What is up with some of these Threads?

[Crescentinus]

I'm just a little careful with Western entertainment, seeing as I live in the Far East.
In the case for violence in entertainment, mindless violence is boring. If the violent parts serve as part of the plot, then I'm more discerning about it.

[child_of_God85]

Wow, for a second there I thought I had stumbled into a fundy Protostant thread!
The op for sure wouldn't want to visit my house. My mom and I watch all sorts of those "sinfull" shows.
Judge not lest you be judged.

[cececole]

Originally Posted by Julia Mae

When I am at my daughter's house, we watch TV. I don't have one. She has all these shows on her DVR, I guess, that she watches but not around me.

I think True Blood must be Satan's favorite show.

It's not a moral thing, that we have to watch "mom shows." It's just that after a while my brain pretty much had every violent ugly image in it there was a capacity to store.

Why would I want to put more in there? They make me sad, the shows. Not just the violent ones, a lot of the comedies about families where it seems to be funny if we are cruel to one another. You know what I liked about Northern Exposure? It wasn't a Disney family no sin show, but all the people were essentially decent and caring. Weird, but decent.

What the heck are we putting into the brains of children? I don't want it in mine, much less theirs. When did ugly get to be not only okay, but the default position?

Amen, Sister!!!

All of this garbage that we ingest from our culture, once it is in our brains we are stuck with it there. I only want to see a tv show or movie or read a book that entertains me by lifting me up or inspiring me or making me laugh in a good way. You also have a point when you talk not just about gratuitous sex or violence but "ugly", that is just plain a lack of decency and caring. I never could quit put my finger on why I don't find the sitcoms these days funny, but you have hit the nail on the head for me.

[migueltojose]

Originally Posted by cececole

Amen, Sister!!!

All of this garbage that we ingest from our culture, once it is in our brains we are stuck with it there. I only want to see a tv show or movie or read a book that entertains me by lifting me up or inspiring me or making me laugh in a good way. You also have a point when you talk not just about gratuitous sex or violence but "ugly", that is just plain a lack of decency and caring. I never could quit put my finger on why I don't find the sitcoms these days funny, but you have hit the nail on the head for me.

The writer's a great, clever, funny, but what the people are doing in these shows is horrendous. So it can be very funny yet deplorable. It's kinda like politics. They have the greatest writers and minds maliciously and deviously spewing their filth into our mostly unsuspecting beains.

My mom used to say "garbage in , garbage out". I agreed with her but always thought I was too smart. I was wrong. Garbage in , garbage out. My wife was watching the Emmy's tonight. I'm proud to say I hardly recognized anyone, or their shows.

Tune In - to the Holy Spirit; Turn On - to Jesus Christ; Drop Out - of the culture of death.

[edwest2]

Originally Posted by ShadowWolf514

Shouldn't we Catholics not be watching shows that have: immodesty, nudity, homosexuality, sex, drugs, demonic themes, etc.? Because in a short span of 30 mins of browsing, that's what I have seen people say they watch in this forum. And no one is even showing any concerns.

I am 19 years old and I limit what I watch and play greatly based on the morals in video games and shows. However my Great Aunt would watch sex, murders, and other immoral behaviors on TV all the time. And I heard that other elderly people are addicted to those things. Should I be concerned!?

You have the right outlook. There are and have been posts here that defend most of the things you mention. We, as Catholics at least, should not be spending our time watching nudity, for any reason, immodesty, homosexual behavior, sex outside of marriage as OK, illegal drug use as OK. You should show proper discernment in whatever they call "entertainment" today.

And yes, some people find it far easier to make it a habit to watch such shows and excuses for doing it are common here.

1) I'm an adult and I can watch whatever I want. The Bible tells us to guard our eyes.

2) Nudity is OK if it fits the story. Not, it's not. A bare body part that should be covered is there for only one reason: to sexually arouse the viewer.

3) TV shows can influence people, especially if someone admires what a celebrity wears. When I politely pointed out to my attractive 19 year old niece that the clothes she was wearing were sending the wrong message, she quickly responded by saying, "But all my friends dress like this."

4) It's OK to have same-sex attraction and I've had no problem working with gay people. But when they make gay behavior the "new normal" on TV, that's not a good thing.

5) There are those here who post on a regular basis to try to convince Catholics that marijuana use is OK. And there are plenty of movies and TV shows where couples just live together - living in sin.


But watch out. You'll get all kinds of excuses here. People looking for loopholes like, "Well, how about in this situation? Would that be OK?" Or they'll try to convince you that it's just TV and doesn't mean anything or that it's art, and once you add the magic word art, it makes it OK. Oh, and my favorite, by you seeing all this immorality, it'll teach you a good lesson. Don't fall for that. Do you bring a video to Confession to show the priest the sins you committed?

Be the salt of the earth. Don't hide your light under a bushel basket.



