About Violence We See

From this blog http://screamandhug.blogspot.com/ the post of August 23, 2010 comes:

Question for you:

This is a general observation I have made among my friends and family:

Why is violence less offensive than s*x? (preventing strange google searches. . .)

I cannot tell you how many times I have heard people condemning this show or that movie for it's illicit content but praise another despite a torrid amount of blood and guts.

I guess what I don't understand is the double standard. Should death be at least equally offensive?

What are your thoughts?

SENT OUT INTO THE VOID BY RACHEL SUE



This was my comment:

Well, since wise holy writ says sexual immorality is next to murder, I would think that murder is the very worst thing any person on earth could do.

That said, who but the enemy of all of us wants us to accept seeing murder, have no feelings about it, when reality is so drastically different. If you actually saw a loved one shot in front of you how would it be? If you killed someone's beloved mother how would it be?

We can't be coarse. We can't be emotionless about precious life, or the taking of it. How many of us would like to see our children beating up each other as on the screen? But isn't that exactly what they are learning to do?

An inspired booklet called "For the Strength of Youth" has a section on entertainment and the media. It wisely says, "Whatever you read, listen to, or look at has an effect on you. Therefore, choose only entertainment and media that uplift you. Good entertainment will help you to have good thoughts and make righteous choices. It will allow you to enjoy yourself...

"While much entertainment is good, some of it can lead you away from [joyful] living. Offensive material is often found in web sites, concerts, movies, music, videocassettes, DVDs, books, magazines, pictures, [phones], and other media.... Such entertainment [is used] to deceive you by making what is wrong and [bad] look normal and exciting. It can mislead you into thinking that everyone is doing things that are wrong.

[And this next sentence is posted largely on our TV:]

"Do not attend, view, or participate in entertainment that is vulgar, immoral, violent, or pornographic in any way. Do not participate in entertainment that in any way presents immorality [illicit sex] as acceptable.

[Then comes the section about the poison of pornography. Jumping on:]

"Depictions of violence often glamorize vicious behavior. They offend [you] and make you less able to respond to others in a sensitive, caring way. They contradict the...message of love for one another.


"Have the courage to walk out of a movie or video party, turn off a computer or TV, change a radio station, or put down a magazine, [or quickly delete off your phone] if what is being presented does not meet [good] standards. Do these things even if others do not. Let your friends and family know that you are committed to keeping...[high] standards. You [can have] strength...to make good choices."

So, we all, even or especially men should be tender, kind, and loving. The newer movie, "Red" has a sweet grandmother being terribly violent. It makes me sick.

'Nough said. ; )

READING, MOVIES, TV, MUSIC

I found this quote from President Ezra Taft Benson when he was president of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles:

"Today, with the abundance of books available, it is the mark of a truly educated man to know what not to read...

"Feed only on the best...

"As John Wesley's mother counseled him:  'Avoid whatever weakens your reason, impairs the tenderness of your conscience, obscures your sense of God, takes off your relish for spiritual things, increases the authority of the body over the mind.'"


In other words, ask yourself, "Do I feel like reading my scriptures and praying right after this book, movie, TV show, song....?"  Not that we always need to be spiritually minded (or do we?), but these things should make us feel like doing good things afterwards.

Love,

Mom