Featured Violence in movies

Yes, Dave Ramsey would say that some people cannot pay back ALL of their debt during their total working years based on their income/debt ratio. However, unless I'm badly mistaken, he would not say that can be used as an excuse to slack off on trying to pay back every cent that is owed to someone else, as quickly as possible.

As long as you owe other people, (yes, there are people on the other side of those credit cards) you are using their money to entertain yourself. This morning one of those cards could have had an estimated $20 lower balance had you chosen to do so.

Dave's phrase "beans and rice, rice and beans" means exactly what it says. It's a inexpensive complete protein and can meet that nutritional requirement to sustain our body. "Beans and rice" also means applying the same principle to every aspect of our lives. Use the least expensive option(s) to sustain our lives while paying our debts, even if it's impossible to pay the total amount over the all the years of our working lifetime. Spending money for entertainment isn't "beans and rice" as there are many free ways one can be "entertained".

For whatever it's worth, I (we) earned the right to be on this soapbox. We went into debt when we got married to have a place to live and transportation. We went into debt when we purchased unimproved land and carved our homestead from pastureland. It took all the forms of "beans and rice" to pay our debts. That included staying home and watching rabbit ears TV when we would have liked to go to the movies and pay a buck for a soda and popcorn. That buck went to pay a bit more on our debt.

Probably the best example is the month we moved here. Paid monthly, I had $10 left from my check after paying the minimum expectations on the debt we'd incurred. No, I didn't hold back an extra $25 so that we could have a movie night. We survived by using every form of "beans and rice" so that our creditors were paid their rightful due. BTW, we didn't have "high paying" jobs either. I was a clerk in a textile mill at the time.

Think about it for a moment. What are you doing to your testimony as a preacher when you go to a questionable movie and spend money that you owe to someone else? Don't forget that every unsaved/undecided person among your friends, family, co-workers, and "singles" is watching the fruit you bear. If you don't pick up your cross and carry it, everyday, how can you expect the witness of your life to lead others to come to the cross?

Deny yourself, just as our Saviour did, in order to meet your obligations and set the example that others should follow.

 

I have listened to Dave for many years, and like most of his advice. If there was an issue to take, it would be memorizing a bunch of rules vs the intent of the heart. What I mean by that is, if we are seeking the Kingdom of God first, our spending is along Biblical lines to start with.

I can see no purpose of being on rice and beans for decades, then having a bunch of money to spend with a mindset that I have to possess everything on this earth. Dave also makes the point, that if you are going to pay off all of the credit cards, then go right back to the same pattern, you have wasted your time and effort. In other words, a change must take place during the beans and rice phase, that makes the "pig not want to return to the mud."

If one has the right heart, they will be satisifed with what the Lord has given them and thankful they can raise their family. This in no way is speaking of not getting a better job, or going back to school to learn a new job to increase your income. It has to do with where your passion lies. Also, if one is raising a family, the kids learn from how the parents handle money.

I knew a person who went through the thirteen week course for Dave Ramsey here locally. It totally changed his life.

I do think Dave is too strict about borrowing money. The five basics are housing, food, clothing, utilites, anc transportation. I see nothing wrong with borrowing to meet the housing or transportation need. I see a lot wrong with borowing for things like vacations, Christimas, and luxury items.

One area that Dave emphasizes that is so vital today is saving for retirement and an emergency fund. When Social Security first started, the government advertised that this money was not meant to live on, and was only a supplement. In other words, you are still responsible for your own retirement. From just casual obeservation, one can see many did not listen. Take on older person today that did nothing towards their retirement, and see how tough it is to get from month to month on that SS check they were warned about, but again, did not listen.

The reason this is even more important today for young people is, that SS will probably not be there for anyone much below forty, or in a radically different form. Worldy mindsets tend to make folks want to spend every penny every payday.

One of his pieces of advice I did follow is paying extra on the principal of my home loan. We bought our house in 1981 on a thirty year loan (our interest rate started out at 15% variable rate) and by 1986 changed to a new loan of 9% fixed. By 1994, I was able to pay our home off, which made a hugh difference in our budget. We were able to get both kids through college with no debt at the bachelor degree level. The Lord really blessed us. I do know that the more one moves, the harder it is to accomplish this. It is kind of ironic that today, interest rates are the lowest in my lifetime, yet, in this area anyhow, it is difficult to sell your home in order to take advantage of the lower interest rates. However, for those who can buy a home now, the conditions have never been better. We might not ever see these kind of rates again once they start rising. Who knows how long that will be.

Your posts are really interesting.

 

But abortion is not new. In fact many have taken their BORN babies and tossed them into the red hot hands of Molech in ancient times.

Pharaoh slaughtered thousands, maybe hundreds of thousands of first born baby Jews.

Herod the Great slaughtered many babies under two years old at the time of Christ.

Furthermore, as terrible an evil as abortion is, 54 million aborted babies covering a time span wherein 3 BILLION people have been born may not be a comparable percentage to the slaughter of human beings in the ancient world through genocidal wars, persecutions, etc... of a much smaller population.

Remember Titus killed about a million and a half Jews at ONCE.

The ancient world was more violent.

You must, if you care for reason, abandon the idea that the world is getting worse and worse.

It simply is not- not by ANY means.

 

The Bible contains many violent stories. The Bible does not condemn fixing your eyes upon, especially fake, violent scenes. It does not condemn writing novels riddled with wars and violence.

Therefore you should not condemn it.

The Bible DOES condemn looking upon a woman to lust after her. It is not a good practice to ADD condemnations to the Bible and equate them in authority with the condemnations OF the Bible.

