that God has
given human beings the wisdom
00:02:35.45\00:02:38.29
and the knowledge especially
in the last 100 years,
00:02:38.32\00:02:41.49
in my opinion
with one purpose only
00:02:41.52\00:02:43.39
to finish the
preaching of the gospel
00:02:43.43\00:02:45.59
and the end of, and
the end of this world
00:02:45.63\00:02:50.30
as we know it to
be to come sooner
00:02:50.33\00:02:52.60
and we see Jesus Christ.
00:02:52.63\00:02:54.24
That's what I
believe is the main purpose
00:02:54.27\00:02:56.57
of all the technology
we have from cars, iPhones,
00:02:56.60\00:02:59.71
television and so and so forth,
00:02:59.74\00:03:01.74
but as we know the
devil takes it and twist it.
00:03:01.78\00:03:04.68
He does this with everything.
00:03:04.71\00:03:07.78
And there are a lot of benefits
00:03:07.82\00:03:09.48
and if I have to
mention a beautiful story
00:03:09.52\00:03:11.72
of how media can help
the preaching of the gospel
00:03:11.75\00:03:14.46
or changing lives and you
know that better than I do,
00:03:14.49\00:03:17.63
because you are in
the business of media.
00:03:17.66\00:03:20.36
But on a small scale,
00:03:20.40\00:03:22.50
I remember once I've been
invited to speak in California,
00:03:22.53\00:03:26.00
Loma Linda Romanian
Church for a week of prayer
00:03:26.03\00:03:29.24
and there I...
00:03:29.27\00:03:31.87
At one, I
remember Sabbath morning
00:03:31.91\00:03:34.64
at the worship service,
00:03:34.68\00:03:36.14
in the sermon I
mentioned the name of a man
00:03:36.18\00:03:39.81
which I
baptized 20 years before,
00:03:39.85\00:03:42.08
to more than 20
years ago in Romania.
00:03:42.12\00:03:46.79
He was a young man at that time,
00:03:46.82\00:03:49.06
you may say from a
young culture kind of.
00:03:49.09\00:03:52.69
But he very,
very enthusiastically
00:03:52.73\00:03:54.83
embraced the truth,
00:03:54.86\00:03:56.20
and for about
two and a half years
00:03:56.23\00:03:57.57
his life was
completely changed for the good.
00:03:57.60\00:04:00.44
Unfortunately he
drifted back in the same world
00:04:00.47\00:04:03.41
where he came from.
00:04:03.44\00:04:05.64
And now 20 years passing by
00:04:05.67\00:04:08.64
and I don't know
anything about him,
00:04:08.68\00:04:11.35
I would ask some friends,
00:04:11.38\00:04:13.21
do you know anything and
they didn't know much well.
00:04:13.25\00:04:15.78
I ended up in the United States.
00:04:15.82\00:04:17.29
He ended up in
the Island of Malta.
00:04:17.32\00:04:20.66
And one day, I don't
know why the only explanation
00:04:20.69\00:04:24.53
is that the Holy
Spirit spoke to his mind,
00:04:24.56\00:04:26.63
he googles my name,
technology, he googles my name
00:04:26.66\00:04:31.63
and he finds the sermon I
am preaching in Loma Linda,
00:04:31.67\00:04:35.90
this is 20 years after.
00:04:35.94\00:04:38.41
He listens to the
sermon and in the sermon
00:04:38.44\00:04:40.34
I mentioned his
name in a certain context
00:04:40.38\00:04:43.24
and he was so impressed by that,
00:04:43.28\00:04:45.95
that he somehow
google and found my address
00:04:45.98\00:04:49.15
and got in touch
with me by e-mail.
00:04:49.18\00:04:51.02
We got back studying
via Skype technology again.
00:04:51.05\00:04:54.86
Praise God.
00:04:54.89\00:04:56.22
A few months ago, maybe
three or four months ago,
00:04:56.26\00:04:57.99
he was baptized.
00:04:58.03\00:04:59.89
And I see him like as
you see a flower blooming,
00:04:59.93\00:05:04.67
he is just blooming spiritually,
00:05:04.70\00:05:06.94
embracing the
truth for the second time
00:05:06.97\00:05:09.67
in a more mature way
and in a wonderful way.
00:05:09.70\00:05:12.51
What I'm saying with this,
00:05:12.54\00:05:14.74
is there are plenty
of benefits of media
00:05:14.78\00:05:17.51
and the access to
information it's amazing.
00:05:17.55\00:05:22.08
On the same, in the same time,
there are plenty of concerns
00:05:22.12\00:05:25.92
and probably I will address
this more than the benefits,
00:05:25.95\00:05:30.43
because we all
enjoy the benefits
00:05:30.46\00:05:31.96
but I like to
address the concerns.
00:05:31.99\00:05:33.53
Yes, and as you
said here at 3ABN
00:05:33.56\00:05:35.90
we hear stories daily.
