Flipping channels I caught the news...

Dying movie stars, stories of war, devastation by natural disaster…  Seems like the end is near.

Or is it?

I read somewhere that it only appears like there is more death and destruction now than in the past because of how fast we receive our news. This may be true yet the global picture sure looks grim. And it’s getting worse.

For decades the debate over violence in TV, movies and video games and how it can lead to the desensitization of our youth and create future criminals has been at a forefront. While we may not be able to prove that the rise in violence was aided by questionable entertainment, it’s a safe assumption that the apathy in today’s teens towards the negative behavior of others seems parallel to their unlimited exposure to such behavior.

I remember when teen “problem” novels such as “Go Ask Alice (Anonymous)”, which dealt with teenaged drug addiction,  were welcome cautionary tales where now a book like, “The Rainbow Party (Paul Ruditis, 2005)”, about a high school oral sex party, seems geared more toward titillation rather than solution.

All the eye-rolling I did in the 80s about the effects of violent entertainment on a civilized nation is coming to haunt me as I wonder what the barrage of information (and countless images of disaster and agony)  are doing to our senses today. Sure we talk about and even pray about these events but do we really care? And at what level?

Rocker Bryan Adams suggested that Bob Geldoff or anyone other than Mr. Adams put together a Live Aid-like event to raise money for Japan. (Live Aid made Bryan Adams a star but I won’t go there.)  Sound wholesome enough, right? He then stated, “We’ve all played there and had a great time,  the fans were good to us.” I guess Mr. Adams never played Thailand.

As judgmental as it sounds, I’m really concerned at how insular the world has become. I’d swear that everyone I know was personal friends with “Elizabeth-not-Liz, thank you very much” by the stuff I’ve seen posted on line.  Big movie star, big part of our lives, got it. Huge ally to the gay community, got it. Incredible example of using public persona toward massive altruism, got it. Fighting over her proverbial carcass like she’s our sister, weird.

Sadly, all of theses news events are there for our entertainment. Sometimes they inform and inspire but the goal is to keep us watching and it’s fueled by advertisers.

My first Bible was called, “Good News For Modern Men.” The Gospel has forever been referred to as “The Good News.”  It has no place on secular TV. It is not welcome. It is isolated to gaudy weirdoes on fringe cable channels or conservative politician/preachers  who force their way onto family networks.

We’re oversaturated in Bad news and the Good News is misrepresented.  Buyer beware. The only place to find the truth and to know what we can do with that information to best serve ourselves, our families and our fellow man is to know where true Truth comes from.

Or we can simply power up our laptops and eat what’s served.

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