Let us face reality, TV has become a part of life for millions of people. We have cable channels which teach us how to read and write, in addition to giving us 24 hour weather. We are inundated with a variety of entertainment which range from preaching the gospel to pornography. We no longer need to go to the movies because if we wait long enough, the movie will be on TV without much editing. No matter how many diatribes we hear against TV we are still going to watch it. This monograph is designed to help you analyze TV programs you watch. As Christians we are to live a pure lifestyle, even in private. Does TV affect us? The answer is yes! Did you ever laugh at a sinful scene which you would not partake of in real life? To laugh at sin is to condone it. The media is controlled by atheists and globalist change agents. The news is totally controlled and we only receive what the big boys want us to. Let me share two quotes from media pundits: "If we can start changing attitudes in this country, we can start changing behavior." -Grant Tinker, Former Chairman NBC TV "Objectivity is a fallacy...there are different opinions, but you don’t give them equal weight." -Robert Bazell, NBC News "Of today’s leaders...90% favor abortion...91% favor homosexuality ...and only 14% attend any kind of church." -Lichtman Rothman survey of Media Leaders.
If these are the type of people that run the media, the Christian better be armed with principles and questions concerning TV programs. God gives a warning in Deuteronomy 7:26: (Deu 7:26 KJV) Neither shalt thou bring an abomination into thine house, lest thou be a cursed thing like it: but thou shalt utterly detest it, and thou shalt utterly abhor it; for it is a cursed thing.
This verse deals with idols and images which Israel was to reject. Is there a parallel? There sure is! The church is spiritual Israel and the same mindset about idols and images is present today. Many fantasize about wealth and idolize movie stars. Satan is cunning and many of us have fallen for his TV snares. The thing to do when the Holy Spirit makes us aware of it, is confess, repent, and deal with it. Remember this principle: TELEVISION PROGRAMS ARE DESIGNED WITH THE PURPOSE OF REPROGRAMMING YOUR MIND BY BREAKING DOWN YOUR DEFENSES SO YOU WILL ACCEPT A LIE AS TRUTH. Many of the anti-Christian and immoral precepts are bellowed forth in situation comedies. They get you to laugh, then they put forth their principles and you have accepted their teachings without reservation. This is why much reprogramming is done through comedy.
HOW TO ANALYZE A PROGRAM
Does it Mock Christianity? The networks mock no other faith but Christianity. Other religions receive an occasional non-offensive joke but it is open season on Christianity. Christianity is the only faith in America which may be attacked without fear or reprisal. What is the Focal Point of the Episode? In October 1990, Bill Cosby had a one hour show which focused on one of his teenage girls and the subject was whether she should have pre-marital sex or not. The advice given was "wait until you are ready or wait till you are in love." No mention of waiting for marriage. The focal point was to endorse pre-marital sex and leaving it to the discretion of the teenager. Does it Glamorize Rebellion? Does the show focus on rebellion to any type of authority, such as parents, police, teachers, government, etc. Does It Glorify Controlled Substances? Does your program send a message to you and your family that cigarettes, drugs, and alcohol make you more respectable? The majority of the shows glorify alcohol. The message sent is that you need alcohol to be accepted by others. The most blatant oxymoron on TV is that hard liquor companies are disallowed from advertising, yet almost every show displays drinking of hard liquor. If this is not an advertisement for it, I do not know what is. [See Section Alcohol, Tobacco and Tattoos on THIS Page] Are there Occultic Overtones? If the program contains subtle or blatant endorsements of psychics, new age themes, mediums, or portrays witches as good moral people, this is a satanic attempt to get you to accept the occult by dressing it up. [See Section on The Occult] Are there Sexual Suggestions? Are there any scenes where the actors and actresses are in bed partially exposed? This soft porno approach causes the human mind to finish the scene. It leads to fantasy and maybe a slave life to masturbation, visiting prostitutes, or even sex crimes. In these segments, how many references to AIDS do you hear about? Hollywood always portrays illicit sex in a Pollyanna fashion. Are Sinful Lifestyles Promoted? If homosexuality, lesbianism, or living together without benefit of marriage is portrayed, it is an attempt to retrain your thinking that these are just alternative lifestyles, claiming it is accepted by everyone else. WRONG, GOD DOES NOT ACCEPT IT! Is Violence Glorified? Violence sells so it is a part of many programs. Many programs portray violence as a result of situational ethics, in other words, if a violent act gets me by, it is justified. Is Vulgarity a Part of the Script? Hollywood (Hollow-wood) now injects the name of Christ as a swear word on a regular basis. On November 4, 1990 TBS (Turner Broadcasting) aired the movie, "The Final Countdown." They edited out God’s name when linked with "dam," but they left the name of