 

I always find it amusing when people try and convince others that what is in plain sight is not as they are really seeing. Even more amusing is when in light of biblical scripture people deny what is written and say it ain't so.

Listen to what the Spirit says through Paul to Timothy in 2Timothy 3

1 This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. 2 For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, 3 Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, 4 Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; 5 Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away. 6 For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts, 7 Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.

Then in verse 13
13 But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived.

If we cannot believe what we are seeing then at least believe what the Spirit is saying less we too become deceived. The world is and will grow worse and worse until the coming of the Lord, not better.

 

That is up to you to decide. The purpose of the thread is not to make x rated movies ok to watch. How can one read the parable of the Good Samaratan, and reading the second great commandment, and relate that to enjoying watching heads lobbed off, arms and legs flying, and all sorts of other human multilation. That is not my idea of entertainmnet. I always enjoy a ghost story or some type of science fiction movie on occasion, but why is the blood gushing necessary? How does that glorify the Lord? IMO the Bible does condemn it. For one thing, the body is the temple of the Lord. What positive qualities does being obcessed with such scenes produce? How does this enhance the fruits of the Spirit?

The last time I read Scripture, it did condemn murder and treating others with disrespect, so what do you think justifies such entertainment, even apart from the Bible?

 

First, we're getting this thread side tracked to some extent. To try to keep some of this relevant, let me say this first. In what way did going to a blood and gore movie glorify God?

Second, debt is debt regardless of how the term "control" is applied to it. Benefit has been obtained at someone else's expense, regardless of how the debt was acquired. My 22 year old clunker of a car died this past week. Now, I have the choice of going out buying a new car and going into debt. Or, dropping my expectations (wants/wishes) to one that I can afford without going into debt. Thank the Lord, I have no desire for that new car aroma.

Next, I've listened to Dave off and on for a number of years. Dave doesn't ignore his basic premise of "rice and beans". Any person owing another money is to live as frugally as possible until their obligation to another is met. Yes, I'm aware of building an emergency fund and trying to set something aside for old age. Have you called Dave and asked him what he thinks of going to a Batman movie before those three things are done?

And, yes, it may take YEARS and YEARS, perhaps even a lifetime, to pay off huge debt with a low income job. Therefore, I believe that you should try your best to obtain a better paying one. Even if that means you'll have to do something legal that you prefer not to do. People have walked behind asphalt paving trucks and worked the green end of a saw mill, in summer, to earn a living and pay what they owe. Ever worked in a tobacco field in 98 degree temps, as it is here in NC today? Some are doing it, in this community, as I type. FWIW, I've been there and done that 6 days a week.

Have you tried to find a second job to supplement the income of your primary job, until you find a better one? There's nothing wrong with mopping floors with a janitorial service to repay debt for benefits that you have already obtained. You did receive something beneficial in return when you acquired those various debts, didn't you?

Please think of me as a kindly old grandparent trying to steer you into the right direction. If you prefer to think of me as a crotchy old judgemental codger, that's fine, too. Just remember to read the rest of the passage of "Judge not, least ye be judged also". We took the beam of debt out of our eyes so we can see the mote in yours. Over the span of our working years, most jobs were low paying. We welcomed the opportunity to work overtime. We welcomed the opportunity for other work to supplement our income. We missed many opportunities to go out and have fun with our friends.

Better half and I worked 40+ years to be debt free, have an emergency fund, and a little retirement nest egg. We still work. A little parttime, but mostly to serve our church, to serve our Lord and give Him the glory.

In closing and please remember this is a kindly old relative speaking. Wouldn't it have been better to be able to send a check for $225, instead of $200 to apply to your debt? Every $5 or $10 that you can apply to your debt does bring rewards. The amount of the reward depends on how much interest debt you're accumulating each month on the unpaid balance(s).

Don't forget to calculate the additional interest you'll pay because you spent an estimated $25 at a questionable movie instead of adding it to the $200 check you're planning to put in the mail. And, BTW, I congratulate you on making the efforts that you are making.

 

John, you may be surprised at just how much you have revealed about yourself and your walk with our Lord with this post.

May I suggest that you print out a copy and tuck it in the back of your Bible? Pull it out every few years and read it again. Repeat, periodically, throughout your life. Pencil in the date, each time.

If you allow the Holy Spirit to do so, at some point in your life, you'll see the same thing, in your words, that these tired old eyes are seeing today.

 

Have you ever read the Psalms?

Have you ever read the numerous stories in Scripture where the absolute gory slaughter of God's enemies in war was lauded?

They sang in praise to God, "Saul has slain his thousands and David his tens of thousands!"

It is nothing but tradition not based in Scripture that condemns the celebration of the destruction of evil people.

The Scripture celebrates it.

I enjoy the movie, "Braveheart," for this reason.

I actually think Christians probably SHOULD enjoy such things- at least Christian men.

I get you here. I really do. And just for the record, I don't get my jollies watching the blood spew- except when a very evil character is getting his come-up-ins.

It DOES glorify the Lord IMMENSELY.

We're not talking about murder. We're talking about violence. Not the same thing by any means.

War is violent- but it is not murder.

Police shooting bad guys is violent but it is not murder.

The Bible does NOT condemn treating others with disrespect in all circumstances.

It is not very respectful to drop a bomb on Saddam's palace in Iraq. But that kind of thing is lauded in the Word of God.

The Bible does justify celebrating the destruction of the wicked.

 

I'm sorry that my post came across as sarcasm, as that wasn't my intent. If I'd intended to be sarcastic my post would have been much different.

 

I understand clearly that you do not agree with me and why.

In closing, the only rewards that I seek in heaven are to hear these words from my Saviour -- Well done, my good and faithful servant.