Does what we watch, read, listen to affect us?

[Ian Gentles]

Does the type of litrature we read, films we watch, even music we listen too, affect us in any spiritual ways, for good or bad?

[Marsha Lynn]

Does the type of litrature we read, films we watch, even music we listen too, affect us in any spiritual ways, for good or bad?

Most definitely. There are multiple books that have had enormous positive impact on my life. Music lifts me like nothing else. Now and then, even one of the few movies I watch will lead me into new areas of spiritual growth

All those same things have potential for negative impact as well. I try to carefully guard what enters my heart via my senses. I'm too easily haunted to take many risks in that area.

Marsha

[Barb Bouldrey]

Marsha is absolutely correct.

The Bible, in the Psalms has David saying that he will put no evil in front of his eyes. I think David learned the lesson of what his eyes saw that led him to sin.

Today, Christians watch movies on TV and elsewhere that are full of words that used to make us cringe. Most people do not even register hearing those words anymore. TV and movies have made it seem normal as if everyone everywhere talks like that.

The same goes for violence. It used to make us cringe. Now we are used to it...and want more.

And then, look at the graphic CIS and other crime shows that show autopsies this season.

We are being desensitized by what we allow our eyes to see and our ears to hear.

Many Christians are being led away from the Lord and their marriages by "innocent" and "no harm to anyone" visits to pornography websites or chat rooms "just to see what they are like."

Temptation can lead to sin. And sin leads to spiritual death.

We used to sing, "Oh be careful little eyes what you see..." It was good advice for us as children....and still is.

Barb

[Gina Stevenson]

quoting Barb B: " And then, look at the graphic CIS and other crime shows that show autopsies this season."

Yes, that is one show that I refuse to even try to watch ... any of the whole string of CSI shows I've seen advertised or in the TV magazine in the newspaper. I saw enough years ago when some assistant DA decided it would be fun to try to shock whomever he could by shoving very graphic pictures of a murder in front of our faces before we could realize what was happening. THOSE couple of pictures I can still see in my mind, tho' I do not dwell on them when such a memory reappears [such as now, since CSI was the topic].

[Ian Gentles]

I can fully understand the "Being desensised" part about seeing too many bodies. :(

[Bruce Carriker]

Does the type of litrature we read, films we watch, even music we listen too, affect us in any spiritual ways, for good or bad?

Clearly people with lots of money, whose only purpose for exisitng is to make more money, believe that what we watch, read, and listen to can affect us. If not, Coca-Cola, Gatorade, Toyota, Nike, Home Depot and Foot Locker (and countless others) wasted millions of dollars to have their products used exclusively on such shows as American Idol, Amazing Race, What I Like About You, The Apprentice, Extreme Makeover Home Edition, and King of Queens (and every other show). If not, those folks who are paying nearly $300K for a thirty second spot on CSI are wasting a lot of money. If not, then advertisers around the world are wasting upwards of $400 billion dollars a year on movie, television, radio, and print advertising.

By way of comparision, that $400+ billion spent on advertising is more than the gross domestic product of the following countries: Switzerland, Belgium, Sweden, Turkey, Austria, Indonesia, Saudi Arabia, Norway, Denmark, Poland, South Africa, Greece, Finland, Ireland, Portugal, Thailand, Iran, Argentina, Malaysia, Israel, Venezuela, the Czech Republic, or Singapore.

It is more than the COMBINED gross domestic products of Kazakstahn, the Slovak Republic, Kuwait, Vietnam, Morocco, Bangladesh, Ukraine, and Peru. (Source: World Bank date, 7-15-05)

It is more than FOUR TIMES what UN member nations (including the United States) spend on humanitarian aid every year. Selling Cokes and Fords...or feeding the hungry? How is that even a choice?

And what is the purpose of advertising, generally speaking? Very little advertising anymore is truly informational. Most of it is designed to convince people that they are unhappy and will only really be happy when they buy the product being advertised. Think about that for a moment. Almost half a trillion dollars a year being spent for the purpose of convincing people they are unhappy. That can't help but make you proud to be a consumption-driven, free market capitalist, huh? Or proud that most of the rest of the world aspires to be like us.

[BobHunt]

Is that why I get all teary eyed when I watch Anne of Green Gables movies, or the Christy series? Is that why I get soft hearted when I see Hallmarks Christmas movies, or is that why I almost jump up and kick, when I watch Texas Ranger Walker bring down the bad guys with a couple good kicks and punches?
Is that why my niece got scared and started crying (as a young girl) when we attended a church's production of Scrooge, and Jacob Marley came down the aisle wrapped in his chains?
Do these things affect us? (They do me!)