The sin of watching TV

FoundInGrace · Nov 8, 2013

TV does have a lot to answer for.

Few of us can say we spend as much time reading the Bible as we do watching TV

People who get rid of TV say their lives are the better for it.. I've wondered if it would be worth doing that for a few weeks see what its like.

McMatt · Nov 10, 2013

RDKirk said:
Originally Posted by RDKirk

How is it a "far stretch" for a particular Christian to do what his Christian mind tells him is God's will for him--without dispute from other Christians?

What, exactly, are you objecting to? Are you objecting to the idea that God has a will? Are you objecting to the idea of a Christian being obedient to God's will?

Okay, so you're objecting to someone else saying it's God's will for you not to watch TV? That's okay. Paul says the same thing in Romans 14.

Or are you saying it's impossible for any given Christian to know God's will for himself? If you're saying it's impossible for a Christian to know what God wants him to do...how can you operate as a Christian? Are you just doing whatever seems right to you at the time and calling that "being a Christian?"

God's will is about more important things than tv programming being watched and it is absolutely foolhardy to think that god actually cares what you watch on tv.

RDKirk said:
A "commentary" is certainly an opinion, and many more people than Christians choose not to give audience to opinions offensive to them.

As I said before:

"Even many unbelievers are judicial in what they and their children watch. Even most unbelievers would say its "loopy" not to have some discrimination in their entertainment. Many animal rights activists, for instance, won't watch a program that glorifies violence against animals. Homosexual rights activists won't watch a program that denigrates homosexuals."

You didn't actually respond to that. Why is it "loopy" for a person to refuse to give audience to offense?

Actually calling it a "commentary" is an undeniable fact. Even the stupidest of tv programming is a commentary on one situation or another. A lot of the animated shows are satirical to political and social issues - like every episode of south park. Sitcoms are more commentary on everyday events (realistic in shows like how i met your mother, or exaggerated like in two and a half men). Cop shows usually derive most of their cases from old headlines. And at the end of the day, they are good sources of storytelling. People get offended at tv shows because either A) they don't like swearing (which is a man made standard to the english language), or B) They don't have the mental capacity to enjoy good storytelling.

BenAdam · Nov 10, 2013

FoundInGrace said:
TV does have a lot to answer for.

Few of us can say we spend as much time reading the Bible as we do watching TV

People who get rid of TV say their lives are the better for it.. I've wondered if it would be worth doing that for a few weeks see what its like.

TV has nothing to answer for, it is a box of electronics, plastics, and glass.

Few of us can say we read the Bible as much as we work, talk to others, sleep, etc.

People who practice self-control have better lives overall.

RDKirk · Nov 10, 2013

McMatt said:
God's will is about more important things than tv programming being watched and it is absolutely foolhardy to think that god actually cares what you watch on tv.

What evidence to you have for that idea?

Scripturally:

Do not mate different kinds of animals.Do not plant your field with two kinds of seed.
Do not wear clothing woven of two kinds of material.
Do not cut the hair at the sides of your head or clip off the edges of your beard. -- Leviticus 19

God really got into the weeds with the Israelites, didn't He?

Ancient people had gods for every aspect of their lives. They had a god of the harvest, a god of the hearth, a god of animal fertility, a god of sunny days, a good of rainy days, even a god of gates and doors.

The point God is making to the Israelites was that He is the God of every aspect of our lives. He is the God of how we cook our food, what clothes we wear, even how we cut our hair.

God cared about what they ate and even how the cooked it...you think He didn't care about what they fed their minds?

And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. -- Matthew 10:20.

God is keeping track of the number of hairs on my head (a number that decreases daily) and doesn't care what I feed my mind and spirit?

We have no concern too small for His concern, therefore there is no need for any other God but him for anything.

So show me, otherwise, the scripture that suggests what we watch on television--or anything of concern to us-- is beneath God's level of concern.

Actually calling it a "commentary" is an undeniable fact. Even the stupidest of tv programming is a commentary on one situation or another. A lot of the animated shows are satirical to political and social issues - like every episode of south park. Sitcoms are more commentary on everyday events (realistic in shows like how i met your mother, or exaggerated like in two and a half men). Cop shows usually derive most of their cases from old headlines. And at the end of the day, they are good sources of storytelling. People get offended at tv shows because either A) they don't like swearing (which is a man made standard to the english language), or B) They don't have the mental capacity to enjoy good storytelling.

