Is watching soap-operas a sin?

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AkronPonderer

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Since I see a lot of what I consider “made-up” sins being proposed on this board, like voting for Kerry or shopping at Walmart, I’d thought I’d give this one a whirl.

Is watching soap-opera TV shows, or any other programs with gratuitous immoral sexual or violent displays/images, a confessable sin?
 
I watch them, but I also have a sense of reality also. Many people think the story lines on soap opera, should be played out in life. They have no sense of functionality, and act out dysfunctionally. Imagine how boring a soap opera would be if the lead character didn’t have 7 husbands over the past 15 years, and all the love triangles, and have someone date their step-father’s grandmother.
 
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AkronPonderer:
Since I see a lot of what I consider “made-up” sins being proposed on this board, like voting for Kerry or shopping at Walmart, I’d thought I’d give this one a whirl.

Is watching soap-opera TV shows, or any other programs with gratuitous immoral sexual or violent displays/images, a confessable sin?
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I don’t think there is an absolute answer to this question. This is one where you need to examine your concience.

Are you using your time in the best way to serve God?

Are you watching this for some sort of sexual gratification?

Does this lead you to loosen your own morals (near occasion of sin)?

Why does watching others act out immorally give you pleasure?

You can ask many questions about this. If your viewing this is a detriment to your spiritual life. If it prevents you from living for the greater glory of God. Then maybe it is sinful.
 
I watch them sometimes but mostly now I go check on tv guide online and just look at the recaps of what happened that day, if the story line is not going anywhere I don’t bother watching but if things are actually moving then I set a tape and tape it and view it when my kids are in bed, I don’t see any reason to expose my kids to it and that way I can fast forward through the love senes as they are very corny!! 🙂
 
And…

If you ever watch, they will have every other scene with the male character with no shirt on or a towel wrapped around his waist coming out of the shower.
 
Maybe…maybe not…but watching the superbowl will almost assuredly will be…
in my view…half a brain and all…Janet J should have been charged with something similar to sexual assault for her super bowl performance… How many families have to be caught unaware that their kids are watching football game with a porno half time show??

Yeah there will be alot of I told you sos…and why did ya let em watch it in the first place…Please…none of the boy oh boy I bet ya liked it argument…some folks…a lot of folks actually looking at the movie guide in newpaper could be said to enjoy your basic good ole sexual assault…but is it right…

Just sirring the pot a bit,I know…but I am fairly serious about this…

My personal view used to be “whatever they’ll show…I’ll look at”
but they left me quite a sininer… Trying to correct that now both on the screen and in public. A little help from the ladies and the way they dress would be definitely helpful…

Please don’t go throwing scripture barbs back and forth at each other on this one…let’s throw common sense commentary back and forth…ya think
 
One of the few family things I watch is sports. Being from Massachusetts I can’t even watch the Patriots without someone trying to shock me, and I can’t watch the Red Sox’s without a fight breaking out.
 
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SHEMP:
I don’t think there is an absolute answer to this question. This is one where you need to examine your concience.

Are you using your time in the best way to serve God?

Are you watching this for some sort of sexual gratification?

Does this lead you to loosen your own morals (near occasion of sin)?

Why does watching others act out immorally give you pleasure?

You can ask many questions about this. If your viewing this is a detriment to your spiritual life. If it prevents you from living for the greater glory of God. Then maybe it is sinful.
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I think Shemp has some good guidelines to follow…
I have one that I watch occasionally… just to check in to see how things are going. When the story line gets “questionable” I turn it off and return to EWTN. I have been watching this particular “Soap” for 20 years or more off and on and I can pretty much catch up …nothing changes…What’s that saying from the movie “The Color Purple”? "The more things change, the more they stay the same ". 😉 Annunciata
 
larry j:
Maybe…maybe not…but watching the superbowl will almost assuredly will be…
in my view…half a brain and all…Janet J
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Not to get off of the Soap Opera topic but as far as sports go…

I don’t think that it is just the half-time show. I think that a person who never follows football but watches one game at a Superbowl party is hardly sinful. On the other hand if you just have to watch every game, every Sunday at the expense of your family and spiritual life then maybe you have a problem. If you watch sports with the intent of drooling at every hunk or scantily clad woman then maybe you have a problem.
 
