What is the effect of media on Christians?
February 22nd, 2010I just came back from the “Affirming the Faith” seminar hosted by the North MacArthur church of Christ in Oklahoma City. I heard some great lessons. Joe Wells of Focus Press talked about the effect of media on our spirituality and how some groups have used the media to promote an anti-Biblical worldview. TV seems to have desensitized us to sin. What we do not approve of in actions and would recoil at in “real life,” we watch avidly, talk about excitedly and appreciate when it’s labeled “entertainment.” Many would never go to a place with women dressed in skimpy bikinis hanging all over one guy in a hot tub while they drank alcohol, but have no problem watching it on the Bachelor. Many would never approve of being rude, condescending and hyper-critical of others… unless it’s Simon Cowell on American Idol. Many would not be pleased to hear our kids were hanging out with a girl who has “two dads,” a girl pregnant from cheating on her boyfriend, a guy who can’t stop sexting, and being taught by a man constantly toeing the line of an affair with a coworker, but can’t wait for the next episode of Glee. Should we watch shows that revolve around unChristian principles? Are we calling evil good and good evil (cf. Isaiah 5:20)? What shows could we watch? What do you think?
Scriptures to consider: Luke 10:27; Romans 12:1-2; Philippians 4:8
Betsy Bailey said:
So true! If we choose not to watch certain TV shows, we are bombarded with the commercials. It’s a lose – lose situation.
ErynnLeighan said:
There really aren’t many good shows out there but there are some. Unfortunately, it seems they’re often on premium channels like TLC or Discovery, DIY, Food Network, etc. Those channels often come bundled with channels you know without even looking aren’t going to benefit you spiritually.
Anyway, some shows I’d say are decent include According to Jim & Good Eats.
Shayla said:
This is a really good article. Being a Christian is definitely not easy and I think with a lot of issues in the world, this is one that some of us don’t really think about. Of course we wouldn’t do these things but yet we watch these types of shows, not really thinking about the evil that’s in it and how unhealthy it is. Now that I come to think about it, we have hundreds of tv channels, but probably only four are appropriate for us to watch. What a shame! I will be more careful when picking tv shows to watch!!!
ErynnLeighan said:
Comment left on Facebook:
Matthew Bailey says…
You’re right on, Brother! Thank you for the thoughts. It goes back to my favorite Bible verse, which you posted yesterday (Phil. 4:8-9). It’s hard to think on spiritual things when we have such sinful images and ideas filling our minds all day.
Jeremy Sprouse said:
Another similar article: Garbage In, Garbage Out
Rick said:
It’s not only the tv shows themselves but also the commercials inserted inside of the shows and in between the tv programs. I’ll point out one that really bothers me. I see almost daily the State of Oklahoma Lottery Comm. airing ads using children (3rd -6th graders) to tell us adults of just what the lottery has done for their schools, ie so many laptops, microscopes etc. The problem with this is of coarse it teaches kids watching that gambeling is a good thing because look at all the lottery gave our school. There is another problem in my mind by using kids to espouse the lottery. I see or hear of no one complaining to the tv stations that they are teaching our young to gamble away all they worked for. The ads are slick and make you think you are the next big winner and to the young mind they see what their school has gotten and believe it’s all good. So my point here is that as you channel surf for something useful and good to watch you may find yourself watching some 10 year old telling you what gambeling has done for them and their school. It’s a hard thing to overcome when the State allows this and even pays for it. The lottery has a lot of money for ads and using children to deliver a message of sin is on every channel.