To watch tv or not to watch tv?

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To watch TV, or to not watch TV?
Is not there a middle ground, a grey area, instead of it being a black/white issue?

We did not have TV in our house for 7 years. For a few months now we have TV in the house which is located in one room. We wanted to watch the Catholic program for one thing.

Yes, we were obviously rather shocked at some of the new programs on many channels (we have basic cable only). We were also perturbed by many of the advertisement’s now on TV.
I could not have sat in the same room with my Grandparent’s watching half of what is on many channels these day’s.:rolleyes:
So, we enjoy some of the positive aspects that some programs offer, and that can be very fulfilling, and enlightening at times.
If a program comes on that looks unsavory to us, we either change the channel, put on a decent movie (DVD), or turn it off and do some activities together.🤷
 
LemonAndLime said:
So why can’t you do the same with TV?
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With enough training and discipline you probably could develop the discipline of keeping a part of you mind on God while watching television, but this would probably be the exception rather than the rule.
 
Robert_Sock said:
With enough training and discipline you probably could develop the discipline of keeping a part of you mind on God while watching television, but this would probably be the exception rather than the rule.
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So, why is going on CAF on the internet different to say, watching a wildlife documentary or EWTN on the TV?
 
Robert_Sock said:
With enough training and discipline you probably could develop the discipline of keeping a part of you mind on God while watching television, but this would probably be the exception rather than the rule.
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And maybe the fine members of CAF that enjoy watching tv are the exceptions to the rule? Has it ever occurred to you that those of us that are defending tv watching are intelligent enough to discern what programs bring us closer to God and which don’t and make our tv viewing choices appropriately?

I know you want to warn people about the dangers of TV viewing, but I think members of CAF already know the dangers and you’re preaching to the wrong audience.
 
PatriceA said:
And maybe the fine members of CAF that enjoy watching tv are the exceptions to the rule? Has it ever occurred to you that those of us that are defending tv watching are intelligent enough to discern what programs bring us closer to God and which don’t and make our tv viewing choices appropriately?

I know you want to warn people about the dangers of TV viewing, but I think members of CAF already know the dangers and you’re preaching to the wrong audience.
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Television is a medium that most people take for granted. Most people’s spiritual life diminishes while watching TV, even those here on CAF.

It’s all a matter of the degree of holiness one wishes to develop and maintain. TV will rob most viewers of their holiness while watching TV.
 
Catholic90 said:
Yep, my holiness level most definitely went down as I watched the nature show on TV last night…not. :rolleyes:
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Why the sarcasm? Are we not all Catholics who are suppose to have deep respect for one another?
 
Robert_Sock said:
Television is a medium that most people take for granted. Most people’s spiritual life diminishes while watching TV, even those here on CAF.

It’s all a matter of the degree of holiness one wishes to develop and maintain. TV will rob most viewers of their holiness while watching TV.
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So I suppose will sleeping, eating, working, washing, reading… basically anything you do which isn’t praying?

God does not expect you to devote your entire time during the entire day thinking and praying to him. It’s ok to enjoy a book, watch a documentary or the news on TV, or in my case do some knitting. It’s always a good idea to pray silently while doing ordinary tasks, to be mindful, but what’s important is the quality of the time you spend “developing holiness” not the quantity.
 
Robert_Sock said:
Why the sarcasm? Are we not all Catholics who are suppose to have deep respect for one another?
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Yes, but you do not seem to have respect for those who choose to watch TV. You keep implying that those who choose to watch TV are somehow “less holy” than those who do not watch TV. That is a false statement; yet you persist in making it.
 
LemonAndLime said:
So I suppose will sleeping, eating, working, washing, reading… basically anything you do which isn’t praying?

God does not expect you to devote your entire time during the entire day thinking and praying to him. It’s ok to enjoy a book, watch a documentary or the news on TV, or in my case do some knitting. It’s always a good idea to pray silently while doing ordinary tasks, to be mindful, but what’s important is the quality of the time you spend “developing holiness” not the quantity.
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👍👍

The fact is there are many tasks that must be done throughout the day; some require great concentration to be done safely and/or correctly, while others are more mundane. We cannot possibly be focused 100% on praying to God at all times AND be focused on completing some jobs/tasks safely. We can also relax at the end of a day (or midday in the sun :tanning:).

My best time of focusing on holiness is when I am on my deck, sitting in the sun, enjoying the beautiful sun and getting a tan. 👍
 
Catholic90 said:
Yes, but you do not seem to have respect for those who choose to watch TV. You keep implying that those who choose to watch TV are somehow “less holy” than those who do not watch TV. That is a false statement; yet you persist in making it.
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Exactly. Robert, at least aknowledge that people can disagree with you about tv habits and still be just as holy as someone that chooses not to watch tv. I respect that for you, tv viewing may lead you away from your faith, how about the same respect in that those of us that do watch tv are intelligent enough to make the proper decisions in what programs to watch if we choose to watch tv?
 
