Trent Ruble's Blog: The Other Way It Is - Posts Tagged "desensitization"
Unspeakable
Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. (1 Peter 5:8, NIV 1984)
It seems that every week there's another school or mall shooting and we don't know if we can take it anymore. The innocent victims are generally the most defenseless among us but represent the most potential. I grieve with all of you at their loss. The shooters are almost always captured and convicted or killed at the scene. What more can we do? First we must realize that we cannot stop evil so long as we live in this fallen world. Even so, we can fight it. As individuals and churches we must pray for God's wisdom and protection. Meanwhile our public safety authorities must look at the commonalities involved in order to best defend our people.
So, why are there so many of these mass killings? Why is it that our Western society seems so especially susceptible? And, why is it that these shootings were rare forty years ago? I'm not a psychologist so anything I say carries little weight. But, I think it's obvious that part of the problem lies in the killers' infamy perpetuated by the media. Underlying that is the godlessness that is most definitely the root of it. But, it's the desensitization caused by years of watching violent movies, television shows and, especially, video games that enables them to commit such horrific acts. What are not causing these shootings are guns, as some would want us to believe. As we all know, guns can't pull their own triggers. In fact, if more teachers carried guns, these shootings would result in far less injury and death. Many don't want to hear that.
Our children are a target rich environment to which violent TV shows and video games are directed, just as schools and malls are target rich environments for killers wishing to inflict the most damage. In addition to all the other problems caused by these shows and games (learning disabilities, ADD, etc...), the intense, realistic violence to which our kids are exposed comes when their developing brains are most vulnerable. Couple that violent imagery with someone, especially a male, who has other mental issues, and it makes for a very dangerous situation.
Everyone would recognize the danger of a person taking a drug, such as PCP, and then wandering into society. We must now recognize the danger of a godless loner absorbing years of violent imagery who continues living among us. It's time, for the sake of everyone, to make these shows and games unavailable.
Eventually the shootings will cease as all other suffering will. Peter told us that "the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. To him be the power for ever and ever. Amen." (1 Peter 5:10-11, NIV 1984)
It seems that every week there's another school or mall shooting and we don't know if we can take it anymore. The innocent victims are generally the most defenseless among us but represent the most potential. I grieve with all of you at their loss. The shooters are almost always captured and convicted or killed at the scene. What more can we do? First we must realize that we cannot stop evil so long as we live in this fallen world. Even so, we can fight it. As individuals and churches we must pray for God's wisdom and protection. Meanwhile our public safety authorities must look at the commonalities involved in order to best defend our people.
So, why are there so many of these mass killings? Why is it that our Western society seems so especially susceptible? And, why is it that these shootings were rare forty years ago? I'm not a psychologist so anything I say carries little weight. But, I think it's obvious that part of the problem lies in the killers' infamy perpetuated by the media. Underlying that is the godlessness that is most definitely the root of it. But, it's the desensitization caused by years of watching violent movies, television shows and, especially, video games that enables them to commit such horrific acts. What are not causing these shootings are guns, as some would want us to believe. As we all know, guns can't pull their own triggers. In fact, if more teachers carried guns, these shootings would result in far less injury and death. Many don't want to hear that.
Our children are a target rich environment to which violent TV shows and video games are directed, just as schools and malls are target rich environments for killers wishing to inflict the most damage. In addition to all the other problems caused by these shows and games (learning disabilities, ADD, etc...), the intense, realistic violence to which our kids are exposed comes when their developing brains are most vulnerable. Couple that violent imagery with someone, especially a male, who has other mental issues, and it makes for a very dangerous situation.
Everyone would recognize the danger of a person taking a drug, such as PCP, and then wandering into society. We must now recognize the danger of a godless loner absorbing years of violent imagery who continues living among us. It's time, for the sake of everyone, to make these shows and games unavailable.
Eventually the shootings will cease as all other suffering will. Peter told us that "the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. To him be the power for ever and ever. Amen." (1 Peter 5:10-11, NIV 1984)
The Other Way It Is
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