00:05:35.93\00:05:38.23
I mean multiple stories daily,
00:05:38.27\00:05:40.20
people who have
seen 3ABN on television,
00:05:40.24\00:05:43.47
or listened on
the radio and have...
00:05:43.51\00:05:45.24
or on the internet and
are coming into the church,
00:05:45.27\00:05:48.18
you know, ready to
be baptized quite often.
00:05:48.21\00:05:50.35
They'll listen
for quite some time
00:05:50.38\00:05:51.85
till they know these truths.
00:05:51.88\00:05:53.78
So that it is a powerful
tool for good but as you said,
00:05:53.82\00:05:58.12
the devil definitely
wants to turn it into something.
00:05:58.15\00:06:02.46
And I'm thinking
in today's society
00:06:02.49\00:06:04.66
when, when most of
us connect with media
00:06:04.69\00:06:09.83
in a very personal way.
00:06:09.86\00:06:12.30
Friends on media, on
Facebook or in e-mails and Skype
00:06:12.33\00:06:17.14
and other means
of communication,
00:06:17.17\00:06:18.71
a lot of business
is done via internet
00:06:18.74\00:06:21.58
and so and so forth,
00:06:21.61\00:06:22.94
then it's a huge
part of a personal life,
00:06:22.98\00:06:26.28
professional life,
in the same time again,
00:06:26.31\00:06:29.95
I would like to
emphasize what are my concerns
00:06:29.98\00:06:32.32
or what I, from my perspective
00:06:32.35\00:06:34.22
for both the spiritual
life in the first session,
00:06:34.26\00:06:36.73
the family life in
the second session,
00:06:36.76\00:06:38.73
the health and media
00:06:38.76\00:06:40.63
and then what I believe can
we address it as a solution.
00:06:40.66\00:06:44.93
That sounds wonderful.
00:06:44.97\00:06:46.43
I like to begin
reading a Bible passage,
00:06:46.47\00:06:48.97
it's in the Book of Revelation.
00:06:49.00\00:06:52.54
And it's in chapter 12:7-9,
00:06:52.57\00:06:59.38
Revelation 12:7-9,
00:06:59.41\00:07:01.15
"And the war
broke out in heaven:
00:07:01.18\00:07:03.25
Michael and his angels
fought with the dragon,
00:07:03.28\00:07:05.59
and the dragon
and his angels fought,
00:07:05.62\00:07:07.76
and they did not prevail,
00:07:07.79\00:07:09.12
nor was a place found for
them in heaven any longer.
00:07:09.16\00:07:12.26
So the great
dragon was cast out,
00:07:12.29\00:07:15.13
that serpent of old,
called the Devil and Satan,
00:07:15.16\00:07:18.27
who deceives the whole world..."
00:07:18.30\00:07:21.27
Please remember "Who
deceives the whole world,
00:07:21.30\00:07:24.21
He was cast out to the earth,
00:07:24.24\00:07:25.57
and his angels
were cast out with him."
00:07:25.61\00:07:28.11
From the end, from
the beginning to the end
00:07:28.14\00:07:30.98
the devil was busy
with one single think,
00:07:31.01\00:07:34.85
to deceive day and
night, day and night,
00:07:34.88\00:07:37.65
he can use everything possible
for one single goal to deceive,
00:07:37.69\00:07:41.96
to take us away from
God and to destroy us.
00:07:41.99\00:07:44.03
He is after all the
father of lies, Jesus said.
00:07:44.06\00:07:46.56
Yeah.
00:07:46.59\00:07:47.93
I remember that one
of my favorite authors
00:07:47.96\00:07:50.67
in a book, the title of the book
00:07:50.70\00:07:53.00
it's Messages to Young People,
00:07:53.03\00:07:55.44
she speaks exclusively
to young people in that book
00:07:55.47\00:07:58.57
which I would recommend a book.
00:07:58.61\00:08:00.34
She says, very
interesting things,
00:08:00.38\00:08:02.14
she says, Ellen
White is her name,
00:08:02.18\00:08:06.95
"As we near the close of time,
00:08:06.98\00:08:09.22
the human mind is
more readily affected
00:08:09.25\00:08:12.12
by Satan's devices.
00:08:12.15\00:08:14.39
Satan has ever been ambitious
00:08:14.42\00:08:15.86
to counterfeit
the work of Christ
00:08:15.89\00:08:17.63
and establish his
own power and claims.
00:08:17.66\00:08:20.20
He does not generally
do this openly and boldly."
00:08:20.23\00:08:25.03
That's true.
00:08:25.07\00:08:26.40
"He is artful and knows
the most effectual way for him
00:08:26.43\00:08:29.87
to accomplish his work
is to come to poor fellowmen
00:08:29.90\00:08:33.24
in the form of
an angel of light."
00:08:33.27\00:08:36.24
I think there is,
00:08:36.28\00:08:37.68
there is a very deep
concept in this passage
00:08:37.71\00:08:39.41
and that is that devil is
a very intelligent creature,
00:08:39.45\00:08:46.19
very, he's very personal
00:08:46.22\00:08:48.92
and he comes to human
beings in a very deceiving way,
00:08:48.96\00:08:52.23
in a very artful ways.