PatriceA said:
Exactly. Robert, at least aknowledge that people can disagree with you about tv habits and still be just as holy as someone that chooses not to watch tv. I respect that for you, tv viewing may lead you away from your faith, how about the same respect in that those of us that do watch tv are intelligent enough to make the proper decisions in what programs to watch if we choose to watch tv?
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I’m not trying to imply that at all. Holiness is really a different dimension from holiness. But, what I am say is that TV can rob one of his or her holiness when they least expect it!
 
Robert_Sock said:
I’m not trying to imply that at all. Holiness is really a different dimension from holiness. But, what I am say is that TV can rob one of his or her holiness when they least expect it!
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So I guess no respect then for people that can be holy and still watch tv?
 
fakename said:
Clearly TV has a lot of bad influences or rather bad things that you don’t want to contribute to by watching it (that is, through ratings).

It’s also an extraordinary mind/relationship stunter-but that’s the least of its problems in my opinion.

So then, what do you think is the wisest decision -watch or not watch?
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For over twenty years, I have relegated myself to watching re-runs. I never saw a complete episode of Seinfeld or Everybody Loves Raymond, for example, while it was in production. There are shows I never touch, like the CSI programs, Hill Street Blues.

I would watch JAG while it was in production, and The West Wing, too. But, if I see too many episodes of a program in production, I am not inclined to watch the reruns. It’s why I don’t watch reruns of Monk – I know how most of the episodes turn out. I like to look at Monk to see the California/San Francisco housing architecture and furniture styles – and the nice weather.

I watch Young and the Restless every day or by DVR. I’m watching the Detroit Tigers who are currently leading their branch of the Amer. League.
 
PatriceA said:
So I guess no respect then for people that can be holy and still watch tv?
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Can people be holy while watching porn? A few maybe, but not for the vast majority. I’m not saying that TV is on the same level as porn, but I am saying that TV, too, can rob one of holiness.
 
Robert_Sock said:
Can people be holy while watching porn? A few maybe, but not for the vast majority. I’m not saying that TV is on the same level as porn, but I am saying that TV, too, can rob one of holiness.
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Most people do not regularly get PORN on their TV. That is a ridiculous argument.

Being on the INternet can do the same (you are on the internet…)
 
Catholic90 said:
Most people do not regularly get PORN on their TV. That is a ridiculous argument.

Being on the INternet can do the same (you are on the internet…)
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TV is porn.

13 year old girls on disney and nickelodeon dressed in miniskirts crushing on boys and boys with no interests whatsoever other than pretty girls. Homosexuality in sitcoms portrayed as normal. George Castanza having sex with the cleaning lady on the desk. Whole prime time sitcoms dedicated to te subject of breast implants. My family can’t even sit through an episode of Amercia’s Funniest Home Video’s without at least one penis size joke.

Not to mention that you can’t even watch a baseball game without seeing ads for erectile disfunction medications saying “Wood is good!” The whole thing is pervaded with porn.

And the Baptists in Atlanta forced Comcast to charge an extra $40/month for EWTN.

-Tim-
 
TimothyH said:
TV is porn.

13 year old girls on disney and nickelodeon dressed in miniskirts crushing on boys and boys with no interests whatsoever other than pretty girls. Homosexuality in sitcoms portrayed as normal. George Castanza having sex with the cleaning lady on the desk. Whole prime time sitcoms dedicated to te subject of breast implants. My family can’t even sit through an episode of Amercia’s Funniest Home Video’s without at least one penis size joke.

Not to mention that you can’t even watch a baseball game without seeing ads for erectile disfunction medications saying “Wood is good!” The whole thing is pervaded with porn.

And the Baptists in Atlanta forced Comcast to charge an extra $40/month for EWTN.

-Tim-
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Well I don’t watch any of what you just described. There a many channels out there. Use a digital recorder - then you can skip the commercials.
 
On this matter, I agree on the Church’s position
Pope Pius XI, Vigilanti cura (#18), June 29, 1936: “The power of the cinema is due to the fact that it speaks through the medium of living images, which are assimilated with delight and without difficulty, even by those who are untrained and uneducated, and who would be incapable or unwilling to make the efforts of induction or deduction necessary in reasoning. For to read, or to listen to another reading aloud demands a certain concentration and mental effort; an effort which in the cinema is replaced by the delight of a continuous stream of living images presented to the eyes….These theatres, being like the school of life itself, have a greater influence in inciting men to virtue or vice than abstract reasoning.”
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