Do You Celebrate Christmas and Easter? Do you own a Television?

[Eulaha L. Long]

I believe Christmas is a time to get together with family and friends.  

[Arthur]

I agree.  Merry Christmas, Eulaha!

[retread]

I just wanted to get some feedback from you all.  I know that in the Assembly, celebrating Christmas and Easter was wrong, as well as watching television.  How do you all fell regarding these issues?  If you now celebrate these holidays, how do you celebrate them?

Actually the leadership in the assembly did not always appear to believe that watching television was wrong, or that owning a television was wrong.  I remember workers and leading brothers discussing television shows that they watched in hotels when traveling to seminars and such.  I guess that they were not concerned about watching television being a sin, but the appearance of them being a bad testimony for watching television.  They cared about perception not reality, and failed at both.  The shows that they talked about tended to be sitcoms.  I remember a LB/worker returning from a seminar, and the first they mentioned about their trip was not what they had learned at the seminar, but the "Perfect Strangers" television show that they had watched at the hotel.

Now here is the real shocker , a prominent brother in leadership (Mike Zach) actually had a television in his house. It was a small television that he kept hidden under a blanket on a dresser.  To be fair he supposedly only used this to hook up to his Vic-20 or Commodore-64 computer (this was the mid 80s).  But if it was okay for the leadership to watch television in hotels, and Mike had a TV hidden at his house, one has to wonder if he ever watched the occasional show on that TV.  It sure would have looked a lot better if Mike had been open about having a TV rather than hiding it under a blanket.  It is also interesting that those who were not in leadership positions were told that hey could not own televisions even for purposes other than watching TV shows (such as viewing home video recordings).  I guess there must be two standards, one for the strong leadership who can resist sin, and another for the weak sheep. But it is strange, that if the leadership is so strong, that they had to be so secretive, and hide their actions.  I would venture a guess that they have hidden a lot more than televisions.

[Oscar]

Retread,
When I first met GG in 1969, he had a tv in the little alcove under the stairs in his family room. (Just as I typed that a memory surfaced.  The first time I was ever in that room there were Christmas decorations on the mantle, and he showed me some presents his kids had given him.  No tree though.)
Anyway, I can remember seeing David and Timothy, who were about 16 and 19 years old at the time watching it.  GG explained that Betty had wanted the tv for "educational reasons".  
Years later, I remembered this when GG was angrily demanding that the workers who had small tv's in their closets or bedrooms, "get rid of the tv or get out of the work!".
Rules, such as the no tv rule, the no dating rule, the food rules and all the rest, developed over time in the first few years of the "assembly".  
Blessings,
Tom Maddux

[retread]

I am not sure if GG knew anything about MZ's television (he kept it hidden under a blanket).  I remember seeing the television at Mike's house around the time of Super Bowl XX, which would have been January 1986, well after George's no television rule was in place.  The hotel tv watching by LBs and workers that I mentioned earlier was also occurring during this same time.

[Eulaha L. Long]

While an Assembly member, I had a little black-and-white tv which I too hid under a blanket.  I pulled it out often to watch FRIENDS and ER, as well as to watch the news.  I didn't feel like I was doing anything wrong, but I told no one about it.  When I left, I went out and purchased a color tv set and got cable.  I am still careful as to what I watch, and no longer feel dirty.

[retread]

Tom,

Food rules???  I must have missed this one (or else my mind wants to forget some the stranger assembly laws).  Please explain.

[Aslan213]

Alright Greg,

You're forcing a response from me on this "issue".  Actually, a brother by the name of "PS" (who is still in the assembly), was told by Andrew Gunther to throw out his T.V.

Although Andrew acknowledged HE has a TV, he said the reason is because leading brothers have the discernment and spiritual maturity to watch TV. (I could puke over this but I like my keyboard.)

But, We are looking for a TV!  

[Kimberley Tobin]

If you haven't read my article, "Of Gnats, Camels and Television", it is about a recent conversation with the guy Eric mentions in his post regarding television.  Eye opening.

[Joe Sperling]

I only watch television on Christmas day--but I watch re-runs of old Easter shows. just kidding.   -Joe

[Heide]

Wow, hope it isn't too late to post to this... I mean Christmas has past but hey the Easter Bunny is hopping to my home. You did mean the Easter Bunny in celebrating Easter didn't you? The baskets, the chocolate, the hiding of eggs out in the yard to get the children out of the house, the buying a new dress to wear to church. Is that what you meant?

I remember once telling a LB I was going to celebrate Christmas with my Dad. Wow, what an explosion! It was a year before I left and a few months after my mom died. I told him it was family time and since I didn't have much family left I was going to do it (celebrate Christmas that is!) He told me "we" didn't celebrate Christmas and why, yes, I had heard it before. I told him I wasn't asking for permission I was telling him what I was doing in case they wondered about that idolatrous tree in my living room!

Yea, I too have a TV and wished I had more spiritual maturity as I watched a deer hunting show this morning.....

Heide