Comments

HEY, GIRLS! We love hearing from you, but feel limited in the ways we can help. For one thing, we’re not trained counselors. If you’re seeking counsel, we encourage you to talk to your pastor or a godly woman in your life as they’ll know more details and can provide you with ongoing accountability and help. Also, the following comments do not necessarily reflect the views of Revive Our Hearts. We reserve the right to remove comments which might be unhelpful, unsuitable, or inappropriate.

Bella<3
Re:
on Tuesday, June 30, 2009 at 1:34 am
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nope I dont think ur weird! itz what you think is best! Im sure a lot of us wish we could live with out tv! good for you!
Cheyenne
no!
on Tuesday, June 30, 2009 at 1:35 am
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No, I don't think you are weird. we have a TV, but we only watch it once like every few months... but we do watch movies two or more times a week. I respect your choice not to have a TV. Thanks for writing!
Jenn
it would be hard
on Tuesday, June 30, 2009 at 6:45 am
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I agree with much of what you wrote about television, but I think that media can be good, too. I watch the news daily and it makes me aware that we have to be up-to-date with current events and arm ourselves with the truth against liberal media. If all Christians turned off TVs and stayed out of touch with "the world," then how could we relate to others? We are supposed to be "in the world but not OF it," right? I feel like we need to be in touch with what is going on in pop culture to some extent in order to relate to others. I'm not saying that we should saturate ourselves with garbage contrary to God's word, but I think we should rather learn to identify when programming is against it and take opportunities to share with our families what the REAL truth is. I remember being younger and my mom would let me watch Beverly Hills 90210 (not the new version--the old one's reruns). She would watch the episode with me and it always brought up hot topics like teen drinking, gossip, sex, etc. Many of my Christian friends were banned from watching that show, but my mom would watch it with me and then talk to me about what God's word said about the issues presented. I think that TV CAN be a conversation started, relationship builder, and connection to the lost when used correctly. I'm not ready to unplug mine just yet.
LaSara
Re:
on Tuesday, June 30, 2009 at 6:48 am
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No, you are not weird. : ) My parents don't own a TV either. It is mostly a waste of good time just sitting there watch it.
dakineflower
No TV
on Tuesday, June 30, 2009 at 6:49 am
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My dad reciently took away the TV for pretty much the same reasons. HE also wants our family to spend more time together. At first I thought I was going to die because TV was my life, but now I have more time for more important things like sports, and taking time to appreciate God's beautiful creations. I would now much rather watch the bunny we have hopping around our every now and then rather than The HIlls.
Katie Brown
Re:
on Tuesday, June 30, 2009 at 7:07 am
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I don't watch tv either! It was my parents' choice, but I am so thankful that they made that decision, and I plan on not having one when I live on my own.
It's good to see your reasons written down though, because people are always asking me why in the world I don't watch tv. :)
Talitha
No. You are not weird.
on Tuesday, June 30, 2009 at 8:05 am
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I have no tv. I grew up with no tv. I think that is why I LOVE books!! They fill my free time. I am 13 and I aim to not get a tv in my whole life. I mean when I get married I will have to agree with my husband but hopefully he feels like i feel, because I want my kids growing up to love books and reading, and to do that i want to have them not grow up with a tv. Those are my thoughts!
Naaatalie
EASY
on Tuesday, June 30, 2009 at 8:12 am
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I could totally live without a tv. I used to watch it all the time, but I have a full-time job this summer as a camp counselor. By the time I get home at 4:30 I'm exhausted, but I've missed out on getting to spend time with my family and friends. Watching TV seems so pointless when I could be talking to my mom or hanging out with my boyfriend. I mean, I need a nap after work, but then I want to have a family dinner or go out - I only watch TV when I'm sick or for some reason exsesively bored. I agree that TV is mostly trash, and unless you analyze every program for research, you are more than likely to begin believing what you watch. If the TV was gone in our house, I'd be fine. It might be bothersome if I couldn't ever watch a movie with the family or when my friends come over, but even then, it would encourage usto find more productive things to do.
Lauren P.
I totally agree!
on Tuesday, June 30, 2009 at 8:16 am
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This is something that I not only agree with, but that I plan on doing when I have my own home with my family. (I'm not sure how my husband will take it...)

