T.V and PASCHA

edited December 1969 in Random Issues
we all know that we should not be listening to music or watching t.v DURING PASCHA but to day i was at chuch and my sunday school teacher said we shouldnt be watching even aghapy or ctv during PASCHA i dont think this is right because if were not soppossed to watch aghapy etc. they wouldnt air any thing on that channel can somone please tell me what is right watching aghapy or not watching aghapy during PASCHA?

Comments

  • Do not focus on the letter but the spirit.

    During the pascha week we should dedicate all our time to remembering how our sins sent our Lord to crucifixion.

    If watching aghapy or CTV would help you in accomplishing this goal, then do it. Hopefully the programs aired will be centered around the pascha events like previous years.

    May the Lord bless your life and fill your heart with His immense joy.
  • Do not take it literally as imikhail said. If you have to watch the news for some reason, go ahead and watch it. If you have to see a tornado watch, watch it. The reason behind all of this is to help us fast from all the immorality on TV and to focus on God, but that does not mean ignore everything. We are not Jews!
  • I think it's a bit more than simply avoiding immorality.  It's to avoid being preoccupied anything other than Christ.
    With your logic, we can watch clean programs eg the news during Passion Week.
    Generally speaking, I don't believe this is what is recommended.
    Of course this doesnt exclude tornado watches etc
  • Here is a short excerpt from Fr. Alexander Schmemann book Great Lent: Journey to Pascha, I think he sums up the Spirit of Lent pretty well:


    "Music has ceased to be something one listens to; it is fast becoming a kind of "background sound" for conversation, reading, writing, etc. In fact, this need for permanent music reveals the incapacity of modern man to enjoy silence, to understand it not as something negative, as a mere absence, but precisely as a presence and the condition for all the real presence. If the Christian of the past lived in great measure in a silent world, giving him ample opportunity for concentration and inner life, today's Christian has to make a special effort to recover that essential dimension of silence which alone can put us in contact with higher realities. Thus the problem of radio and TV during Lent is not a marginal one but in many ways a matter of spiritual life and death... A first ''custom'' to be suggested, therefore, is that the use of TV and radio be drastically reduced during Lent... What must be stopped during Lent is the "addiction" to TV- the transformation of man into a vegetable in an arm chair, glued to the screen and passively accepting anything coming from it... Here also however, as with fasting, a mere absence or abstinence is not sufficient; it must have its positive counterpart (prayer)"
  • [quote author=markmarcos link=topic=13108.msg153985#msg153985 date=1333247797]
    we all know that we should not be listening to music or watching t.v DURING PASCHA but to day i was at chuch and my sunday school teacher said we shouldnt be watching even aghapy or ctv during PASCHA i dont think this is right because if were not soppossed to watch aghapy etc. they wouldnt air any thing on that channel can somone please tell me what is right watching aghapy or not watching aghapy during PASCHA?


    That's not good advice. Aghapy TV & CTV will be totally focused on the Passion Week. This is all people have at their disposals during Passion Week who cannot go to Church.

    CTV and Aghapy are OWNED by the Holy Coptic Orthodox Church.

    if there was something unOrthodox or unholy about them during Passion Week, the Church, in its wisdom, would have blocked them.

    Indeed, watching TV during Passion Week is totally wrong.

    However, watching CTV is basically praying the passion week again. Its filling your time with prayers and contemplations about Passion Week.

    Please ask your Church servant to do things with understanding.

    Its a week where you can grow spiritually - and contemplate and read the Bible. If you happen to miss any of the days, or cannot go to the Church, CTV will be broadcasting the prayers (like every year!).


  • [quote author=qawe link=topic=13108.msg153991#msg153991 date=1333253650]
    I think it's a bit more than simply avoiding immorality.  It's to avoid being preoccupied anything other than Christ.


    Is not that exactly what I said?
    [quote author=Copticandproud link=topic=13108.msg153989#msg153989 date=1333251185]
    The reason behind all of this is to help us fast from all the immorality on TV and to focus on God, but that does not mean ignore everything. We are not Jews!


    [quote author=qawe link=topic=13108.msg153991#msg153991 date=1333253650]
    With your logic, we can watch clean programs eg the news during Passion Week.
    Generally speaking, I don't believe this is what is recommended.
    Of course this doesnt exclude tornado watches etc


    The news example is a horrible example there. If you have to watch the news for a specific reason, then watch it and no that is not what I said. I said:
    [quote author=Copticandproud link=topic=13108.msg153989#msg153989 date=1333251185]
    If you have to watch the news for some reason, go ahead and watch it.
  • When I was little my parents used to teach me "Ebn el ta3 ta7el 3aleh el baraka", which is to say "the son of obedience receives the blessing". I think if your Sunday School teacher told you something, you should comply for the sake of obedience and not question their instructions behind their back to see if you get different opinions similar to yours.

