Is it sinful to watch this kind of TV?

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This is a great thread with lots of insightful posts. At the very least, almost everything on tv is a huge waste of time. There are times when it can be sinful and not just because of program content. When we start to put the “god of tv” before our one true God, we are guilty of violating the first commandment. Therefore, we are often commiting venial sins by watching too much tv and can also be guilty of mortal sins depending on the program content and what it does to us.

Let me give a personal example. For many years, after my wife and kids went to bed, I would watch tv until 12:30 - 1:00 AM. It was all junk (old sitcoms, sports, news, etc). Nothing sinful or offensive, but for the most part mindless entertainment. I would put off saying my prayers until I was ready for bed and for the most part I would either forget to say them or fall asleep before finishing them. I also had a hard time dragging myself out of bed the next morning. My justification for watching tv was that I needed to escape from all of the family and work difficulties that I had to face during the day. I honestly wanted nothing to do with spiritual reading or EWTN because it was too boring and I just wanted to relax.

About a year ago, I got sick and went through a major conversion experience. At this point I gave my life to the Lord and starting spending time doing things that would help me and my family get to Heaven. Now, after my wife and kids go to bed, I sit down (in a room with no tv) and prayer evening prayer (from the Liturgy of the Hours) followed by some spiritual reading (the Bible, the Catechism, etc) for about an hour. After that is finished, I sometimes watch tv (for maybe 15-20 minutes). I now go to bed at 11:00 or 11:15 because I need to wake up at 6AM so I can pray the Liturgy of the Hours and go to daily Mass. This has made a HUGE difference in my life. I have never been so peaceful before and I feel like I am finally putting the Lord first.

The main reason that we are on earth is to get to Heaven and help those around us to get there also. I strongly urge everyone reading this to take a good look at how you spend your leisure time. If it doesn’t help you to get to Heaven, consider eliminating it. TV can sometimes be beneficial in that it can help us to recharge our batteries, but we need to keep it in perspective. Try some spiritual reading every evening and keep at it. It really will change your life as it did mine.

God Bless,
Gary
 
I’ll take a stab: whether the programming is “sinful” is a vague question. One may ask, is watching a “sin”, and then we can ask whether we mean mortal or venial. Watching some programming would be mortally sinful, if we know that we are heavily inclined toward mortal sin after being exposed to the imagery or other content of it. As Fr. Herbert Raterman says in Charity and Sex and the Young Man (Roman Catholic Books): “Any one of the following would be a mortal sin: One fully intends to arouse himself–whether he spills his seed or not.” “A boy enters a situation wherein his passions are stirred violently, and he does not have sufficient reason for going into the situation.” Etc. If certain programming is known by the viewer to have this effect, then it is a mortal sin to view it. Even if the given programming is not likely to have such a dramatic effect, it may be a venial sin to view it, in being an offense in a light matter representing a partial or small aversion from God (The Concise Catholic Dictionary). Of course, a given individual may be strong enough not to be drawn into the coarse and ribald humor, but I would venture to say that few people are, perhaps because the producers make heavy use of social cueing systems that trigger our mechanisms, e.g. the laugh track, and the actors’ gestures: consider “Friends”, wherein the actors do the most awful things, and laugh heartily, e.g. fornication is discussed quite favorably and openly, sometimes in a matter-of-fact way, sometimes with gales of laughter.

A useful concept is that some materials are propaedeutic. This means that they prepare the way for further shifts. One is eased into taking one or another thing in stride, and worse material is then easier to accept. This is not to imply that a plot is on; it is just our fallen nature: nature unaided by grace, taking its course. Most of Hollywood is not Catholic. Some people argue that Harry Potter is propaedeutic, and tending to make occult matters easier to accept, or more interesting to investigate.

A careful Catholic wouldn’t need to shrink from such programming for research purposes, however. Approaching it to see what the culture is getting itself into would not be a sin, barring some problem with the researcher (ease of falling into solitary vice, for example). Approaching it for a clinical purpose would reduce the likelihood that one would be susceptible to its charms. This would hearken to Fr. Raterman’s point about sufficient reason.
 
Christus Rex:
I don’t know about this NYPD Blue thing, but DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES is one of the most funny, brilliant shows on TV at the moment!

And, if you ever listen to Mary-Alice’s narration, it’s packed full of morals!

