Why Should I Watch Christian TV?

According to research, New Zealanders watches an average of three hours of TV per day!

It’s easy to get a negative view of something or someone when you find a theological difference. And that can happen walking in to a Church, a Christian bookstore or turning on a Christian TV channel.

We watch a whole host of TV channels. But not every programme on that channel meets our tastes or standards (hopefully). And, to be honest, it’s the same with Shine TV and other Christian channels.

I love Charles Price – a Shine TV staple for years. His sermons grab me and fix my eyes on Christ every time. But there are others I might not like or enjoy.

We think about our food – why not TV?

You see I wander round the supermarket filling my trolley with items I desire to eat,. At the same time, I avoid several products that I deem ‘unworthy’ for my consumption. I don’t boycott the store if it sells something I don’t like!

This isn’t so much a plug for Shine TV or other Christian TV channels, but rather a rallying call to us all that we should think carefully where we ‘shop’ for our spiritual food.

The rise of organic produce has highlighted that people want good, healthy stuff rather than processed junk. If we’re alert to our body’s physical needs and options, why would we so easily dismiss our minds?

How wholesome are popular TV shows?

In the 90’s my wife and I watched the TV series, ‘Friends’. We laughed through every episode cringing occasionally but loving the quick quips and brilliantly written gags. Occasionally we would notice some inappropriate themes, but generally we felt it was harmless and decided to enjoy the laughs.

But it was far from harmless.

Did the writers and producers have an agenda to undermine Christian values? Possibly not. But the enemy saw this as a vital tool in his efforts, for sure.

It was unwholesome. Promiscuity praised, lying laughed at, blasphemy trivialised. I wouldn’t be surprised if the rise of ‘Oh My God’ was traced right back to this show alone.

There were rumours that at least two of the lead actresses were encouraged to wear tight, form fitting outfits to reveal a little more than most TV series were showing!

One episode focused on Ross’s four months ‘dry spell’ during which he hadn’t slept with a girl. The other characters saw this as terrible and they all pitched in with suggestions for remedying the situation.

I know we like to laugh and we seem to enjoy watching TV shows. But at what cost?

I have heard many people talk about how hard it is to find time to read their bible or pray. But often these same people don’t struggle to find time to watch the latest TV shows that arrive on Netflix (sometimes several seasons long!)

Christian TV is a blessing

Christian TV is a blessing and we should all be sifting through, looking for the stuff that is good and healthy for us.

Whether its movies, kids shows, Bible teaching or documentaries, there is some really good stuff out there – if we can be bothered looking for it.

We at Authentic want to help with this so we’re going to do a ‘we watch’ feature in future issues. This is supported by the ‘we watch’ section of the Authentic Magazine so you can easily find the stuff we recommend.

We encourage you to check out Shine TV and other sources of good quality programming that support and encourage us in our walk with the Lord.