Time to Quit

During this Christmas break I have been overwhelming challenged to simply quit TV! There is so much trash on the tube (not just immoral sexual garbage, but just pure banality!) The commercials are absolutely ubiquitous and the programming (with the exception of The History Channel) are empty and purposeless. If, as Paul wrote, it is true that our transformation into the likeness of Christ and  spiritual revolutionaries takes place primarily by the renewing of our mind; surely television is the greatest, most  powerful detractor we face. I am convinced that the reason we care so much about stupid, meaningless, shallow,and selfish stuff is because of our constant exposure to television and other media made in its image(fueled by our fallen nature). How many books have not been read and written because of TV? How many transformational thoughts have not been thought because of TV? How many hours of intimacy with God have not been enjoyed because of TV? How many meaningful conversations between family members have been missed and how much enriching music has been unheard because of TV? I am convinced that the cause of Christ would experience a significant surge and our spiritual and social fabric would be richer if we just quit.

Comments

[Joseph Dworak]

How is this going for you? I would like to quit TV, but I find I love sports too much, and news. JVD

[Dave Copenhaver]

I continually resolve to turn off the tube. It is a terrible waste of time. It does not so much represent culture as much as creates it. Formulae television exploits the consuming masses, and directs their attention away from the real action. It is programmatic deception, and we are the willing partners. I suggest you read The Eclipse of the Intellectual by Emile' Zola. Or you can just fire up the SONY, put on CSI, and bring me some Act II popcorn. I'll have a Diet Pepsi, too. Thanks!

[Jack Hallman]

I loved Dave Coppenhaver's comment that TV doesn't so much represent culture as it creates it. I think this is true and to be honest, it scares me. I think there has been a systematic dumbing down of culture that has taken place over the last twenty years through the idolitry of the tube. And it has cost us plenty. For example, a few years back Toby Keith sang a tune for Ford trucks:

"I'm a Ford truck man,
that's all I drive.
Ain't got no boundaries,
I don't compromise"

Ah, the wild, into-the-thrill-of-the-moment kinda guy, right? Well, at least that's what the advertiser hopes to make you think you'll be if you buy his truck. But this song is nonsense. How can you claim to have no boundaries on the one hand, and then claim not to compromise on the other? What is "compromise" but cheating on an already exiting boundary? Further more, if you have no boundaries how would you know whether you were compromising or not? Without boundaries you would never be able to make the affirmation that you "don't compromise" because you deny the existence of the very thing which measures the extent of your compromise in the first place. Without boundaries a knowledge of compromise--or lack thereof--is an impossibility. Of course, an intellectually vacuous culture driven by hedonism and consumerism soaks this stuff up like a sponge.

Of course, the advertiser hopes this little piece of self-refuting word magic will go unnoticed as you part with your hard-earned cash and buy his truck. I never really liked Fords--now I know why. :)