For several decades television has exerted a powerful influence on the minds of people throughout our land. The vast majority of homes in the nation possess a television set, and in very many cases little discrimination or control is exercised with regard to the kind of programmes that are watched. Consequently the effect on the minds and on the lives of the young, the old and the middle-aged has been tremendous. So far as the young are concerned, television has had a formative influence upon their lives during the most crucial stage of their development. They have been moulded by what they have seen and heard through the television medium. It must therefore be an important question whether the influence which television has exerted has been a beneficial one or not.
In the hands of good men it is possible to conceive of television as an instrument for good, its programmes informative and instructive, used for the benefit of mankind and having a positive tendency to elevate the minds of young and old. That this is the situation at present few would assert. Even a casual glance at the programmes televised on Sabbath and weekday should be sufficient to convince us that the tendency of many of the programmes can only be to debase the minds of those who watch them. Is it not also clear that the control and supervision of television programmes is not in the hands of those who love God or have respect to His laws? Because of this the danger to young and old is very real and ought not to be lightly dismissed.
There is little doubt that, at the present time, television is a potent instrument in Satan’s hand for the destruction of souls. It is equally clear that the awful deterioration in religion and morals in recent times owes not a little to the evil influence which many programmes televised have exerted on the minds of young and old. Those responsible for televising such programmes bear serious responsibility for a great deal of what is evil in society today. Satan, the arch-enemy of souls, intends to keep men enslaved in sin and by what better means can he accomplish his purpose than through the television medium? Through ‘eye-gate’ as well as ‘ear-gate’ men are enticed to drink in iniquity like water. Satan rejoices. His kingdom advances. Sinners are ensnared and ripen for an undone eternity. What men intend for their entertainment, Satan intends for their ruin and, sad to say, many will not wake up to what is taking place until they awake in a lost eternity.
Surely there is a call to us in all this to beware lest we be ensnared in the gins of the wicked one. The enticement of sensual and carnal programmes may easily overcome us. What combustible material there is in our bosom ready to be set on fire by sin alluringly displayed. What need there is to be kept in an evil day from the many machinations of the wicked one who is seeking our destruction. Is there not in all this also a call to parents to safeguard their children from the corrupting influence of this potent instrument? To allow children free access to the television screen is the surest way to expedite their destruction. Parents who love the souls of their children will do all in their power to protect their children from the evil influences of God-dishonouring and soul-destroying television programmes.
The Synod of our Church has given warning on several occasions of the debasing nature of many television programmes and of our need to guard against the corrupting influence of such programmes. To these warnings we ought to give due heed. How sad it would be for any of us if, through neglect of these warnings, we had to curse the day we ever saw a television screen because it proved in Satan’s hand an instrument of evil to our eternal destruction.