A picture can a beautiful thing when properly focused and developed. If however the image is out of focus or over exposed, then the image becomes distorted and may look nothing like what it was supposed to. As a Christian, the picture is pretty clear. God has painted an amazing picture, brush stroke by brush stroke. An amazing picture of beauty, love and grace. He gave us an instruction manual for life it's called the Bible, it is the living Word of GOD.
He shed light on the darkness, chasing away any gray areas, so the we could have a beautifully clear picture. It's light shine in the darkness exposing evil for what is truly is and how ugly it really can be. The living water that springs forth form it's pages refresh us and has the power to wash away the grime that distorts our view of what is real.
Movies that I watched years ago and thought I enjoyed, thought were funny, had a good story line where exciting, so many of these I now see without the distorted world view. I can not believe what I am seeing. So many of these shows teach disrespect, disobedience, they demean, desensitize and delight in not the health and well being of our families and society, but instead in tearing down and indeed shredding all that has made us strong.
While a lazy inconsiderate father sits on the couch eyes glazed over, the children learn to manipulate and make excuse from a more than slightly trashy mother. In just a few years we have gone from that (as it that were not bad enough), to soap operas, that a few short years ago would have gotten an "R" rating at the box office.
More and more our youngest, most vulnerable children are being spoon fed, not baby food or formula, but instead a formula for disaster. Even shows made for children and family movies are being filled with less than subtle hint of mayhem, magic and malicious behavior. This teaches our precious children that the bad guys are the one to cheer for, that magic and the dark arts are fun and games and can be used good to fulfill their wants and desires. Even something as basic as respect is unimportant, and in fact undesirable and uncool. In doing so are we not teaching our children that left is right and right is left, have we not blurred the picture almost beyond recognition. Then we wonder why our marriages, families and indeed even society seems to be falling apart. Is it no small wonder that no one is willing to take responsibility; when everything we see and hear teach us that it is all someone elses fault. One thing that I have heard on TV that has some semblance of responsibility is that "you just need to own up to it". We need to teach be example, "owning it" taking responsibility for our actions and their consequences is just something that we need to do.
Saturday, February 13, 2010
Friday, February 12, 2010
Truth, Lies & Picket Fences
I'll start by saying I do not apologize for my opinions. You do not have to agree with them or even like them. You don't even have to read this. I will accept honest comments, but would appreciate you keeping out right slams to a minimum.
I am not sitting in judgment over anyone, it is not my place to do so.
On that note here I go.
This I write in response to one I spoke w/ Wednesday, about our beliefs on parenting.
Since I am not good at verbalizing my beliefs & the reasons behind them, so now I shall use the written word.
In our discussion, such things as movies, clothing and profanity were discussed.
I will start with movies. I over all do not allow rated "R" movies in my house, with few exceptions. Movies such as "The Passion of the Christ" & "The Soloist" are to of these such exceptions. These having real teaching & as little unnecessary violence, profanity gore, ect as possible. Even these I would not let a young child watch. Movies that teach, help, encourage, inspire things that as a Christian I believe in. It seems that movies, even most "PG" & PG13" in this day and age have very little true entertainment value & even less morality. I am, personally, appalled at what is being allowed in "acceptable" in movies, TV shows & video games.
Yes there is much violence & corruption all around us in the world today. That however does not mean that I have to welcome & encourage it into my home & family. There Are those who are more concerned about the extinction of a breed of fish or flower, then the extinction of morality & innocence of our most precious & valuable resource, our children. Do we no longer believe in the value, their innocence, their right to have a care free childhood & learn the difference between right and wrong; before they are exposed to all the violence, corruption & immorality in the world.
I will Go more in depth next time. Til then GOD bless.
...To continue where I left off, I am not saying to so shelter our children that when they wee the realities of life,in this world, that they are unable to cope. Instead allow them a time to be children, to grow and learn and understand what it is they see around them. To play as children, to love (with innocence) of a child, to not be bombarded with the world views before they have even developed their own. What we teach them and expose them to will shape who they become.