I grew up with (and currently have) TV, but I do not watch it very often (especially during the school year). For all of your reasons above, and even more, I will choose not to own a TV and will live without one. Supposedly, no TV also develops and strengthens relationships and also is better for children's growth and development. These are wise aspects to consider for when I have my own family. Thank you for this post!
Mel Joy
no tv
on Tuesday, June 30, 2009 at 8:52 am
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We don't have a tv either. I don't mind. Sometimes if we are to tired to do anything else as a family we just watch a cool dvd. Is that wrong??
redvacuum
cool NOT weird
on Tuesday, June 30, 2009 at 9:32 am
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you are soooo cool --- NOT weird at all

thank you so much for this lis. i esspecailly like the one about talking with family and guests instead of vegging out in front of the TV. my new family does that (we also eat supper on the couch watching TV). i like my new home... i am just not used to that. is there anything i can do?
LindseyLou
I agree!
on Tuesday, June 30, 2009 at 11:07 am
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At times I wish I could toss my tv into the trash. It belongs there, so why not take out the trash? It is much easier to talk to God in a quiet place. Thank you so much for sharing this with us. It helps alot! :)
elizabeth
weird no way
on Tuesday, June 30, 2009 at 11:30 am
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i wish that i had gotten the life u did. if i hadn't owned a t.v. i would be way better off. weird u r not! lucky is what u r!
JudyLynn
tv
on Tuesday, June 30, 2009 at 11:32 am
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I am glad that you are doing things away from the tv and that you don't own one
I am trying to get away from mine cuz I know their is tons of work out their for me to do and I need to do it and because someone else is doing things away from tv I can do so thank you
thank you for being an encouragement
God bless
Anonymous
sigh
on Tuesday, June 30, 2009 at 10:57 pm
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haha, no, your not weird.. Personally I spend WAYyyy to much time on the computer or TV.... I guess that in my opinion it might be easier in some aspects not to have a tv, but if used in moderation, it CAN be used for good, if your selective of what you watch... sigh, now THAT'S the hard part!
Dawn
I completely agree
on Wednesday, July 1, 2009 at 10:47 am
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I am so glad that I purchased this book and checked out this website. It's comforting to know that there are other people out there that have the same values that I am striving to start practicing.

I admire your decision to not watch t.v. It is filled with a lot of deception and lies that cloud our judgement and misrepresent our true purpose for living, which is God.

I watch too much t.v. And I am slowly weening myself away from it.
Olivia
www.nobody416.wordpress.com
on Wednesday, July 1, 2009 at 12:15 pm
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Awesome reasons! I wish our family didn't have a TV because it's such a time sucker. We are planning on getting rid of cable though (we've only had cable off and on during the years) and instead thinking of getting Netflix, which would be cheaper, better for monitoring what we put into our minds, ect.

I really hope that someday if God blesses me with a home of my own (I'm only a teen) that it would be "TV free" for so many reasons! Again, great post! God bless!
Paula Hendricks
To Jenn
on Wednesday, July 1, 2009 at 3:32 pm
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Jenn, what a great mom you have! I wish all were this purposeful in engaging culture to the end of glorifying God. Thank you for thinking/sharing this way!
Paula Hendricks
To Mel Joy
on Wednesday, July 1, 2009 at 3:33 pm
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Hey, Mel Joy,

I’m glad you can occasionally enjoy a great DVD with your family. I’m actually going to introduce two friends to “Pride and Prejudice” tonight. I can’t wait!

Once you’re out of the house, this is just something you’ll have to talk to God about often. It’s not always real black and white.

Erin Davis is going to be talking about the “whatever” test from Philippians 4:8 later this week on the blog. It applies really well to this discussion, too.

Whatever you do—whether you eat, drink, or watch a movie—do all to the glory of God!

paula
Paula Hendricks
To Red Vacuum
on Wednesday, July 1, 2009 at 3:34 pm
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Thanks for your vote of confidence, Red Vacuum. Could you lead the way in setting up something totally different and fun? I love picnics. What if you invited your family to a picnic the following week?

