| Movies are now produced at costs that rival | | | | excuse to wrangle out of any responsibility. |
| the gross national product of some small | | | | I doubt that "I didn't know the gun was |
| nations. Media including TV, music, internet, | | | | loaded" will make a very good defense when |
| games, and casual cell phone use cost as much | | | | all the dust has settled. I received an |
| as it would to feed nearly every person in | | | | e-mail recently from someone who took |
| Africa. But there is another cost that cannot | | | | exception to an article I wrote on Dan |
| be calculated in dollars. It seems like a | | | | Brown's movie The Da Vinci Code. He said |
| competition between film producers that has | | | | "Surely you must be joking when you ask how |
| no top end. The Da Vinci code cost a whopping | | | | so many people can "believe" what's in the Da |
| $125,000,000 while Harry Potter cost | | | | Vinci code. Putting aside the fact that I |
| $150,000,000. The Chronicles of Narnia comes | | | | have seen no numbers on how many people |
| in at 180,000,000 but falls short of the | | | | actually do believe what's in Dan Brown's |
| heaping price tag for King Kong which was | | | | entertaining bit of historical fiction, I |
| $207,000,000. This is big money but after all | | | | find what he has written no more or less |
| it is only money. All media has a by product | | | | believable than another bit of historical |
| that costs far more than money, they all | | | | fiction has been translated and retranslated |
| pedal influence. That product costs more than | | | | by countless authors over the centuries" |
| the unsuspecting American may ever know and | | | | Twenty four major translations later the book |
| in many instances is more than they want to | | | | I believe he was referring to still has only |
| know. It is hard to believe that the debate | | | | one main message. Last time I looked it was |
| about how media influences our young still | | | | the same as it was in the first century, put |
| rages. Hollywood remains aloof while it | | | | simply "For God so loved the world, that he |
| awaits the final definitive scientific study | | | | gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever |
| that proves that our children are worse off | | | | believeth in him should not perish, but have |
| for the influence of media. Their fear is | | | | everlasting life" John 3:16 Hollywood's |
| that a final answer would at last make them | | | | message should be this immovable, this |
| culpable. If they really cared perhaps they'd | | | | hopeful, and this comforting. On last check I |
| be willing to give up the cost of the next | | | | heard only death, sex, and mayhem coming from |
| big movie to do a study of their own, say | | | | the entertainment bunch. Whether someone |
| about $200,000,000. Not likely you say? You | | | | believes in the bible or not it doesn't alter |
| would be right about that. It takes no rocket | | | | the fact that the best Hollywood has ever |
| science to look at Hollywood's record. It is | | | | done cannot make up for the wholesale damage |
| hard to deny the effect even if you can | | | | it does to the collective psyche of a nation. |
| vociferously defend the cause. The effect is | | | | But let's get more specific. If even one life |
| the raping of the minds of our youth and | | | | is adversely affected in the flimsy name of |
| people with a low capacity to discern what is | | | | entertainment isn't that one too many? Or |
| moral, decent, safe, and in some cases | | | | have we become so comfortable with statistics |
| healthy. While Hollywood still insists that | | | | that we can allow media to ruin the lives of |
| not all the facts are in on this subject lets | | | | just a few people, because after all it's |
| peruse what is known about it. Children see | | | | just a few. Is it OK to accept the |
| between eight and ten thousand murders on TV | | | | percentages or are all people equally |
| and films before they graduate from | | | | important in this land where Abraham Lincoln |
| elementary school. Add to that upwards of one | | | | dared to think that all men are indeed |
| hundred thousand acts of violence and | | | | created equal. Media may indulge itself by |
| aggression. These figures are doubled by the | | | | touting the low percentage of people who |
| time they are eighteen. Actors and movie | | | | actually did their worst because of the |
| makers claim they can't make the connection | | | | media's influence, but is that acceptable. |
| between those pictures and the behavior of | | | | The media influenced Charles Manson through a |
| our children even while countless studies and | | | | Beatles song to engage in one of America's |
| reports have concluded in no uncertain terms | | | | goriest murders. John Hinckley influenced by |
| that they do adversely affect our children. | | | | a Jodie Foster movie tried to murder one of |
| Do the sponsors ascribe to the movie | | | | our most beloved presidents Mr. Ronald |
| producers view of how much their movies, TV | | | | Reagan. In 1994 Oliver Stone released his |