You missed my point. I agree that they are commentaries, and a commentary is an opinion.

Even atheists take care of what opinions they ingest and what opinions their children ingest. Penn Jillette (of the magician/comedian duo "Penn & Teller), for instance, will not allow a deist to even enter his home, nor speak to his children, nor allow them to watch anything that hints of deism.

SayaOtonashi · Nov 10, 2013

I find it's how TV makes you act rather than watching it.

missmarple · Nov 10, 2013

I got rid of tv because of the evil on it. simply that. I could no longer watch the vile filth. the brainwashing against morality, against God, against christians. the pro muslim propaganda. On NCIS one night i watched a show about a christian father and son who murdered their other son because he became a muslim. now HOW ABOUT THAT for propaganda! when have you ever heard of a christian family murdering their child for becoming a muslim? never. it doenst happen. Now how about MUSLIMS murdering their family members who leave islam for christianity, THAT IS THE NORM in Islam. So they are brainwashing our youth to think that christians are evil and muslims are good. and that is just one show that i have seen that kind of thing. There is a mind numbing brainwashing happening from tv now that is deliberately being planned and put out there for our youth to be educated the worlds way. sexual immorality of every kind, satanism and occult, pro muslim lies. I will NOT WATCH TV. PERIOD.

I dont need tv. I spend my days with the Lord and He tells me what I need to know.

McMatt · Nov 10, 2013

RDKirk said:
What evidence to you have for that idea?

Scripturally:

Do not mate different kinds of animals.Do not plant your field with two kinds of seed.
Do not wear clothing woven of two kinds of material.
Do not cut the hair at the sides of your head or clip off the edges of your beard. -- Leviticus 19

God really got into the weeds with the Israelites, didn't He?

Ancient people had gods for every aspect of their lives. They had a god of the harvest, a god of the hearth, a god of animal fertility, a god of sunny days, a good of rainy days, even a god of gates and doors.

The point God is making to the Israelites was that He is the God of every aspect of our lives. He is the God of how we cook our food, what clothes we wear, even how we cut our hair.

God cared about what they ate and even how the cooked it...you think He didn't care about what they fed their minds?

And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. -- Matthew 10:20.

God is keeping track of the number of hairs on my head (a number that decreases daily) and doesn't care what I feed my mind and spirit?

We have no concern too small for His concern, therefore there is no need for any other God but him for anything.

So show me, otherwise, the scripture that suggests what we watch on television--or anything of concern to us-- is beneath God's level of concern.

You missed my point. I agree that they are commentaries, and a commentary is an opinion.

Even atheists take care of what opinions they ingest and what opinions their children ingest. Penn Jillette (of the magician/comedian duo "Penn & Teller), for instance, will not allow a deist to even enter his home, nor speak to his children, nor allow them to watch anything that hints of deism.

The burden of proof is on you. I stated that the notion of censoring/banishing tv is completely stupid, and you argue that notion using Levicticus? I mean seriously, come on. You cannot possibly argue with the same set of rules that state that a lobster dinner is sinful. Obviously with children, you need to be delicate with what you expose them to because they are not adults, therefore they cannot differentiate fact from fiction, and they are still developing their moral compass. However, as adults, we can make the distinction of right from wrong. Do I think womanizing is ok? No. However, I can still appreciate the humour in a show that has a womanizer as the main character. Do I think murder is ok? No, and neither does a vast majority of north americans. However, those same north americans all watched dexter and yet the moral compass on murder hasn't changed. The bible states that actions are meaningless (like the pharisees) if your heart isn't in the same place. The new testament emphasizes numerous times that the heart is the most important thing and that legalism doesn't mean anything in god's eyes. If tv affects your perception of the world around you and of the morality of actions, then you seriously need help

Yitzchak · Nov 10, 2013

McMatt said:
The burden of proof is on you. I stated that the notion of censoring/banishing tv is completely stupid, and you argue that notion using Levicticus? I mean seriously, come on. You cannot possibly argue with the same set of rules that state that a lobster dinner is sinful. Obviously with children, you need to be delicate with what you expose them to because they are not adults, therefore they cannot differentiate fact from fiction, and they are still developing their moral compass. However, as adults, we can make the distinction of right from wrong. Do I think womanizing is ok? No. However, I can still appreciate the humour in a show that has a womanizer as the main character. Do I think murder is ok? No, and neither does a vast majority of north americans. However, those same north americans all watched dexter and yet the moral compass on murder hasn't changed. The bible states that actions are meaningless (like the pharisees) if your heart isn't in the same place. The new testament emphasizes numerous times that the heart is the most important thing and that legalism doesn't mean anything in god's eyes. If tv affects your perception of the world around you and of the morality of actions, then you seriously need help

You make some good points. Before television there were books with stories in them. When an author makes up a character for a story , we understand that the character is made up.

