Ellen fan, but is it right?

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Bea_sMom

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I posted this question to the “Ask an Aplogist” forum, but since they’re backed up till tomorrow I thought I’d pose it to you all…

The other day I was listening to “The Doctor Is In” and a woman called to ask if it was morally ok for them to take their kids to Disney even though Disney supports many un-Catholic things (i.e. Gay Day, etc.) - would they be supporting Disney in their sins if they went? This got me thinking (actually I was already thinking it but now I felt the need to really learn the truth), is it ok for me to watch Ellen DeGeneres’ new talk show even though she is a gay and lesbian advocate and lives a homosexual lifestyle? Dr. Ray explained how far removed one can be from being morally responsible for the actions of a company, such as you aren’t obligated never to buy Coke just because they may support immoral things, and this woman technically isn’t obliged not to go to Disney for the same reason (but he pointed out that his family won’t go because they - actually his wife 🙂 - don’t want to support Disney).

So, anyway, can I or can’t I watch this funny, funny person who in all other ways seems to be wonderful and human and caring (I pray for her conversion)??

Please hurry - she’s on at 10 this morning!! 🙂

Love and God bless,
Bea’s Mom

P.S. I’m still trying to come up with a faith/quote signature:)
 
Bea'(name removed by moderator):
I posted this question to the “Ask an Aplogist” forum, but since they’re backed up till tomorrow I thought I’d pose it to you all…

The other day I was listening to “The Doctor Is In” and a woman called to ask if it was morally ok for them to take their kids to Disney even though Disney supports many un-Catholic things (i.e. Gay Day, etc.) - would they be supporting Disney in their sins if they went? This got me thinking (actually I was already thinking it but now I felt the need to really learn the truth), is it ok for me to watch Ellen DeGeneres’ new talk show even though she is a gay and lesbian advocate and lives a homosexual lifestyle? Dr. Ray explained how far removed one can be from being morally responsible for the actions of a company, such as you aren’t obligated never to buy Coke just because they may support immoral things, and this woman technically isn’t obliged not to go to Disney for the same reason (but he pointed out that his family won’t go because they - actually his wife 🙂 - don’t want to support Disney).

So, anyway, can I or can’t I watch this funny, funny person who in all other ways seems to be wonderful and human and caring (I pray for her conversion)??

Please hurry - she’s on at 10 this morning!! 🙂

Love and God bless,
Bea’s Mom

P.S. I’m still trying to come up with a faith/quote signature:)
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I’m no expert here… I doubt it is a sin to watch, but I would not want that kind of stuff in my head. It all adds up in there and has its effect. :confused:
 
THe problem is not Ellen, but the cumulative effects of all the Ellens out there.

Like water dripping away, it wears down your conscience.
 
Bea’s Mom,

I think it’s great that you are being conscientious about what you watch on T.V. There certainly is a lot of **** out there. My advice to you would be to examine your own feelings, and let your conscience guide you. It seems like you really enjoy Ellen’s show, and I think that’s fine. I think you can watch her show and enjoy her talents without agreeing with her lifestyle choices. I used to enjoy watching the Rosie O’donnel show sometimes when it was on, and I never felt like there was anything morally wrong with watching. However, I don’t watch other shows which I feel go way too far, such as Will and Grace. Again, I think it has to be your choice based on your conscience and what the Holy Spirit is telling you.

God Bless!
Andrea 😉
 
If you are going to make a choice not to watch a homosexual’s show on T.V. because the person lives a gay lifestyle, then you should also avoid watching shows hosted by heterosexuals (i.e. Oprah) who also do not live up to the moral teachings of the church (she and boyfriend Stedman live together and most certainly engage in premarital sex, which is a sin in the Catholic church). It would seem to me hypocritical to avoid watching shows like Ellen’s but then turn around and endorse shows like Oprah.

I’m not saying you do that — I don’t know what type of programming you watch. Just keep in mind that heterosexuals are and can be just as immoral as homosexuals (in the eyes of the Church that is).
 