Peace,
Ed

[ShadowWolf514]

Originally Posted by child_of_God85

Wow, for a second there I thought I had stumbled into a fundy Protostant thread!
The op for sure wouldn't want to visit my house. My mom and I watch all sorts of those "sinfull" shows.
Judge not lest you be judged.

I cannot judge a persons intention on watching a show, however I can judge whether a show is sinful or not. It's very important that you know the difference between these two judgments. If you don't then you will not be able to warn a homosexual that homosexuality is immoral without thinking yourself to be judgmental.

[edwest2]

Originally Posted by ShadowWolf514

I cannot judge a persons intention on watching a show, however I can judge whether a show is sinful or not. It's very important that you know the difference between these two judgments. If you don't then you will not be able to warn a homosexual that homosexuality is immoral without thinking yourself to be judgmental.

That's exactly right. Immorality is clearly defined by Church teaching.



Peace,
Ed

[Armor of Light]

I agree with EdWest..no problem!

He is spot-on in his analysis.

I wish Portrait would jump into this one..he also is pretty sharp and witty.

[edwest2]

Originally Posted by Julia Mae

When I am at my daughter's house, we watch TV. I don't have one. She has all these shows on her DVR, I guess, that she watches but not around me.

I think True Blood must be Satan's favorite show.

It's not a moral thing, that we have to watch "mom shows." It's just that after a while my brain pretty much had every violent ugly image in it there was a capacity to store.

Why would I want to put more in there? They make me sad, the shows. Not just the violent ones, a lot of the comedies about families where it seems to be funny if we are cruel to one another. You know what I liked about Northern Exposure? It wasn't a Disney family no sin show, but all the people were essentially decent and caring. Weird, but decent.

What the heck are we putting into the brains of children? I don't want it in mine, much less theirs. When did ugly get to be not only okay, but the default position?

It gradually occurred over a 40 year period. I watched it happen. First, a little bad in the 1970s, then a little more in the 1980s, and more in the 1990s, especially with the non-help of the internet. It really went downhill then.

Keep your children, teens and adults away from the TV. That's all there is to it. Right now, the primary character template is the Dysfunctionals.

Family Guy. Ever listen to the opening song? It talks about "those values on which we used to rely" and spits on them.

Dexter. Crime lab tech by day, serial killer by night. He can't help it. And let's not forget the partial nudity and loads of profanity.

In the 1950s and 1960s, TV was a welcomed guest in our home. Everybody of any age could watch it without pain to your conscience or embarrassment. Now it's a sexual pervert and deranged and disturbed collection of TV shows and characters.

It is bad to meditate on any of this. And to call it "entertainment" is absolutely false. A lot of it is dead, soulless, and empty. And grossly immoral.




Peace,
Ed

[Joe 5859]

Originally Posted by ShadowWolf514

Shouldn't we Catholics not be watching shows that have: immodesty, nudity, homosexuality, sex, drugs, demonic themes, etc.? Because in a short span of 30 mins of browsing, that's what I have seen people say they watch in this forum. And no one is even showing any concerns.

I am 19 years old and I limit what I watch and play greatly based on the morals in video games and shows. However my Great Aunt would watch sex, murders, and other immoral behaviors on TV all the time. And I heard that other elderly people are addicted to those things. Should I be concerned!?

If you think no one is showing any concern, just keep reading.

The Church no longer maintains any sort of list of forbidden books, movies, or TV shows. The last few popes have said some very good things about the general principles, particularly in their messages for World Communications Day, but we must use our prudential judgment.

Yes, we are all sinners. We don't always use our prudential judgment to the best of our ability. Some of us may think we're just fine by watching something when we're really not. Others of us may think we must avoid this certain show when we really don't know what we're talking about. We're all capable of deceiving ourselves and being short-sighted.

If you're limiting your media consumption based on your Catholic moral principles, and you feel like you are growing in holiness as a result, then I sincerely congratulate you.

However, we also need to be careful about over-generalizing. Just because we read a thread where a half dozen posters mentioned TV shows that sound immoral based on the title or some tidbits of info picked up here and there doesn't mean we can extrapolate that to mean there is an epidemic of immoral TV watching among the Catholic elderly.

[edwest2]

Originally Posted by colmywaykurtz

I can't resist jumping into a discussion like this. My favorite recent example is "Breaking Bad." I'd like to hear reactions to it from you, witsend, AND edwest.

My opinion is, many characters in the show are committing highly immoral actions---of course! But the show is mainly following the moral "ups" and "downs" of characters, and they're not uniformly headed "downwards."

For example, Walt White finds himself doing things (like the stunt at the end of Season 4) that he probably never thought, 2 yrs before, he would ever do. But he still did it to protect and provide for his family.

To say that this show is gratuitous violence and nothing else, that it has nothing to reflect or say about real life and real people, is just dead wrong, IMO. I could not call it sinful. It has sinful characters, but its portrayal is sympathetic and compassionate. These people remind me of real people I have met.

I have not watched Breaking Bad, so I will not comment.

But I do have an idea for a TV show called Breaking Good




Peace,
Ed

[ShadowWolf514]

Originally Posted by Joe 5859

If you think no one is showing any concern, just keep reading.

The Church no longer maintains any sort of list of forbidden books, movies, or TV shows. The last few popes have said some very good things about the general principles, particularly in their messages for World Communications Day, but we must use our prudential judgment.

Yes, we are all sinners. We don't always use our prudential judgment to the best of our ability. Some of us may think we're just fine by watching something when we're really not. Others of us may think we must avoid this certain show when we really don't know what we're talking about. We're all capable of deceiving ourselves and being short-sighted.

If you're limiting your media consumption based on your Catholic moral principles, and you feel like you are growing in holiness as a result, then I sincerely congratulate you.

However, we also need to be careful about over-generalizing. Just because we read a thread where a half dozen posters mentioned TV shows that sound immoral based on the title or some tidbits of info picked up here and there doesn't mean we can extrapolate that to mean there is an epidemic of immoral TV watching among the Catholic elderly.

I think your post was the most helpful to my confusion. I still can't form an opinion on this issue, being that as you stated there may not even be an issue. But I think I will follow your advice and just let people discern for themselves what they should watch. But there is still one question that I wished to be answered:

I have believed that no matter how small a sin is in a video game, movie, TV show, and music we are all influence by it whether we like it or not or whether we notice it or not. Is this "junk in junk out" way of thinking true or not?

[edwest2]

Originally Posted by Joe 5859

If you think no one is showing any concern, just keep reading.

The Church no longer maintains any sort of list of forbidden books, movies, or TV shows. The last few popes have said some very good things about the general principles, particularly in their messages for World Communications Day, but we must use our prudential judgment.

Yes, we are all sinners. We don't always use our prudential judgment to the best of our ability. Some of us may think we're just fine by watching something when we're really not. Others of us may think we must avoid this certain show when we really don't know what we're talking about. We're all capable of deceiving ourselves and being short-sighted.

If you're limiting your media consumption based on your Catholic moral principles, and you feel like you are growing in holiness as a result, then I sincerely congratulate you.

However, we also need to be careful about over-generalizing. Just because we read a thread where a half dozen posters mentioned TV shows that sound immoral based on the title or some tidbits of info picked up here and there doesn't mean we can extrapolate that to mean there is an epidemic of immoral TV watching among the Catholic elderly.

Hi Joe,

Sorry, but the Church has not wiped the slate clean and left it all in our hands. Here is a document from the USCCB on Renewing the Mind of the Media:

http://old.usccb.org/comm/renewingeng.shtml

The author of the following book is a Catholic:

http://www.amazon.com/Noise-Media-sa.../dp/1932927948


For women:

http://www.renewamerica.com/columns/kokx/120706



Peace,
Ed

[edwest2]

Originally Posted by ShadowWolf514

I think your post was the most helpful to my confusion. I still can't form an opinion on this issue, being that as you stated there may not even be an issue. But I think I will follow your advice and just let people discern for themselves what they should watch. But there is still one question that I wished to be answered:

I have believed that no matter how small a sin is in a video game, movie, TV show, and music we are all influence by it whether we like it or not or whether we notice it or not. Is this "junk in junk out" way of thinking true or not?

It's true.



Peace,
Ed

[JimG]

Originally Posted by ShadowWolf514

Shouldn't we Catholics not be watching shows that have: immodesty, nudity, homosexuality, sex, drugs, demonic themes, etc.? Because in a short span of 30 mins of browsing, that's what I have seen people say they watch in this forum. And no one is even showing any concerns.

I am 19 years old and I limit what I watch and play greatly based on the morals in video games and shows. However my Great Aunt would watch sex, murders, and other immoral behaviors on TV all the time. And I heard that other elderly people are addicted to those things. Should I be concerned!?

You make some very good observations. Much of the media is just as you have described. It is mind poison and yet people imbibe it willingly. They even pay to drink it.

I know that many older people grew up initially in an age when the media were more innocent and more family-friendly. Honestly, if my own mother had turned on the first TV set that we bought and seen today's programming on it, it would have been out of the house immediately.

Mind poison is stealthy. At first there's just the occasional objectionable item, and you don't give it much thought. Over the years, networks add more and more of it; and soon, people become accustomed to it, even expecting it. Salacious jokes become the norm. The culture becomes gradually more degenerate.

Even shows which pass for family shows are full of suggestive situations, gratuitous violence, and moral ambiguity.

The fact that you are a young person and are concerned about it is in itself an encouraging sign. In an age of media saturation, one has to take protective measures against the mind poison. Parents take a great deal of care about what foods their children ingest but not always so much concern about what their minds and imaginations ingest.