It happened when a blog I have followed for years took on the values of a recent popular 'children's' movie. It was a hugely unpopular move on her part. People got ugly. People of her own faith even. People of my faith.
It happened to me when I shared this post on my social network page. Some one who thinks they 'know' me made all sorts of remarks about the right and wrong way to live our religion, and the stupidity of the message.
Shame is so huge in our culture.
I find it interesting that if the issue raised didn't have any truth to it -- why all the hullabaloo? The fact that people are in an uproar makes me wonder if the original poster might have struck a painful cord with some folks causing them to evaluate their experience with the film.
I was pricked by the post. I had to go back and re-evaluate my experience and my impression. I had to own the fact that I dismissed whisperings of the spirit attempting to show me the error of what I was watching.
The theme song of the movie is in direct opposition to the principles of the gospel of Jesus Christ. It bugged me every time I heard my dd sing it -- but I neglected to follow the prompting to figure out why.
Elder M. Russell Ballard gives us counsel on this issue:
"The choices we make in media can be symbolic of the choices we make in life. …In the virtual reality and the perceived reality of large and small screens, family-destructive viewpoints and beheavior are regularly portrayed as pleasurable, as stylish, as exciting, and as normal. Often media's most devastating attacks on family are not direct or frontal or openly immoral. Intelligent evil is too cunning for that, knowing that most people still profess belief in family and in traditional values. Rather the attacks are subtle. Immorality and sexual innuendo are everywhere, causing some to believe that because everyone is doing it, it must be all right. This pernicious evil is not out in the street somewhere; it is coming right into our homes, right into the heart of our families…The time has come when members of the Church need to speak out and join with the many other concerned people in opposition to the offensive, destructive, and mean-spirited media influence that is sweeping over the earth."
(source http://www.lds.org/general-conference/2003/10/let-our-voices-be-heard?lang=eng&query=media)
What more can I say on this issue than what an apostle of the Lord has said?
Personally, I am grateful that a brave woman spoke up and followed her promptings, as this apostle taught her to do. In doing so she will have to deal with those who oppose her with all their loud, mean, and critical remarks. Such is the case with many who stand tall against the world.
