www.byzcath.org Forums General Discussions Town Hall The Television---the web of satan!!!

Most of you, if you are good, moral, practicing Catholics, probably agree that the television is no more than an instrument---a tube---from hell used by the devil to destroy souls!!! It takes people away from reading the Holy Bible and from praying!!! It takes people away from going to Church on Sundays---especially the football games like the Super Bowl!!!

Look at all of the trash that's put on there!!! Impure acts, imodest dress, violence, filthy language of all sorts!!! There is hardly anything morally good and Christian-like on television any more, unless one has cable and watches EWTN, or PBS. I mean, practically, there's sex education on the television!!! All one has to do is turn on any television show and learn all about it somehow!!! Talk shows are pretty bad, too. I am sure that most of you can agree about how bad Jerry Springer is. Maybe people watch him for the excitement. But, there are other ways---more good moraled ways---of having excitement.

Even the television takes us away from family life, besides from God!!!

Most of these shows are so trashy that who wants to watch them anymore except for worldly people? Whatever happend to good, clean television shows? Christian television shows? It would be so nice if we, Catholics and other Christians, could unite and do something to clean up the trash on television as best as we can so that the devil will stop using it as an instrument to destroy souls!!! We must work hard, and do our best in any way possible, to save souls and bring them closer to God!!!

Television itself is a morally neutral tool - like a hammer. You can use a hammer to build a house, or you can use it to bash someone's head in. Likewise television, radio, the web, books and periodicals may be used for good or evil.

Sharon

And of course if you don't like what's on, there is that wonderful invention called the off button !

No problem there

Anhelyna

Or one could just remove it from his home, as many I know have.

Hmmm!! This "Television" seems to be a lot like that "Internet", and those "forums" and "bulletin boards".

Inventions and media are the products of the creative gifts that God has given to us. What we do with those gifts is what we return to God. They can be tools to build and to educate, or to degrade and destroy.

John
Pilgrim and Odd Duck

It's people like you, Ave Maria, that make other people think that Christians are crazy. The television is an instrument from hell?? Give me a break! I enjoy watching tv IN MODERATION. Give me a break.

anastasios

Anastasios makes a very good point.

I'm a news, and especially: A WEATHER, junkie. I love radar pics and temperature gradients and love to follow storm patterns. Although I don't pay for cable at home (I'm on the road for work waaaaay too much to dump money), I do watch it a lot when I'm in hotels.

And also, when I've been spending my days on the road dealing with serious medical issues and problems of workplace violence, I really enjoy watching re-runs of Golden Girls, the Weather Channel and Law and Order to take my mind off the realities that I face.

Doctor of the Church, St. Augustine of Hippo said: All things are good; only their misuse makes them evil.

Blessings!

I believe that all these medias, radio, internet, television, are neutral, you can give them good use and bad use.

My 82 y/o grandmother, for example, still thinks that internet is an instrument of the devil because of so much inmorality and pornography that can be found there. But just look at the newspaper announcements and you will find how the phone is used for the same inmoral purposes, but she says there's nothing wrong with the phone .

About the television, I think that the best thing that can be done is to demand better programmes to the enterprises. But the problem is more complex, most of the shows we find inmoral truly express the reality of the society. I used to get surprised with this show "Wild On", for example, but the thing here us that they just show what those "spring-breakers" do when they come to Cancun or other toruristic places.

We must understand that the crisis of the TV shows is a result of the debacle of the society, a little part of a universe of serious problems. :rolleyes:

I'm not going to go the "tube from hell" route but I'll say most of the professional news and entertainment media is pure unreliable trash. And the commercial media is far more interested in profits than my well-being. So I guess I'm in agreement here. I like the convenience of watching recorded programs on DVD or tape but one has to choose carefully. Fortunately where I live there are a number of good public libraries where I can get some pretty good material. If I have nothing worthwhile to watch the box is off.

It could be an endangerment to small children unsupervised.

As others have said television is a reflection of our modern society and if it's devilish maybe that's because the Devil has worked into most of us. I personally subscribe to the idea that Satan has no power we don't hand him, and we have nothing to fear once we have Christ. So I guess we have to win the hearts and minds of the people back and evangelise as the Holy Father says, even if it means we have to use the television and the internet to accomplish it.

Michael, sinner

Preach the Gospel, if necessary use words

Dear Ave Maria,

Some television is like that, to be sure . . .

I was most suspicious of "Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman."

As with everything else, one needs to filter what one watches.

I don't know when Anastasios or Dr. John find the time to watch the idiot box, but I'm sure neither of them are addicted to shows like "Strip Poker" or "Sex and the City."

But you just don't know these days, do you?

Alex

I don't watch much TV either, and I keep an eye on what the kids are watching as well. I agree with all of you that there is a lot of trash on the tube, but who is responsible for all this trash? Who do we point the finger to?
I prefer to play a Ukie card game: "teshatchka" with the kids, but you kind of get addicted to it as well.
Lauro

Dear Lauro,

Well, my wife is addicted to all those "home and garden" TV shows that are on the Boob Tube these days!

I know more about paint colours, fabrics and interior design than I care to share . . .

My wife always shouts to me to come to see a particular program so I can help her choose fabrics and help her rearrange furniture.

"You have such a good eye for these things, Alex," she says.

That is no compliment, given the observed, rather effeminate nature of some of the men of the interior design crowd.

But there is a definite satisfaction in knowing what you want your family room to look like!

Alex

Remie wrote:"...thinks that internet is an instrument of the devil..."

My Mom said the same thing until I introduced her to the Croatian Radio program that's broadcast live from Hamilton, Ontario and also the 24-7 POLKA HEAVEN website. She's singing several different tunes now....

AMOF, she said the same thing about the microwave until I showed her how to do popcorn and baked potatos...

A little knowledge is a dangerous thing....

Oh, while we're speaking of "tools of the Devil", we have one parishoner who is home-bound due to health reasons. We have given her the Divine Liturgy on video cassette so she watches that on Sunday's and tunes in to watch EWTN to recite the Rosary.

Amazing isn't it....

mark

ps
Alex, I'm hooked on BBCAmerica's DIY programs too and miss terribly the 2 FAT LADIES....

Dear Marko,

Ah, cooking shows!

They can be evil too, no?

The other night I saw one where they were working with some sort of "devil's food cake" or something really suspicious like that . . .

And have you seen Martha Stewart all done up like a demon for Halloween?

It's getting to the point where even turning the TV on is putting yourself on the horns of a dilemma . . .

(My mother-in-law watches cooking shows all day and still has trouble boiling water - evil influence or what?)

Alex

Hey Alex

I did learn the prayers to say over the Paska when it goes in the oven from a Ukrainian lady on Martha Stewart.

Although, when Jennifer passed on to her Eternal Reward, she left the bulk of fortune to Catholic Church in England, the figure was well into 8 figures from what I've seen...

I do like the CHOCOLATE DESERT SHOW with Jacques Torres...

marko