Conference tecrus::mormonism

430.0. "What if they WANT wickedness?" by ECADSR::SHERMAN (Steve ECADSR::Sherman DTN 223-3326 MLO5-2/26a) Fri May 07 1993 11:13

    This is posted in CHRISTIAN notes.  I post it here because it may
    stimulate discussion from a different point of view than might be found
    there.  In particular, I know that among LDS there has been a lot of
    discussion with regard to movies and entertainment to which this might
    relate.
    
    Steve
    
            <<< GOLF::DISK$COMMON:[NOTES$LIBRARY]CHRISTIAN.NOTE;1 >>>
          -<  ...by Believing, you might have Life more abundantly. >-
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Note 132.0                What if they WANT wickedness?               No replies
ECADSR::SHERMAN "Steve ECADSR::Sherman DTN 223-3326" 30 lines   7-MAY-1993 13:00
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    I didn't see a similar note after doing a couple of different dir/tit's
    so here goes.
    
    I recently read note 174.* in MOVIES with a bit of shock.  The gist of
    it is the folks are discussing movies that make them feel bad. 
    Something about it really bothered me and I think I know what it is.
    It is that there is a sort of celebration of wicked and/or repulsive 
    things.  I don't think these folks are that unusual.  I think they 
    represent a pretty fair sampling of a significant sector of the public.
    
    Years ago as a kid I had the impression that Christians basically sense
    a mission in life that involves convincing others of their wicked ways
    so that they will repent and turn to God.  It's a simplistic view, but
    it is based on the idea that people basically want to do what's right.
    
    But, I think the note string shows that this paradigm may be
    inapplicable at times.  What do you do when folks know that what they
    are doing is "wicked" and want to do it anyway?  The old arguments
    about how bad something is before could be expected to get a response
    like, "it's not so bad."  Now, if you were to tell some folks how wicked
    something is they might well respond with something like, "Oooh! I've
    gotta go to it!  When does it start?"
    
    So, now the fight is even harder.  It's not enough to convince someone
    that something is wrong.  They know that already.  Now we have to
    figure out how to encourage someone the value of seeking what's good.
    
    Comments?
    
    Steve

    I think these words from the second verse of I Wonder When He Comes
    Again are appropriate:
    
    	...Each day I'll try to do his will, and let my light so shine
    	   That others, seeing me, may seek for greater light divine...

    re: <<< Note 430.0 by ECADSR::SHERMAN "Steve ECADSR::Sherman MLO5-2/26a" >>>
        -< What if they WANT wickedness? >-

>   What do you do when folks know that what they are doing is "wicked" and 
>   want to do it anyway?  The old arguments about how bad something is before
>   could be expected to get a response like, "it's not so bad."  Now, if you 
>   were to tell some folks how wicked something is they might well respond 
>   with something like, "Oooh! I've gotta go to it!  When does it start?"
    
	Steve,
		What do you do?  You feel a sadness that so many of God's 
	children are being led astray, but also recognize that it is only
	another *sign* that the second coming is just around the corner.
	The fulfillment of prophecy is happening all around us, and it will
	happen more often as the days go by.  All we can do is follow the
	quote Ann gave us, and try to do the best we can with what we know.

	Charles

    FWIW, I'm involved in children's theater, partly in an effort to teach
    basic, human values to kids.  I am reminded that (in the BoM) the
    "word" is stronger than the sword.  The unfortunate thing about today 
    is that the government pretty much will be faced with influencing by 
    the sword (more police and such).  
    
    Governments try their hand at "education," but I am less than impressed 
    by some of the more recent efforts.  Case in point is the AIDS "education" 
    that has not only been ineffective over the past several years (in terms 
    of stemming infection among youth) but has actually contributed to the 
    problem in that earlier definitions of "safe sex" have been shown to be 
    in error.  The message that *did* get across was that having sex was
    okay (first, "acceptable", now "normal" and soon to be "unavoidable") 
    before marriage.  I sense that with such "education" we (as a people)
    are encouraging our youth to want wickedness.
    
    Then, there's the families that encourage violent films in the home as
    entertainment.  Very difficult to balance between exposing kids to "real
    life experiences" versus getting them entertained and "hooked" on it.
    Sorry, I'm rambling ...
    
    Steve