What is lost today?

By Benjamin Budde - Contributing columnist

What is lost today? Some have said we have lost our moral core; which is evident. But what are we measuring our moral core from? How do we know there’s been a mass loss in our moral core? From ourselves or what we see? If that is the case our moral core would change like the weather! Where do we find a moral absolute?

We are affected by what we see, we can’t deny that, and we are heavily influenced by what we entertain in our mind. But what comes out of us, is a choice. Elaine Shpungin Ph.D. wrote in Psychology Today, “It seems like TV, movies, games, and books are much like food — for your mind and soul.” She went on to say, “negative TV news” have shown increases in a depressed mood, anxiety, and tendency to be more “catastrophic” about their personal worries.” “Watching TV shows and video clips with pro-social themes (like people helping others, problem-solving, cooperating and being generous) can lead to more cooperation, more positive attitudes, less aggression.” A study at Oxford University said that the “Oxford Internet Institute, has found no relationship between aggressive behavior in teenagers and the amount of time spent playing violent video games.”

Some studies actually said that action games “improve not just the skills taught in the game, but learning capabilities more generally.” We cannot deny that what we see affects us in some way, which could be a skill or kill but we would call that a moral decision. What is going on in your mind, when we tell our country’s leader that he isn’t welcome in the state where a mass shooting had occurred, and we protest at the hospital where he’s visiting to bring comfort to victims? Could hearts not be hardened from the influences we stick in our eyes that are never satisfied and our ears that are never full of hearing? If we weren’t influenced by what we see, then why would people pay billions of dollars for ads and commercials if it only affects a small percentage. Then it’s amazing how the small percenters are called trendsetters, so either it’s a trick of the trend, or is it the setter? No, we say it’s by chance.

If we’re taught we come from nothing; we’re here by chance. Why would we expect people to care about people if we are taught we’re nothing, just a product of chance? A poem from Steve Turner:

“If chance be the Father of all flesh,

Disaster is his rainbow in the sky,

And when you hear

State of Emergency!

Sniper Kills Ten!

Troops on Rampage!

Whites go Looting!

Bomb Blasts School!

It is but the sound of man worshiping his maker.”

The mass lost is in the heart. How long have we tried to do things our way? Man takes what they want and bends them the way they want and say it’s for good. Don’t drink the Kool-aid. For one example, a man lead over 900 people, women and children in the 70s to their death by drinking poison. What a mass loss, all out of one man’s pride and using God’s name for it. That’s using God’s name in vain. Obviously, he didn’t read the Holy Bible or maybe he did and only used it for himself?

Somewhere along the line we’ve forgotten, that all men are created equal which enables us to love others, not to hurt them. The difference between man and Christ Jesus is that Jesus sacrificed Himself to serve others and man sacrifices others to be served.


By Benjamin Budde

Contributing columnist