| programs and games influence youth or the | | | | movie "Natural Born Killers" after which a |
| weak minded? Not for a second. If they did | | | | young couple from Oklahoma deeply inspired by |
| they would not foot the average $10,000 | | | | that film went on a killing rampage. One |
| dollar a minute cost of producing a | | | | person was killed and another was left |
| commercial. They would not pay upwards of | | | | paralyzed before they were stopped. This |
| $500,000 for a thirty second spot on the next | | | | extreme behavior was undoubtedly caused by |
| TV broadcast of the Super Bowl. As Hollywood | | | | the media but it is tucked away in the |
| waits for science to prove whether their | | | | Hollywood conscience by the soothing idea |
| wrecking young minds the sponsors are using | | | | that it's just a few extremist, just a very |
| the humble science of mathematics to | | | | few people out of a nation of three hundred |
| influence the buying habits of millions of | | | | million souls. Let's examine this kind of |
| people throughout the world. Put another way, | | | | thinking. In Luke 15:7 Jesus said "I say unto |
| can a thirty second spot influence millions | | | | you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven |
| of consumers while one hour and a half of | | | | over one sinner that repenteth…" |
| murder, pummeling, dismemberment and | | | | Conversely can anyone argue that if one |
| slaughter have no effect on a young persons | | | | sinner's repentance brings joy, then one |
| mind and spirit? I think we all need to do | | | | sinner's final demise would bring sorrow? |
| the math here! Studies don't need to prove | | | | Would we try to placate God's sorrow over the |
| what has run parallel in equal and direct | | | | loss of one of the creatures he made in his |
| proportion to the pro-active influence | | | | image and offered his Sons life to redeem by |
| Hollywood has had on our children and our | | | | saying it was just one or perhaps a few out |
| children's collective behavior. Hollywood | | | | of the whole bunch. If a woman had six |
| pushes sex and close behind that rape, | | | | children she loved dearly and you destroyed |
| molestation and pornography run rampant. | | | | just one could she be assuaged or comforted |
| Switch to violence and kids start killing | | | | by the fact that after all it is only one |
| each other at an alarming rate. Witness | | | | sixth of her family. No, a whole nation is |
| Columbine and similar incidents. All the best | | | | not likely to go awash because of the Da |
| minds in education and science are debating | | | | Vinci code movie. The God of this world will |
| what if any the negative influences of a few | | | | get whatever mileage he can squeeze out of |
| sharply defined and explicit images have on | | | | it. Someone who is teetering between decision |
| our children. As if it was just not possible | | | | and indecision about Jesus Christ will be |
| to find a real and tangible connection. An | | | | made to doubt. Some souls somewhere will |
| obscure Chinese man only one generation | | | | start down a path to judgment because of this |
| behind us was not so naïve. Mao Tse-tung | | | | film. How many may do this is not certain. |
| mustered the youth of the most populated | | | | What is certain is that if only one is lost |
| country in the world in a revolutionary rage | | | | it is far too many. To lead even one of |
| that brought to dust centuries of previous | | | | God's creatures to perdition has a price tag |
| dynasties and culture. He did this with a | | | | no one in media could ever imagine. The |
| little book full of comic figures. A far cry | | | | online Wikipedia encyclopedia has a list of |
| from TV and films but this little doctrinal | | | | over one hundred of Hollywood's most |
| comic book nevertheless raised the youthful | | | | expensive movies. Those top one hundred are |
| ire of an entire continent to act in unison | | | | in the list only because they spent |
| against everything the Chinese once held | | | | $100,000,000 or more. Millions of people |
| dear. Why didn't someone tell Chairman Mao | | | | along with the media crowd have chosen to |
| that youth wouldn't be influenced by his | | | | hide behind the old adage that "the Bible is |
| little picture book? Maybe someone from | | | | open to too many interpretations." I will |
| Hollywood should have volunteered to tell him | | | | offer yet one more interpretation for them to |
| that he should wait until the definitive | | | | doubt. Luke 15:7 is clearly saying that in |
| study was in from the halls of science. They | | | | the end the price of all one hundred of the |
| could have saved an entire nation from the | | | | most expensive films cannot cover the loss of |
| ensuing mayhem. Another not likely goes here. | | | | even one lost soul. Rev Bresciani is the |
| Not just hiding behind their feigned | | | | author of An American Prophet and His Message |
| ignorance of the facts, Hollywood often | | | | published by Xulon Press. He also has |
| resorts to the old "It's just entertainment" | | | | hundreds of articles online and in print. |