00:08:52.26\00:08:53.80
It's insidious. Insidious, yes.
00:08:53.83\00:08:56.06
That's a great
word for him, isn't it?
00:08:56.10\00:08:57.50
Yes.
00:08:57.53\00:08:59.43
You know, this is
the thing about deceit.
00:08:59.47\00:09:01.90
When she says,
it's not just, it,
00:09:01.94\00:09:05.31
it is subtle because
often what deceit involves
00:09:05.34\00:09:11.01
is it may be 60
percent, 75 percent truth
00:09:11.05\00:09:15.62
but just put a
twist on that truth,
00:09:15.65\00:09:17.42
just turn it to where it's air.
00:09:17.45\00:09:20.36
But people are deceived
00:09:20.39\00:09:21.82
because it is
cloaked in something else.
00:09:21.86\00:09:25.13
Yep.
00:09:25.16\00:09:26.49
Well, there is a,
there's a quote I came up with
00:09:26.53\00:09:28.50
and I say, there must
be a lot of truth in a lie.
00:09:28.53\00:09:32.73
There must be a
lot of truth in a lie
00:09:32.77\00:09:34.30
in order to be acceptable.
00:09:34.34\00:09:35.97
That's good.
00:09:36.00\00:09:39.47
When I'm
thinking of the strategy
00:09:39.51\00:09:41.11
is to conquer the mind.
00:09:41.14\00:09:42.88
There are a few of
them I came up with eight
00:09:42.91\00:09:45.45
which are my, my main concern
00:09:45.48\00:09:49.45
and all of them
are related to media,
00:09:49.48\00:09:51.45
one of them is music, movies,
00:09:51.49\00:09:54.29
social media, shows, sports,
00:09:54.32\00:09:58.79
computer games,
pornography and gambling.
00:09:58.83\00:10:02.20
All of them, eight of them,
00:10:02.23\00:10:03.57
I consider they are
very powerful strategies
00:10:03.60\00:10:06.03
to reach out human mind
00:10:06.07\00:10:07.64
and actually conquer
human mind for himself.
00:10:07.67\00:10:12.67
And I think
media has, has power,
00:10:12.71\00:10:14.44
there are some
statistics which shows
00:10:14.48\00:10:18.51
that it took 30 years
to reach 50 million users
00:10:18.55\00:10:24.52
then in the
statistics published in 2009
00:10:24.55\00:10:28.22
in social economics.
00:10:28.26\00:10:29.79
It says, "That
it took 50 years...
00:10:29.82\00:10:32.76
it took 38 years to
reach out 50 million users.
00:10:32.79\00:10:35.93
It took 13 years for television,
00:10:35.96\00:10:37.83
4 years for
Internet, 3 years for iPad.
00:10:37.87\00:10:41.50
It took Facebook to
add 100 million users
00:10:41.54\00:10:44.81
in less than 9 months.
00:10:44.84\00:10:46.17
That's amazing.
00:10:46.21\00:10:47.54
And then iPhone application
hit one billion in 9 months
00:10:47.58\00:10:51.88
and this is an old statistic.
00:10:51.91\00:10:53.65
Then you see a huge progression
00:10:53.68\00:10:55.58
and it seems
that it's speeding up.
00:10:55.62\00:11:02.12
Media has a lot
of, a lot of power,
00:11:02.16\00:11:04.96
the number of hours per day
00:11:04.99\00:11:06.73
that TV's on in
an average US home,
00:11:06.76\00:11:09.46
it's about 6
hours and 47 minutes.
00:11:09.50\00:11:11.63
I believe that some
of us relate to media
00:11:15.40\00:11:20.44
or depend on
media more than others,
00:11:20.48\00:11:22.54
but I know people, I know homes
00:11:22.58\00:11:25.48
where the TV
never, is never off...
00:11:25.51\00:11:28.58
And you see also
now it's so amazing,
00:11:28.62\00:11:31.95
in my own
family I have seen this
00:11:31.99\00:11:33.56
where you have not at my home
00:11:33.59\00:11:36.32
but in other
family members' homes,
00:11:36.36\00:11:39.89
where each child will have
a television in the room...
00:11:39.93\00:11:43.06
Right.
00:11:43.10\00:11:44.43
And actually, you know,
00:11:44.47\00:11:45.80
that kind of leads to
some unsupervised watching
00:11:45.83\00:11:48.34
but, but it's, it's becoming
such a part of their life
00:11:48.37\00:11:52.21
that they leave while
they're doing homework
00:11:52.24\00:11:54.51
or they're doing everything,
and it can't be healthy.
00:11:54.54\00:11:57.88
I remember once I was
leading a depression seminar
00:11:57.91\00:12:01.95
which was a two
month seminar once a week,
00:12:01.98\00:12:04.59
and one of the participants,
actually this lady,
00:12:04.62\00:12:06.49
she was a health professional.
00:12:06.52\00:12:08.56
And she had to travel one
hour to come to this class.
00:12:08.59\00:12:11.66
And she confessed at one point,
00:12:11.69\00:12:13.76
she said,
"Octavian, the television,
00:12:13.80\00:12:17.63
the TV is on in my home 24/7."
00:12:17.67\00:12:21.60
And in the same time she
was confessing that she said,
00:12:21.64\00:12:24.11
"I'm struggling with sleeping,
I sleep two, three hours a day.
00:12:24.14\00:12:27.04
I can't sleep more than
that." And we talked about that.
00:12:27.08\00:12:32.15
Media has an amazing power
00:12:32.18\00:12:33.65
and without getting
into too many details,
00:12:33.68\00:12:36.48
if you, if you think of
some of the most popular people,
00:12:36.52\00:12:41.69
those rich and
famous as we call them.
00:12:41.72\00:12:44.16
Most names are coming
out in one way or another
00:12:44.19\00:12:47.46
related to media or
they have become very famous
00:12:47.50\00:12:50.27
and well known via media.
00:12:50.30\00:12:53.23
I remember even being a child.
00:12:53.27\00:12:56.30
Please remember, I was
a child maybe 50 years ago
00:12:56.34\00:13:00.01
and the movies we could
watch in communist Romania
00:13:00.04\00:13:05.55
were black and white
and very well screened
00:13:05.58\00:13:07.95
by the communist
regime and you can't compare.
00:13:07.98\00:13:10.82
You cannot
compare or very little
00:13:10.85\00:13:13.29
comparison between
what we watched 50 years ago
00:13:13.32\00:13:15.76
or 45 years ago
00:13:15.79\00:13:17.39
and watch what's on the
screen or internet today.
00:13:17.43\00:13:21.26
And still I
remember being a child,
00:13:21.30\00:13:24.33
the names like John Wayne,
00:13:24.37\00:13:26.60
you know, Sophia
Loren, Charles Chaplin
00:13:26.63\00:13:30.87
and other
European characters like
00:13:30.91\00:13:33.81
Louis de Funes, he
was a big comedian,
00:13:33.84\00:13:36.14
a French comedian.
00:13:36.18\00:13:37.78
Then all these
name had a huge power
00:13:37.81\00:13:40.52
on, on my life as a child,
00:13:40.55\00:13:42.08
and I began modeling
them in one way or another.
00:13:42.12\00:13:45.05
And media has a tremendous power
00:13:45.09\00:13:47.22
and if you think that in sports
people like Michael Jordan,
00:13:47.26\00:13:52.39
very well known
and very rich, famous.
00:13:52.43\00:13:56.53
If you think, I was looking
on Forbes which is the list
00:13:56.56\00:14:00.94
that publishes some
of the very rich people.
00:14:00.97\00:14:04.34
Cristiano Ronaldo,
00:14:04.37\00:14:05.84
who is the number
one soccer player.
00:14:05.87\00:14:09.98
On the Forbes it says
about him that he has a salary
00:14:10.01\00:14:14.02
of 50 plus
million dollars a year.
00:14:14.05\00:14:17.19
That's amazing! And...
00:14:17.22\00:14:20.52
And he's one of the
most popular athletes
00:14:20.56\00:14:22.29
with 102 million
Facebook followers,
00:14:22.32\00:14:27.50
102 million Facebook followers.
00:14:27.53\00:14:30.07
He's the, He's one of the,
00:14:30.10\00:14:31.43
again 35 million
Twitter followers,
00:14:31.47\00:14:34.40
then even the idea
that they have followers,
00:14:34.44\00:14:36.91
you know they make disciples.
00:14:36.94\00:14:38.61
It's a very interesting concept.
00:14:38.64\00:14:41.64
Well, and you see especially,
you know, the like young pop,
00:14:41.68\00:14:47.25
the rock, the rappers whatever,
00:14:47.28\00:14:48.78
there's people
who are either stars
00:14:48.82\00:14:52.75
or they're musicians
who lead lives of that
00:14:52.79\00:14:58.63
are somewhat amoral.
00:14:58.66\00:15:00.03
I mean their values are...
00:15:00.06\00:15:03.23
Their standard is very low
00:15:03.26\00:15:05.67
and yet even in Christian homes,
00:15:05.70\00:15:09.60
just because of the influence
appears you find teenagers,
00:15:09.64\00:15:14.91
young people, young girls,
00:15:14.94\00:15:16.81
who are idolizing
certain young men,
00:15:16.85\00:15:19.51
they idolize
certain young women,
00:15:19.55\00:15:21.78
and they try to emulate them
00:15:21.82\00:15:23.92
and that has such an
influence and impact on them.
00:15:23.95\00:15:27.22
You're reading my mind
00:15:27.26\00:15:28.59
because I was
about to give an example.
