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THE DAY GOD SPOKE TO MY MOTHER
By Clarence William Page
God placed me in a beautiful family,
in a beautiful and prosperous land at a time when great changes were occurring
on the face of the Earth. My father is the youngest son of my
grandfather. My father's mother passed when he was young and my father
remained at home with my grandfather. In 1946 my father married my mother
and brought her into the home which he shared with my grandfather. My
father and grandfather had done well at the farming business and had accumulated
a decent amount of money. So, when I was born, things for my family were
considered to be good. My grandfather was a generous and caring man and
did what he could to help people in the community. In the process he made
numerous loans to people, many of which were never repaid. As a result of
this, and the changing conditions in the farming business, the economic
condition of my family declined. However, because there was so much love
in our family, I was almost a teenager before I realized our economically
impoverished condition.
My mother is the eldest
member of her family. A strong and loving mother, she does all she can to
make her household all that it can be. She and my father taught me well
and, upon my entry into school, I was able to excel. Through almost all of
my elementary and high school careers I was both a leader and a scholar.
So life for me was good.
In 1957 a cataclysmic
event occurred in our family. We considered ourselves to be good
Christians. We were Methodists. We attended church, including prayer
meeting, almost every week. In short, we were "mainstream"
Christians. In 1957 my mother became "sanctified and filled with the Holy
Ghost". This event changed the entire history of our family. The
concept of being "sanctified and filled with the Holy Ghost" was totally new to
me. I had always thought it was enough to just be "Christian". Now,
an added dimension had appeared. My mother began to talk of living "Holy",
"speaking in tongues" and living a "sanctified" life. She, and another
lady in our church, who was also "sanctified and filled with the Holy Ghost"
would do things that almost nobody else in church was doing. They would
jump up, "shout", "speak in tongues", and cry out, "Glory!!!" I had a hard
time dealing with this new phenomenon. After all, I was considered smart
and sensible. I had good favor with the people at church. I was good
in school. I was good in Sunday School. I was accepted. Now,
this new-found condition of being "sanctified and filled with the Holy Ghost"
was cramping my style. I wasn't sure I liked it. As a matter of
fact, now I realize that I didn't like it, or at least, I was embarrassed by
it. (O Lord, please forgive me!!!) From birth I was "full of
life". I loved life and enjoyed living. Now, at age 10, something
"new" had pierced the almost perfect cocoon in which I existed. How was I
to deal with this? And, why? Why had this occurred? What had
happened?
I was busy with school and with the
process of growing up. My family said I was smart. In our lingo, to
be "smart" at school meant that one excelled academically. To be "smart"
at home meant that one was a good worker on the farm and a good helper with
household chores. I was considered "smart" in both respects.
Therefore, I busied myself with school work and with work at home.
In 1957 television was slowly making its way into individual
homes across America. We did not have a television; actually, only a few
people in the community had them. Frankly, economically, we could not
afford one. But, oh how we wanted a television! Back then two types
of televisions were prevalent. People who had money bought a television
and bought an antenna that was affixed to the outside (usually top) of the
house. People who didn't have much money bought a television that had an
antenna attached to the television itself. We called these antennas
"rabbit ears". I knew that televisions that had the antennas attached to
the outside of the house could pick up more stations than the televisions that
had the "rabbit ears". So, one of the great events I looked forward to was
the day the Page Family bought its first television. Miss Livingston, our
neighbor, had a television. Sometimes she would let us come over and watch
it. Oh, how exciting that was!!! To sit in a house and see living
people in New York, California, and other places, come right into your living
room!!! Oh, how exciting that was!!! I just couldn't wait until we
got our very own television. I thought often of that coming event. I
daydreamed about it. I could hardly wait. I clearly remember being
on the school bus riding home and as the school bus approached our house I would
excitedly survey the top of the house to see if a television antenna had been
installed. I just knew it would happen anytime now. It had to.
Television was the thing. People were getting them. For us it was
just a matter of time. Was it just a matter of time? The events of
1957 would prove otherwise.
In 1957 my "sanctified
and filled with the Holy Ghost" mother dropped (what seemed to me to be) a
nuclear bomb on our family. In the midst of all my excitement and
expectation, one day she told us that God had told her that "television is a
sin". She said that because of that she didn't want a television in our
home, not now, not ever. I was shattered. I was angered. I
felt disappointed. I felt cheated. I felt betrayed. I felt
devastated. My mother went on to say that there were things on television
that she liked to see, but because God had said that to her, she would not have
a television in her home. My father is a kind, gentle, loyal and loving
husband. In 1957 he was not claiming to be "sanctified and filled with the
Holy Ghost" but he was a good Christian. Apparently my mother's
sanctification and Holiness was completely believed by him and therefore he
believed her when she said God had spoken to her. As far as I know, he did
not oppose her in this matter. Therefore, for us the pronouncement had
been made and there would be no backtracking. Television would never have
a place in the Page household.
