How Far is Too Far?

If you are like me (and everyone else in America for that matter), I can be a bit of a media junky. I am especially geeky over American superheroes, clever TV shows, cult classics, and comic books. One thing I, and some others, have noticed is that our standards on what is safe as far as content goes in the media has shot waaaaay down over time. So here are two important questions:

How far can we go without getting hurt? How close can we get to fire without being burned?

Here's an easier question to answer:

Have you ever seen a film that felt so intense the first time, but the more you watched it the less intense it became?

Just last week I got to re-watch the movie The Dark Knight and the first thing I noticed is that it strangely seemed less disturbing than the first time I saw it. Sure this movie isn't "Saw", but it doesn't take a genius or "spiritual" person to recognize just how evil the Joker is. But scarily enough, people actually admire the Joker and think he's the coolest thing ever... even though he's more than just sinister, he's demonic. So how does this dude and others seem less "bad" the more we see them?

Repetition is key. Doesn't matter how gradual the process, eventually you will become used to it. The more you allow one thing into your minds, the more involved you become with it, even if it's involuntary. The more involved you are in something the more your mind shapes around it. If we are diligent about praying and speaking with our Lord on a very regular basis, wouldn't our hearts and minds gradually become more inviting for God's love to shape and change our hearts? In this same way we can also allow other things in and easily become "used to" something dreadful.

Desensitization affects all of the senses and your spirit. It's that serious.

As long as we cannot understand or even realize why something is "wrong", then we can no longer sense when something is "right".

So all this begs these questions: "WHAT is the reason behind the enforcement of desensitization? HOW is it so easily being done and WHY?"

Well, the obvious reason is money. Human beings like money, and media can be an easy way to rake in the dough. If you want your show to grab viewers, you sometimes need to do a bit more than just try to entertain them. You want to hit at something that will keep them coming for more, for men that can mean alluring them with sex, and with females; false, impossible, and oh-so-mooshy relationships. There are several other ways, but you get the idea. Money talks. Sin sells. Simple.

And for the big, fiery, evil red guy that reeks of sulfur with the horns? Yeah, he loves desensitization because he'd do anything to keep us from "joining sides" with his arch-enemy. If we lose our abilities to tell the difference between right and wrong, then we won't be able to tell who's talking to us, God or Satan, or if anyone is talking at all. Because media is so so so so SO SO SO SO SO huge in this age, it only makes sense that Satan would try out for the big leagues.


Many people right now are fully aware of the subtle yet dark effects of modern media (especially with the whole crazy Illuminati theory breaking out), but sadly many Christians either don't agree that media has that sort of power, or they simply don't think it's such a big deal and ignore it. And sometimes using the excuse that because God is in their hearts thus they will be automatically forgiven, as if God is the official forgiveness vending machine.

And even if the problem media is posing really is mild, it doesn't really matter, does it? If it has something that does not reflect God's love, then what is the point? This doesn't mean you should drop every single show or automatically hate every movie you used to think were cool. This just means to be more careful, aware, and able to say no.

On that note, God Himself can be evident in media too! Sometimes you just gotta look out for Him.

Isaiah 55:6

New International Version (NIV)

⁶ Seek the Lord while he may be found;
    call on him while he is near.

Biblegateway

Year Recap: Lessons Learnt

So as everyone else in America knows, last Monday
 was the first day of school for many.
Yesterday was mine - I started
American Sign Language 2,
English Comp 2, and Astronomy.


Warning, posts may be sparse, and possibly even scarce, from now on. 

But I will update when I can, and this is my first year of college, and you know what they say; the first year is the hardest.

I must make this brief. But it is an important post.




What I have learned over the past school year: 

~ Do not say you are going to do something but then you don't do it (This is a very, very recent one)

~ A friend in need is a friend indeed

~ Life is never a "pass" or a "fail"

~ God doesn't yell at you. He gets angry sometimes, YES, but yell? No.

~ Life happens. You may as well be optimistic.

~ When it comes to doing/learning/trying new things, NO ONE GETS IT RIGHT THE FIRST TIME. It takes repetition, dedication, and of course, practice to get it "right".

~ Don't let your gifts and talents sit on the shelf and collect dust. Use them, because you are the only one who can.

~ If at first you don't succeed, try try again.

~ Attitude is everything. You are not going to have a good time if your attitude sucks.

~ Enjoy the little things and try to notice what always goes unnoticed

~ I am beautiful, despite what might fly through my head or what others say, I am fearfully and wonderfully made. There will never be another me so I may as well be the me I am supposed to be.

~ Your smile and words really can affect a person's day

~ God's word is for everyone

~ If you have something to say, say it already!

~ I will be learning and growing every step of the way, I can't "get" everything now, even if I think I'm ready.

Yeah, but a lotta those things are pretty cliche

Yeah sure, I heard this from my Astronomy teacher during orientation: "Just because it's cliche doesn't mean it has become less true."

So true. Life is meant for living. And getting to bed on time. G'night.