Giving up Television to Save your Soul

[Shin]

I think a lot of it is based on the fact that there is more motion on the TV. As with cats, we are in fact attracted to things that are shiny, bright, and in motion--which is why there is so much of that on TV. If you watch any of the news channels, you will note that they have more and more moving/distracting stuff on the bottom and sides of the screen. The purpose of that is to catch your eye and keep it there.

That's really a good idea I think. It's like having a shiny watch waving back and forth in front of your eyes, right?

[Paul]

I think a lot of it is based on the fact that there is more motion on the TV. As with cats, we are in fact attracted to things that are shiny, bright, and in motion--which is why there is so much of that on TV. If you watch any of the news channels, you will note that they have more and more moving/distracting stuff on the bottom and sides of the screen. The purpose of that is to catch your eye and keep it there.

That's really a good idea I think. It's like having a shiny watch waving back and forth in front of your eyes, right?

Yes, and as we all know, the watch is used to hypnotize people into believing whatever the hypnotist tells them! Maybe this is why people believe whatever they see on TV.

[Shin]

It certainly puts one in a more suggestive state to see stuff like that constantly before your eyes.

And certainly those in charge of the world media have certain things they want of people, that are no good whatsoever, because they want their vices to be shared far and wide.

[Paul]

Yes, the nature of television technology is such that it has to be in the hands of the rich and powerful, and we all know what Jesus said about the rich. Then there's the fact that people will accept false things they "learn" through stories and images far more easily than through logic and teaching.

It's as if Satan designed TV with human weaknesses in mind.

[Shin]

'We should not wish to see or do anything which could not be done in the presence of God and His creatures, and we shall thus imagine that we are always in His presence.'

St. Ignatius of Loyola

[Shin]

'Eyes, ears, and mouth are the doors of the soul.'

St. Francis de Sales

[Paul]

Yes, and Scripture is full of admonitions as well. "I will set no wicked thing before my eyes." "Turn away my eyes from beholding vanity." "Bad company ruins good morals." "You shall not bring an abominable thing into your house." "The eye is the lamp of the body." "Have nothing to do with godless myths." "Wilt thou set thy eyes on riches which thou canst not have?" "Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly." And that's just what I could come up with.

One thing we haven't really talked about, though, is what to do if we cannot escape TV. For example, in a social situation where we are required to watch it with someone on a regular basis. How can we block out the ungodly content in a way that will not be noticed?

[Shin]

Well, I fear that's impossible.

Well, if you're nearsighted like me you can simply take off your glasses. There is that! Though there's still the sound. I happen to be a bit hard of hearing too, so without captions most TV is just noise to me anyway. Hmm, crosses become blessings at time no?




'Whenever necessary, you must look without seeing and see without thinking about it.'

St. Padre Pio

'"It is not," says St. Francis de Sales, "the seeing of objects so much as the fixing of our eyes upon them that proves most pernicious." "If," says St. Augustine, "our eyes should by chance fall upon others, let us take care never to fix them upon any one." Father Manareo, when taking leave of St. Ignatius for a distant place, looked steadfastly in his face: for this look he was corrected by the saint. From the conduct of St. Ignatius on this occasion, we learn that it was not becoming in religious to fix their eyes on the countenance of a person even of the same sex, particularly if the person is young. But I do not see how looks at young persons of a different sex can be excused from the guilt of a venial fault, or even from mortal sin, when there is proximate danger of criminal consent. "It is not lawful," says St. Gregory, "to behold what it is not lawful to covet." The evil thought that proceeds from looks, though it should be rejected, never fails to leave a stain upon the soul. Brother Roger, a Franciscan of singular purity, being once asked why he was so reserved in his intercourse with women, replied, that when men avoid the occasions of sin, God preserves them; but when they expose themselves to danger, they are justly abandoned by the Lord, and easily fall into some grievous transgressions.'

St. Alphonsus Maria de Liguori

[Paul]

Not looking is easy. I can look slightly away from the screen. But hearing it and not letting the words get in? I don't know if I can do that. I've never been able to ignore speech.

[Paul]

It looks like my "success story" has become a failure story. I've gotten back into the Internet habit, wasting hours on Catholic sites, including this one. I may need to quit it all cold turkey.

[Shin]

Ups and downs.. fairly normal experience no, on the road? But we have to commit to whatever it takes to detach. If that's 100% refraining from something for a long period of time or even forever that can happen! It can take a lot of retraining of the interior life to approach something properly, that can take a lot of time away from a thing, I think.

[Paul]

Part of the problem is that there's so much information I need that I can't get anywhere else.

For example, reading about St. Louis de Montfort's love of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament has awakened a stronger desire for it in me. Yet where I live, so few parishes offer adoration, and even fewer offer it at times when I can get there (I have a full-time job). Also, as I have mentioned, because nearly every Catholic I have ever met is lukewarm, to say the least, my education in the faith is mostly something I have had to do myself, from books and the Internet.

So the only way to find out anything about adoration has been to look online. Technology kills the faith of the people, and then we have to make use of it to learn about our faith.

It took me a long time searching to even be able to formulate the questions I wanted answered. I didn't even know that kneeling before Jesus in the tabernacle counted as adoration! That's how clueless I am about Catholic devotions. (Go ahead, laugh all you want.) As a convert, I find that trying to get any decent information is like pulling teeth. The few real Catholics I have met either don't know much beyond what is required, or assume I know all this stuff.

So I may have to resign myself to Internet addiction and call it a necessary evil. I may have to detach from the idea of detaching from it.

On the plus side, now I don't have to worry as much about finding a place for adoration, or temptation to be discontent about the scarcity of adoration. I now know why Mother Teresa said, "My TV is the tabernacle." I hope I can say the same someday.

[Shin]

Sometimes one has to take care of one thing first or another thing to make progress, but death before sin!

I often try to think of the virtue of temperance and how beautiful it is! Every day is a new day, to make an act of perfect contrition and a clean start with a blank slate trying for perfection.

When I was receiving religious instruction before my Confirmation the man who was helping me out was a farmer, who taught me about Eucharistic Adoration. Every day, he would rise early, as farmer's do, and before the day's work he would spent time before the tabernacle.. That was a long time ago, I think he spent anywhere from a half hour to an hour.

He introduced me to the practice and taught me about it by taking me along once.

I think that's a daily practice that if a person can take up will keep the spiritual life always making progress and moving forwards as long as one is willing to put in the work with it to cooperate with the graces and set aside sins.

[Paul]

I've been spending part of my lunch hour in front of the tabernacle at a church a few blocks from my office. It's very helpful to have a place to meet with God, away from the crowds of pagans.

You're very lucky to have had someone to teach you those things. My RCIA was barely Catholic.

[Paul]

Letting go of having to give up Internet surfing right away has somehow helped me waste less time with it. That and praying in front of the tabernacle.

[Shin]

Well, it's best if folks can find a more traditional catechesis with a priest. But I certainly did better than many, thanks be to God. Sadly I could not stay with those folks and had to move away from them.

If we seek, we shall find, however troublesome the situation appears God will provide if we keep seeking!

You find out after all in the end!