00:15:28.62\00:15:29.96
I remember one day, I
was talking to a young lady,
00:15:29.99\00:15:32.29
she's probably 15 in my district
00:15:32.33\00:15:34.30
and I mentioned the name.
00:15:34.33\00:15:36.30
Somehow I don't remember exactly
00:15:36.33\00:15:37.67
the context I mentioned
the name Justin Bieber.
00:15:37.70\00:15:39.67
Yes.
00:15:39.70\00:15:41.04
And she said, "Oh, I
adore him. I adore him."
00:15:41.07\00:15:45.81
And that made me really
think because she's in her mind
00:15:45.84\00:15:49.28
Justin Bieber became her God.
00:15:49.31\00:15:54.48
The Bible says, you should not
have other gods other than me.
00:15:54.52\00:15:58.39
We shouldn't offer
our supreme affections
00:15:58.42\00:16:00.96
and love to anybody
else, and my concern...
00:16:00.99\00:16:04.23
This is one of my-concerns
00:16:04.26\00:16:05.83
that the, the Hollywood
has become the religion
00:16:05.86\00:16:09.40
for the new
generation and the movie stars,
00:16:09.43\00:16:12.23
the sports
stars, the show stars,
00:16:12.27\00:16:13.77
they are actually
the gods of the new age.
00:16:13.80\00:16:16.97
And while I was thinking
of this, one of the days,
00:16:17.01\00:16:20.21
I was looking, I don't
know exactly how did I come
00:16:20.24\00:16:24.01
to find this book
which was written in 1954
00:16:24.05\00:16:27.65
by a British
mathematician and philosopher
00:16:27.68\00:16:31.52
in political activist,
00:16:31.55\00:16:32.89
his name is Bertrand Russell
00:16:32.92\00:16:36.06
and he made at that
time a very interesting,
00:16:36.09\00:16:39.19
I think very
profound observation
00:16:39.23\00:16:41.03
and he says this in his book,
00:16:41.06\00:16:44.13
The Scientific
Outlook in at page 142,
00:16:44.17\00:16:47.07
he says, "The great
majority of young people
00:16:47.10\00:16:50.61
in almost all
civilized countries
00:16:50.64\00:16:54.14
derive their
ideas of love, honor
00:16:54.18\00:16:57.31
of the way to make money
00:16:57.35\00:16:59.01
and of the
importance of good clothes
00:16:59.05\00:17:00.95
from the evenings spent
00:17:00.98\00:17:02.88
in seeing what
Hollywood things good for them.
00:17:02.92\00:17:06.69
I doubt, whether all the schools
00:17:06.72\00:17:08.69
and churches combined
have as much influence
00:17:08.72\00:17:11.93
as the cinema upon
the opinions of young,
00:17:11.96\00:17:14.66
of the young in regard
to such intimate matters
00:17:14.70\00:17:17.57
as love and
marriage and money making.
00:17:17.60\00:17:21.44
The producers of Hollywood
00:17:21.47\00:17:23.10
are the high
priests of a new religion."
00:17:23.14\00:17:25.44
That's a
frightening statement, how true,
00:17:25.47\00:17:28.31
the producers of Hollywood
00:17:28.34\00:17:31.05
are the high
priests of a new religion.
00:17:31.08\00:17:33.82
Certainly if he
saw that in 1954,
00:17:33.85\00:17:37.12
what would he
think today? Yeah, yeah.
00:17:37.15\00:17:39.42
And I think this,
this man I don't know
00:17:39.45\00:17:40.82
if he had a
Christian background or not
00:17:40.86\00:17:42.59
but definitely he
was very, very smart man.
00:17:42.62\00:17:44.76
We're very well educated
and very oriented in life
00:17:44.79\00:17:49.36
and what was
happening in the world
00:17:49.40\00:17:50.87
and I think he
had this, this vision
00:17:50.90\00:17:53.80
and his understanding
00:17:53.84\00:17:55.17
about what was actually
happening with the generation,
00:17:55.20\00:17:56.81
of his generation.
00:17:56.84\00:17:58.37
And as you say this
happened 50 years ago,
00:17:58.41\00:18:01.11
what can you speak
about the world today.
00:18:01.14\00:18:03.65
And looking at my time,
00:18:03.68\00:18:06.41
I realize that's
gonna to be a short session
00:18:06.45\00:18:09.68
but then our four main concerns
00:18:09.72\00:18:11.05
when it comes to spiritual life.
00:18:11.09\00:18:13.56
Number one concern
is related to the fact
00:18:13.59\00:18:20.06
that media has
a hypnotic effect.
00:18:20.10\00:18:23.30
What I mean by that
without getting into details
00:18:23.33\00:18:25.47
is that when we, when we,
00:18:25.50\00:18:27.14
when we sit in
front of the screen,
00:18:27.17\00:18:29.60
when we expose
ourselves to media influences,
00:18:29.64\00:18:32.74
most of the time
you basically act
00:18:32.77\00:18:39.31
as being in a
trance in a certain way,
00:18:39.35\00:18:41.58
and I do not have the
time now to, to expand on that.
