Desensitization - a double standard...

Why is it that desensitization is one of the reasons touted as to why people should not watch television or other fiction with sex, violence, murder, etc.

But...

When we have been hearing the same horrifying stories over the pulpit about hell for decades we are not supposed to get desensitized to it?

This is why I am shocked when I hear people say that there is not enough "Hellfire and Brimstone" preaching... (and it is usually the same people who believe that television desensitizes you)...

It is not okay for a child to see someone get killed on television, but it is okay for a preacher (some of whom are very good orators) to describe in graphic detail (to audiences including children) what he believes the smell of burning flesh will be like in hell?

It doesn't matter how eternal the consequences are, if all you have in your bag of tricks is how horrible hell will be, eventually people will become desensitized to it... or does that logic only apply when dealing with the one item that is more important than Jesus Christ himself... being anti-television?

[ILG]

Originally Posted by Sheltiedad

Why is it that desensitization is one of the reasons touted as to why people should not watch television or other fiction with sex, violence, murder, etc.

But...

When we have been hearing the same horrifying stories over the pulpit about hell for decades we are not supposed to get desensitized to it?

This is why I am shocked when I hear people say that there is not enough "Hellfire and Brimstone" preaching... (and it is usually the same people who believe that television desensitizes you)...

It is not okay for a child to see someone get killed on television, but it is okay for a preacher (some of whom are very good orators) to describe in graphic detail what he believes the smell of burning flesh will be like in hell?

It doesn't matter how eternal the consequences are, if all you have in your bag of tricks is how horrible hell will be, eventually people will become desensitized to it... or does that logic only apply when dealing with the one item that is more important than Jesus Christ himself... being anti-television?

Thre are some pretty grisly stories in the OT too. Cutting up a woman and shipping her all over. Bleah. But still, I do think that there is a point to not intentionally watching that stuff all the time. I think what they need to do it quit all the negative preaching and get a little more positive.

[pelathais]

Originally Posted by Sheltiedad

Why is it that desensitization is one of the reasons touted as to why people should not watch television or other fiction with sex, violence, murder, etc.

But...

When we have been hearing the same horrifying stories over the pulpit about hell for decades we are not supposed to get desensitized to it?

This is why I am shocked when I hear people say that there is not enough "Hellfire and Brimstone" preaching... (and it is usually the same people who believe that television desensitizes you)...

It is not okay for a child to see someone get killed on television, but it is okay for a preacher (some of whom are very good orators) to describe in graphic detail (to audiences including children) what he believes the smell of burning flesh will be like in hell?

It doesn't matter how eternal the consequences are, if all you have in your bag of tricks is how horrible hell will be, eventually people will become desensitized to it... or does that logic only apply when dealing with the one item that is more important than Jesus Christ himself... being anti-television?

I don't quite follow you, here. But there are places in the world where there is a great need for fresh water and sometimes the best answer is recovery of sea water. It does take a lot of electricity to run the pumps but some of that is returned as free eletricity is generated by the reverse osmosis process.

It's also expensive to build the plants but once the intial capital investment is returned the system as a whole can be run very efficiently.

Oh, wait... you said "desensitization" ... my bad.

Originally Posted by pelathais

I don't quite follow you, here. But there are places in the world where there is a great need for fresh water and sometimes the best answer is recovery of sea water. It does take a lot of electricity to run the pumps but some of that is returned as free eletricity is generated by the reverse osmosis process.

It's also expensive to build the plants but once the intial capital investment is returned the system as a whole can be run very efficiently.

Oh, wait... you said "desensitization" ... my bad.

Since we are being random, the desalination plant on my ship was enough to provide water for a whole town... there isn't water rationing on ships like there used to be.

[Hoovie]

Originally Posted by Sheltiedad

Why is it that desensitization is one of the reasons touted as to why people should not watch television or other fiction with sex, violence, murder, etc.

But...

When we have been hearing the same horrifying stories over the pulpit about hell for decades we are not supposed to get desensitized to it?

This is why I am shocked when I hear people say that there is not enough "Hellfire and Brimstone" preaching... (and it is usually the same people who believe that television desensitizes you)...

It is not okay for a child to see someone get killed on television, but it is okay for a preacher (some of whom are very good orators) to describe in graphic detail (to audiences including children) what he believes the smell of burning flesh will be like in hell?

It doesn't matter how eternal the consequences are, if all you have in your bag of tricks is how horrible hell will be, eventually people will become desensitized to it... or does that logic only apply when dealing with the one item that is more important than Jesus Christ himself... being anti-television?

Very interesting. I must say the "hell preaching" I have heard (and really not a lot) has had such an effect on me. I think I block any possibility of comprehension of such torment...

[ILG]

Originally Posted by Stephen Hoover

Very interesting. I must say the "hell preaching" I have heard (and really not a lot) has had such an effect on me. I think I block any possibility of comprehension of such torment...

Hell is very scary to me. It is hard for me to think about anybody going there. I know some theorize that sinners will just be annhialated (spelling on that must be wrong). I hope they are right although many disagree.