Don't get me wrong. The medium of story is very powerful. Take for example , the show , Star Trek. It is discussed at Universities because the themes in it are powerful ideas. In the same way , literature is discussed and studied and books are written about famous works of literature.

One of the ironic things about this discussion is the fact that the Bible itself , if made into a movie without any censorship , would be rated "R". Starting right in the beggining with Adam and Eve walking around the garden in the nude. Followed by Adam having sex with his wife , Eve. There are plenty of evil characters and lots of violence and sex.

If the medium of story is evil , then books are evil too. The fact that the Bible is a book which contains many of the objectionable aspects of television is ironic.

I don't believe that anything goes. There are concerns and dangers to be avoided. As you pointed out , guarding children against certain things is prudent. I believe that while less of a concern , adults need to be gaurded from certain extremes , as well.

But bottom line. I agree with you. It is quite a jump to condemn all television. If we are supposed to condemn all television , then we should condemn all books also. Something I don't plan on doing.

McMatt · Nov 10, 2013

Yitzchak said:
You make some good points. Before television there were books with stories in them. When an author makes up a character for a story , we understand that the character is made up.

Don't get me wrong. The medium of story is very powerful. Take for example , the show , Star Trek. It is discussed at Universities because the themes in it are powerful ideas. In the same way , literature is discussed and studied and books are written about famous works of literature.

One of the ironic things about this discussion is the fact that the Bible itself , if made into a movie without any censorship , would be rated "R". Starting right in the beggining with Adam and Eve walking around the garden in the nude. Followed by Adam having sex with his wife , Eve. There are plenty of evil characters and lots of violence and sex.

If the medium of story is evil , then books are evil too. The fact that the Bible is a book which contains many of the objectionable aspects of television is ironic.

I don't believe that anything goes. There are concerns and dangers to be avoided. As you pointed out , guarding children against certain things is prudent. I believe that while less of a concern , adults need to be gaurded from certain extremes , as well.

But bottom line. I agree with you. It is quite a jump to condemn all television. If we are supposed to condemn all television , then we should condemn all books also. Something I don't plan on doing.

Some of the best literature written has a lot of that content in it that a lot of people would condemn if it was on tv

Willie T · Nov 10, 2013

We are showing the movie Simon Birch at our church this Friday night. (Google it)

McMatt · Nov 10, 2013

Willie T said:
We are showing the movie Simon Birch at our church this Friday night. (Google it)

^^ Good movie.

Willie T · Nov 10, 2013

McMatt said:
^^ Good movie.

I know a lot of "Christians" who would almost consider watching it as being pure blasphemy.

RDKirk · Nov 10, 2013

McMatt said:
The burden of proof is on you. I stated that the notion of censoring/banishing tv is completely stupid, and you argue that notion using Levicticus?

Strawman plus moving the goalpost.

What I was responding to (and had quoted) was this statement by you:

Originally Posted by McMatt

God's will is about more important things than tv programming being watched and it is absolutely foolhardy to think that god actually cares what you watch on tv.

You raised the issue of God having more important things to do than caring about what a person watched on TV.

I pointed out scripture indicting that God's commands about issues as minute as hair styles, food, and the numbers of hairs on our heads indicate that He is certainly interested in something as mundane as our intellectual interests.

ReveilleSoul · Nov 11, 2013

I'm not sure why this is even being debated in a Charismatic area. Aren't Charismatics the part of the Christian body who discern more readily because they are spirit filled?

No offense but you guys sound like a buncha babies who have no clue who your enemy is.
It doesn't matter if the church says it is a sin, We all have tv's but with the very few exceptions, that box is programming peoples minds to hate YOU and your God.

You can't even believe your news anymore because the government has changed the propaganda against its own citizens laws and it is now legal to show you completely fake news stories! CNN has been caught doing this several times showing correspondents
in front of green screens. With all the computer and tech savvy people there are now they actually are getting caught .

