Is watching t.v. a sin?

[sidbrown]

Well, to play devil’s advocate here…

Catholics are called to make good use of their time. All of us are. But what about someone who enjoys and gets things out of programming that is deemed by others as “stupid” and watches it for 2 hours to realx after a 40+ hour week at work and all their other responsibilities are cared for.

I think that 2 hours of TV per week is fine. I was speaking about 14 hours per week (2 hours per day) of junk TV being problematical.

 

[thistle]

In fact there’s a patron saint of television (St Clare) - note she isn’t ‘patron saint ***against ***television’!

And I imagine if Mother Angelica or Archbishop Fulton Sheen were ever to be canonised (many people are pressing for Sheen to be) they’d be patron saints of it too - both of them have used TV as an incredibly powerful weapon with which to wage war against evil.

 

[PrayHarder]

I think that 2 hours of TV per week is fine. I was speaking about 14 hours per week (2 hours per day) of junk TV being problematical.

I really don’t think you can put a qualitative amount to how much TV is a sin. I don’t recall the Church saying, “2 hours/night = sin, < 2 hours/night = ok.” Like I said in my previous post, there is nothing intrinsically wrong with a TV set. It is a box that transmits sound and pictures. If you become a slave to your TV and neglect your other duties then you’re crossing into dangerous territory. If you are watching unwholesome programming then you are crossing into dangerous territory. However, in individual’s threshold for how much is too much will vary.

 

[DanteAlighieri]

I don;t think so. If you are watching non-pornographic, but stupid programming, for more than two hours a day, I think that this is a sin of wasting your time. I thought that Catholics were required to put their time to good use.

Leisure time is important, too. Note that leisure is distinct from work, prayer, etc. There is nothing inherently wrong with watching TV for leisure, just as there is nothing inherently wrong with feeding pigeons, swimming, roller skating, or napping.

Peace,
Dante

 

[juliamajor]

You can pick up any smut you want with either venues, but you can control what you observe much, much more easily off of having the control the web gives us, but just saying, it’s a much better way to go for our entertainment, you also might actually do something along the way, talk to another human being rather then just being fed ****…just as you and I are doing here…

You have alot of control over a TV also.It’s called a remote control.

 

[DaughterOfMary6]

I disagree that watching TV is a sin. Watching TV is not inherently sinful. However, I do agree that there are certain television shows like Nip/Tuck (I despise that show) that contain very graphic sexual content or promote immoral views. Those are the ones to stay away from. They can be an occasion of sin, or, if viewed willingly and the content was pornographic, it can be a mortal sin.

There are, however, very good, very informative shows on TV as well:

EWTN and PBS are a few channels I frequently watch.

 

[prodigalson12]

You have alot of control over a TV also.It’s called a remote control.

You have no control over the commercials and previews of shows you do not want to watch, one second you are watching your show, the next, smut right in front of you. The problem is, you get so desensitized, you don’t realize what you are observing is sinful.

 

[juliamajor]

You have no control over the commercials and previews of shows you do not want to watch, one second you are watching your show, the next, smut right in front of you. The problem is, you get so desensitized, you don’t realize what you are observing is sinful.

I don’t watch commercials because I flip the channels…if you don’t like smut don’t watch it-& change the channel or turn it off so you mind won’t be polluted by the next cereal commercial

 

[prodigalson12]

I don’t watch commercials because I flip the channels…if you don’t like smut don’t watch it-& change the channel or turn it off so you mind won’t be polluted by the next cereal commercial

And the milisecond it took to switch the channel, the damage is already done…

 

[milkbar]

I don;t think so. If you are watching non-pornographic, but stupid programming, for more than two hours a day, I think that this is a sin of wasting your time. I thought that Catholics were required to put their time to good use.

Does God not mandate rest? Are we supposed to sit and stare at the wall all day after Sunday Mass lest we do something “stupid” and/or unproductive?

We have a TV for movies and family video games (nothing graphic), but when we visit others’ houses I can’t recall seeing “smut” on the Food Network… I think there are good choices and there are perhaps questionable choices. I’d love to have just the Food Network and a few others.

 

[prodigalson12]

Out of this group, how many of you have gone without tv for any volunteered extended period of time? As in simply shutting it off? How long was it? What did you do during it?

 

[sidbrown]

Out of this group, how many of you have gone without tv for any volunteered extended period of time? As in simply shutting it off? How long was it? What did you do during it?

I have not been watching TV for a while now. I have been trying to catch up on my reading.

 

[Whitacre_Girl]

Out of this group, how many of you have gone without tv for any volunteered extended period of time? As in simply shutting it off? How long was it? What did you do during it?

I’ve never been much of a big TV watcher personally. When I do watch, it goes in waves. When I am not watching TV, I usually draw, read, or play my piano or horn My husband usually watch movies together though. We use them kind of conversational pieces actually. Plus it’s a good time to cuddle and just enjoy each other.

