Blog: “Have we as a Nation forgotten God…?”

May 20, 2012 / MariaNews.com 

Negative Programming 

(Heart of a Lion Blog) –  What has hapened to the United States in the last forty years? Have we become bigger, more powerful, better as a country, or are we in a downward spiral toward true moral bankrupcy?

Have we as a nation forgotten God almost entirely ? Few people may know that in the early years of our country, citizens and statesmen would attend church for most of Sunday. God meant something to nearly all in those days, which were absent of the daily media exposure we receive today. Maybe people felt the presence of God more, because of all that beautful mental silence: no TV, no radio, no propaganda from newspapers teaching us political correctness. All folks knew at that time was from the Good Book, in addition to (if they were lucky) some good old-fashioned readin’, writin, and arithmetic.

Today’s modern school children face a threat unknown to most of us growing up: the scourge of online media and video games. I know, I know, I am totally an old fogey here, but I do wonder if some parents realize what is really being taught when their beloved sits down and partakes of this particuliar brand of electronic evangelization. Christ and anything remniscent of moral teaching is absent from the mix of cool graphics, and playing to win is the only mindset worth having for most.

Ask any school-age child who plays online games about how “their” characters solve issues while gaming, but don’t expect them to cite what is (hopefully) being taught at home. For example, many school children would say it is acceptable to take revenge upon someone else for hurting their feelings, or doing damage in some way. Since many boys play online games where shooting takes place, one might be surprised to know that ‘shoot them’ comes up often as a solution. Maybe the kids are joking around, but the fact that problem-solving with guns comes up as a potential solution is genuinely alarming. Where once we were a nation of kids who played “Cowboys and Indians,” our boys increasingly see games featuring violence (among other disturbing themes) as commonplace and ordinary. While some may argue that these games are not real, and that children know the difference between them and reality, I wonder what this type of subconscious programming will result in years down the line. Jacob or Tanner will be grown men by then, having had the full benefit of “seeing” their online counterparts grapple with difficulty by unholstering a high-powered weapon and wasting the subject of their frustration. If these boys as young children are not spending the time in pretend play, when their language and reasoning skills are still developing, how are they to deal with adversity when play is pushed to the sidelines in adolescence? What about in adulthood? Will their knee-jerk reaction be violent because it has been set in front of their very eyes one time too many?

Do any of these boys and girls see the video games they play as in direct contrast to the teachings of the Church ?

While many boys play video games with no ill effects, I worry about the kids who lack solid attachments to adults who are worthy of being emulated, and about the kids who play these games without knowing God. I worry about the kids who stay at home waiting for mom or dad (or both) to come home from work and have to use gaming as a pseudo-babysitter. I worry about the cool-factor the games have (especially the violent or adult-themed ones) for increasingly younger and younger children. I have nothing against educationally sound games with characters that are positive role models, or games that encourage creative thought or problem solving. Those are the games that may eventually make it through our front door, but until then, I am savoring every moment I witness of good old-fashioned pretend play.

God Bless,