TV Or Not

[death]

Is it scriptual to have a television??

[Ebenezer]

Television is a tool for media.  I guess if you are asking is it scriptural to have a t.v., you would also need to ask, is it scriptural to have a radio, a computer, a newspaper, or a book.  The television is a tool and should not be used incorrectly, or more precisely as an instrument to partake of sin.  
Just like ice-cream or soda, the item in itself is not evil, but if you have trouble controlling it, if it takes control of you, it would be better to not have it at all.  
This is just my opinion, what ever it may be worth.

[Nathan England]

Ebenezer is correct, the television is a tool, but I personally believe it is a tool exclusively for the influence of the devil. I once thought that Animal Planet was good, my kids love it! I thought discovery was great! The History Channel!

Then watching animal planet I heard, show after show, that our planet is billions of years old. The animals on the show were relatives of the so and so that is over 10 million years old. That's a farse.

History and Discovery aren't any better, often making note to scientific references that can not be backed up by the bible, such as the above.
Then through normal study, I came across this, and it made the final decision for me:


Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them.
(Romans 16:17)


If the television doesn't do exactley that, I don't know what it does. It causes devisions between my extended family and my wife and I. It does nothing BUT teach contrary doctrines...

Avoid them.

lol, I just re-read your question and I realized. The bible doesn't say anything about televisions. So no it is not unscriptural to have one, but in my opinion, as stated above, it is unscriptural to use one!

[Ebenezer]

It is possible that I misunderstood the question.  I was speaking of the television.  Are we talking about the television, or of the garbage that comes through the cable lines into the back of the television?  If we are speaking of the television, my first opinion stands.  If we are talking about cable.  I must add that if we will view things that are offensive to God, we should not use it.  However, since that is all that seems to be on cable.  Our home does not subscribe to it.

[Nathan England]

Neither does my house. You can not get cable or satellite, not even the so called 'Angel Network' that is not full of garbage.

I won't say that all of it is bad, as there are some good flicks. We have been watching some by the Christiano brothers. Time Changer is a particularly good movie, which I enjoyed a lot. Some of their others are a little wishy washy, but good viewing nonetheless, and all make very good points.

But outside a handfull of movies...

[Don't Tread On Me]

Poison Ivy- Has been known to cure paralysis, acute rheumatism, and  articular stiffness. The fluid extract in small doses it is an excellent sedative to the nervous system.

Cacti- The prickly pear cactus' fruit is quite tasty and can be used to make juices and preserves. The saguaro can absorb up to 200 gallons of water in a single rainstorm; its seeds can be cooked and eaten or turned into flour.

Scorpions- The poison extracted from the scorpions has a neutral pH, is water soluble, and has a high degree of both acidic and basic carbohydrates, amino acids, enzymes and polypeptides, all of which are used to make medicine to treat uterine, breast and lung cancer.

I argue your point and say that yes, God made things and intended for us to use them.

Genesis 1:12 -And the earth brought forth grass, and herb yielding seed after his kind, and the tree yielding fruit, whose seed was in itself, after his kind: and God saw that it was good.

[death]

Ezek. 8:7-12---7] And he brought me to the door of the court; and when I looked, behold a hole in the wall.
[8] Then said he unto me, Son of man, dig now in the wall: and when I had digged in the wall, behold a door.
[9] And he said unto me, Go in, and behold the wicked abominations that they do here.
[10] So I went in and saw; and behold every form of creeping things, and abominable beasts, and all the idols of the house of Israel, pourtrayed upon the wall round about.
[11] And there stood before them seventy men of the ancients of the house of Israel, and in the midst of them stood Jaazaniah the son of Shaphan, with every man his censer in his hand; and a thick cloud of incense went up.
[12] Then said he unto me, Son of man, hast thou seen what the ancients of the house of Israel do in the dark, every man in the chambers of his imagery? for they say, The LORD seeth us not; the LORD hath forsaken the earth.

First TV??? From the description it sounds like the first tv... What was on it?? I enjoy a good movie and such, however shouldn't we be reading our Bibles more, talking to the Lord more, spending more time with our families... And no one can say that we do any of that enough, so it would seem to me that the TV is a big waste of time on this earth considering that we are suppose to be doing THE Lords work!!!

[death]

Meant Lord, not lord after Bible verse, sorry

[Don't Tread On Me]

Good point, and yes we should. Assuming that the void that was spent television viewing is filled with doing the Lord's work. Otherwise it's nothing more than a position of status, used to impress others. I'm not saying that about your case, we all just need to keep that in mind.

[death]

Good point, however I would like to point out that there are very few good things that everyone puts on there television.... Sure there are a few good documentories and such on the Bible... But anything besides that has bad things in it.. I have heard ppl say that, "oh this is an old film, it is safe". However even in the old films you have men chasing after women, and woman chasing after men, and there is kissing...We don't want our children learning from the tv that it is okay to be "girl crazy" or "boy crazy"... You have five year olds out there already thinking of marriage, instead of the things of God and there parents... If the people on the tv aren't married they shouldn't be kissing, and that is what we need to be teaching our children. Makes sense, since we have allowed the tv into our homes, you have children raised the right way, leaving the church... Wanting to date..... Wanting a worldly lifestyle... Wanting desperatly to get married, instead of waiting for the one God calls for them. Because of tv, and other visual media, you have men out there looking for the "hot" wife instead of the one that God wanted for them. My point was with this whole thing is that unless your watching documentaries on your tv, or however you choose to view it, you are allowing garbage, small and unseen, to enter into your head, and the head of those whom you allow to watch...
1Cor 15:33 Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners.