Should Christians Watch TV?

[tyndale1946]

We gave up TV for several years. A minor inconvenience, but it turned out to be great for the kids. Without the constant commercialism and portrayal of the wisecracking kids constantly putting the dimwitted parents in their place, there is a pretty marked, observable difference between them and their friends. In retrospect, I'm glad we did it.

But now, we watch TV again. Other than re-runs of Burn Notice, classic movies, and football, all we watch are the old shows like Adam 12, Dragnet, Hogan's Heroes, etc, that they show on MEtv, AntennaTV, Decades, etc, and shows on RFD TV. UP TV also has some good shows.

There is an old saying among the Christian community WWJD... Well I know one thing for sure Jesus wouldn't be watching any TV or the Apostles either... Electricity hadn't been invented yet... We should blame Thomas Edison!... Well to be honest we should thank him or we would still be reading our Bibles with candles and kerosene lamps... Brother Glen

 

[HankD]

Should Christians watch TV?

NIV Romans 14:23 But the man who has doubts is condemned if he eats, because his eating is not from faith; and everything that does not come from faith is sin.

So yes this is about eating, could it apply to TV watching?

... and everything that does not come from faith is sin.

HankD

 

[Mark Corbett]

Should Christians watch TV?

NIV Romans 14:23 But the man who has doubts is condemned if he eats, because his eating is not from faith; and everything that does not come from faith is sin.

So yes this is about eating, could it apply to TV watching?

... and everything that does not come from faith is sin.

HankD

Yes, I think it applies.

 

[HankD]

Yes, I think it applies.

How about this which precedes the last?

Romans 14:22 Do you have faith? Have it to yourself before God. Happy is he who does not condemn himself in what he approves.

HankD

 

[Shadowlands]

I got rid of my cable back in 2008, but I need to know what's going on news and weather wise
in my area. Sure, I can subscribe to our local "rag" (callled a newspaper- with a liberal editor
in chief) or listen to local radio, or my police scanner which has a separate weather function.
It's weather radar that gives me a heads up, especially in Spring and Summer. We are in
tornado alley.

I now have a digital-converter box that enables me to tune in channels if I can tune them
in at all. It's up in the air (no pun intended) whether or not channels will come in. As far as
watching TV, I am very picky about what shows I watch. I do not watch mainstream news
media channels for example. Not once.

Only Fox News Sunday (after taping it) and The 700-Club weekdays (if I'm not working)
otherwise I tape it for later viewing.

I still enjoy watching reruns of Hogan's Heroes, The A-Team, McKenzie's Raiders, Peter
Gunn, 77 Sunset Strip (a late-50's/early-60's black and white private eye show in L.A.),
Adam-12, Dragnet, Highway Patrol with Broderick Crawford (late-50's black and white),
all to name a few. But classic TV or not, I use discretion. I don't permit any TV when
visitor's come calling. I set up my VCR (I'm old school) to record Dr. David Jeremiah
very early Sunday mornings. I'm still in bed. I get up at around 08:00 and ready for
church at 09:30.

 

[Mark Corbett]

I got rid of my cable back in 2008, but I need to know what's going on news and weather wise
in my area. Sure, I can subscribe to our local "rag" (callled a newspaper- with a liberal editor
in chief) or listen to local radio, or my police scanner which has a separate weather function.
It's weather radar that gives me a heads up, especially in Spring and Summer. We are in
tornado alley.

I now have a digital-converter box that enables me to tune in channels if I can tune them
in at all. It's up in the air (no pun intended) whether or not channels will come in. As far as
watching TV, I am very picky about what shows I watch. I do not watch mainstream news
media channels for example. Not once.

Only Fox News Sunday (after taping it) and The 700-Club weekdays (if I'm not working)
otherwise I tape it for later viewing.

I still enjoy watching reruns of Hogan's Heroes, The A-Team, McKenzie's Raiders, Peter
Gunn, 77 Sunset Strip (a late-50's/early-60's black and white private eye show in L.A.),
Adam-12, Dragnet, Highway Patrol with Broderick Crawford (late-50's black and white),
all to name a few. But classic TV or not, I use discretion. I don't permit any TV when
visitor's come calling. I set up my VCR (I'm old school) to record Dr. David Jeremiah
very early Sunday mornings. I'm still in bed. I get up at around 08:00 and ready for
church at 09:30.