Michael
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I would think one way to ‘accept’ violence, corruption, and sexually explicit material is to make it ‘funny and humorous’. In this way, humor weakens the defenses of the analytical mind.

Humor itself IS NOT wrong, but the way it is used can be.
 
Someone back there said it but I think it is true, no one who has come to know and love God would be entertained by these kinds of television shows, or television in general. Whenever I get stuck watching things like that, I feel sad and angry at the same time.
I remeber once (some years ago) when I was working at a residential program for teens, one of them put in a tape of some “bad boy” comedian. The kids were all laughing and they asked me how I could not think it was funny. I told them that I did think it was funny, but I asked them why, the whole time I was listening, I was also feeling as if I shouldn’t be? Obviously, the answer is that we all know, instinctively, what is wrong, and when we override our innate knowlege of what is wrong, in order to be entertained, them we risk, at some point, losing our common sense. They never put in another tape like that…ever…
 
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Brad:
Before giving theological advice, do some research. Saying that nothing can be sinful simply by watching it on TV is far too simplified and simply incorrect.
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I agree!. You are supposed to avoid occassions of sin, no matter if it’s tv, movies, magazines, etc. Most prime time tv is nothing but trash, and I refuse to watch it. If tv reflects what actually goes on in America, God help us all.
 
It depends. If you watch pornography, you are sinning. But I am a huge fan of GTO, which has a lot of juvenille humor and a bit of “ecchi-ness” to it. But it’s hillarious, and for the most part, brilliant. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with it.
 
Ahh, but DH is NOT violent, corrupted, and sexually explicit. It shows women who have given things up, and the positive and negative aspects of their lives. It is incredibly funny and yes, people have affairs, moral dilemmas etc. but the consequences, if they make the wrong decision, always show thta the decision was wrong. The fact is that this is AN EXAGGERATED VIEW of life, so it has some violent moments, some moments which show bad sides of a character, and some affairs yes. But if you watch the series, you would see how everything turns out (it shows how the bad things thye do have bad consequences). I am CERTAINLY not sinning by watching this programme.

Michael 😦
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Edwin1961:
I would think one way to ‘accept’ violence, corruption, and sexually explicit material is to make it ‘funny and humorous’. In this way, humor weakens the defenses of the analytical mind.

Humor itself IS NOT wrong, but the way it is used can be.
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Christus Rex:
Ahh, but DH is NOT violent, corrupted, and sexually explicit. … The fact is that this is AN EXAGGERATED VIEW of life,
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“Desperate Housewives” is not sexually explicit? Well truthfully I have to admit I never watched a moment of it, because the advertisements, discussions, and related shenanigans all indicated that it would indeed be quite an “exaggerated view” of things. Fiction does present us with exaggerated situations and characterizations, but some things are occasions of sin; we don’t need some things to be exaggerated for us to work toward our salvation. I think that in the scheme of knowing what’s important, that program cannot help but be a deliberate venial sin at best.
 
Entertainment can be looked at as an amusement or diversion intended to hold the attention of an audience or its participants. Many forms of entertainment are transferred through the TV. My opinion has always been that some forms of it are good while others are not. Watching something that portrays any kind of sinfulness can either be sinful (i.e. porn) or a near occasion of sin. I have likened to compare the intake of media to the intake of food. If we allow ourselves to eat junk food a lot, we get out of shape. So too with our spiritual health, if we feed our minds and souls with junk, they too become out of shape. A poorly taken care of body will be more apt to get sick whereas the poorly taken care of soul will be more apt to fall into spiritual sickness. Even though TV may not be totally sinful it can desensitize us toward what sin is and its effects on the soul. For example, if we are not to take the Lord’s name in vain, why is it ok to expose ourselves to people that do on TV shows or in music, etc. Use the same example for things such as sexual impurity – the result turns out the same. If entertainment is to be looked at as an amusement or diversion we have to ask ourselves if things of a sinful nature are amusing or worth diverting our attention. I would hope that the answer would be no.

Would not the person who desires not to do wrong things also desire not to watch shows that depict other people doing them?
 
