Trash My Television?

July, 2009

by: Jack Hughes

“To throw away the television or not to throw away the television?,” that is the question which I would like to address in this Calvary Review. Even asking the question will surely make some feel defensive, maybe even angry. It may give you the impulse to run to the nearest television set for a hug or to gently stroke your remote control.

It used to be that television was a source of news and healthy family-oriented programs. It was something people enjoyed as a special treat. Now it is Satan’s pipeline into the homes of the world. Virtually everyone has a television, most have more than one. About half of all television content is advertisements hounding you to purchase something. When we want to hear from God, we open the Bible. When we want to hear from Satan, all we need to do is turn on the television. Television tells us to love the world and the things of the world. It promotes the lust of the flesh, lust of the eyes, and the boastful pride of life. It brainwashes us into desiring things we don’t need.

You may think that television advertisements don’t affect you, but they do. You can’t watch 50 highly engineered pleas to purchase a certain item over the course of a month and not have it affect you. In the 70's a McDonald’s commercial recited the ingredients of a MacDonald’s Big Mac. Talk to anyone who watched Television back then and most can tell you the ingredients of a Big Mac “Two all beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles, onions on a sesame seed bun.” Most know that the slogan to Nike is – what? “Just do it.” Or the slogan for an American Express card – “Don’t leave home without it.” Advertizing works. It is why billions of dollars are spent every year on advertizing. If we watch television we volunteer to have our brains assaulted with whatever the advertisers want to put in our heads.

Most, grossly underestimate how much television they watch. Fact is, the average person watches about 6½ hours every day – on the average! But let’s just say, that because you are a Christian and because you realize you need to redeem the time for the days are evil, that you have reduced your television watching by 50% of the national average. That means you are “only” spending 20 hours a week watching television! This is still a good chunk of time. I am not saying that spending that much time relaxing in front of television is necessarily an evil thing, but it can be if the content is eroding your walk with the Lord or taking the place of what God commands you to do.

Paul, when speaking of Christian liberties said, “All things are lawful for me, but not all things are profitable. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be mastered by anything.” Christians need to examine their lives and take note of things that might be mastering them, directing them, controlling them, other than God and His Word. Is television mastering your life? I know what you are probably thinking to yourself, “No!” Yet this is how drug addicts and alcoholics respond when asked if they are addicted to their drug of choice. Let’s use a more empirical method of diagnosing your condition.

First, do you find yourself planning your week around what will be on television? Maybe the first thing you do when you get the paper is to see what nights you will be able to do things because of what will be on television? If that is the case, then it is clear that television is running your life, at least part of it.

Second, do you find yourself getting angry, irritated, and anxious if you can’t watch your favorite television programs? If someone stands in between you and your favorite television shows, does it make you feel desperate or anxious? For instance, does this Calvary Review article make you feel defensive? Are you willing to write off friends and church activities to make sure you can be entertained by your television?

Third, do you find that television causes you to neglect what God commands in His Word? Let me be more specific. Do you neglect to read your Bible but not neglect television? Do you neglect to engage in prayer, but not neglect television? Are you more passionate about watching television than studying and meditating on God’s Word? Is watching television more important to you than serving in church? Do you spend more on televisions and cable fees every month than you do on giving to the Lord or investing in good resources to know God better? Is television more important to you than cultivating your walk with the Lord? Do you find that television tempts you to stay up so late that you can’t get up in the morning and spend time with the Lord? So, how did you do? If TV is getting between you and your walk and obedience to the Lord, some changes need to take place in your life.

I think one of the more painful texts to consider in relation to television watching is Paul’s exhortation in Eph. 5:15-16, “Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise, making the most of your time, because the days are evil.”” Resting is a good use of time. In our fast paced world, I think getting some rest and relaxation is more important than ever. However, television can be deceptive because if we are too tired to do something constructive, we often watch television. Instead of going to bed, the television can bait us to stay up later than we should. If this happens, television steals our rest rather than giving us rest.

Good Things About Television

Yes, there are some good things about television. These are the things that most television addicts are quick to mention. There are a few programs that are edifying and/or educational. Some programs provide information that might be described as “a-moral.” There are “How to” programs, nature programs (usually fraught with evolution), history programs, and some family friendly programs that might be described as having educational merit. It is almost impossible to find spiritually edifying material on television these days. The “Christian” television stations are swamped with con-artists and false teachers.

