Television

[steve-in-kville]

Not sure how this fits in, but a few years back I live-steamed the superbowl on my laptop, from a "borrowed" wi-fi connection. So was that TV? or just live-streaming? See how hairs are gonna need to be split here?

(I'm totally not a main-stream sports fan. Now cycling... we can talk cycling!)

[TeleBodyofChrist]

It would be interesting to hear what people define as Television. Do you consider it the actual physical TV or do you consider the shows on it TV? I ask this because I remember reading somewhere (might have been way back on MD, I can't remember now) about how its becoming common for young people in some groups to watch Netflix on their computers or phones. Now I'm sure Netflix would fall under the TV category, but have any groups specifically banned Netflix altogether (defined in their rules)?

I consider tv just a device just like a computer that allows you access to programming. The same for smartphones and tablets. I think of the programming no matter what medium is used. I think the church might be making a mistake by being specific to the medium used to access the programming. I think the standards should address the programming itself so there is not any confusion.

[Josh]

Not sure how this fits in, but a few years back I live-steamed the superbowl on my laptop, from a "borrowed" wi-fi connection. So was that TV? or just live-streaming? See how hairs are gonna need to be split here?

(I'm totally not a main-stream sports fan. Now cycling... we can talk cycling!)

It's hard to see how anyone can not believe that this is TV.

[steve-in-kville]

Not sure how this fits in, but a few years back I live-steamed the superbowl on my laptop, from a "borrowed" wi-fi connection. So was that TV? or just live-streaming? See how hairs are gonna need to be split here?

(I'm totally not a main-stream sports fan. Now cycling... we can talk cycling!)

It's hard to see how anyone can not believe that this is TV.

I agree. And don't even get me started on these new fangled smartphones!

[steve-in-kville]

ETA: the 5 year old Nokia smartphone I carry now can do more than the first PC I bought in 1999. The camera is twice as powerful as my first digital camera I bought in 2003. I have a shoe box somewhere of all the cell phones we've owned since 2001 or so. I dig them out just for the laughs. Look how far we've advanced in 15 years or so!

[Josh]

An open question I have is if plain Anabaptists will ever be able to put the smartphone cat back in the bag if there are clear signs it is leading to apostasy. Some of the New Order Amish bishops are trying to do that, but the Old Order bishops seem to have just abandoned the fight.

[Soloist]

I haven't had a TV for watching TV for any of my adult life. That being said, I've watched a lot of TV throughout my older years until I decided there wasn't redeeming value. This is a hard choice in a lot of ways for me, I'm used to talking about shows I watched, star wars, star trek so on and so forth and for sometime I would argue that some of these shows were not bad for Christians to watch since there isn't a difference. For example, God is mocked almost openly in Star trek and real life that happens to. But should we enjoy God being mocked? I'm assuming there isn't even a need to answer that here.
Do we have a problem with modesty were we don't want to wear certain things or see certain things? We know this problem is out there and we need to guard our eyes. I don't go places I'm likely to see gross immodesty like a swimming beach or the pool. By that logic I also will not let what I view as immodest into my home, with the exception of reaching non-believers (I'd still expect a non-believer not to wear swim-wear to my house though)
Would I want to be a violent person? why should I put it before my eyes? yes culture has language issues and violence all over, but should I enjoy it?
Thus if I can watch something that will glorify God (as all our life should) I would not have a problem with it... that being said, I can't name a single show that has nothing objectionable in it. Even documentaries are risky to assume safe.

As for the smart phone... I don't have one, but the point was raised at a youth conference I saw part of, which is worse? unblocked dumb phone? or blocked smart phone?
I sort of reject the argument that we have to be on the net now days and I think that as time goes along, we might have to stop being on the net altogether.

[KingdomBuilder]

I don't ever watch T.V.. When I'm around family and they choose to watch T.V., I always regret allowing myself be in the same room.

[MattY]

In my Beachy church, we don't allow TV, but most people younger than 40, and some older ones, probably watch movies occasionally through DVD; a lot of people 30 or younger probably watch through Netflix or maybe Hulu or Amazon Prime. When I was growing up (I'm 31 now), we didn't watch anything, but in the last 10 years or so, since my parents got a dvd player and a computer, they've watched various Christian movies (like Fireproof, God's Not Dead, Miracles From Heaven) and some old TV shows like Andy Griffith and The Waltons. Among friends my age or younger, Duck Dynasty is one of the most popular shows right now; but there also have been more objectionable shows that some of them have seen, like Prison Break or Family Guy.

Personally, I have a subscription to Netflix and Amazon Prime, and I admit my own views on television align more with conservative evangelicals than with the older conservative Anabaptist generation - but I think this is true of a large segment of Beachy young people and maybe other conservative groups, I don't know. I often check out Christian reviews, especially Pluggedin.com - the Focus on the Family review site - to help determine whether a movie or show might be worth viewing. Moderation in all things, and act with discretion; pay attention to the worldview and values being promoted, and the attitudes and thoughts that the show/movie is arising in you. And not everything that is fine for you would be fine for everyone else, so don't cause your brother/sister to stumble. That's my view.

[TeleBodyofChrist]

In my Beachy church, we don't allow TV, but most people younger than 40, and some older ones, probably watch movies occasionally through DVD; a lot of people 30 or younger probably watch through Netflix or maybe Hulu or Amazon Prime. When I was growing up (I'm 31 now), we didn't watch anything, but in the last 10 years or so, since my parents got a dvd player and a computer, they've watched various Christian movies (like Fireproof, God's Not Dead, Miracles From Heaven) and some old TV shows like Andy Griffith and The Waltons. Among friends my age or younger, Duck Dynasty is one of the most popular shows right now; but there also have been more objectionable shows that some of them have seen, like Prison Break or Family Guy.

Personally, I have a subscription to Netflix and Amazon Prime, and I admit my own views on television align more with conservative evangelicals than with the older conservative Anabaptist generation - but I think this is true of a large segment of Beachy young people and maybe other conservative groups, I don't know. I often check out Christian reviews, especially Pluggedin.com - the Focus on the Family review site - to help determine whether a movie or show might be worth viewing. Moderation in all things, and act with discretion; pay attention to the worldview and values being promoted, and the attitudes and thoughts that the show/movie is arising in you. And not everything that is fine for you would be fine for everyone else, so don't cause your brother/sister to stumble. That's my view.

I did not know about this site. Thanks!