You could keep it as simple as spreading a blanket in the yard outside, or you could be as elaborate as decorating and thinking of a creative game to play or question to discuss. I know it’s kinda scary to think about doing, but I encourage you to ask your mom and dad if you can host it. Maybe even send invites to your family members.

Let me know how it turns out if you end up doing it!
Julie
Re:
on Wednesday, July 1, 2009 at 5:34 pm
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You are most certainly not weird. (Except, you know, in a good way--like the rest of us with a good sense of humor. lol ) I don't watch much tv--other than boomerang (the good old cartoons). Oh, and naturally, the news, but nowadays, you can get that online. So, yes, I could definitely live without my tv.
emily thompson
Re:
on Wednesday, July 1, 2009 at 7:00 pm
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i really appreciate your decision! my family does not own a TV either, and i do not plan to own one when i am grown either. it is very encouraging to know that are others out there who believe in this too. thanks!
Mel Joy
Re
on Thursday, July 2, 2009 at 8:36 am
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Thanks Paula!!
Charli
I LOVE Pride and Prejudice!
on Thursday, July 2, 2009 at 9:39 am
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Hi, anyway, we don't have cable or a satilite, so we don't watch TV, just movies. Us kids aren't allowed to go to Roadrunner or other internet sites that show news. Mom goes there every so often, but normally she's so horrified by the stuff going on in the world that she signs off immediatly. Some of the girls at church make fun of me for being so sheltered; I'm homeschooled, I don't watch TV, I have parental controls on my computer, etc. It hurts a little, but I'd rather be teased for NOT knowing what they're talking about than KNOW what they're talking about.
Alura
I agree
on Tuesday, July 7, 2009 at 12:53 pm
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i do admit i do love to watch t.v,but i think that i could definetly live without it!
Sierra
Lucky
on Tuesday, July 7, 2009 at 10:37 pm
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i wish that i could just get rid of the t.v. in our living room!!!!! i don't think your crazy.

but the t.v. also brings my family together in some ways. we will all sit down to watch a show/ movie together at night... and it gets us all talking and laughing together.

t.v.'s arent unGodly are they?
Dara McLine
totally not weird
on Wednesday, July 8, 2009 at 10:57 am
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I'm 16 and my family has not owend a t.v. since my the 80's. So that's so not weird to me. I think not having a t.v. is a good thing. Their are so many shows that are on, that aren't good to watch!
Paula Hendricks
To Sierra
on Thursday, July 9, 2009 at 11:16 am
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Dear Sierra,

You asked if TVs are ungodly. No, there’s nothing inherently evil about a TV, though there are plenty of shows that highlight and endorse sin.

Although TV isn't inherently ungodly . . . we are! Romans 3:10-12 tells us that “None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God. All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one.”

Praise God that though “the wages of sin is death, the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23)!

So, Sierra, now that you have chosen to come after Jesus, to deny yourself and take up your cross daily and follow Him (Luke 9:23) . . . now your life is His, and you’ll need to talk with Him daily about your choices of whether or not to watch this or that.

Here’s another perspective from John Piper. I excerpted it from his recent blog post titled “Why I Don’t Have a Television and Rarely Go to Movies”:

“. . . It’s the unremitting triviality that makes television so deadly. What we desperately need is help to enlarge our capacities to be moved by the immeasurable glories of Christ. Television takes us almost constantly in the opposite direction, lowering, shrinking, and deadening our capacities for worshiping Christ.

One more smaller concern with TV (besides its addictive tendencies, trivialization of life, and deadening effects): It takes time. I have so many things I want to accomplish in this one short life. Don’t waste your life is not a catchphrase for me; it’s a cliff I walk beside every day with trembling.

