Religion and Jerry Springer
Since we're arguing about religion again, I figured I'd ask how religious people feel about the Jerry Springer show and other tabloid garbage.
It seems rather unbelievable to me that someone could go to church and at the same time watch shows that dehumanize people. When I hear about a 19 year old that has two kids and is pregnant with another, I feel this is a tragedy (in most usual circumstances). How can someone who claims to have some kind of philosophy about right and wrong watch a show like Sally Jesse Raphael? I've heard make jokes like " Get Whitney Houston a milkshake". When I here about a mother addicted to drugs my only thought is that she may die and what that means to the life of the child. I don't see any entertainment value in this.
It seems that the most basic aspect that a religious person should aspire to is to simply wish others the best life possible. Naturally, there will be people you don't like, and also people like Bin Laden that you might feel deserves to die. But how can you watch a tabloid show night after night simply talks about which celebrity is on drugs, getting divorced, etc.? These things, if you are human, should naturally make you unhappy.
And when you go to church, does the preacher ever talk about real life subjects such as these in a concrete way? Does he talk about violent video games or our unhealthy obsession with celebrities or anything else that is relevant? I don't go to church so I have no idea about this.
One of the reasons that I, like others, are skeptical of religion is because America is obviously going to hell in a handbasket from a moral standpoint. My grandfather, born in Hungary in 1895, was successful at teaching me values in a no nonsense way. When I meet people from Poland, Germany, etc. they still have that vice like grip on their values that seems to have gotten away from a large percentage of Americans. So I just don't think that church has done a whole lot for people, compared to the teachings of Eastern European cultures.
It seems rather unbelievable to me that someone could go to church and at the same time watch shows that dehumanize people. When I hear about a 19 year old that has two kids and is pregnant with another, I feel this is a tragedy (in most usual circumstances). How can someone who claims to have some kind of philosophy about right and wrong watch a show like Sally Jesse Raphael? I've heard make jokes like " Get Whitney Houston a milkshake". When I here about a mother addicted to drugs my only thought is that she may die and what that means to the life of the child. I don't see any entertainment value in this.
It seems that the most basic aspect that a religious person should aspire to is to simply wish others the best life possible. Naturally, there will be people you don't like, and also people like Bin Laden that you might feel deserves to die. But how can you watch a tabloid show night after night simply talks about which celebrity is on drugs, getting divorced, etc.? These things, if you are human, should naturally make you unhappy.
And when you go to church, does the preacher ever talk about real life subjects such as these in a concrete way? Does he talk about violent video games or our unhealthy obsession with celebrities or anything else that is relevant? I don't go to church so I have no idea about this.
One of the reasons that I, like others, are skeptical of religion is because America is obviously going to hell in a handbasket from a moral standpoint. My grandfather, born in Hungary in 1895, was successful at teaching me values in a no nonsense way. When I meet people from Poland, Germany, etc. they still have that vice like grip on their values that seems to have gotten away from a large percentage of Americans. So I just don't think that church has done a whole lot for people, compared to the teachings of Eastern European cultures.
Comments
<strong>Since we're arguing about religion again, I figured I'd ask how religious people feel about the Jerry Springer show and other tabloid garbage.</strong><hr></blockquote>
Springer? You must be joking...you must mean these
<a href="http://cbn.org/"; target="_blank">religious retards</a>. <img src="graemlins/bugeye.gif" border="0" alt="[Skeptical]" />
Ya see, it's these folks who started in Massachusetts burning girls with PMS to instructing the mouth breahthers at the freak show carnivals of the mid west. Now they have the medium of TV...and that's what is destroying society...stupid religious ****s...