I think you should follow your conscience. Obviously, you feel guilty about supporting a homosexual advocate during an age of spiritual warfare. Does a smiling face make a decadent lifestyle more appealing? You know the answer, just follow your conscience…
 
I posed this question to my Priest a while ago, but didnt really get an answer as we got on to another subject.
However, he did tell me once, that we cant hide from the “real” world.
I discussed with him how hard it is to live like Jesus, in the year 2004, when Jesus didnt have such things as TV, radio, all media, computers, and new technology that affects our complete lifestyle, including what we eat drink and smoke etc.
I told him that if I was to live like Jesus, I really couldnt step out of my house. (lightheartedly of course)
He said God wants us to step out into the world, live life, be a part of all that is around us.
We know the temptations that are out there.
God knows we will be tempted, and will forgive us when we are.
Therefore, I sort of dont think watching Ellen is a sin. By watching her, you are enjoying a laugh or two, which I am sure would be music to Gods ears.
You know that her lifestyle is a sin, but I think all of our lifestyles somehow are sinful. Ellen has just made her’s more public.
As for the wife who wont support Disney, fair enough. That is a physical exchange of money at the entrance to his theme parks or other things.
The wife probably sees that as a more physical support of a sinner.
I may be rambling, but I hope I have given you something to think about until an Apologist can answer you.
Love Kellie
 
Yeah, I’m torn about all kinds of TV programming. My husband loves Charmed and he didn’t see the harm in it. Maybe I take this stuff to far, but I broke out my CCC and quoted how witchcraft, etc. is “gravely contrary”, etc. He seemed to think this stuff was all “fantasy” - as if witchcraft, sorcery, etc. wasn’t real. (Not to mention, if the Charmed sisters’ wardrobe gets any smaller, the producers will have to blur out portions of their bodies! - this is a good example of poor heterosexual lifestyle programming!)

I understand what quasimodo, cmom, and tmitchell2 are telling me, but I feel I take on too much guilt sometimes and have a hard time discerning what I should really feel guilty about and what I’m making too much of. I’m also finding the more I learn about my faith, the more I have to be responsible - ugh!🙂 But it sure feels good to know I’m doing the right thing.

Thanks for all your advice!
 
We need to remember that all of creation was created by God and is good. Mankind has a sin nature due to the fall but that does not prevent his from doing things that are pleasing to God. Evil is a privation of Good (so says St. Augustine) … You need to gauge your level of susceptibility to such television and act accordingly. If you find yourself in disagreement with the teachings of the Church after watching a show like this, then you should consider not watching. “If your eye causes you to sin, gouge it out.” Remove the occasion of sin, it that is what it is. If you are strong in your faith then by all means watch it. There is a cultural relevance in society that is helpful to have, which actually can make us better evangelists. Clearly this does not apply to all television, as some of it is clearly an occasion of sin, no matter the person.

This weeks Journey Home got me thinking about this. If someone can come from hippie-Harley land, with a lavishly decadent lifestyle and can return to the Church, and becomes a monk no less, God can do anything. Watch Ellen and make it an opportunity to faithfully pray for her.

If you were going to remove yourself from all situations on the grounds of the sins of men, you would have to consider leaving most of life. Wheat and chaff … we need to learn to live with this because that is reality, especially in the Church. That is a different topic though …
 
This may not be the kind of answer you’re looking for …

But why not give up watching talk shows such as “Ellen”? Better yet, why not give up television entirely?

I stopped watching many years ago and have suffered no ill effects. (My watching was in the evenings, not during soaps time, so I didn’t have withdrawal symptoms from no longer seeing “As the World Churns” and “Days of Our Hives.”)

There even was a cachet involved in no longer watching television. I could start a conversation just by saying that I might be the only person in my city who never saw an episode of “Seinfeld.” People’s eyes would bug out in disbelief, and they’d ask me all sorts of questions.

They couldn’t imagine how I, an apparently healthy person, could have gotten by without viewing that show, and they were floored when I said I didn’t watch any other shows either.

It was like the time I went car shopping. I got in a sedan for a test drive, with the salesman seated next to me. As soon as I started the engine, he turned up the radio. I immediately pushed the Off button.

“Don’t you want to listen to how great the eleven speakers in this sound system are?”

“Not necessary. I won’t be using them.”

“Huh? You won’t be using the sound system? What do you do when you drive?”

“I think.”

His jaw dropped. He couldn’t imagine such a thing. My guess was that he had spent too much time watching television.
 