Interesting point Shemp, but I’ve always saw sports as a family builder. soap operas on the other hand are focused to stay at home moms, giving them something to watch as the breastfeed.
 
Along with EVERYTHING in our world, when something else takes up more time than the time you spend with our Lord, then it is the point where you need to drop back your activity.
I am sure that recreation is not a sin.
BUT use it in moderation.
I would agree that the material content in all the the soap operas are immoral. Why can’t someone come up with a ‘family’ oriented soap opera with real situations and real solutions?
Think about that?

go with God!
Edwin
 
I don’t know if watching soaps is a sin or not, and I used to watch one of them pretty faithfully, but now when I find myself “checking” in on the soap, I feel like there just HAS to be something better I could be doing that would bring me a step closer to heaven than watching this soap…it happens nearly everytime I watch TV, LOL…and trust me, there’s always a dish in the sink I could wash or a load of laundry I could fold, or one of 3 or 4 books I’m in the middle of that I can pick up.

JELane
 
I surely hope that its not a sin to watch soaps since I tape one every day. LOL:o
 
I used to (and sometimes still do) struggle with what is OK to watch on TV and at the movies. Basically I have come to the conclusion that if it’s not good for my soul, and if it glorifies sinful behavior, why bother?

Also, since Jesus is with us always, I think to myself “If He came to visit my house and follow me around for a day, would I watch the things I watch and do the things I do, or would I change my behavior?”

Something to think about…
 
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renee1258:
One of the few family things I watch is sports. Being from Massachusetts I can’t even watch the Patriots without someone trying to shock me, and I can’t watch the Red Sox’s without a fight breaking out.
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Hee! That only really happens during Yankee Games. (And the Yankees deserve it:D )

While I don’t watch the Sox to drool over the players, I do admit to being a bit in love with Mark Bellhorn.
 
i hope not. i personally don’t watch american soaps, but i do watch spanish novelas, because most of them are mexican there is always something catholic in them, like the priest ,the church and most of all the devotion to virgin guadalupe. i also enjoy a good college football game. go buckeyes. our friend jesus
 
… I don’t watch soaps.

I have flipped through the channels and it would seem that a lot of the folks must be really tired out…usually somebody(s) in bed. (little humor)
I’ve heard it called women’s porn…beats me…just a stirrin the pot a bit…
 
I generally group problematic content into three areas: 1) sex, 2) violence, and 3) language/profanity. Sex and profanity don’t bother me nearly as much as graphic violence–telling myself that it’s red paint doesn’t settle my stomach. I don’t think watching any of the three is necessarily sinful, but I think you always have to ask yourself basic questions of how you are using your time and why you are watching these types of things.
 
I used to watch soaps as a lapsed Catholic. Then returning to an ardent following of the Catholic Church four years ago, consecrating my eyes, heart, mouth to our Blessed Lady new year’s eve, it was really easy to turn off the soaps and other gratuitously violent, sex-filled shows like the sopranos, sex in the city… which I watched all the time. I knew I couldn’t watch these programs with all their perverse imagery and then expect to pray the Rosary without images of these shows distracting me from time to time. Images are VERY powerful.

Now I spend most of my free time (and it’s short because of my toddler!) reading spiritually Catholic enriching books from TAN Books, the BIble, the Catechism of the Catholic Church… Did I hear an “oh brother” out there? 🙂

I have to say, my life is sooo much more fulfilling. Don’t miss the trash at all. It was really starting to stink around here. 😉
I say turn off the junk tube on the empty entertainment. But do keep abreast of news and what’s happening in the world – as well as EWTN!

Bernadette:twocents:
 
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Bernadette64:
I knew I couldn’t watch these programs with all their perverse imagery and then expect to pray the Rosary without images of these shows distracting me from time to time. Images are VERY powerful. Bernadette
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Very nicely stated, Bernadette! Images are indeed powerful and can stay with us for a long time. Every once in awhile I happen upon some horrible scene on TV and it does tend to stick with us and the enemy tries to use it to tempt us.

I’m weak enough already. I don’t need more temptations and distractions!!
 
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