Did You Watch (or Follow) American Idol This Season?

[kvanlaan]

I am too vulnerable to ungodly thoughts in watching TV, so, I don't have a TV. People, who think their minds are so competent they can actually decide, whether they get affected by what they watch or listen (that which goes into your mind) or not, are literally FOOLS. I hope there are none here and if there are, I hope they realize how impotent the human mind is.

Brother, I understand what you are saying (and agree with almost all of it), but your wording is perhaps too harsh. I think to change it thusly:

People who think their minds are so competent they can actually decide, whether they get affected by what they watch or listen (that which goes into your mind) or not, are acting unwisely.

...makes it something I can agree with 100%. We far too often dance with the devil willingly (we do not see him for what he is) and think we come away unaffected. No, not everything on there is 'of the devil,' but even if the dancing show is fine, you still have to deal with commercials (and those are horrid).

 

[Grimmson]

Sermon critiques off topic? Actually I think it serves as a very good reminder that we have little time in our busy lives to reflect on God's word and watching much of anything on network TV is a sad trade-off.

On top of that, I like to know where people find the time to watch such. Maybe I cannot because i do not own a TV, maybe it is because I live in a library because things need to get done. I didnt even know the show was going on right now. I need to get out more, am to isolated.

---------- Post added at 08:01 PM ---------- Previous post was at 07:54 PM ----------

If you think all I do is read, I should confess to my own time waster that I love, Iron Sharpens Iron, online at 3pm PT.

 

[N. Eshelman]

Sermon critiques off topic? Actually I think it serves as a very good reminder that we have little time in our busy lives to reflect on God's word and watching much of anything on network TV is a sad trade-off.

On top of that, I like to know where people find the time to watch such. Maybe I cannot because i do not own a TV, maybe it is because I live in a library because things need to get done. I didnt even know the show was going on right now. I need to get out more, am to isolated.

---------- Post added at 08:01 PM ---------- Previous post was at 07:54 PM ----------

If you think all I do is read, I should confess to my own time waster that I love, Iron Sharpens Iron, online at 3pm PT.

I didn't own a TV until last year. Nor did I have time to watch because of full time seminary and full time work. American Idol is the ONLY show that my wife and I have watched in front of a TV together. We make time for 1 hour in front of the TV per week. We're okay with that.

 

[Montanablue]

I can't take 19 Kids and Counting. I feel so sorry for those kids. I would have hated to have cameras in my house growing up. I guess its one of the ways they make ends meet, so I don't mean to judge them - I'm just glad its not me.

I appreciate that line of thought and concur that I probably wouldn't like it much either. However, the Duggars seem pretty used to it since they have grown up with that reality. What I really like is watching Jill and Jana because they take care of the kids and home in a way that I find admirable and desirous in a wife. It gives me hope that such young ladies still exist.

Yeah... I'm sure they're great girls, but I'm also sure a lot of that is a performance for the cameras. (I have seen several episodes of the show). Also, I've learned that reality show industry in general is kind of a sham. A family out here had a reality show episode filmed on their ranch and the whole thing was completely faked. That's not to say anything about the character of the Duggars, but I would imagine that, like any family, there are lots of messy things that dont make it on the camera. (Which overall is good, who wants all their dirty laundry aired for the entertainment of thousands)

 

[InSlaveryToChrist]

I am too vulnerable to ungodly thoughts in watching TV, so, I don't have a TV. People, who think their minds are so competent they can actually decide, whether they get affected by what they watch or listen (that which goes into your mind) or not, are literally FOOLS. I hope there are none here and if there are, I hope they realize how impotent the human mind is.

Brother, I understand what you are saying (and agree with almost all of it), but your wording is perhaps too harsh. I think to change it thusly:

People who think their minds are so competent they can actually decide, whether they get affected by what they watch or listen (that which goes into your mind) or not, are acting unwisely.

...makes it something I can agree with 100%. We far too often dance with the devil willingly (we do not see him for what he is) and think we come away unaffected. No, not everything on there is 'of the devil,' but even if the dancing show is fine, you still have to deal with commercials (and those are horrid).

Are you trying to distinguish unwiseness from foolishness??? I think the two are totally consistent with each other! Are you saying, "Not all things you consider unwise are sinful (that is, foolish)."? If you carefully consider Proverb 16:2 here, you cannot possibly agree with such statement. WE DON'T DO THINGS WHICH WE REGARD AS UNWISE DECISIONS! We don't...

Just for clarification: we do can acknowledge our ignorance before God, but that doesn't mean we do things out of ignorance. I know that sounds wrong, but think about it a little. If all our actions are as righteous in our own eyes, as Proverb 16:2 implies, it must only mean that we don't regard our actions as ignorant to the truth. NOW GET THIS: we can think of our actions as unwise BEFORE and AFTER acting, but never WHILE acting! When we sin, we don't see our action as sinning, but righteousness! In other words, when we sin our conscience is SILENCED, and that will always shape our conscience.

 

[InSlaveryToChrist]

Admin Hat On:

Dear Samuel,

You're welcome to publicly express the recognition of your own temptations in regards to tv altogether, but you're not welcome to bind the conscience of others as if tv affects all people one in the same in a universally negative/sinful way. You just cannot make that claim. Furthermore, this is the "Entertainment & Humor" forum, so even if you were going to press the case (i.e. that the engagement of watching television is universally a poor decision since it will negatively effect whoever watches it regardless of content), you should do so from the "Law of God" since it is His law from which we derive the morality of things.

Sincerely,

I understand and am sorry for breaking the rules.

 

[kvanlaan]

Are you trying to distinguish unwiseness from foolishness??? I think the two are totally consistent with each other! Are you saying, "Not all things you consider unwise are sinful (that is, foolish)."? If you carefully consider Proverb 16:2 here, you cannot possibly agree with such statement. WE DON'T DO THINGS WHICH WE REGARD AS UNWISE DECISIONS! We don't...

Josh, not sure if this reply is kosher or not, but if it is, I just wanted to say to Samuel that I am willing to advise a brother that his conduct is unwise, but it would have to be pretty headlong foolhardy and blatantly devil-may-care to outrightly call him a fool. I am not trying to split hairs here, only to correct a brother in love, and not to condemn him out of hand.

 

[Willem van Oranje]

Didn't watch it, but I did use it for an illustration in preaching class.

 

[ReformedChristian]

Sadly even though I have a tv I have not watched it in months I prefer intellectual stimulation such as devoting time to theological pursuits and writing, besides with all the nonesense on tv these days it pays to find more suitable things to do.