Insight on the News
Love of Violence
● More and more young people are committing violent crimes. A recent report issued by the social research center of Hong Kong’s Chinese University points to one contributing factor. According to the report, 77.5 percent of 1,000 youthful lawbreakers investigated by the center belonged to Kung-fu organizations. Over half of these youngsters were Kung-fu motion-picture and magazine enthusiasts.
Kung-fu, a Chinese martial art, has even had detrimental effects on children of kindergarten age. Not long ago, Winifred Frost, the headmistress at Parklands Infants’ School in London, England, appealed to parents not to permit their children to watch television programs featuring such arts. She explained: “We have had two or three children injured . . . These little children were beating each other up in the playground.”
Do you want your children to engage in violent acts? “Jehovah himself examines the righteous one as well as the wicked one,” declared the psalmist David, “and anyone loving violence His soul certainly hates.” (Ps. 11:5) How vital that Christian parents everywhere talk in a kindly way with their children, determine their interests and control their reading, entertainment and associations!
“Babes as to Badness”
● The Anderson “Independent/Daily Mail” of September 28, 1975, announced that the newspapers of that South Carolina city would no longer publish X-rated-motion-picture advertising. Children are not admitted to such movies, which may involve explicit sex or excessive violence.
In part, the editorial expressed concern for a reader’s freedom “to subscribe to newspapers that do not feature ads dominated by explicit sex and vivid violence,” and then added: “We are especially concerned when that reader is a youngster who is not emotionally prepared to cope with notions aimed at prurience. . . . Many parents want their children’s introduction to the various dimensions of life—including sex and violence—to be a realistic growth experience rather than a grotesque distortion.”
The Holy Scriptures lay upon parents the obligation of providing proper moral instruction for their children. (Prov. 22:6; Eph. 6:1-4) However, the Christian apostle Paul admonished fellow believers, both young and old: “Be babes as to badness; yet become full-grown in powers of understanding.” (1 Cor. 14:20) Christians, therefore, do not seek knowledge or experience in wickedness but wisely remain inexperienced and innocent as babes in that regard. At the same time, they fully understand that wrongdoing and immorality are improper in God’s sight.
Condemn Homosexuality?
● A general discharge from the United States Air Force recently was recommended for a certain self-admitted homosexual. While the question still was being considered, however, an affidavit was filed in the man’s behalf by United Church of Christ president Robert V. Moss. Therein Dr. Moss stated: “It is increasingly being recognized that . . . the negative judgments of homosexuality reflected in Genesis and Leviticus, for example, may very well reflect the ancient Hebrew abhorrence of the use of sexuality in religious rites. . . . Furthermore, because mortality was high and numbers were needed if Israel was to defend herself against her enemies, there was a tendency to condemn any use of sexuality that did not eventuate in parenthood.”
But are Scriptural declarations against homosexuality based on such factors? The Bible does not say so. Moreover, its statements are not the product of human whim or reasoning. Rather, as the Christian apostle Paul stated, “All Scripture is inspired of God and beneficial . . . for disciplining in righteousness.”—2 Tim. 3:16.
Hence, Jehovah God’s own viewpoint is expressed in such words as these: “You must not lie down with a male the same as you lie down with a woman. It is a detestable thing.” And in the Christian Greek Scriptures we read: “Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men kept for unnatural purposes, nor men who lie with men . . . will inherit God’s kingdom.”—Lev. 18:22; 1 Cor. 6:9, 10.