Well, for me there
was one and only one solution: Grow up and get out of that household!!! I
looked forward to the day that I could get out on my own (and get a television
of my own). I was angry but, by the Grace of God, it was controlled.
Yet, the anger and disappointment were there. I wanted the people at
school to know that I was a regular guy, that I was like them. I wanted
the young people at church to know that I was a regular guy, that I was like
them. I wanted to fit in. I wanted to be popular. I wanted to
be accepted. And I did a good job of being "regular", of "fitting in", of
"being popular". A good job, that is, until Mama "shouted out" in
church!!! I was now a teenager and fond of some of the "good looking"
girls at church. Almost every time Mama shouted out I wanted to hide under
my seat. I was embarrassed. It made church painful for me.
Somewhere down inside my psyche I was asking myself, "why can't we be a
'regular' family"? Why do we have to be the ones that are different?
Oh how our family had changed!!! Escape now became the goal. Grow up
and get out. That was my goal. Once on my own I would do what
I wanted to do. Mama and Daddy could keep their "no television"
household but I would have my television.
My
first "break" came when I was age 17. The local unit of the North Carolina
National Guard was recruiting new members. They had come to our high
school and spoken to our principal. Apparently he had recommended some of
the "better" students. I was among those recommended. When I heard
about the opportunity I was delighted. I would be a soldier. I would
be a man. I would be more independent and I would be closer to getting out
of the house and on my own! I was all for it. I wanted to
join. There was only one catch: at age 17 my parents had to "sign for
me". In other words, they had to approve my joining the National Guard;
otherwise, I couldn't join. I asked my parents to sign. They said,
"No". I was angry; I was livid. I assured them that as soon as I
turned age 18 I would sign for myself. They decided to sign for me.
I was now on my way out of that "no television" household.
The National Guard was exciting. I was now a man.
I could be "regular" and "fit in". I could experience the world. I could
be "just like everybody else". Life was getting better now. I was
popular in high school, I was senior class president and now I was a citizen
soldier!!! Ah, life was good. I had favor with the girls and could
almost have my pick. Soon I would graduate and go on active military duty
for a few months, return home for a short period and then try to go to
college. I was almost out of that "no television" house and I had no
intention to ever return and remain there on a permanent basis.
Well, my plan worked well. Since my high school
graduation I have spent very few days in my parents' household. After
graduating college I entered the US Army as a Second Lieutenant (having
completed the Reserve Officer Training Corps [R.O.T.C.] program in
college). I believe I bought my own television at my second duty station
(Baltimore, Maryland).
I became married in 1971
and my wife and I lived in Arizona. The new Quasar television with remote
control was just coming out and I excitedly purchased one. Its picture was
in color, its screen was big and programs could be controlled from the easy
chair. Oh, I was living! I was a commissioned officer, had a
beautiful wife, a good military job and a lot of friends. Living 4800 feet
above sea level in scenic Arizona and having all these other "creature
comforts", what else could I want? I had finally successfully escaped the
"no television" household of Mama and Daddy.
I had
a successful three years of active military duty and then went to work in
management at one of the largest and most respected companies in the
world. I had truly arrived!!! I left that company and started my own
business. By late 1983 my wife and I had purchased a small mansion (seven
bedrooms, seven bathrooms, three car garage, etc) in a fashionable neighborhood
in Orange, New Jersey. I had been called into the ministry and was gaining
respect as a local Baptist preacher. I was in a great church, had a
thriving business and things were going well.
It
was a change in my young daughter's personality that started me thinking about
what my mother had said in 1957. Mama had said that the voice said,
"television is a sin". Our little girl had been so sweet, and gentle and
kind as a baby. But the television was there and she spent a lot of time
watching it. After she became three years old I became concerned about the
transition I was observing in her. She was emulating the acts she saw on
television. I became concerned; Whether or not television was a sin was
not my main issue. The issue for me was the effect it was having on my
daughter. I knew that television was the only logical factor to which this
behavior could be attributed. Her behavior was not abnormal for the
children her age, but compared with whom I knew her to be, she had become
acculturated to the norms of the television generation and I didn't like
it. I was also concerned about some of the antics of our son, which were
"television learned". I was also active in the local political and
business communities. On one occasion, my family and I were eating dinner
in a restaurant. On our way out I noticed the local mayor and his wife at
a table. I went over to say hello and introduce my family. Our son,
who was probably seven or eight years old "fainted", falling to the floor.
