Once there was a boy who came to his father and asked, “Dad, some of my friends are getting together next weekend. They said they’re going to stay up all night watching movies and playing video games and invited me to come. I was wondering what you thought.” His father looked at his son,
“What do you think?”
“Well, I know there’s nothing sinful about watching a movie or playing a video game or even staying up all night, but I’m still not sure about it.” His father nodded,
“Let me ask you this, son: is it a sin to eat dirt?” His son grinned and shook his head,
“No.”
“Is it a sin to repeatedly slam your finger in a car door?”
“No.”
“Is it a sin to wear a snow suit to the beach in the middle of the summer?”
“No, Dad. So you’re saying that it might not be a sin, but it may very well be stupid.”
“Something like that. It’s the fathead rule, son. Somewhere in Proverbs it says, my son, look at all those fatheads doing fathead things. Don’t be a fathead.”
“Dad?”
“Yes?”
“What should I tell my friends?”
“Tell them you already have plans. Tell them that you were already planning to have a big bowl of dirt for dinner and you won’t be feeling up to it.”
“Thanks, Dad.”
“Sure. And son?”
“Yes?”
“Thanks for not being a fathead.”
Anonymous says
So are you saying that when we used to stay up all night smoking the hookah, chatting, watching movies, etc. we were being fatheads? What if it was a weekend? Is it ok then? I’m not looking for loopholes, I’m attacking your general principle – what exactly is a fathead? Is there a line in the sand? Isn’t this the slippery slope to pietism? If your example had included 19 year olds drinking too much (and possibly driving home), or staying up all night smoking weed, maybe I’d see your point. And perhaps I’m nitpicking and not getting the actual point of your example, or just getting blinded by stupid details. But you used movies and video games…how is this combined with staying up late being a fathead, again? I’m confused. And where is the Toby that all of us used to know and love?
Anonymous says
A sub-point – eating dirt will make you sick, slamming your finger in the car door will hurt you greatly, and wearing a snowsuit to the beach (although I’ve heard this suggested for women, in certain circles) could give you heat exhaustion. Are you arguing that movies and video games will harm you physically? How about mentally/emotionally/spiritually? What about staying up late? Are these stupid things? Is that REALLY what you are arguing here? Or am I just getting caught up in the example, when the principle is what I should be undertstanding? I can never tell.