What does the Bible say about watching television?

Answer 1

A study of The Bible in the True [Holy] Spirit of God reveals that this "first phase of life" that mankind is living now is a "training ground" for Eternity, and the Life ahead in the "world to come." It all revolves around the Laws of God [the Ten Commandments: God's Laws of Love and Respect for one another; the breaking of which constitutes SIN - see I John 3:4]. It's training on RELATIONSHIPS... on "how to get along with God -- and your neighbor" [hint: your neighbor is ANYONE WHO ISN'T YOU].

The fact is that "relationships" [the purpose of this life] are "grown, cultivated, developed:" personally, intimately, over time. Relationships are a "spiritual growth" from within. They are "character-builders" that contribute to whatever "unique personality" [the spiritual fingerprint] that is developing within each of us over the course of each of our lives.

And another fact, in these last days in this world of high-tech advances [of which television has become one of the oldest]... is that one of the testimonial names by which television has been called is: "THE GREAT CONVERSATION KILLER!"

It's not the technological advances over the centuries that are the cause of man's too-frequent downfall in his ability to "relate" to others... but man's preoccupation with the "things" in his life [his idols and gods that he makes with his hands, which distract him from His Creator and his Creator's Laws] instead of "people" [his future brothers and sisters in the world to come; the Eternal Life ahead of him].

By its very nature, the television begs you to "stare blindly" and "incessantly"... "catatonically"... at it for hours on end. Not to mention modern Video Games, I-phones, etc., as technology marches on and changes, daily. Television is a promotional medium: it's filled with advertisements that promote "lust" in people [which is the big spiritual motivator in human nature... the desire to sate our five physical senses].

"Buy our product, NOW!" the advertisements demand and command us. "Don't wait! For a limited time, only! Get it now or you'll miss out! Be the first in your neighborhood to have this! Doctors do! Ask your doctor if this new drug is for you!"

Sexual lust sells cars and just about everything else. Television packs a lot of lust into a relatively short five to ten minute segment of advertisement with its pushes and tugs at human desire, envy, jealousy, lust and greed.

The Bible reveals that "lust" is "sin": which is the "breaking of God's Ten Commandments" [again; see I John 3:4]. Which in turn, according to the Bible, earns man the wages [or reward] of DEATH [Rom.6:23]!

"Well then, am I suggesting that the Law of God is evil? OF COURSE NOT! The Law is not sinful, but it was the Law that SHOWED ME MY SIN. I would never have known that COVETING IS WRONG if the Law had not said, 'DO NOT COVET.'" (Rom.7:7 NLT New Living Translation)

All of these "things," marvelous and wonderful as they are; when beheld and handled by easily-distracted and deceived man, becomes a potential "sin-promoter" and "relationship killer" each in their own right.

Meanwhile... God's Living, Spiritually-Priceless Word quietly continues unchanged and unchanging throughout the generations of man, regardless of man's technological advances [often in spite of them]. Its Truth remains the Truth whether anyone "believes" any of it or not. And until Christ returns, those Precious Words continue to demand and command God's servants to "obey" Him.

"'I COMMAND YOU TO LOVE ONE ANOTHER IN THE SAME WAY THAT I LOVE YOU. And here is how to measure it - the greatest Love is shown when people lay down their lives for their friends. YOU ARE MY FRIENDS IF YOU OBEY ME!'" (John 15:12-14 NLT)

As for the question at hand... long before televisions were envisioned... or even thought of... God revealed a "way of living"... the way to "relate" to one another that remains "crucial and timeless" to those with the eyes to see, the ears to hear, and the heart to Understand. It's an ages-old formula for relating to one another that most modern men have long abandoned [because this world hates God's very Name... and His Word so]. It's a "way" that precludes the manner of the mindless catatonic staring at a television, or video game, or the distracting bright and shiny, portable "pocket-gods" that most men carry with them today with which they commune and [dare I say it: worship].

Here is God's ancient formula for the development of personal and intimate relationships among HIS PEOPLE [ideally; intended for all of mankind in the end]:

"...'These are all the Commandments, Laws, and Regulations that the LORD your God told me to TEACH YOU so you may OBEY THEM in the land you are about to enter and occupy [or be born into, as the case may be in these last generations], and so YOU and YOUR CHILDREN and GRANDCHILDREN MIGHT FEAR THE LORD YOUR GOD AS LONG AS YOU LIVE. IF YOU OBEY ALL HIS LAWS AND COMMANDMENTS, YOU WILL ENJOY A LONG LIFE!