00:18:41.62\00:18:46.72
But you can see watch it,
00:18:46.76\00:18:48.09
watch a child in
front of the screen
00:18:48.12\00:18:51.29
and you will see that the
child is completely immersed
00:18:51.33\00:18:55.40
in what happens there.
00:18:55.43\00:18:56.77
His attention is completely
taken by the screen...
00:18:56.80\00:19:00.44
I, just quickly. Yes.
00:19:00.47\00:19:02.50
A friend has a child
who's nearly two years old,
00:19:02.54\00:19:04.91
has never seen television
00:19:04.94\00:19:07.14
and they were someplace
recently where we went with him
00:19:07.18\00:19:10.55
and the television was on,
00:19:10.58\00:19:12.75
it was just on kind
of in the background.
00:19:12.78\00:19:15.12
And suddenly it
caught his attention
00:19:15.15\00:19:17.69
and this child was so alert
00:19:17.72\00:19:19.75
and pays very close
attention to his parents,
00:19:19.79\00:19:22.19
but it caught his attention
00:19:22.22\00:19:23.56
and his mother's trying
to now get his attention
00:19:23.59\00:19:25.73
putting her
hands in front of him
00:19:25.76\00:19:27.36
and he is just mesmerized
00:19:27.40\00:19:30.13
by what he's
seeing on television.
00:19:30.17\00:19:31.73
Yeah, and we had
the same experience,
00:19:31.77\00:19:33.10
I mean we didn't
have a TV for a long time.
00:19:33.13\00:19:35.20
I mean, I grew up with a TV,
00:19:35.24\00:19:36.57
my wife didn't grew up with a TV
00:19:36.60\00:19:37.94
and you can see a
difference between us.
00:19:37.97\00:19:40.58
I'll mention that probably more
00:19:40.61\00:19:41.94
when you talk about family life.
00:19:41.98\00:19:45.41
But at one point, at one point
00:19:45.45\00:19:47.62
after the revolution
took place in Romania
00:19:47.65\00:19:50.55
and the new kind of a
thing came we said, "Well,"
00:19:50.59\00:19:54.39
and the color TV came to be and,
00:19:54.42\00:19:56.73
and myself having this,
00:19:56.76\00:20:02.16
I'm sensitive
to media influences
00:20:02.20\00:20:04.97
because of my, my upbringing
00:20:05.00\00:20:07.07
and, and I said to my wife
I said, "Well, we need a TV,
00:20:07.10\00:20:10.31
we need a TV to get informed,
00:20:10.34\00:20:11.81
the political
changes are very often
00:20:11.84\00:20:14.11
and we need to get informed."
00:20:14.14\00:20:15.68
And she said, "Okay"
so we bought this color TV
00:20:15.71\00:20:18.18
and I remember our son
was about two years old,
00:20:18.21\00:20:20.92
and one day I...
00:20:20.95\00:20:22.92
As you mentioned I saw
him just mesmerized there
00:20:22.95\00:20:27.06
in front of the
screen and I called him
00:20:27.09\00:20:28.96
and he didn't
respond and I said,
00:20:28.99\00:20:30.59
"Well, this doesn't look
good, we have to get rid of it."
00:20:30.63\00:20:34.06
And we did, I
think for the good.
00:20:34.10\00:20:36.46
It has a hypnotic
effect, we do not realize
00:20:40.27\00:20:42.40
that when we are in
front of the screen,
00:20:42.44\00:20:43.77
actually somebody else
has access to our minds.
00:20:43.81\00:20:48.11
We open our minds to
someone else's influence.
00:20:48.14\00:20:51.78
And as a well known scientist,
00:20:51.81\00:20:57.02
a British scientist, her
name is Susan Greenfield,
00:20:57.05\00:21:01.72
I'll mention her name
in another session more.
00:21:01.76\00:21:06.66
She says that all
these exposure to media
00:21:06.70\00:21:08.90
actually changes your mind
00:21:08.93\00:21:11.07
and changes your
brain in a very real way.
00:21:11.10\00:21:15.50
There's a concept
called brain plasticity
00:21:15.54\00:21:17.91
which brain changes every
day depending on the exposure,
00:21:17.94\00:21:23.01
and media has a
powerful influence
00:21:23.04\00:21:24.71
in changing our minds.
00:21:24.75\00:21:26.45
Then the first concern I have
00:21:26.48\00:21:28.88
is this what I call
the hypnotic effect,
00:21:28.92\00:21:30.65
because again in
front of the screen
00:21:30.69\00:21:34.26
we let down most of
the time any our guards
00:21:34.29\00:21:38.39
and, and we just
download in our brains,
00:21:38.43\00:21:43.00
our minds information
of one kind or another.
00:21:43.03\00:21:45.60
And that's more
when you're talking
00:21:45.63\00:21:47.07
what I've read only,
00:21:47.10\00:21:48.44
it's more
entertainment gives you get.