If there are no clear lines drawn, then everything just becomes one big blur and there is no longer any right and wrong, no good and bad. We all need guidelines, a starting point or how are we to know where we stand or where we are going. How can we even know something as simple as left and right, if all our lives we have been told right is left and left is right. Worse yet that there is no left and right. When someone gives us simple directions like, go up 3 blocks and turn right, then take a left and it's the second house on the right; we now have a problem. We either end up at the wrong house or we end up totally confused, wandering aimlessly with no direction, because "there is no left or right", so we can not understand the directions give. Confused, angry and blaming others because we can't find what we're looking for. This is what we do when we bombard our children with ever changing "world views", because we want them to able to make their own decisions, find their own way and because we don't want to shelter them.
Excuse me, but I would not send anyone, knowingly, out into a raging storm or into a war zone especially a child. I would indeed give them shelter, keep them safe from the raging storm outside the door and help prepare them to face the storm when they do have to go. If there where a storm raging outside your door, would you send your friend or child outside without at least a warm coat and some wise words on how to navigate the storm safely. Most would have them stay inside where it is safe and warm or maybe even, if necessary take them safely to there destination.
Why do we expect our children to be able to navigate the storm of this life, all on there own. Is that not what we do when we allow our children to watch whatever they want. When we expose them to all the movies and TV shows they watch and internet without restriction or supervision.
I am not saying to never let our children grow up, but indeed to prepare them and give the tools to deal with this life. To see the truth and beauty as well as the lies and corruption for what they really are.
I am not sitting in judgment over anyone, it is not my place to do so.
On that note here I go.
This I write in response to one I spoke w/ Wednesday, about our beliefs on parenting.
Since I am not good at verbalizing my beliefs & the reasons behind them, so now I shall use the written word.
In our discussion, such things as movies, clothing and profanity were discussed.
I will start with movies. I over all do not allow rated "R" movies in my house, with few exceptions. Movies such as "The Passion of the Christ" & "The Soloist" are to of these such exceptions. These having real teaching & as little unnecessary violence, profanity gore, ect as possible. Even these I would not let a young child watch. Movies that teach, help, encourage, inspire things that as a Christian I believe in. It seems that movies, even most "PG" & PG13" in this day and age have very little true entertainment value & even less morality. I am, personally, appalled at what is being allowed in "acceptable" in movies, TV shows & video games.
Yes there is much violence & corruption all around us in the world today. That however does not mean that I have to welcome & encourage it into my home & family. There Are those who are more concerned about the extinction of a breed of fish or flower, then the extinction of morality & innocence of our most precious & valuable resource, our children. Do we no longer believe in the value, their innocence, their right to have a care free childhood & learn the difference between right and wrong; before they are exposed to all the violence, corruption & immorality in the world.
I will Go more in depth next time. Til then GOD bless.
...To continue where I left off, I am not saying to so shelter our children that when they wee the realities of life,in this world, that they are unable to cope. Instead allow them a time to be children, to grow and learn and understand what it is they see around them. To play as children, to love (with innocence) of a child, to not be bombarded with the world views before they have even developed their own. What we teach them and expose them to will shape who they become.
If there are no clear lines drawn, then everything just becomes one big blur and there is no longer any right and wrong, no good and bad. We all need guidelines, a starting point or how are we to know where we stand or where we are going. How can we even know something as simple as left and right, if all our lives we have been told right is left and left is right. Worse yet that there is no left and right. When someone gives us simple directions like, go up 3 blocks and turn right, then take a left and it's the second house on the right; we now have a problem. We either end up at the wrong house or we end up totally confused, wandering aimlessly with no direction, because "there is no left or right", so we can not understand the directions give. Confused, angry and blaming others because we can't find what we're looking for. This is what we do when we bombard our children with ever changing "world views", because we want them to able to make their own decisions, find their own way and because we don't want to shelter them.
Excuse me, but I would not send anyone, knowingly, out into a raging storm or into a war zone especially a child. I would indeed give them shelter, keep them safe from the raging storm outside the door and help prepare them to face the storm when they do have to go. If there where a storm raging outside your door, would you send your friend or child outside without at least a warm coat and some wise words on how to navigate the storm safely. Most would have them stay inside where it is safe and warm or maybe even, if necessary take them safely to there destination.
Why do we expect our children to be able to navigate the storm of this life, all on there own. Is that not what we do when we allow our children to watch whatever they want. When we expose them to all the movies and TV shows they watch and internet without restriction or supervision.
I am not saying to never let our children grow up, but indeed to prepare them and give the tools to deal with this life. To see the truth and beauty as well as the lies and corruption for what they really are.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)