It startled the mayor. I was embarrassed. Our son, we learned
momentarily, had not really fainted, but that was his reaction to "meeting a
mayor". He must have learned such a reaction from television.
However, our son's antics were not my major concern. It was what I
believed television was doing to our daughter that prompted me to action.
I had bought a very sharp and clear playing television set. We still had
the big Quasar television and I think we had a smaller black and white
television. The new television was the one the children watched
most. After I became convinced it was having a negative effect on our
daughter, I took it outside, busted it up and put it out for the garbage
collector. Well, my wife was upset; so were my children. Just as
television had marked a turning point in my life at my parents' home, I believe
this event marked a turning point in my own family. My wife and children
didn't understand my action. I understand that. I had never
understood my mother's pronouncement.
Over
the years television vs no television has been an issue in the family
which my wife and I have been blessed to parent. More and more, I have
turned against television. As God has drawn me closer and closer to
Himself, I have been able to discern the evil nature of television. I
recognize that "evil nature" is a strong term but one would be hard pressed to
define television otherwise. God has set eternal standards of Good and
Evil and everything must be measured by His standards. Reason, logic,
philosophy, and all other human inventions must yield to the Word and stand of
the Eternal God. Sin is defined as, "anything that is against the Will of
God". Actually, an entity does not have to be inherently evil to be a sin
or sinful. All it need do is be "against the Will of God". So there
is no need to prove that television is inherently evil. If it is against
the Will of God it is a sin. If God indeed said, "television is a sin"
that is all that is necessary. God's Word establishes it as thus and only
God can cause it to be otherwise. As a matter of fact, if God has declared
that television is a sin, no matter what we do to it, until God Himself declares
otherwise, television is indeed a sin. I believe most Christians would say
that there are sinful things on television but would stop short of saying that
television is a sin. That's understandable because, as far as I can
discern, most Christians are not sanctified and filled with the Holy
Ghost. This is not an attempt to indict the Church (God is the righteous
judge); however, this just seems to be the case. In a real way our society
is wedded to television. This includes Christians and
non-Christians. I could even state that television has become a "god" of
sort to us. I shudder to consider it true but would not be surprised to
learn that we pay more attention to television than to God. And, many
possibly have more faith in television than in God. I could go on to say
that we act more at the word of television than at the Word of God. If the
foregoing statements are true, then television is apparently a sin. Most
people would probably agree that television has an abundance of filth and slime
on its menu. They would also probably agree that some form of rating
system should be available to protect people from the negative aspects of
television. However, they would contend that television has many good
programs and does a great job of disseminating much-needed information.
Their points are well-taken. However, from God's point of view, apparent
utility does not necessarily justify existence. In other words, just
because it does some good does not mean that God wants it to exist.
Assyria was doing "some good" but God destroyed it. Sodom was doing "some
good" but God destroyed it. Gomorrah was doing "some good" but God
destroyed it. The Canaanites were doing "some good" but God destroyed
them. Tyre was doing "some good" but God destroyed it. Utility is
not the key standard with God, Holiness is. Television offends God every
time it presents a program whose content violates God's Word. Therefore,
an innocent-appearing situation comedy (sitcom) may seem great to the majority
of its viewers but may be extremely offensive to God. A "G-Rated" family
program may receive raving reviews from Non-Christians and Christians alike, but
may actually be sinful in the sight of God. Any concept, precept,
philosophy, belief, declaration or preachment that is against the Word of God is
sin. Therefore, using this Bible-based standard, I believe it is easy to
prove that television is a sin. Some people will totally disagree with
this assessment of television. I understand why they would disagree.
Remember, most of my life I disagreed with it also. Others would say,
"it's not the medium, but the message that's important". This seems to
make sense. Why indict the medium with the message? Television is
the medium. It is merely a mechanism used to deliver the message.
They would go on to say that the medium is neutral, being neither good nor bad,
but that the message, particularly the content of the message, is what actually
contains the goodness or evilness transmitted. On its face this argument
seems to have validity. However, I keep hearing Mama saying that the voice
said, "television is a sin". She didn't say that the voice said, "The
programs on television are a sin, or that "some things on television are sinful"
but that, "television is a sin". I must confess that over the years I've
tried to add all kinds of meanings to the simple declaration, "television is a
sin". I've tried to add the words, "for you" at the end of the
statement. Likewise, I tried to add, "for your house", and "for your
family". I received no satisfaction in any of my attempts to change the
simple sentence, "television is a sin".