Christ in when used profanely. This attack on the Lord Jesus Christ is designed to reprogram us to believe that Christ is just another common religious name which may be used in vain. Have you heard on TV sayings like, "Buddha dammit" or "For Pope’s sake?" You never did and you never will. I had a small sticker created which I place on all my mail which reads, "Jesus Christ is not a Swear Word." It will give people something to think about when they read it. Is A One World Society or Globalism promoted? The media is the puppet of a powerful group of International Bankers. Their umbrella groups are: The Trilateral Commission; The Council on Foreign Relations; The Bilderbergs; Order of the Skull and Bones et al. They are pushing a one world agenda on us, attempting to convince us that only a one world society will preserve us from war and famine, and other world problems they create with a phone call. The one world agenda is as sinful today as it was back when God destroyed Satan’s first attempt at Babel. Does the Program Push Evolution as Fact? When evolution is taught on TV, it tends to be very persuasive to young people. If you support public TV, then stop, because their programs are detrimental to the cause of Christ. They are your spiritual enemy. When programs are aired which show a clash between Christianity and Evolution, the Christians are always portrayed as religious idiots while the evolutionists are shown to be the intelligent, scientifically logically minded, altruistic people. Support Christian radio or missions with the money you give to Public TV. [See Section on Evolution] Does it push Extra-Terrestrial Life? TV shows like Star Trek or movies like Close Encounters of the Third Kind attempt to persuade us that life exists on other planets and that aliens will possess the knowledge man needs to survive. They portray aliens as having power to raise the dead, heal diseases, and control others through mental telepathy. All these are appealing to man who seeks eternal life without Christ. UFO’S may be categorized under the occult, as these "space ships" emulate characteristics akin to demons, such as cold temperatures, anomalous motion which could never be performed by something mechanical but by something spiritual, such as anti-gravity. Only something spiritual can defy God’s natural laws for the universe.
SIGNS OF TV ADDICTION
As with anything we do routinely, if left unchecked can turn into an addiction. People who become addicts did not start out to become an addict. No one who drinks sets a goal of becoming a professional drunk. If we start something which is detrimental to our Christian walk, even on a small scale, Satan will make an attempt to intensify the drive or desire to bring this action into its ultimate state which is a strong hold in our life. 2 Corinthians 10:4 warns us:
(2 Cor 10:4 KJV) (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) The words "strong hold" may also be translated "fortress or castle." This warns us that Satan can create a hold on our life with an addiction to sin. A TV addict believes they must watch every show, and with every show they watch it intensifies their desire to watch another. This is a vicious cycle which is only broken by God’s power. Are you a TV addict or are you on the way to becoming one? Check to see if any of these 32 principles of TV addiction are present in your life. If they are, then you may have a satanic stronghold in your life. 1) You call someone to videotape TV shows that are on the same time the one you are watching and videotaping. 2) You watch a program with the anticipation of seeing a sinful act. 3) You enjoy the sinful scenes on the show. 4) You eat your dinner in front of the TV. 5) You neglect your spouse or family for a TV show. 6) You look forward to a TV show. (desirous anticipation) Do you look forward to next week’s church service? 7) You miss Sunday Night services or Wednesday evening prayer meeting for TV. 8) You begin to role play the parts you see on TV on a serious basis. 9) Your conversation is replete with TV reviews and anecdotes. 10) TV replaces your Bible reading or devotion time. 11) The family altar has been replaced by a TV program. 12) You know more about TV than Scripture. 13) No one is allowed to speak while the TV is on. 14) You begin to start empathizing with the characters the actors are portraying. 15) You rush home so you will not miss a program. 16) You watch TV late into the night consistently. 17) When company visits, the TV remains on. 18) You disturb others on the job by discussing a TV show. 19) You yell at the TV when a certain scene unfolds. 20) You become angry when "there aint nothing good on TV tonight." 21) You let TV do your thinking for you. 22) The only book you read is TV guide. 23) You turn the TV on the moment you enter a room. 24) The TV is on when you are doing your chores. 25) You do not want people to visit when your programs are scheduled to come on. 26) When people visit, you wish they would leave so you could watch your programs. 27) You laugh at the very sin which sent Christ to the cross. 28) You have every premium cable channel like HBO, Cinemax, etc. 29) You constantly flip channels with your remote control. 30) You begin to adopt ideas and attitudes contrary to Scripture. (Remember change agents) 31) You find more pleasure watching TV than being with God’s people. 