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EphelDuath
Guest
Or read a political book by a commentator whose beliefs contradict with the Church?
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MarcoPolo
Guest
I would think it depends on your “support” of the comedian or politician. I know the likes of Karl Keating read many publications offensive to the Church for purposes of learning. So that’s an example of it not being a problem at all.
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HelenRose
Guest
I think it is important to read material written by people whose opinions are likely to affect your life. I don’t think it is necessary to listen to offensive comedians.
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MarieVeronica
Guest
I once heard someone say, that when we watch or listen to or read offensive materials… they are forever “burned” into our consciousness. So, even though we live in a time and a culture, where it is difficult NOT to be bombarded with offensive materials… I would advise extreme caution… with whatever you view, listen to or read. Be selective. Because, once it’s there… it’s THERE. God bless.
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Fidelis
Guest
Ditto!
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Brian_Reeves
Guest
I see “sin” as anything that takes one away from God, so if it’s “offensive” don’t listen !!! Brian
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kitkatty
Guest
As soon as I can tell they are offensive I`m not really interested in listening to them anymore.
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anamchara
Guest
We watch comedains a great deal in our house. The ones who are really offensive, I find are not funny. Jerry Seinfield is funny but he normally doesn’t resort to being offensive. There is some great comedains out there that are not always offensive. If they are resorting to foul language at every other word, then they are not worth listening to. I just turn the channel.
Another comedain I really like is Ryan Regan. He does not resort to cheap humor. Very funny. Of course you didn’t ask me what I like 
I wouldn’t say it’s a sin but like someone brought up, if you feel it separates you from God then maybe it is.
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goofyjim
Guest
I don’t think it is. It’s just comedy.
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Squiggle000
Guest
I don’t think that it would be a sin to listen to a comedian because he is just stating his opinion and may or may not truly mean what he is saying. He can just be using his jokes for an act or to get a lot of laughs from the audience
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Simon_X
Guest
I hope not, I like Dane Cook, but sometimes he strays into some topics that aren’t necessarily wholesome.
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Brett1357
Guest
I feel guilty whenever I hear a comedian tackle anything on the Catholic Religio; so I just play along and pretend not care (though I kinda do), change the station, or do something else.
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LambOfGod
Guest
If your a christian and you sit and listen to comedians who constantly speak of offensive things like about dirty sex and are constantly swearing and your roaring in laughter by all the obsenities.
Then your not much of a christian …and if you were to die a hour later after watching and roaring in laughter with a offensive comedian.
Could you see Jesus with open arms saying well done good faithful servant.
The road to heaven is very narrow and few that enter.
Then your not much of a christian …and if you were to die a hour later after watching and roaring in laughter with a offensive comedian.
Could you see Jesus with open arms saying well done good faithful servant.
The road to heaven is very narrow and few that enter.
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brockmac
Guest
The better part of me feels that it is sinful to view/listen to entertainment that is contrary to the faith. That said, I don’t always listen to that better part of me, and truth be told, I seldom remeber to confess my entertainment choices.
I thank the OP for bringing this up as something for me to think more deeply about, and hopefully find a way to make my entertainment choices more consistent with what I believe.
I thank the OP for bringing this up as something for me to think more deeply about, and hopefully find a way to make my entertainment choices more consistent with what I believe.
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HelenRose
Guest
It is something to be aware of. It is difficult to avoid this kind of entertainment. We have seriously cut back on watching TV and that helps. But the better part of me still isn’t always in control and I will find myself vegetating in front of the idiot box when I know good and well there are better things to be doing.
A friend of mine sent me this e-mail a few days ago. I think it’s apropos to the topic at hand…
****Some years ago, I walked into my office after a Sunday morning service to ********find a sandwich bag on my desk containing three chocolate brownies. ********Some thoughtful and anonymous person who knew my love for chocolate had ********placed them there, along with a piece of paper that had a short story ********written on it. I immediately sat down and began eating the first brownie as I ****read the following story:
****Two teenagers asked their father if they could go the theater to watch a ********movie that all their friends had seen. After reading some reviews about the movie on the Internet, he denied their request. “Aw dad, why not?” they complained. “It’s rated PG-13, and we’re both older ********than thirteen.” ****
****Dad replied: "Because that movie contains nudity and portrays immorality as ****being normal and acceptable behavior."
****"But dad, those are just very small parts of the movie! That’s what our ********friends who’ve seen it have told us. The movie is two hours long and those ********scenes are just a few minutes of the total film! It’s based on a true story ********and good triumphs over evil, and there are other redeeming themes like ****courage and self-sacrifice. Even the movie review websites say that!"
****"My answer is ‘no,’ and that is my final answer. You are welcome to stay ********home tonight, invite some of your friends over, and watch one of the good ********videos we have in our home collection. But you will not go and watch that ****film. End of discussion."