This is
being written on October 31, 1999. Before beginning to write, I telephoned my
mother in order to get the facts straight. I did not tell her I was
preparing to write this account of my life. However, I wanted to know
whether the voice had said, "a television is a sin" or "television is a
sin". I didn't tell her I was trying to differentiate between the two
statements. I just asked her what the voice had said. She said, "I
was standing between the two beds and a little voice said, 'television is a
sin'". My mother spoke with total recall, as if the event had happened
yesterday or today. (She went on to tell me that she had wanted a
television, though she couldn't afford one.) So, I received my
answer. The voice had said, "Television is a sin". Some readers are
apt to say, "Oh, he's just trying to vindicate his mother". I totally
disagree. So would she. I've always been an independent thinker and
remain so. However, I've learned to avoid the disastrous act of attempting
to negate God. That is what this communique is about. I couldn't
really write it until now. But now it must be written. This great
Twentieth Century experience must be told. People must be given the
opportunity to decide for themselves. Due to the current state of the
Christian Church, this publication is not likely to gain me either friends or
status. After all, most of the biggest and best churches are on
television. They are using it to great success. They consider it a
blessing. Would most of them give much thought to the word of a peasant
girl and the account of her experience as related by her son? I think
not. First of all, many would say that it's unBiblical; that God does not
speak to people in that way today. Some others would say that it's a clear
case of "extra-Biblical revelation" and certainly cannot be of God. I'm
afraid a significant number of others will merely reject the entire premise "out
of hand" and say that I'm just "a kook", "a loose cannon", or "a sadly
misinformed individual". I'm willing to suffer the shame of all of the
foregoing to communicate to the world the account of the voice Mama heard.
What does television do to a family? I
believe it destructively alters the family structure. God invented the
family. He gave it a certain order. The man is the head. His
wife is his helper. The man is to look to God. The wife is to look
to the man. The children are to look to the man and woman.
Significantly, there is not a greater manifest presence in the home than
that of the man. God meant for the man to be the greatest manifest
presence in the home. All in the home are to look to him. This is a
great honor bestowed by God upon the man. God is in the home but rather
than being manifested in the flesh He is there in invisible form -- in the
Spirit. Therefore, the manifest head and center of the home is the man
with his wife reflecting the Glory which God has given. Thus structured,
the man is the principal teacher, the determiner of standards and the final
word, under God. All in the family look unto him. All sit at his
feet and are blessed. Nothing, under God, is greater in the home than he
(the man) is. Television changes all that. Now the entire family,
man included, sits and looks unto the television. Now, some other man,
some other woman, some other people, who are not a part of the family, have come
into the privacy of the family and to them the whole family now look. When
dad is not at home, mom and children look unto television. Even when dad
is at home, mom and children often are paying more attention to television than
to dad. Some children leave their rooms only long enough to say, "Hi,
Dad", get a soda or snack from the refrigerator and quickly return to their
rooms to "look unto the television".
Any
structure altered in a severe manner is bound to become dysfunctional.
Medical professionals have been able to determine some of the symptoms and coin
names to describe some of the illnesses of the family but they still haven't
"discovered" all of the underlying causes of the illnesses. It may appear
naive to blame television for the problems of the family, and to be sure, it is
not the only culprit, but I submit that it is a major contributor to the malady
of today's family.
The Hebrews of ancient times
were much more informed about the structure of families than we are. They
clearly understood the position of the man and the position of the wife in the
family. Thus we read,
"And he dreamed yet another dream, and told
it his brethren, and said, Behold, I have dreamed a dream more; and, behold, the
sun and the moon and the eleven stars made obeisance to me.
10. And he told
it to his father, and to his brethren: and his father rebuked him, and said unto
him, What is this dream that thou hast dreamed? Shall I and thy mother and
thy brethren indeed come to bow down ourselves to thee to the earth?
11. And
his brethren envied him; but his father observed the saying." (Genesis 37:9-11)
The Holy Bible
It is clear from this passage from Genesis that Jacob
understood that his place in the home was equivalent to that of the sun in the
universe and that the wife's place was equivalent to that of the moon.
Jacob's statements to his son Joseph clearly show that relationship.
What's more, the dream was from God and the use of Sun, Moon and Stars was a
Godly use. God used the sun to represent the father of the family, the
moon to represent the mother of the family and the stars to represent the
children. The brightest constantly observable light in our universe is the
sun; so is the position of the father to be in the home. However,
television has changed all that. Now, in most families, the sun, moon and
stars gather on the sofas and floor and worship a "greater light" called
television and this light is "not of God".
In
summary, I cannot, from scripture, prove that my mother did not hear a little
voice say, "television is a sin". Rather, I have come to believe that not
only did she hear the voice, but that the voice was indeed "of God" and that
television is a sin.
Copyright © 1999, 2000 Clarence William Page