"...You must Love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul [life], and all your strength. and YOU MUST COMMIT YOURSELVES WHOLEHEARTEDLY TO THESE COMMANDMENTS I am giving you today.

"REPEAT THEM AGAIN AND AGAIN TO YOUR CHILDREN. Talk about them WHEN YOU ARE HOME and WHEN YOU ARE AWAY ON A JOURNEY, when you are LYING DOWN and WHEN YOU ARE GETTING UP AGAIN [no time for television here!]. Tie them to your hands as A REMINDER, and wear them on your forehead [the forehead, the frontal lobe of the brain is the seat of human intellect]. Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates... be careful NOT TO FORGET THE LORD... You must FEAR THE LORD your God and serve Him... You MUST NOT WORSHIP ANY OF THE GODS OF NEIGHBORING NATIONS, for the LORD your God, who Lives among you, is a jealous God. His anger will flare up against you and wipe you from the face of the earth...'" (Deut.6:1-15 NLT)

This is part of God's formula for teaching man His ways, His Love, and for establishing a foundation for personal relationships with his future brothers and sisters... the Family members of the coming Immortal Family of God into which we may all be born one day.

It's a formula that man's modern television [and technology of all types in general] precludes. Rather... man worships and obeys the "things he makes with his hands." It's sometimes called "idolatry." Man's "communication" and "knowledge" is ever-increasing, widespread and constant... and very one-sided today. They are the "things" that distract him, which he worships and obeys rather than God's Commandments. They "speak to him, advise him, and command him" without him having to communicate back... even though the technology allows him to do so if he wants to.

The Bible doesn't say anything about "televisions"... or about any of man's modern high-tech advances, specifically. But it does speak to the "spirit IN man." To those whose spirits God has awakened to the Truth of His Word.

It requires an active, deliberate, discerning mind [an awakened spirit and intellect] that's focused on the things of God... and not distracted by the things of the flesh... and this world.

Although the Bible doesn't mention the "television," exactly... God's Commandments are man's guideline for all the things man will encounter in this world. And God's FIRST COMMANDMENT is the place for any man to begin his day:

"DO NOT WORSHIP ANY OTHER GODS BESIDES ME." (Ex.20:3 NLT)

Watching television [or any of the other many distractions man has created for himself]... hours on end... mindlessly, without an intimate, personal thought for or about others [not to mention for or about our Creator and His Laws] is not conducive to building any kind of strong, lasting, intimate relationship with anyone. Man's abuse of television [and many others of his high-tech advances] is definitely a distraction from what man's Creator has commanded in His Word... not to mention distracting men's hearts and minds from the Creator Himself [who is none other than Jesus Christ - see John 1:3].

Answer 2

Very, very crude and basic televisions were not invented until the 1920s and most US families did not even own a TV set until the 1940s to 1950s (the 20th century!).

Obviously, the Bible writers writing during 1CE were never aware that television would ever exist!

The Bible could be said to be "mute" on this subject (without need for a remote).

NOTE: Any time a religious leader makes claims about what the Bible supposedly says, look at the dates of known history. Just because religious leaders tout The Bible as the last word on every human ill and human behavior, to think the Biblical writers would know that television would exist some day in the future would make the Biblical writers all fortune tellers and clairvoyant, a position which would clearly put this idea at odds with more factual Biblical history.

Deuteronomy 18:9-14 says,

"When you enter the land which the Lord your God gives you, you shall not learn to imitate the detestable things of those nations. There shall not be found among you anyone who makes his son or his daughter pass through the fire, one who uses divination, one who practices witchcraft, or one who interprets omens, or a sorcerer, or one who casts a spell, or a medium, or a spiritist, or one who calls up the dead. For whoever does these things is detestable to the LORD; and because of these detestable things the LORD your God will drive them out before you. You shall be blameless before the LORD your God. For those nations, which you shall dispossess, listen to those who practice witchcraft and to diviners, but as for you, the LORD your God has not allowed you to do so." (emphasis added)