****The two teenagers walked dejectedly into the family room and slumped down on ********the couch. As they sulked, they were surprised to hear the sounds of their ********father preparing something in the kitchen. They soon recognized the ********wonderful aroma of brownies baking in the oven, and one of the teenagers ********said to the other, "Dad must be feeling guilty, and now he’s going to try ********to make it up to us with some fresh brownies. Maybe we can soften him with ********lots of praise when he brings them out to us and persuade him to let us go ****to that movie after all."
****About that time I began eating the second brownie from the sandwich bag and ********wondered if there was some connection to the brownies I was eating and the ****brownies in the story. I kept reading…
(continued in next post…)
****Some years ago, I walked into my office after a Sunday morning service to ********find a sandwich bag on my desk containing three chocolate brownies. ********Some thoughtful and anonymous person who knew my love for chocolate had ********placed them there, along with a piece of paper that had a short story ********written on it. I immediately sat down and began eating the first brownie as I ****read the following story:
****Two teenagers asked their father if they could go the theater to watch a ********movie that all their friends had seen. After reading some reviews about the movie on the Internet, he denied their request. “Aw dad, why not?” they complained. “It’s rated PG-13, and we’re both older ********than thirteen.” ****
****Dad replied: "Because that movie contains nudity and portrays immorality as ****being normal and acceptable behavior."
****"But dad, those are just very small parts of the movie! That’s what our ********friends who’ve seen it have told us. The movie is two hours long and those ********scenes are just a few minutes of the total film! It’s based on a true story ********and good triumphs over evil, and there are other redeeming themes like ****courage and self-sacrifice. Even the movie review websites say that!"
****"My answer is ‘no,’ and that is my final answer. You are welcome to stay ********home tonight, invite some of your friends over, and watch one of the good ********videos we have in our home collection. But you will not go and watch that ****film. End of discussion."
****The two teenagers walked dejectedly into the family room and slumped down on ********the couch. As they sulked, they were surprised to hear the sounds of their ********father preparing something in the kitchen. They soon recognized the ********wonderful aroma of brownies baking in the oven, and one of the teenagers ********said to the other, "Dad must be feeling guilty, and now he’s going to try ********to make it up to us with some fresh brownies. Maybe we can soften him with ********lots of praise when he brings them out to us and persuade him to let us go ****to that movie after all."
****About that time I began eating the second brownie from the sandwich bag and ********wondered if there was some connection to the brownies I was eating and the ****brownies in the story. I kept reading…
(continued in next post…)
(continued from previous post)
****The teens were not disappointed. Soon their father appeared with a plate of ********warm brownies which he offered to his kids. They each took one. Then their ********father said, “Before you eat, I want to tell you something: I love you both ********so much.” The teenagers smiled at each other with knowing glances. Dad was ****softening.
[FONT=Arial
Narrow]“That is why I’ve made these brownies with the very best ingredients. ********I’ve made them from scratch. Most of the ingredients are even organic. ********The best organic flour. The best free-range eggs. The best organic sugar. ********Premium vanilla and chocolate.” ****
****The brownies looked mouth-watering, and the teens began to become a little ********impatient with their dad’s long speech. ********“But I want to be perfectly honest with you. There is one ingredient I added ********that is not usually found in brownies. I got that ingredient from our own ********back yard. But you needn’t worry, because I only added the tiniest bit of ********that ingredient to your brownies. The amount of the portion is practically ********insignificant. So go ahead, take a bite and let me know what you think.” ****
****"Dad, would you mind telling us what that mystery ingredient is before we ****eat?"
****“Why? The portion I added was so small, just a teaspoonful. You won’t even ********taste it.” ****
****“Come on, dad; just tell us what that ingredient is.” ****
"Don’t worry! It is organic, just like the other ingredients."
****“Dad!” ****
(continued on next post…)
****The teens were not disappointed. Soon their father appeared with a plate of ********warm brownies which he offered to his kids. They each took one. Then their ********father said, “Before you eat, I want to tell you something: I love you both ********so much.” The teenagers smiled at each other with knowing glances. Dad was ****softening.
[FONT=Arial
Narrow]“That is why I’ve made these brownies with the very best ingredients. ********I’ve made them from scratch. Most of the ingredients are even organic. ********The best organic flour. The best free-range eggs. The best organic sugar. ********Premium vanilla and chocolate.” ****
****The brownies looked mouth-watering, and the teens began to become a little ********impatient with their dad’s long speech. ********“But I want to be perfectly honest with you. There is one ingredient I added ********that is not usually found in brownies. I got that ingredient from our own ********back yard. But you needn’t worry, because I only added the tiniest bit of ********that ingredient to your brownies. The amount of the portion is practically ********insignificant. So go ahead, take a bite and let me know what you think.” ****
****"Dad, would you mind telling us what that mystery ingredient is before we ****eat?"
****“Why? The portion I added was so small, just a teaspoonful. You won’t even ********taste it.” ****
****“Come on, dad; just tell us what that ingredient is.” ****
"Don’t worry! It is organic, just like the other ingredients."