If you do not already know this please fast from media and spend time praying to clean out your heads. The greatest deception in the world is coming, how will you discern if you are saturated with the world and it's lies.?
Better get feeding that spiritual man.

missmarple · Nov 11, 2013

thats absolutely right, nobody should be watching that garbage.its a tool the NWO is using to brainwash and make everyone numb. if you sit and watch that box for hours every evening how on earth will you be able to survive whats coming? how will you know HIS voice? how can He tell you what to do, where to go or not go, if you cant hear His voice? to learn to hear His voice you have to be alone with Him and learn to listen. tv will fill your heart and mind so that you wont be able to hear. I will not watch tv, no way.

Lollerskates · Nov 11, 2013

missmarple said:
thats absolutely right, nobody should be watching that garbage.its a tool the NWO is using to brainwash and make everyone numb. if you sit and watch that box for hours every evening how on earth will you be able to survive whats coming? how will you know HIS voice? how can He tell you what to do, where to go or not go, if you cant hear His voice? to learn to hear His voice you have to be alone with Him and learn to listen. tv will fill your heart and mind so that you wont be able to hear. I will not watch tv, no way.

I'm glad someone said it. They don't call it "programming" for nothing.

McMatt · Nov 11, 2013

And here is where the tinfoil hats come in...

Where is the proof of the "green screens" on CNN, and no I don't mean the one the weather man stands in front of.

Lollerskates · Nov 11, 2013

McMatt said:
And here is where the tinfoil hats come in...

Where is the proof of the "green screens" on CNN, and no I don't mean the one the weather man stands in front of.

I could provide it for you, but you would reject it.

I could tell you to go look it up for youself, but then you would use every tactic to debunk anything you find (if you don't marginalize your searches.)

I am overwhelmingly content with you thinking I am a "tin foil hat" wearer. Seriously. As I said before in other threads, people like you used the same dismissive nomenclature for those people who claimed Area 51 was an actual military base - only to have the documents on Area 51 declassified as of recent, confirming the "tin foil hat crazies."

There is no excuse for ignorance, and to me, dismissive comments constitute fear in the reviler. Don't cry and moan about how no one warned you about whatever (like Bill Maher is currently doing.) Plenty of people warned the world of the state we are in now (trading freedom for "security" is just one example.) The thing is, people dismissed them like you do when they had a chance to change things. Now, it is too late. You do better calling people tin foil hat crazies than having someone give you proof of anything. If you haven't gotten on the boat yet, you better learn how to swim.

SharonL · Nov 11, 2013

I was raised in such a church - resent it to this day. You can make a sin out of anything and everything. The Holy Spirit guides you in the real world, why not let Him guide you in your home. This was ridiculous.

I wasn't allowed to dance, watch TV, go to movies, play games with dice, all kinds of crazy things and sorry to say I do resent it. I convinced my parents to go see the movie The Ten Commandments - after it was over my mother jumped all over me because she said the actor that played Jesus would be drunk the next day. Cheeze I don't know why I did not rebel, but I can understand those who do.

Yitzchak · Nov 11, 2013

SharonL said:
I was raised in such a church - resent it to this day. You can make a sin out of anything and everything. The Holy Spirit guides you in the real world, why not let Him guide you in your home. This was ridiculous.

I wasn't allowed to dance, watch TV, go to movies, play games with dice, all kinds of crazy things and sorry to say I do resent it. I convinced my parents to go see the movie The Ten Commandments - after it was over my mother jumped all over me because she said the actor that played Jesus would be drunk the next day. Cheeze I don't know why I did not rebel, but I can understand those who do.

There are extremes of everything. I usually try to avoid poking at people who have honest convictions in these things because where we find our agreement is in wanting to please God in everything that we do. if it makes sense to someone to deprive themselves of certain things , there is scriptural precedent for all kinds of abstinence.

But where it crosses the line is when someone attempts to force it upon others , especially when it is done using less than honest means. In general I have been spared that kind of thing , but I sympathize with your experience. the few times when I have been on the receiving end of that sort of thing , it was most unpleasant. It can be anything too. It can be television or drinking alcohol or buying a lottery ticket or fill in the blank. the list is virtually endless.

I like the saying ,

In essentials , unity . In non essentials , liberty and in all things charity.

The sin of watching TV

God's sparrow

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