32) You go nowhere but have become a couch potato. Some Consequences of being a Teleholic Loneliness Staying home and watching TV isolates you from other people. God created us to be social creatures requiring human interaction. Loss of human contact will cause extreme loneliness. Depression Excessive TV watching may cause depression because night after night you continually soak up the world’s idea of what success and value is. We begin to believe our lives, when compared with those exciting ones we see on TV, are really valueless and this type of thinking, when drilled into us daily, will lead into depression. Physical Disease Our bodies were made for motion, not to sit in one place for hours daily. Our muscles and the rest of our body need exercise for proper fitness and clear minds. One can become obese, because incessant TV watching leads to incessant eating. Fantasy Lifestyle This happens when we watch so much TV that we have trouble separating reality from fantasy. TV can cause us to live an imaginary lifestyle, like believing illicit sex without consequences, social drinking is mandatory, you must drive an expensive car, etc. An imitation of a TV lifestyle can ruin a life. Acceptance of Sinful Principles TV shows are not written with obedience to God in mind. As we are bombarded daily with sinful principles, we begin to accept the methods Hollywood teaches. You claim you do not accept sinful principles! Then why do you watch the same show each week. If you keep watching it, you are endorsing it. Soon you will be found opposing the principles of Scripture and even rebuking those who bring the truth and this will sow discord among the brethren and will sow confusion in the life of a young believer. Suicide When a person believes they have no value, no friends, and that they do not measure up to the fantasy lifestyle they impose on themselves, they see no reason for living. They do not realize a satanic deception has taken place. If there was such a group as Teleholics Anonymous, their meetings would be packed more than Alcoholics Anonymous.
SUGGESTIONS TO HELP FREE YOU FROM TELEHOLISM
Realize It Is Sin Satan has built a fortress in your life and this type of sin can only be broken by the power of God. You must begin to bathe your recovery in prayer. Get A Partner Call someone who will pray with you and speak with you about your problem. Determine you will be accountable to them. Therefore, you must find a strong Christian who will not shrink back, even if you do. Meet with this person on a regular basis, not just on the phone. Devise a Plan and Put It Into Operation The following is a suggested plan of operation. 1. Rise up earlier so you will be tired earlier at night, which means you will go to bed earlier and it will cut down on your TV watching. 2. Give your VCR to a friend until you are delivered from the stronghold. 3. Give your remote control to a friend as this will prevent you from flipping through all the channels from your easy chair. This will force you to get up from your chair to change the channels. This will also prevent you from watching TV from bed because it will then force you to get out of a warm bed to change channels or shut off the TV. 4. Have all the premium cable channels disconnected. This will save you about 500 dollars per year. 5. Discard your instant dinners thus causing you to cook your dinner which will pull you away from the TV plus you will be healthier. The amount of salt and preservatives in those dinners are unbelievable. 6. Turn your local Christian radio station on during the day or night. Let God build a desire for Him into your life. 7. Start reading books to reclaim your thinking process which TV steals. 8. Make Bible reading imperative and do your reading in a room where there is no TV or else you may be tempted to put your Bible down and turn the TV on. Rearrange the house if you must. 9. Go out with your spouse or friends to church or Wednesday evening service, or just for a drive. Rediscover each other. 10. If you must get rid of your TV, then do it. There are many Christians who do not own a TV and are happy because God owns their mind fully.
The key to obtaining victory over teleholism is found in Ephesians 4:22-24: That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; {23} And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; {24} And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.
In verse 22, Paul is telling us to put off the old man while simultaneously putting on the new man. If we just stop our old habits and do nothing, we will have a void which needs to be filled. Guess what we will fill it with. The old habits! So to prevent this, God in His wisdom told us the key to overcoming sin is put off-put on. If we are going to put off television watching, we must put something in its place. For example, instead of watching TV, we will put Christian radio on. Instead of watching TV on Wednesday night, you go to mid-week service. The key is to do something in place of TV watching or you will go right back to the old ways. Allow your partner to help you by establishing a schedule of things to do which require you to be away from the TV. Do not fight your partner, God will use her/him to help you and this is what the body of Christ is all about. If you are having extensive difficulty in your recovery, seek pastoral counseling.