****“Dad!” ****
(continued on next post…)
(continued…)
****“Well, OK, if you insist. That secret ingredient is organic…dog poop.” ********I immediately stopped chewing that second brownie and I spit it out into the ********waste basket by my desk. I continued reading, now fearful of the paragraphs ****that still remained.
****Both teens instantly dropped their brownies back on the plate and began ********inspecting their fingers with horror. ********"DAD! Why did you do that? You’ve tortured us by making us smell those ********brownies cooking for the last half hour, and now you tell us that you added ****dog poop! We can’t eat these brownies!"
[FONT=Arial
Narrow]
****"Why not? The amount of dog poop is very small compared to the rest of the ********ingredients. It won’t hurt you. It’s been cooked right along with the other ********ingredients. You won’t even taste it. It has the same consistency as the ****brownies. Go ahead and eat!
"No, Dad…NEVER!"
****"And that is the same reason I won’t allow you to go watch that movie. ********You won’t tolerate a little dog poop in your brownies, so why should you ********tolerate a little immorality in your movies? We pray that God will not lead ********us unto temptation, so how can we in good conscience entertain ourselves ********with something that will imprint a sinful image in our minds that will lead ****us into temptation long after we first see it?
****I discarded what remained of the second brownie as well as the entire ********untouched third brownie. What had been irresistible a minute go had become ********detestable. And only because of the very slim chance that what I was eating ****was slightly polluted. (Surely it wasn’t…but I couldn’t convince myself.)
****What a good lesson about purity! Why do we tolerate any sin? On the day of ********the Passover, the Israelites were commanded to remove every bit of leaven ****from their homes. Sin is like leaven - a little bit leavens the whole lump.
****“Well, OK, if you insist. That secret ingredient is organic…dog poop.” ********I immediately stopped chewing that second brownie and I spit it out into the ********waste basket by my desk. I continued reading, now fearful of the paragraphs ****that still remained.
****Both teens instantly dropped their brownies back on the plate and began ********inspecting their fingers with horror. ********"DAD! Why did you do that? You’ve tortured us by making us smell those ********brownies cooking for the last half hour, and now you tell us that you added ****dog poop! We can’t eat these brownies!"
[FONT=Arial
Narrow]
****"Why not? The amount of dog poop is very small compared to the rest of the ********ingredients. It won’t hurt you. It’s been cooked right along with the other ********ingredients. You won’t even taste it. It has the same consistency as the ****brownies. Go ahead and eat!
"No, Dad…NEVER!"
****"And that is the same reason I won’t allow you to go watch that movie. ********You won’t tolerate a little dog poop in your brownies, so why should you ********tolerate a little immorality in your movies? We pray that God will not lead ********us unto temptation, so how can we in good conscience entertain ourselves ********with something that will imprint a sinful image in our minds that will lead ****us into temptation long after we first see it?
****I discarded what remained of the second brownie as well as the entire ********untouched third brownie. What had been irresistible a minute go had become ********detestable. And only because of the very slim chance that what I was eating ****was slightly polluted. (Surely it wasn’t…but I couldn’t convince myself.)
****What a good lesson about purity! Why do we tolerate any sin? On the day of ********the Passover, the Israelites were commanded to remove every bit of leaven ****from their homes. Sin is like leaven - a little bit leavens the whole lump.
B
beckycmarie
Guest
St. Paul says,
“Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.”
Philippians 4:8
And in a stronger admonition, he says
"I beg you that when I come I may not have to be as bold as I expect to be toward some people who think that we live by the standards of this world. For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.
2 Corinthians 10:2-5
Good standards by which to judge what we choose to consume.
“Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.”
Philippians 4:8
And in a stronger admonition, he says
"I beg you that when I come I may not have to be as bold as I expect to be toward some people who think that we live by the standards of this world. For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.
2 Corinthians 10:2-5
Good standards by which to judge what we choose to consume.
C
Conservative
Guest
Are you talking their beliefs or their writings?
I just plain wouldn’t - I wouldn’t read it, support it, or buy it.
As regards reading books, anything that I’m told is contradictory I think reading it would depend on the approach of the reader. If you are reading it, solely to gain insight as to how they are either attacking or contradicting the Church, that’s one thing. But consult your priest about this, as I may not be explaining correctly. If it’s to go to their side, or if you feel you would be weakened enough to go contradictory to the Church, then it’s an occasion of sin, and, yes, it would be (in my opinion) a sin to read it. However, even if you are well-intentioned, if you are seen reading it - you are advertising the book and bringing it to the attention of others. If you buy it, you are supporting it. Two major red flags to stear clear completely.
Comedians or entertainers - the first time, if you don’t know they are offensive, it’s not your fault. If you continue viewing them on TV - or if you buy tickets to return seeing them and support them with the knowledge they are contradictory, I’d say it’s a sin. For instance, Joy Behar (discussed in these forums previously) - I never heard the derogatory comments she’d made that were once discussed here. I’d heard something else. She’s the reason I stopped watching “The View” after that.
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