Continuing the Conversation

Thanks for all the great comments about TV. I find it really interesting that many of you have cut TV totally or partially out of your lives--and that some of you are not tempted by the same things I am when it comes to TV. I think that is indicative of an area where we should encourage one another in holiness, but not play judge and jury over another family's decisions ("THEY have TV. What SINNERS."). In other words, it's an area we have some freedom to decide what's right for our family, keeping a clear conscience before God.

Muley commented,

I'm curious, Kristen, and not from a negative point of view. Does your no-TV lifestyle allow for the viewing of DVDs, or is that considered TV as well?

I mean, when you need a Pride and Prejudice fix with Colin Firth, what do you do?

Ryan and I do watch some movies and documentaries, and we rented the first season of Lost and watched that. It's not that all film/TV is the spawn of the devil...it's about what we CHOOSE to put before our eyes, and how we use our time. Sure, we pop in Napoleon Dynamite now and then. But with television programming, you don't know what you're getting (e.g., Todd's point about commercials), you're tempted to watch things you shouldn't, and you're tempted to waste a LOT of time, in general.

The time-wasting thing is true for me; it may not be for someone else. Some people are apparently not as tempted to watch E! as I am. But I am, and I have to know that about myself and take measures to make sure that I keep myself from sin in that area. Basically, I know myself well enough to be fairly certain that I don't have the discipline to watch Rachael Ray for a half hour and then turn off the tube. Ain't gonna happen.