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fakename
Guest
Basically is it a sin to find things like Dateline or True TV or any such stories about real-life deaths, entertaining?
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Paxvobis
Guest
It depends.
What do you mean by entertaining? If it’s because you like the murder mystery genre, than I don’t see how it would be sinful.
Dateline NBC and shows of a similar vein are basically news programs and it’s not sinful to watch a news program despite gruesome elements.
In my judgement, it would only be sinful to watch these programs if it provides pleasure for someone to see people suffer or if doing so would be an occasion of sin.
What do you mean by entertaining? If it’s because you like the murder mystery genre, than I don’t see how it would be sinful.
Dateline NBC and shows of a similar vein are basically news programs and it’s not sinful to watch a news program despite gruesome elements.
In my judgement, it would only be sinful to watch these programs if it provides pleasure for someone to see people suffer or if doing so would be an occasion of sin.
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Catholic90
Guest
Of course not. They are news type programs, telling of a crime, then delving into how they solved the crime and served justice.
They are what I fall asleep to every night!
They are what I fall asleep to every night!
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smichhertz
Guest
No, that’s not sinful. Simply finding darker topics entertaining doesn’t mean you are condoning the crimes that took place.
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Robert_Sock
Guest
Whenever you intentionally take your mind off God you are sinning. “Pray without ceasing” (1 Thessalonians 5:17).
“You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might” (Deuteronomy 6:5).
“You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might” (Deuteronomy 6:5).
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Catholic90
Guest
But we can still watch shows and be entertained. It is not a sin to do so.
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Robert_Sock
Guest
If you can do it without taking your mind off of God. I contend that it’s best not to. It’s all a matter of degree that we keep our minds fixated on God. This is what the monks and hermits try to achieve.
It might make more sense to consider that we are living this live in exile and are in need of salvation.
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fakename
Guest
when someone feels pleasure in suffering does that mean pleasure in the suffering per se or pleasure in the suffering because of some extrinsic thing brought about by the suffering -like an adrenline rush?
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Paxvobis
Guest
Pleasure in suffering per se.
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Catholic90
Guest
Monks and hermits can do that - they take vows and what not.
I am not called to be monk nor a hermit. I can watch true crime shows and not sin! I can also watch “world’s dumbest”, “Jail”, “Bait Car”, “Storage Wars”, “Swamp People”, “Steven Colbert” and all those shows and not sin either. They are fun, they are entertaining, and they are shows that my kids and I enjoy watching together.
Maybe some people can think about God all day and watch only EWTN. I do not find EWTN entertaining, fun, or relaxing. If I watched EWTN all the time, my kids would leave the room! ** I** would leave the room!
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mark_a
Guest
I have watched some of these shows and have come to realize that they are in the Jerry Springer category i.e. shows that exploit people in pain for my own entertainment.
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Catholic90
Guest
Shows like “Forensics Files” show how crimes are solved forensically. I find it interesting. Other shows like “Bait Car” and “Cops” show dumb criminals caught in the act. Dumb criminals would not be on the shows if they were not criminals! Others like “Steve Colbert” are humorous commentaries on current events. “Disorder in the Court” shows what some people do inside courthouses. I find it entertaining.
I don’t tend to watch shows like “Operation Repo” and “Lizard Lick” because those are completely staged.
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Robert_Sock
Guest
It’s all matter of degree of holiness. Yes, you can watch these shows and most people would say they are not sinful. The more grace God gives a person, the more He expects from them. I personally do not have a TV in my house, but I get to watch EWTN off the internet.
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mark_a
Guest
“Cops” is the only one of those shows I’ve ever heard of, so I guess it’s pretty obvious I don’t have pay tv.
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Catholic90
Guest
Whether or not one has a TV is not an indication of one’s holiness.
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Robert_Sock
Guest
The degree to which you keep your mind on God is a sign of holiness. TV can easily direct your thoughts away from God. That’s all I’m saying. Please don’t twist things.
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Catholic90
Guest
What I am saying is that one can watch entertaining TV shows and be holy! One does not have to sit in quiet prayer all day to be holy.
We can laugh at things. We can learn things. We can just veg out at things. It’s OK.
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Robert_Sock
Guest
And all I’m saying is that holiness is a matter of degree. Hermits and monks shoot for the gold, and try to live very holy lives by keeping their mind fixated on their Savior.
Their are so many things in this world whereby focusing our attention on them leads us away from holiness. Satan is subtle and will do all he can to lead us away from holiness.
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mark_a
Guest
True, but i think holy people have less use for a tv than folks like me.
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Debora123
Guest
I’m not sure what you mean by “keeping our minds on God all the time.”
Do you mean constantly thinking about God? I am sorry, but this is quite a bit much for the average person trying to get through their daily lives. How is anyone expected to focus on work, school, or taking a test, if they’re constantly day dreaming about God???
Weird.
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