 

[juliamajor]

Out of this group, how many of you have gone without tv for any volunteered extended period of time? As in simply shutting it off? How long was it? What did you do during it?

Actually I’m doing it right now-it’s been about a week. No biggie.I have my computer and my library.I have no idea how long I’ll keep it off .My children are already bugging me.
Without TV I read write study, pray exercise my brain.

 

[alongexpected]

I haven’t watched television for over a year because I do firmly believe it to be sin. I agree with all who believe that watching television is a sin. It has no educational value. Even the History channel and the Discovery channel are becoming bad television stations.

I feel verry sorry for you. So many good shows that you are missing. More importantly, however, is that you’re yet another person who thinks they are in the “righteous minority” and have a sort-of “leg up” on everyone else.

With your mentality I’d say you and everyone else is sinning just walking out your front door every morning.

 

[sidbrown]

I feel verry sorry for you. So many good shows that you are missing. More importantly, however, is that you’re yet another person who thinks they are in the “righteous minority” and have a sort-of “leg up” on everyone else.

With your mentality I’d say you and everyone else is sinning just walking out your front door every morning.

I think you are out of order here.

 

[alongexpected]

I think you are out of order here.

I’m just so tired of people who see sin in nearly everything. They might as well be Puritans and only think about what could be possibly bad, instead of getting at least some enjoyment out of life.

Watching TV is a sin, huh? Wow. Then I’d stick by my comment that basically anything you do after leaving your house is a sin.

It’s so mind-numbingly frustrating how different people/religions/denominations think they have the “correct” beliefs. Mormons honestly think that drinking any alcohol is a sin. So that means .0004% of the population is righteous, while 99.0006 are sinning. This person honestly thinks that watching TV is a sin. So the vast minority are righteous, while the vast majority is sinning.

Who’s right? (If you ask me, neither). Stop acting like you know the answers. Stop acting like you know what’s right or wrong, or who goes to Heaven or Hell.

I’ve read so much stuff on these threads that is sickening. People saying how so-and-so is going to Hell, no question about it. How dare them. They don’t know what they’re talking about.

STOP living by the letter of the law, and start living by the spirit. Treating your brother as you’d want to be, and appreciating God. Does watching Survivor go against either of these?

Please wake up, people.

 

[puzzleannie]

Is watching t.v. a sin/ I would say yes. Much of what is on t.v. is moraly repugnant and what is not moraly repugnant is often stupid which having been conditioned to that which is stupid we do not recognize it as stupid. .

you have answered your own question–watching, reading about, or participating in morally repugnant actions, or watching other people do so for the purpose of entertainment is not only wrong it is psychologically disordered. Since not all TV or not all entertainment for that matter is either morally repugnant or stupic, it is not all sinful or disordered. Stupid is as stupid does, and stupid is not necessarily sinful, although it does waste time better spent.

 

[sidbrown]

you have answered your own question–watching, reading about, or participating in morally repugnant actions, or watching other people do so for the purpose of entertainment is not only wrong it is psychologically disordered. Since not all TV or not all entertainment for that matter is either morally repugnant or stupic, it is not all sinful or disordered. Stupid is as stupid does, and stupid is not necessarily sinful, although it does waste time better spent.

It boils down to wasting our God-given time. Generally, we have an obligation to put our time to good use. There are some good programs on tv, and it is best to focus on those when we have the urge to relax and watch something.

 

[aspawloski4th]

Is watching t.v. a sin/ I would say yes. Much of what is on t.v. is moraly repugnant and what is not moraly repugnant is often stupid which having been conditioned to that which is stupid we do not recognize it as stupid. It would seem that watching t.v. is counter-productive to achiving christian perfection. We confess our sins then turn on the t.v. and fill our selves up with the things we just confessed to. It is taking one step forward and one step back so that we go no where.

This may surprise many here. While I do not wattch much tv, no one had better have any ideas of taking from me. I live in Grand Rapids Michigan. While that doesn’t compare to places like Oklahoma or Kansas for severe weather and tornados, we do get our fair share of severe weather here, and have experienced losses as a result of severe weather before. When tere are watches or warnings or a good chance of severe weather, I want my tv on and on either the local NBC or ABC affliates, so I can keep abrest of the weather. Growing up, because my family lived on one of the highest points in Grand Rapids in a house with very large picture windows, my parents wanted absolutely no surprises severe weatherwise. If I turned it to a channel not covering severe weather when there were watches or warning near by I got spanked, and the channel turned to the NBC channel by mom. I have problem saying thats the way I think everybody should be. In this day and age if you get caught with your pants down with severe weather( unless you are sleeping) it’s your fault, no excuses.