There are also some programs that might be described as having mere entertainment merit, like reading a fiction book. All entertainment isn’t evil. There is nothing wrong with God honoring relaxation, but I am afraid that Christians today have no idea of what “God honoring” relaxation is any more. We have been slowly boiled in a pot of worldly entertainment. I admit it is difficult for me to try and decide what is good and what is not. I think we also have to consider our own weaknesses and sometimes what might be okay for one person is not okay for another.

As far as content on television goes, consider the Scriptures. The Bible contains action adventure stories, tales of romance, dramas, and tragedies. Yet these things are put into a context so that we will learn edifying lessons from them, not follow after evil. Television doesn’t try to honor or glorify God. It often tries to entertain you with what is not God honoring. I am sure that the adulteries and immoralities in the Bible or David’s chopping off Goliath’s head would have earned an “R” rating if made into a movie. However, the Bible only gives us words, not pictures and clearly condemns evil.

Bad Things About Television

I think we all know that television has many pitfalls. First, it contains much ungodly content. I won’t get into the details but you know that it does. Secondly, television is very engaging and tempts us to often watch more than we would if there weren’t ten commercials during any given program, baiting us to watch the next. Television can easily become a time waster. Third, television pounds you with advertizing, often unwholesome advertizing, encouraging materialism. Fourth, television portrays ungodly life styles. We see wicked children who disrespect parents, law breakers made out to be heros, idiot police and ungodly clergy which poison our hearts which we are to guard with all diligence (Prov. 4:23). Most of the content on television isn’t edifying.

Should I Trash My Television?

A sure way of dealing with a television addiction is to pitch the television. However, if the heart issues are not dealt with, the absence of a TV may give way to internet surfing, computer games, or some other time-wasting entertainment. If throwing your television in the trash is too extreme for you, try these less extreme things.

Use the mute button, so that you only get pictures and not sound. However, we know that pictures paint a thousand words. Unwholesome images are still unwholesome. Yet muting the sound is better than doing nothing at all.

Record and fast forward is another way Christians have dealt with bad content. You can purchase devices that record programs you want to watch. Then later, at a different time, you can watch the programs and fast forward through the advertisements. This is helpful in that it removes most of the bad sounds and images. You still see a little at the beginning and end but it cuts out most of the advertisements. Recording beforehand will also make you more purposeful in what you watch and will keep you from being baited to watch the next program because by the time you watch the program you recorded, the next program will have already aired.

Trash filtering hardware is also available. These are devices that record, filter and delay the play of the program so that it has time to filter out bad words. While not perfect, and often a bit interrupting to the seamless flow of the program, they work. However, they don’t edit bad images.

Another way of dealing with your television is to store it out of the way. Don’t place it in the center of the room so that all the chairs point at it. The saying, “out of sight, out of mind” is a truism. Decide what you will watch and when you will watch it and bring the television out of storage and watch what you plan to watch.

You can also refuse to get cable or hook your television up to antenna but only use it to watch DVD’s. This way you miss all the advertisements. You will be more purposeful in what you watch. Many television programs come out in DVD after each season. If you watch only DVD’s you will discover that it cuts your television watching time down by about 33 percent. An hour-long television program has 20 minutes of advertizing. If you watch it on DVD it takes 40 minutes, saving you 20 minutes. Of course, you still have to use discretion in what you watch.

My challenge to you is this. Take your television or televisions and swear a solemn oath before God and witnesses to put it in the attic, garage or better yet, ask a friend to store it for you for six months. Then during that six months do other things. You will find that you have been trained to watch TV. For the first two or three months you will suffer withdrawals. I know this may sound radical, but try it. Try it for the glory of God and see what happens. It won’t kill you. Once your television or televisions are gone, plan on doing things during the 20, 30, 40 or more hours a week you now have freed up! Make sure you read your Bible every day. Spend time in prayer every day. Get involved in church activities. Read good books. Join a Bible study and do the homework! Do projects around your house. Go to bed earlier and get some rest! Have people over and talk about spiritual things. Exercise. Play games with your kids. Enjoy a hobby. Then, after six months, evaluate your life before the Lord. Has TV been a blessing to you or a curse? You will be amazed at all you did and accomplished when you don’t watch TV. Get radical. Try it. I know you will be glad you did!