Christus Rex:
Ahh, but DH is NOT violent, corrupted, and sexually explicit. It shows women who have given things up, and the positive and negative aspects of their lives. It is incredibly funny and yes, people have affairs, moral dilemmas etc.
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I am not seeing how women in a show who have affairs can at the time be in a show that is not corrupted. Having an affair is a serious sin against marriage and should not be taken lightly even if it is only the part of a favorite TV show. If we follow your premise then we need to ask what other serious sins are ok to watch people portray on TV. I suppose that the point would be that: 1) the characters in that show by having affairs are portraying a sinful action. 2) It is wrong to find any humor in that or any other moral dilemma they find themselves in. 3) If these housewives are having affairs with other men, they are sinful and corrupted as well as the show. Even if it is not sexually explicit the sexual connotations are most certainly there - still inappropriate for any Christian to be entertained by - since we are called to purity. 4) We can not judge a TV show by trying to outweigh the evil by the good because the fact is - you are still watching people do evil things.
 
I don’t know if just watching the shows is really sinful. However, by watching such shows you become desensitized to violence and sex, which could lead you to the path of sin. I think most people can watch a show and not commit the violence (murder etc) but sex is another matter.

The eyes are the window to your soul. . . why would you open up the windows and stain your soul?

Oh Yeah, I voted yes because of the desensitization to sin.
 
It’s just plain wrong to be amused at the ignorance and sinfulness of others, whether they are real or imagined. I cringe every time I see this stuff on tv., wondering how it could be corrupting or desensitizing some unenlightened mind. It’s just awful to contemplate how this could be affecting judgement. And if you think it’s everyone else’s problem, remember that those could be the folks who vote and share in a say about what happens in our society. Is this where some will form their values???
 
I personally don’t see anything morally apprehensible about these TV shows. Entertainment is what you make of it. If you are watching nip/tuck and are dreaming of yourself being involved in the same immorality as they are, then of course you are sinning. I, for one, can watch those shows and be disgusted by the characters actions but still enjoy the show. Real life is full of immorality and if we are never ever exposed to it, how will we deal with it in the world? A devout and contemplative Christian can use these shows as a way to develop his/her conscience. He/she can examine what to do if ever confronted with similar situations. Isn’t this how we are supposed to form a good conscience?
When we were in school we read books about immoral characters (even pagans). Is this immoral? No, of course not. Even in Catholic schools we read books like Macbeth and other stories full of blood and adultery and pagan worship.
Jesus never condemned entertainment (like plays) that contained immorality in the script nor did the Apostles. If a person feels that a particular TV program may lead them to sin, then I would advise that person to avoid it. Bottom line…it’s ubsurd to say that a particular TV program could be a sin to watch. If that’s the case then I guess we have to avoid great Shakespeare classics and Greek Mythology and even Harry Potter for his sorcery!
 
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Bry:
I personally don’t see anything morally apprehensible about these TV shows. Entertainment is what you make of it. If you are watching nip/tuck and are dreaming of yourself being involved in the same immorality as they are, then of course you are sinning. I, for one, can watch those shows and be disgusted by the characters actions but still enjoy the show. Real life is full of immorality and if we are never ever exposed to it, how will we deal with it in the world? A devout and contemplative Christian can use these shows as a way to develop his/her conscience. He/she can examine what to do if ever confronted with similar situations. Isn’t this how we are supposed to form a good conscience?
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Bry,

While I agree that it might not be a sin to watch programs that have shady characters in them, I think it’s a bit of a stretch to say that watching them helps to develop your conscience. This is like saying that in order to develop a healthy attitude on sexuality, I need to watch pornography. Wouldn’t it be a better use of our time to read some spiritual books or to watch EWTN if we want to develop our conscience. How about praying before the Blessed Sacrament?

Have you ever heard of the expression, “garbage in, garbage out”? If you’re watching garbage on tv, it’s going to negatively influence your thinking.

Also, I disagree with your point that the sinfulness of a program depends on the individual. While it may be true in some cases, there are programs on tv that are objectively sinful to watch.

God Bless,
Gary
 
My two cents: I think people who justify watching corrupt television shows or movies by saying “I can spot the immorality” or “it’s just entertainment – I’m not persuaded by it,” etc., are deluding themselves. And I say this as a still-in-recovery TV junkie. It’s safe to say that immoral media does have a desensitizing effect on even the most faithful, moral people, which is why you just shouldn’t watch it at all. Didn’t Jesus say something along the lines of, tear out your eyeball if it keeps looking at bad stuff (I don’t been to be glib – I just honestly don’t remember the citation)?