PROTESTING A TV SHOW
1. Write to the network and the local station. 2. Start a TV watchdog system whereby some Christians agree to watch certain programs and then come together to analyze the results and then publish them in your church. Some will not agree but there will be those you will reach who want to be obedient to God. Try to get this type of group going in your denomination. 3. Do not buy the products which are advertised on these shows. It is a very effective tool. 4. Start a community organization dedicated to better quality TV and get your local politicians involved. To a politician, voters are their lifeline, remind them of this.
If God delivers you from TV addiction, there is no reason that you could not start a group like Teleholics Anonymous. There are thousands who are addicted to TV and would like to be free but lack support to do it. Addiction is addiction, no matter what type it is. Addiction is a controlling factor in a person’s life. People with strongholds in their life need help, maybe you are the one they are looking for. Think about it! (John 8:32 KJV) And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. (Rom 6:18 KJV) Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness.
The Effects of TV on Children “A new study appearing in the April issue of Pediatrics concludes that children who watch television experience shortened attention spans and considerably enhances the chances, based on number of hours of television watched, of developing ADDs (attention deficit disorders) later on in life. The American Academy of Pediatrics has recommended that children under the age of two not watch television and this new study seems to validate such a recommendation.” (© 2004 NewsWithViews.com) “ It is reported that children watch an average of 43 hours of TV per week, that's longer than the average adult work week. While watching, they rapidly become almost hypnotized. It has been shown scientifically that within minutes of beginning to watch TV, the brain changes from the alert brain waves (beta waves) to the hypnotic waves (alpha waves) where the judgment center of the brain is bypassed. So the violence and decadence that the child sees, bypasses the judgment center in the brain and is implanted in the child's brain without any ability on the child's part to decide whether what they are seeing is right or wrong. The violence and decadence are accepted by the brain without any moral judgment being applied to it. It then becomes part of the child's permanent subconscious. What goes into a child's mind is just as important as what goes into his or her mouth!” (Attention Deficit Disorder by Lorraine Day, M.D.)
The Stranger "A few months before I was born, my dad met a stranger who was new to our small Tennessee town. From the beginning, Dad was fascinated with this enchanting newcomer, and soon invited him to live with our family. The stranger was quickly accepted and was around to welcome me into the world a few months later. As I grew up I never questioned his place in our family. In my young mind, each member had a special niche. My brother, Bill, five years my senior, was my example. Fran, my younger sister, gave me an opportunity to play 'big brother' and develop the art of teasing. My parents were complementary instructors-- Mom taught me to love the word of God, and Dad taught me to obey it. But the stranger was our storyteller. He could weave the most fascinating tales. Adventures, mysteries and comedies were daily conversations. He could hold our whole family spell-bound for hours each evening. If I wanted to know about politics, history, or science, he knew it all. He knew about the past, understood the present, and seemingly could predict the future. The pictures he could draw were so life like that I would often laugh or cry as I watched. He was like a friend to the whole family. He took Dad, Bill and me to our first major league baseball game. He was always encouraging us to see the movies and he even made arrangements to introduce us to several movie stars. My brother and I were deeply impressed by John Wayne in particular. The stranger was an incessant talker. Dad didn' t seem to mind-but sometimes Mom would quietly get up-- while the rest of us were enthralled with one of his stories of faraway places-- go to her room, read her Bible and pray. I wonder now if she ever prayed that the stranger would leave. You see, my dad ruled our household with certain moral convictions. But this stranger never felt obligation to honor them. Profanity, for example, was not allowed in our house-- not from us, from our friends, or adults. Our longtime visitor, however, used occasional four letter words that burned my ears and made Dad squirm. To my knowledge the stranger was never confronted. My dad was a teetotaler who didn't permit alcohol in his home - not even for cooking. But the stranger felt like we needed exposure and enlightened us to other ways of life. He offered us beer and other alcoholic beverages often. He made cigarettes look tasty, cigars manly, and pipes distinguished. He talked freely (too much too freely) about sex. His comments were sometimes blatant, sometimes sugestive, and generally embarrassing. I know now that my early concepts of the man-woman relationship were influenced by the stranger. As I look back, I believe it was the grace of God that the stranger did not influence us more. Time after time he opposed the values of my parents. Yet he was seldom rebuked and never asked to leave. More than thirty years have passed since the stranger moved in with the young family on Morningside Drive. He is not nearly so intriguing to my Dad as he was in those early years. But if I were to walk into my parents' den today, you would still see him sitting over in a corner, waiting for someone to listen to him talk and watch him draw his pictures. His name? We always just called him TV." (Told by Keith Currie; Author unknown.) | 
