Should Christians Watch TV?

The following excerpt is taken from page 6 of the April 1995 "Expression" newspaper:

[The American Family Association] reported that the top four networks aired, on average, 45.58 incidents of sex, violence and profanity each hour during prime-time viewing . . .

This broke down to 8.5 incidents of violence each hour, 14.15 of sex and 22.93 of profanity. A total of 91 percent of all sex was depicted outside marriage.

Projected over a period of one year, the networks air 14,313 sex incidents, 8,333 violence incidents, and 23,556 profanity incidents during prime-time. . . .

We are naturally desirous of spending time with the thing, animate or inanimate, we love the most. Honestly ask yourself then, do you spend more time with the God of Heaven or the TV? How could we, as professing Christians, waste the free hours the Lord God has graciously given us to serve Him by spending countless hours with the filth of the world coming from the television? "Bad company corrupts good character" (1 Cor. 15:33). Is there any worse company than the smut of Hollywood? Does the devil and our sinful natures really need all that help to distract us away from our goal and purpose here in the natural, not to mention causing us to think sinful thoughts?

What will you do, if you make Heaven, when you find out there's no TV? Know why there will be no TV in Heaven? Because it will be thrown into the fiery furnace along with everything else that causes sin (Matt. 13:41,42). By the way, have you thought about what you will say to the Holy One when you stand at the Judgment and He asks you about the thousand or more hours you wasted every year in front of the TV? That's what it boils down to if you watch 2.75 hours or more of TV every day! Are you spending an equal amount of time praying, fasting, witnessing, studying your Bible and meditating in the things of the Lord? Can't (or won't) do those things, you say? Too busy, too tired, too weak? The prophetess Anna was an old woman, probably in her eighties, who served God continually by fasting and praying (Lk. 2:36,37). Maybe you can't fast three days straight, but anyone can fast for a couple of hours, distribute salvation tracts or leave them laying around where people can pick them up, give to the poor, call on a sick or old person, pray with someone, etc.

Be honest with yourself. If Jesus came to your house to spend a day, would you be ashamed and quickly change the channel, or leave it off altogether for the time He was there with you?

If this article is speaking to you, it's not too late for you since you still have breath in your body. You can repent, ask God to set you free from the desire to please that old sinful nature, and begin to use those hours to store up for yourself treasure in Heaven, as commanded by Jesus (Matt. 6:20)! You can't change what you've done in the past, but you can improve your future! What's really important is, how you finish your race (1 Cor. 9:24).

Paul was writing to Christians when he said, "Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable -- if anything is excellent or praiseworthy -- think about such things" (Phil. 4:8). You won't often, if ever, find these things on secular TV.

Remember that it is a fundamental, basic truth that where our minds are set, our behavior (or lives) will follow. Romans 8:5,6 read:

"Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace."

From this, would you say that watching TV will adversely affect one's behavior? _____ YES _____ NO.

Also, in regard to Jesus' teaching on mental adultery (Mt. 5:28,29), would you say millions are regularly committing this sin in front of their TV? _____ YES _____ NO.

Are you aware that mental adultery is no less serious than any other form of sexual immorality and all sexually immoral people will end up in the lake of fire (Rev. 21:8)? _____ YES _____ NO.

The 23rd Channel

The TV is my shepherd, I shall not want.

It makes me lie down on the sofa.

It leads me away from the faith.

It destroys my soul.

It leads me in the path of sex and violence for the sponsor's sake.

Yea, though I walk in the shadow of Christian responsibilities,

There will be no interruption, for the TV is with me.

Its cable and remote control, they comfort me.

It prepares a commercial for me in the presence of my worldliness.

It anoints my head with humanism and consumerism.

My coveting runneth over.

Surely, laziness and ignorance shall follow me all the days of my life,

And I shall dwell in the house watching TV forever.

-- Author Unknown

The Holy Bible and The TV Guide

On the table side by side:

The Holy Bible and the TV Guide.

One's well worn but cherished with pride

(Not the Bible, but the TV Guide).

One's used daily to help folk decide,

Not the Bible, it's the TV Guide.

As pages are turned, what will they see?

Oh, what does it matter, turn on the TV.

Then confusion reigns, they can't all agree

On what they will watch on the old TV.

So they open the book in which they confide

(Not the Bible, it's the TV Guide).

The Word of God is seldom read --

Maybe a verse e'er they fall into bed,

Exhausted and sleepy and tired as can be

(Not from reading the Bible: from watching TV).

So then back to the table, side by side,

Are the Holy Bible and the TV Guide.

No time for prayer, no time for the Word.

The way of salvation is seldom heard.

Abiding in Christ so full and free

Is found in the Bible, not on TV.

-- Anonymous

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