Here’s an example, not from TV but from print media: I’ve subscribed to Rolling Stone for awhile. But today, for the first time when I was reading it, I was genuinely appalled by the immorality contained therein, and felt real guilt for even reading it. So I’m going to call Rolling Stone, cancel my subscription, and tell them why. I’m also trying to wean myself off bad TV shows, other magazines, etc., because even though I may find them entertaining, and even though I may be able to recognize immorality and sinfulness when I see it, I think it’s best to not even expose myself to it at all.

As for Desperate Housewives, sorry for you fans but it’s total trash.
 
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pear:
My two cents: I think people who justify watching corrupt television shows or movies by saying “I can spot the immorality” or “it’s just entertainment – I’m not persuaded by it,” etc., are deluding themselves. And I say this as a still-in-recovery TV junkie. It’s safe to say that immoral media does have a desensitizing effect on even the most faithful, moral people, which is why you just shouldn’t watch it at all. Didn’t Jesus say something along the lines of, tear out your eyeball if it keeps looking at bad stuff (I don’t been to be glib – I just honestly don’t remember the citation)?

Here’s an example, not from TV but from print media: I’ve subscribed to Rolling Stone for awhile. But today, for the first time when I was reading it, I was genuinely appalled by the immorality contained therein, and felt real guilt for even reading it. So I’m going to call Rolling Stone, cancel my subscription, and tell them why. I’m also trying to wean myself off bad TV shows, other magazines, etc., because even though I may find them entertaining, and even though I may be able to recognize immorality and sinfulness when I see it, I think it’s best to not even expose myself to it at all.

As for Desperate Housewives, sorry for you fans but it’s total trash.
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There’s just too much to keep track of. We’ve been trained and trained to congratulate ourselves on being able to separate the ‘sin from the sinner’ for so long, but now there is just too much for the eye to keep up with. And that is the definition of pornography. Our minds have become blinded (pornographised) by our being trained to constantly say ‘We see’.

That being said, I do believe at this point that there are perhaps two oasis’ out there: EWTN and IFC; the Church and true philosophical art (even if sometimes sinning).
 
You should see both:
  1. “Television: Prelude to Chaos” by Fr. Frank Poncelet
  2. www.turnoffyourtv.com
If you are serious about being a HOLY Catholic.

There’s another great article titled “Television and the Catholic Home” on the Internet. I think at Kensmen website.
 
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UKcatholicGuy:
Is it sinful for Christians to watch shows like Desperate Housewives or NYPD Blue? You know, shows that are more sexually explicit, violent, and use more curse words than most.

Well?
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A better question might be, “Why would you want to?” Particularly NYPD Blue, Law & Order(s), CSI and just about every other “detective” show that is on TV nowadays. Most of them aren’t mysteries or dramas or thrilling whodunits so much as they are just fictional chronicles of human misery and despair. I don’t get the appeal at all. I enjoy a good drama now and then, but these shows have no resolution, no real heroes (just anitheroes or morally ambiguous facades masquerading as characters).

Do people not have enough misery in their lives that they have to watch suffering as entertainment? This applies to most reality TV as well. Most of what passes as “drama” on TV today is really just daytime soaps with bigger budgets and primetime viewing schedules.

That being said, Monk wasn’t half bad before they ran out of material.

As for Desperate Housewives, I fail to understand how licence, deceit and failing relationships are “funny” even as a satire. Even if you can discern the difference between right and wrong yourself (and therefore won’t emulate these people), why would you want to watch it? What’s entertaining about it?

Maybe it’s just because I’ve seen too much of this garbage in real life that I just don’t find it funny anymore.
 
I think it does depend on what you do with the information you receive, but then again, there are very few TV shows I watch on a regular basis (but I have to admit to coming back to CSI every so often).

Goodfellas is one of my favorite movies, but not BECAUSE of the fact that they curse, cheat on their wives, murder, and break the law, but becuase in the end you see how far behind they have all ended up because they did those things.

I think if you are watching such things completely as escapism, and never morally weighing the characters and plots, then you are, at the very least, wasting time, but I don’t think that you can make a blanket statement that watching TV shows with objectionable material is a sin.
 
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