Although Karl deserves to have the last word here, I just have to put my 2 cents in. 😃

If I refused to have dealings with sinners, not only could I never leave the house, but I’d have to remove all the mirrors because I could look at myself! Just be careful of the “product” you’re “consuming”. Poison can still taste sweet.

I understand your predicament, though. Sometimes you just want to wind down with something light and humorous. You’ll know when she’s crossed the line to offensive or blasphemous- that’s when you can exercise your right to say “No.” and turn the channel, or better yet turn it off.
 
Amen, Karl. I don’t watch TV, either (except when the Tour de France is on OLN). I have problems with more than the programming…the commercials are awful! It’s so frustrating to try to sit down with your three-year old son to watch your home team, and have to cover his eyes because the commercials are so terrible! Folks who watch TV routinely become desensitized, and are unaware of the ill effects until they stop watching…like a smoker who can’t believe how good he feels when he quits.

In addition to being a tremendous time-waster, it pollutes the mind. I recall reading about the first (and last) time Padre Pio saw a TV set…he watched for a few seconds, and said “The devil’s in it.” Probably EWTN wasn’t on then (!) but I’m sure he was right.

Good enough for me.

Glenn in KC
 
Karl Keating:
This may not be the kind of answer you’re looking for …

But why not give up watching talk shows such as “Ellen”? Better yet, why not give up television entirely?

…

It was like the time I went car shopping. I got in a sedan for a test drive, with the salesman seated next to me. As soon as I started the engine, he turned up the radio. I immediately pushed the Off button.

“Don’t you want to listen to how great the eleven speakers in this sound system are?”

“Not necessary. I won’t be using them.”

“Huh? You won’t be using the sound system? What do you do when you drive?”

“I think.”

His jaw dropped. He couldn’t imagine such a thing. My guess was that he had spent too much time watching television.
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I pretty much have given TV up, especially with the birth of my daughter - my time is limited and Ellen was the one show I treated myself to since it is on during her morning nap:) So, do I or don’t I?

BTW, Karl, I can’t believe you don’t support your own program and listen to CA in the car;)
 
Sorry, it isn’t pssible to give up the good stuff: EWTN,
anything by Agatha Christie,* Monk*, and Turner Classic Movies.
 
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cmom:
…and Turner Classic Movies.
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Ugh! 😦 I just wish we didn’t have to support Ted Turner to do it!
 
Bea'(name removed by moderator):
BTW, Karl, I can’t believe you don’t support your own program and listen to CA in the car;)
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Listen to myself? Not a chance! That would be too discouraging. It’s enough to know that each Tuesday I inflict myself on unsuspecting listeners.
 
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BikeBoy:
Amen, Karl. I don’t watch TV, either (except when the Tour de France is on OLN).
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I might make a temporary exception if there were a show about mountain biking. (I’m not a roadie so don’t take much interest in the Tour.)
 
I do not know about the rest of you but my problem is I have enough temptation in my life, and the real issues that I have with programs of this type is that they push an agenda, and the life style she has is not one I would wish for my children. So to the best of my ablity I try not to watch things that push a life style contray to what I would wish for my kids (my wish is they learn to live in accord with the Church teaching). I think by watching programs like this we support that type of life style, and the adverstisers see that. 10 years ago we would not have had a program called queer eye for the straight guy, but because we supported other programs heading down that path we now have this program, at some point we have to say to the people with the money enough, and one tv at a time we can do that. Who knows it may even get to the point you can turn on the tv without having to advert your eyes every time a sexmerical comes on.

You have to use your conscience, and what I found is the more I started to learn about the Church teaching the more alive, and formed my conscience became and I now enjoy turning off the TV and picking up a good book. It is so cool starting to have a conscience that talks back to me instead of being beat into submission by my sins.

God Bless and Be Safe
 
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srkbdk:
…and I now enjoy turning off the TV and picking up a good book.
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As we all know, it’s not the medium, it’s the message. You are absolutely right about saying no to sinful lifestyle propaganda, but remember, books can do that too. There is good on TV also, you just have to find it.
 
Karl Keating:
I might make a temporary exception if there were a show about mountain biking. (I’m not a roadie so don’t take much interest in the Tour.)
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Awwwwww, Karl, c’mon over to the Dark Side. It’s fun! And you can go really fast! :cool:

DaveBj
 
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