Popularirty?

So I realized with dread that I had completely forgotten about this blog... So here goes another post with a few thoughts on worldviews and cultures...

First thing that comes to mind is how we have slowly switched to a more "popularity" based culture. If you think about it, and look at the world around you, you'll see what I am talking about. Who do you see on TV? Mostly stars, all of whom are worshiped and idolized by their respective followings. We have entire shows dedicated to seeing who can become the next most popular person. American Idol, for instance. Does anyone else catch on to the name? What is an idol? According to Merriam-Webster: "A representation or symbol of an object of worship." Does anyone else have a problem with this?

Sure, some might argue that there will always be someone for us too admire, someone for us to follow, someone for us to pay money too look at, but I would argue some people take it too far... Sure, I know, you are saying to yourself, "well, I'm not one of those people..." Well, let me ask you this: How much time is spent every day watching the TV? How much time do you spend watching movies? I'll admit, I love watching movies. So where do you draw the line?

Let's take into consideration some of the following statistics. First, the average American watches more than 4 hours of TV a day. Kids spend, on average, 3.5 minutes per week in meaningful conversation with their parents. How much TV do they watch? 1680 minutes per week. The TV is on, on average, 6 hours and 47 minutes in American homes. And yet only half of Americans say they watch too much TV.

If you do a little bit of math, you get 250 billion. (That's 9 zero's after it.) If you say that the average wage is $6, which is very conservative, you get a grand total of $1.5 trillion. (That's 12 zero's after it.) The National Debt currently sits at approximately $13.2 trillion. If everyone took the time they would normally spend watching TV, and went out and got a second job, we could have the National Debt paid off in less than nine years!

In closing, let me just insert a verse. Philippians 4:8. "Finally brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things." I just encourage all of you to examine what it is you are worshiping, if you have any idols, and if so, to get rid of them...

That's all for now...