00:21:48.47\00:21:50.44
For example like
if you're watching
00:21:50.47\00:21:52.77
3ABN Christian television,
00:21:52.81\00:21:55.04
where there is a
Bible study going on
00:21:55.08\00:21:57.01
where you have to be engaged,
00:21:57.05\00:21:58.38
it's a totally different effect.
00:21:58.41\00:21:59.85
Yes, yes. Yeah.
00:21:59.88\00:22:01.22
Specifically I'm talking about
00:22:01.25\00:22:02.58
these the eight
strategies I mentioned,
00:22:02.62\00:22:05.12
a certain kind of music,
00:22:05.15\00:22:08.42
theatrical entertainment
or movies, computer games,
00:22:08.46\00:22:13.19
gambling,
pornography, shows and sports,
00:22:13.23\00:22:17.93
then I'm talking about
certain aspects in media not...
00:22:17.97\00:22:21.47
There are
beautiful great programs
00:22:21.50\00:22:23.94
but I'm talking about
00:22:23.97\00:22:25.77
those who have a
negative effect on us.
00:22:25.81\00:22:28.31
The second concern is
changing in moral values...
00:22:28.34\00:22:32.51
We become what we behold.
00:22:32.55\00:22:33.92
Exactly.
00:22:33.95\00:22:36.35
I actually had done
my, in my presentation
00:22:36.38\00:22:40.16
the passage from
2 Corinthians 3:18,
00:22:40.19\00:22:43.93
"But we all, with unveiled face,
00:22:43.96\00:22:46.36
beholding as in the
mirror the glory of the Lord,
00:22:46.39\00:22:49.50
are being
transformed into the same image
00:22:49.53\00:22:53.13
from glory to glory,
00:22:53.17\00:22:54.57
just as by the
spirit of the Lord."
00:22:54.60\00:22:57.71
This change of a human mind,
it happens one way or another.
00:22:57.74\00:23:02.61
I believe we
either become change
00:23:02.64\00:23:06.18
in the likeness of Christ...
00:23:06.21\00:23:07.65
Absolutely.
00:23:07.68\00:23:09.02
Or even I'm afraid to
say, but we become change
00:23:09.05\00:23:12.55
in the likeness
of the other one.
00:23:12.59\00:23:15.06
Yeah, I think
Roman 6:16 isn't it,
00:23:15.09\00:23:17.23
it says that we become slaves
to whom we obey whether...
00:23:17.26\00:23:21.63
Yes.
00:23:21.66\00:23:23.00
If we are obeying the
devil, slaves to death,
00:23:23.03\00:23:26.70
or we're obeying Christ
slaves to righteousness.
00:23:26.74\00:23:29.77
Then we are
changed, the mind changes
00:23:29.80\00:23:32.41
depending on what we behold.
00:23:32.44\00:23:33.91
And as I
mentioned in the beginning
00:23:33.94\00:23:37.61
as a child watching
those movies really changed me
00:23:37.65\00:23:43.35
and changed my
values and my ideals.
00:23:43.39\00:23:45.25
I remember one of my, my idols
at that time was Fred Astaire,
00:23:45.29\00:23:52.03
he was a step
dancer and in Hollywood
00:23:52.06\00:23:55.06
and seeing him on
the screen and dancing,
00:23:55.10\00:23:56.87
they're surrounded by
beautiful ladies, I said,
00:23:56.90\00:23:59.40
"Wow, wow, that's a great
life, I like to be like that."
00:23:59.43\00:24:02.70
And for a while I was thinking,
00:24:02.74\00:24:04.71
oh, how can I
learn this step dancing
00:24:04.74\00:24:06.61
and be there and be in the show.
00:24:06.64\00:24:09.61
It changes the values,
it changes your worldview,
00:24:09.64\00:24:12.71
changes your ideals
00:24:12.75\00:24:14.08
and is obviously
changes the outcome,
00:24:14.12\00:24:16.85
the way you relate to life.
00:24:16.89\00:24:18.59
And the process
goes the other way
00:24:18.62\00:24:22.16
because it takes
you away from God.
00:24:22.19\00:24:25.56
You do not appreciate anymore.
00:24:25.59\00:24:27.43
The Bible spiritual
things, they are tasteless.
00:24:27.46\00:24:30.77
They're not interesting.
00:24:30.80\00:24:32.53
Well, when you see
what Hollywood produces
00:24:32.57\00:24:34.87
which is lewd, crude
00:24:34.90\00:24:37.51
and in my mind a lot
socially unacceptable
00:24:37.54\00:24:40.21
but there's, there's the
real, there is the drama,
00:24:40.24\00:24:43.38
there's, you know,
excitement, there's violence.
00:24:43.41\00:24:47.52
So you become
desensitized to things
00:24:47.55\00:24:52.02
and then the
Bible to some people
00:24:52.05\00:24:54.49
seems boring
after much time, yeah.
00:24:54.52\00:24:58.23
I was looking on
a lot of research.
00:24:58.26\00:24:59.79
Again there is not
enough time to expand on it.