I learned my morals from my father. Deeply religious and faithful man. I just removed "God" and replaced it with "my consciousness"...been great ever since. Watch Springer and Maury sometimes and Laaaaaugh!!! <img src="graemlins/lol.gif" border="0" alt="[Laughing]" />
Remember, Artman's in the sweatshop again...should I call OSHA or what??? "@_@"
[ 07-01-2002: Message edited by: Artman @_@ ]</p>
[ 07-01-2002: Message edited by: Rick1138 ]</p>
Actually, yes.
also, just because a person believes (or thinks they believe) in a religion, doesn't mean they have to fully live their life exactly to scripture. Part of my catholic-upbringing was reminding me that I'm human and can't be a perfect christian. no one is perfect. some people like to watch the ridiculous shows just to hear the snappy remarks, or to see a little brawl.
also, i don't think any of us should judge what others do. Those kind of show are watched mostly for their entertainment value, and much of what goes on is sensationalized. if a person watches it, its not for us to judge them.
by the way, i'm an athiest, and an aspiring amoralist.
Watching a show is endorsing it.
<strong>
Watching a show is endorsing it.</strong><hr></blockquote>
why, do you think, it is?
i've watched several episodes of South Park. the stuff they put on the screen is frequently over the top, and i dont approve of it. i dont endorse it. i've seen some rotten movies too. i dont endorse them.
<strong>
Actually, yes.</strong><hr></blockquote>
Really? <img src="graemlins/hmmm.gif" border="0" alt="[Hmmm]" /> I'm dying here. It is against OSHA's rules/regulations? Damn...Artman the whistle blower...maybe I should call Jerry Springer and star on "Dead Beat Bosses"...
Hmm,
Japan 1940's
Vietnam 1960's
Korea 1950's
China now
Cambodia ... etc.
If you have a specific example I don't see it. But to their credit, i don't think religion had anything to do with what happened in those countries. It just didn't bother remedying anything.
In ANY society, if there are no rules and there is money to be made from drugs, violence. prostitution, there will be people to do that. Look at America in the 50s. At that time honesty meant something a if two people shook hands that meant they meade a deal. You didn't need 50 lawyers for everything. However, if somehow lawlessness came about in the 50s there would have been a certain percentage who would have done anything to make money. This is human nature and applies to every society.
However, on the whole, we can still say that Chinese people are more honorable in their word because of the way they look at things than some other society.
[ 07-01-2002: Message edited by: spindler ]</p>
<strong>South Park is awesome. anyone catch last weeks episode? Kinda makes you think.</strong><hr></blockquote>
Cartman: "He told me to close my eyes and suck it out of a hose" :eek:
How do they get away with this stuff?!
I'm no OSHA expert, but I'd read up on their <a href="http://www.osha.gov/"; target="_blank">website</a> or call their local representatives and ask what acceptable heat levels for workplaces are. You might be surprised.
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[quote]why, do you think, it is? i've watched several episodes of South Park. the stuff they put on the screen is frequently over the top, and i dont approve of it. i dont endorse it. i've seen some rotten movies too. i dont endorse them.<hr></blockquote>
You endorse the show by watching it. If you catch it once then turn it off immediately that's one thing, but repeated viewership is endorsement.
I mean, I've stumbled across - and out of morbid curiosity - have "watched" Joan Rivers and her horseface daughter rag on celebrity fashion on E! or their pre-Oscar "who's wearing what" bash.
But that's hardly "endorsing" their little dog and pony show.
No more than watching footage of a horrible train wreck would be...
It's not like it's any different now that it was when I caught it a few months ago.
Springer knows he's no Oprah or Donahue (which are awful and hard-to-swallow in their own right), so he took the other road.
And the mullett-clad, babysitter-screwing, obese exotic dancer, toothless transvestite, gold-toothed, dick-holding, English-mangling, food throwing, cursing/screaming/kicking community FINALLY have an outlet, bless their hearts.
"God,can you believe this mess that they have on television these days?This is shameful."
"Grandma,would you like me to change the station?"
"Oh no,there's somthing coming on next that I want to see"
"Well I can just shut the TV and then turn back on when the other show comes on"
"But you might not remember,just leave it the way it is."
As for Eastern Europeans go,I'm of Eastern European descent myself,and I spend a significant amount of my day chasing girls from Russia and other former Eastern block countries,I was just pointing out how those societies are not faring well in terms of crime,I was not taking a dig at people's morality,but I have never witnessed any moral superiority or inferiority between Americans or Eastern Europeans.