TV consumes more and more time for those who get used to watching it. You start to feel like it belongs. You wonder how you could get along without it. I am jealous for my evenings. There are so many things in life I want to accomplish. I simply could not do what I do if I watched television. So we have never had a TV in 40 years of marriage (except in Germany, to help learn the language). I don’t regret it.”
Lulu
Re:
on Thursday, July 9, 2009 at 10:52 pm
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After I read a lot of the comments I began to wish I had grown up without a TV. And Charli,
You go girl! :D
Even with the teasing that comes with it you are very lucky to live such a sheltered life.
In His love,
Lulu
lily
t.v.
on Friday, July 10, 2009 at 2:03 pm
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Hi! We own a television but don't use it that often. We don't have a lot of people think we are weird though
pitbullgirl
Re:
on Friday, July 17, 2009 at 3:52 pm
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we dont watch much tv b/c all our channels are boring. we really love to watch movies, though. i like to watch the news, but the media is very biased. that is why pit bulls are called public enemies. ppl always talk too much about there fav tv show. how dumb.

ps. lily is my little sister. she is 12 and loves ducks
Larissa
Re:
on Tuesday, July 21, 2009 at 12:34 am
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I was so happy to read this blog. I too have grown up without a TV and even though I've faced a lot of ridicule because of it, I'm very thankful though to not have to fight the battle of what to watch and what not to watch, on top of everything else.
Julie
no tv
on Friday, July 31, 2009 at 1:49 pm
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My family doesn't own a TV and everybody thinks we're weird.
God's Princess
TV
on Wednesday, September 2, 2009 at 5:11 pm
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I can totally agree! For 6 years we have had a TV but we don't have ANY channels. We get our news on christian radio or on the internet. We did watch movies but not very often. All my friends (NONE of them are christians except for meh pen-pal who doesn't have TV either) thought I was weird.
becca<3
hmm...
on Monday, October 5, 2009 at 9:39 pm
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hmm, i once could NOT live with out tv like seriously i like came home turned it on whether i watched it or not and even though i wouldnt watch it the stuff on the tv would pour into my brain and wat is on the inside comes out and it was even worse that i slept with it on. but then it jus stopped working one day and i beleive it was God so to do something to i would read and i ddnt really have alot of God books but my older sister did so once i got through all my books i read hers. and there was these books from melody carlson (awesome christain writer) and it was about these two teen girl diaries and they really started pushing me to think about stuff and i had self convictions and all kinds of stuff and then i found this book and gawsh it helped me sooooo much lol yah so its ok to hav a tv.
Keith
To Own(or not to own)A TV! It's Your Choice!
on Saturday, October 17, 2009 at 8:41 pm
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Well, it's your choice not to own a television set! Ever since I was born in the early 1960s, I've always grown up with a TV! Watched movies, sports, soap operas, etc! I don't blame you for not watching the filth & violence that's out there! It's just plain bad! Are you the same way with movies?
krlosier
Re:
on Wednesday, December 9, 2009 at 4:24 pm
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idk why, but i like never watch tv. its not that entertaining to me. Id much rather be with my friends or something. but I guess sometimes my friends get in the way of my time with God too...
Phyl
TV
on Thursday, March 25, 2010 at 6:52 pm
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I have a TV, but use it only for teaching videos, DVD's. I am not hooked up to cable nor do I get local stations. As to keeping up with news, I set my timer for 30 minutes and watch news via my laptop each evening. I also have access to Christian radio and get radio news at least once a day. A small local daily newspaper gives me all I need to know about my home town.
Confused Christian
TV
on Saturday, July 10, 2010 at 6:12 am
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I don't think you're weird, I think you're cool! I wish we didn't have TV too much cuz even tho my mom & i watch it sometimes, i don't like it and my mom hates it. but my dad and my sister love it so we can't get rid of it or they'd flip out :P I am hoping that when I get married I will marry a Christian man who does not want a TV so then we won't have one :)
Melon
Re:
on Tuesday, January 24, 2012 at 10:09 am
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I totally agree this post, I'm starting to avoid watching TV as well, for a few different reasons, and sometimes I do fall back to it. The problems is that my parents are so obsessed with TV even though they are Christians, is there way that I could convince them not to watch TV as well? I found one thing that helps me to avoid it is to listen to Christian radio on TV:)
Sarah, with the LYWB team
Melon
on Tuesday, January 24, 2012 at 11:04 pm
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I encourage you to visit with your parents and tell them your feelings about watching TV and ask for their help to keep you accountable for too much TV watching. After you have stated your thoughts, you will need to respect their decision for how much TV they watch. You are wise to find an alternative activity to watching TV--listening to Christian radio on TV! Proud of you for your commitment to make godly decisions.