4.29.2009

Lashing out at the TV

Ok. I said I wasn't coming back until next Sunday, but I'm back for a quick mid-week update. Some important things to share.

I lost 3.6 lbs last week. I joined a WW meeting that meets at a nearby church on Tues a.m. so I'm really excited about turning a new leaf with these new friends.

Also, Dave & I decided to give our TV, DVD player and VCR to our church. They were in need of some of these electronics and we have determined we no longer want them in our house. If anyone wants any of our movies, let me know. I'm already giving a lot of them to my sister, but some of them she already had so they're up for grabs...

This decision has been a long time coming. Dave disabled our antenna probably 5 years ago so we couldn't get any stations. I was angry. I loved my TV shows. But I got over it. We kept the TV to watch movies. Lately whenever we watch movies I think afterwards, why did we waste our time doing that? Last time Dave's parents visited Dave suggested we watch America's Sweethearts. I felt awkward most of the movie because I feel that a lot of humor in it was inappropriate and not something that I would really sit around talking with them about. I just recently got Little House season 8. I haven't even watched the entire thing. But I've noticed that in the later seasons, the people lie more, there's more reference to sinful things, women and children are more disrespectful, etc. We recently watched Cinderella Man and I found myself riding an emotional roller coaster all night. Life is stressful enough without willingly imposing stress on myself. And the other night we watched Ocean's Eleven and I found myself wondering why we would watch something for entertainment that was centered around disobeying 2 of the 10 commandments (lying and stealing). I decided if I looked at all movies before watching them and thought about whether they went perpendicular to the commandments, most of them would make it on my "do not watch" list. So I began to wonder what the point was in even watching movies. It is a way for Satan and sin to slowly slip into our minds. Our youth pastor recently spoke about influence, how it is inevitable, how we influence others and how we are constantly influenced ourselves. I do not want to be influenced anymore by these terrible things. The more I think about having children, I do not want their precious little minds to be affected by violence, sex, scandal on TV and if I care so much about their unborn minds, why don't I care about my own and my husbands? And all the people we invite into our home to watch movies with? My sister-in-law also mentioned how TV affects children's minds developmentally as well. I think that I've heard that before too. So, there's just another reason.

I think that our time will be better spent reading, playing games, exercising, working on house projects or hobbies, etc. We will be better off without that black box of evil. I know that sometimes it can be good, but by and large, it is not. The bad times outweigh the good in my mind. It is over.

...Now that I think about it, maybe we shouldn't even give it to the church. Why give an evil black box to them? Well, I know the reason. I think that it can be used for good teaching in that setting. But having it in our home allows us to take advantage of it and watch things that we should not....

It's kind of like when someone on a diet takes all the bad food out of their house. That is what we are doing.

Ok. Off my soap box now. I just wanted to let you all know :)

1 comment:

Bethany said...

I just love this post, Katie. It is so extreme and I love it. I have a love/hate relationship with our TV. I remember way back when, when you said Dave disabled your antenna and you only watched DVDs. I thought that was cool, but not something I wanted to do (but could possibly be something I may do in the future). However, your comment about Everybody Loves Raymond has stuck in my head. I, too, hated the way Debra treated Ray and I have since quit watching that show entirely! SUCH a good decision.

I used to have the TV on all morning and now I don't turn it on and it is SOOO fabulous! I don't feel as if I've wasted the day, my mind is not filled with the junk of the world and non-believers' opinions...

What movies do you have? I enjoy a good movie now and then (although nowadays a good movie is hard to come by) with a bowl of homemade buttered popcorn and a glass of Coke. :)

I'm glad you're back to blogging. And I'm looking forward to hearing about your adventures as a SAHW.