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Your Child and Your TV
October 27, 2009

I will walk with integrity of heart
within my house;
I will not set before my eyes
anything that is base.
–Psalm 101

“When my kids were small, I carefully picked the TV show. They watched one program in the afternoon, and then I turned it off. But one time while busy at the stove, I forgot. They saw a bit o the next program, ‘The Three Stooges.’

“Shortly afterward, Pam’s [age 18 months] screams brought me running to her room. There my three-year-old was banging Pam’s head (in slapstick fashion) against the floor.”

Phyllis, the friend who told of this, had taken firm control of her children’s television viewing—much more so than most parents. She recognized her duty a decade before today’s critics began exhorting parents to grab the reins of their TV set.

This boon—the focus on control—does...

much of tv is sinful, seducing @ times even the elect

1 Pet. 1:1-2

Agreed! James Dobson once said, "There is no more evident world of Satan today than televison."

Two decades ago, the trade publication, Advertising Age wrote: "Without a doubt the Big 3 TV networks are allowing scenes and lines that would have been unthinkable just a few years ago...and its ok today."

Which comes first .... a society that has left its Christian roots behind ... or the television which reflects that society? Too simplistic, I know.

Sometimes, television and the media in general appear to have an agenda to change societal mores - those programs we ought be on our guard about and oppose for sure! But generally speaking, the media reflects what is already present, and I am not so sure boycotting television is a particularly useful tool to protect children from the society in which they already live. Rather, teach them truth and give them tools to deal with the world in which they live ... and to be lights for the Gospel in that world.

This is not to say that parents should not monitor and choose what their children are exposed to - of course they should. There are age appropriate issues, time management, priorities that are more important than staying glued to an electrical device - and how to deal with what they do see.

What I am suggesting is that we ought be up in arms about changes in society first ... then what is acceptable in the media might follow along - not the other way around.

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Avid Reader

“Lord, in my zeal for love of truth, let me not forget the truth about love.” - Thomas Aquinas
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Their agenda is to make money. Period.

-Dan.

I disagree.

Some people are in the TV business just for the money. And those people have a lot of control. But other people are in it for a mixture of agendas, and making money isn't always at the top of the list.

The problem with the phrase "television and the media in general appear to have an agenda" is that it's personification. Persons have agendas. Groups of people do not, even though we usually think of them as though they do.

I do the same thing too, all the time. The left has an agenda, the right has an agenda, television has an agenda, the church has an agenda. It's really the composite of a bunch of individual agendas.

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Not all those who wander are lost.

Avid Reader,

I agree with the view that TV is more of a symptom than a root cause, and that decline in Christian values is closer to the root cause.

But there's a problem in defining "Christian values". Christian communities are not really monolithic with regard to values, even though we often pretend that they are. If I were suddenly transported back in time to early colonial Boston, I might share more Christian values with Anne Hutchinson than with Cotton Mather.

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Not all those who wander are lost.

avid/strider -- good pts

there are forces @ work that operate in the spiritual realm that only a select few have ever been Allowed to see -- nevertheless, we're Told about them

mankind doesn't need Satan & demonic forces to do evil -- we got that 1 down pat -- however, having powerful entities pulling strategic strings only expedites the process & extends the damage

a very valuable rule for both the TV and the computer with children is never to allow either in their own room, or in any closed space .... make sure both are in the most open areas of the home where what is being viewed and accessed is in full view of everyone.

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Computer, television, and other media are part of a kid's life these days. Everywhere they go, no matter how hard you restrict them at home, there will come an instance that they will be exposed to it even without your knowledge. There's no point in letting them not view the TV nor touch the computer for you too will suffer in the end because they will come out ignorant to these things - in particular with their operation and use.

What is recommended is to establish guidelines that will let you and your children utilize TV and the computer as valuable tools in shaping not only their intelligence but also their values and attitude. Guide them whenever they are watching TV. Ensure as much as possible that they are watching kid-friendly shows. In the instance that they could have watch programs that are not suitable for younger audiences, your guidance, specifically your explanations are needed to help them understand what they are watching.

Limit their computer usage such as when home works are done or during weekends only. Have filter programs restrict sites that may contain adult-oriented themes such as pornography. In the usage of social media, encourage them to be polite and to think first before they click and post what they like. When they become subjects of cyber-bullying, let them be open to you and give them the support and encouragement they need.

TV and the computer are also instrumental in bringing the children and the youth closer to God. There are many shows that can still good values. There are websites from which inspirations and Bible readings are found. Let your children use media for spiritual enrichment.