    Of course if they're teaching something against our church dogma, then you should bring it to your Priest's attention, but I personally don't think it's right to ask for other peoples' opinion on something your parent/FOC/sunday school teacher told you.

    If I like watching CTV or Aghapy, but my Sunday School teacher said to refrain for a week, the blessing of obedience will be much much greater than finding out if they were right or wrong.
  • [quote author=TITL link=topic=13108.msg154021#msg154021 date=1333316087]
    When I was little my parents used to teach me "Ebn el ta3 ta7el 3aleh el baraka", which is to say "the son of obedience receives the blessing". I think if your Sunday School teacher told you something, you should comply for the sake of obedience and not question their instructions behind their back to see if you get different opinions similar to yours.

    Of course if they're teaching something against our church dogma, then you should bring it to your Priest's attention, but I personally don't think it's right to ask for other peoples' opinion on something your parent/FOC/sunday school teacher told you.

    If I like watching CTV or Aghapy, but my Sunday School teacher said to refrain for a week, the blessing of obedience will be much much greater than finding out if they were right or wrong.


    As a college student, it is miserably hard to be able to go every Pascha of every day. Does that mean that if I'm studying at home, it's wrong to have Aghaby or CTV on? I don't mean to go against what the Sunday School teacher said, but it seems to be an absolute rule that is not liable to understanding...
  • I would address my personal questions to my Sunday School teacher, not in front of 100's of people.

    Obedience is better than sacrifice.

  • [quote author=TITL link=topic=13108.msg154024#msg154024 date=1333317764]
    I would address my personal questions to my Sunday School teacher, not in front of 100's of people.

    Obedience is better than sacrifice.


    I suppose that makes sense... If there is a specific reason to watch CTV or Aghaby, ask your Sunday School teacher between you and him/her.
  • [quote author=TITL link=topic=13108.msg154024#msg154024 date=1333317764]
    I would address my personal questions to my Sunday School teacher, not in front of 100's of people.

    Obedience is better than sacrifice.


    i did ask this question to my sunday school teacher dont assume im saying this behind his back i even said ill ask on tasbeha and he told me ask abouna too
  • I think there are a lot of confusion here.

    In egypt, where all of this started, the TEACHING and the CUSTOM is to not do anything that takes us away from the holiness of Holy Week. We do whatever brings us closer to God during that holy time and stay away from things that keeps us away from him. considering that tv has nothing christian and will keep us a way from God, our parents would shut the tvs and not watch. also we wouldn't play music.....sometimes even not too much sweets to taste a little of the suffering that God endured. in place of that, we always had tapes of different pascha prayers on (audios--we didn't have aghapy tv or even anything video proper to watch 11 yrs ago in egypt). those alhan, prayers were own ALL THE TIME. Now that we have not one but MULTIPLE orthodox christian channels, that may replace all those hymns that we been hearing. in fact, with what they present on their, we may even gain more knowledge, live closer to God with what we see and experience from those channels.

    As always, people assume that objects are the problem rather than what we do with them. anything in this world may be used for evil or good. we just have to discern and know what's better for us to do.
  • [quote author=minatasgeel link=topic=13108.msg154114#msg154114 date=1333421085]
    I think there are a lot of confusion here.

    In egypt, where all of this started, the TEACHING and the CUSTOM is to not do anything that takes us away from the holiness of Holy Week. We do whatever brings us closer to God during that holy time and stay away from things that keeps us away from him. considering that tv has nothing christian and will keep us a way from God, our parents would shut the tvs and not watch. also we wouldn't play music.....sometimes even not too much sweets to taste a little of the suffering that God endured. in place of that, we always had tapes of different pascha prayers on (audios--we didn't have aghapy tv or even anything video proper to watch 11 yrs ago in egypt). those alhan, prayers were own ALL THE TIME. Now that we have not one but MULTIPLE orthodox christian channels, that may replace all those hymns that we been hearing. in fact, with what they present on their, we may even gain more knowledge, live closer to God with what we see and experience from those channels.

    As always, people assume that objects are the problem rather than what we do with them. anything in this world may be used for evil or good. we just have to discern and know what's better for us to do.



    thanks a lot minatasgeel
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