It sounds like God has blessed you with good discretion, wisdom, and discipline in watching TV. Praise God! Please pray for your brothers and sisters in Christ who are strongly tempted to watch too much TV or to watch content which they should not watch.

 

[Yeshua1]

It sounds like God has blessed you with good discretion, wisdom, and discipline in watching TV. Praise God! Please pray for your brothers and sisters in Christ who are strongly tempted to watch too much TV or to watch content which they should not watch.

IF a christian cannot control what he watches, then should get rid of it, but if able to watch it with discernment, as there is some good among much rubbish!

 

[robycop3]

The "take" on TH is the same as it is for anything else man has invented or will invent - it can be used for either good or for evil.

After all, we who post here are using the internet, which has more porn available than all the TV channels on earth, as well as all sorts of other evils.

For some people such as shut-ins, TV is their main source, along with radio, to hear the Gospel being preached, so let's not condemn it too quickly.

Yes, TV is like a knife - it can be used for good or for evil, same as a ball bat, motor vehicle or the Bible itself.

 

[Mark Corbett]

The "take" on TH is the same as it is for anything else man has invented or will invent - it can be used for either good or for evil.

After all, we who post here are using the internet, which has more porn available than all the TV channels on earth, as well as all sorts of other evils.

For some people such as shut-ins, TV is their main source, along with radio, to hear the Gospel being preached, so let's not condemn it too quickly.

Yes, TV is like a knife - it can be used for good or for evil, same as a ball bat, motor vehicle or the Bible itself.

I agree with you that TV can be used for good or evil and that a blanket condemnation would be wrong. I agree that for some people, TV is a blessing.

But I also feel (and I admit this is subjective) that for every Christian who is overall using TV for good, there are probably at least 5 or 10 for whom TV is a snare. Even relatively good TV shows can be a waste of time if too much time is spent watching. And many Christians watch shows which are not healthy for their minds and souls.

Grace and Peace, Mark

 

[Salty]

Does the same go for radio - what with all the filthy - so called music, ect.

 

[Mark Corbett]

Does the same go for radio - what with all the filthy - so called music, ect.

The same principles which apply to watching TV certainly apply to listening to the radio or using the internet.

These things can be used for good. I'm at least trying to use the internet for good frequently. I'm also blessed by listening to Christian music on the radio. But, if a Christian finds that they consistently are not able to use good discipline and judgment with the radio or the internet, then they may be better off going "cold turkey", at least for a season.

I'm not sure if you were being sarcastic about "all the filthy - so called music". But there is a lot of filthy music and music which promotes and celebrates sin. It's not funny and it's not pleasing to God.

NIV Ephesians 4:29 Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.

 

[Shadowlands]

Does the same go for radio - what with all the filthy - so called music, ect.

I don't listen to music stations. Haven't done so for over ten years.
I've lost track as to the latest hits, the current popular artists and I
couldn't careless!

I only listen to talk radio, i.e. Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, Laura
Ingraham. I enjoyed listening to The G. Gordon Liddy Show until he
retired three years ago. Some of the stuff Mr. Liddy talked about or
mentioned ad lib, were a bit disconcerting, but I let it slide. His attacks
against liberals and socialism and the Clinton dynasty was what I liked
most of all. Another talk radio show I enjoyed was The Jerry Doyle Show.
He had this hilarious "trademark" response to uneducated callers about
how he liked to be addressed:

"Uh, hello, Mr. Doyle, this is (insert name here)......"

"Wait, wait, _______! Do you owe me any money?"

"Uh, no, I don't think so..."

"Ok then, ______. Only those who owe me money call me Mr. Doyle.
Otherwise my friends call me Jerry. You are my friend, aren't you __________?"

 

[Reynolds]

No problem! My article certainly supports the "watch with discernment" option. In fact, I still do that with DVDs we sometimes watch. Still, I think that many Christians, probably most, would benefit by watching a lot less TV. Grace and Peace, Mark

Yep. And would benefit from getting more exercise, eating healthier, losing weight, etc. We as Christians succumb to the flesh in many ways we should not.