00:24:59.83\00:25:03.16
There is a quote
00:25:03.20\00:25:04.83
from one of the
professors Dr. Raul Houston
00:25:04.87\00:25:08.97
and he wrote an
article in journal
00:25:09.00\00:25:12.11
of adolescent
health, it's an old article,
00:25:12.14\00:25:15.81
it's in 2007, but I
think it's significant
00:25:15.84\00:25:18.91
what he says and he says this,
"In this new environment radio,
00:25:18.95\00:25:22.68
television, movies, video,
videogames, all cell phones,
00:25:22.72\00:25:26.52
and computer network
have assumed central roles
00:25:26.55\00:25:30.33
in our children's daily lives.
00:25:30.36\00:25:33.19
For better or for worse,
00:25:33.23\00:25:34.56
the mass media are
having an enormous impact
00:25:34.60\00:25:38.43
on our children
values, beliefs and behaviors."
00:25:38.47\00:25:42.37
Then you see
these statements done by
00:25:42.40\00:25:44.81
or made by scientists
00:25:44.84\00:25:46.17
and people which are
not specifically interested
00:25:46.21\00:25:48.08
in the
development of spiritual life,
00:25:48.11\00:25:50.28
but they see a change in
moral values of the society
00:25:50.31\00:25:54.38
and we have seen that in
the last I think 50 years.
00:25:54.42\00:25:59.32
And you see that I
believe you see that, you know,
00:25:59.35\00:26:01.99
in every countries
they've made some studies.
00:26:02.02\00:26:05.09
For example they look
into the raise of violence
00:26:05.13\00:26:08.76
in countries overtime,
00:26:08.80\00:26:10.77
countries that did
not have television
00:26:10.80\00:26:13.80
and they look if
the statistics changed
00:26:13.84\00:26:16.40
after ten years
having the media.
00:26:16.44\00:26:18.94
I personally
believe that the reason
00:26:18.97\00:26:21.51
that our country has accepted
the practice of homosexuality
00:26:21.54\00:26:27.68
and marriage among
homosexuals so rapidly,
00:26:27.72\00:26:32.19
I mean you saw something
00:26:32.22\00:26:33.56
just where there
were so many opposed
00:26:33.59\00:26:35.92
and then within a
period of a couple of years,
00:26:35.96\00:26:38.13
it was, it
totally reversed itself
00:26:38.16\00:26:40.30
and I think it's because
there have been so many movies
00:26:40.33\00:26:42.86
that have been coming
out or the television shows
00:26:42.90\00:26:45.27
and showing it all in
a very positive light.
00:26:45.30\00:26:47.77
Yes.
00:26:47.80\00:26:49.14
Something that I say
and I would just quickly.
00:26:49.17\00:26:51.51
Satan never hands us
sin like in a garbage bag.
00:26:51.54\00:26:58.48
What he does is
he takes his garbage,
00:26:58.51\00:27:01.15
he wraps it up with
satin paper, you know,
00:27:01.18\00:27:04.29
the foil paper, satin bows
00:27:04.32\00:27:06.45
and then he hands us
this beautiful package,
00:27:06.49\00:27:09.76
and we don't recognize
00:27:09.79\00:27:11.13
it's nothing more
than gift wrapped garbage.
00:27:11.16\00:27:13.36
But that's
what's happening here.
00:27:13.40\00:27:15.13
I like to
mention, there is a study
00:27:15.16\00:27:17.70
that has been done over 300,
00:27:17.73\00:27:22.20
over more than 300 young
people between 9 to 15 years old
00:27:22.24\00:27:28.44
and they have been a surveyed
00:27:28.48\00:27:30.08
in trying to find
out what are their values
00:27:30.11\00:27:33.15
and in the study it says,
00:27:33.18\00:27:35.95
"During a sensitive development,
00:27:35.98\00:27:37.62
developmental phase, preteens,
00:27:37.65\00:27:40.59
preteens are the
largest users of media
00:27:40.62\00:27:45.13
consuming over seven
and a half hours a day,
00:27:45.16\00:27:47.80
seven days a week
outside of school."
00:27:47.83\00:27:51.03
It's amazing.
00:27:51.07\00:27:52.40
I just looked up and saw
that our time is all gone,
00:27:52.43\00:27:54.97
I cannot believe that.
00:27:55.00\00:27:57.17
We see that there
is a definite problem.
00:27:57.21\00:27:59.61
We want you to
certainly join us next time
00:27:59.64\00:28:03.21
because we're going
to continue talking about
00:28:03.24\00:28:05.88
the impact that media is
having on spiritual life,
00:28:05.91\00:28:09.88
family life on your health
and we've got some solutions.
00:28:09.92\00:28:13.52
Octavian, thank you so much...
00:28:13.56\00:28:15.26
My pleasure. For
joining us today.
00:28:15.29\00:28:17.56
The time flew by.
00:28:17.59\00:28:19.03
We thank you for
joining us as well.
00:28:19.06\00:28:21.20