Here's the excerpt:
"Contemporary society is in a state of ethical chaos. Imagine a group of young professionals enjoying a meal in any big-city restaurant. Not an eyebrow will be raised if someone mentions that they have recently had an abortion. A reference by another to their same-sex partner will elicit no disapproval. But if one of the party were to light a cigarette in a no-smoking section of the restaurant? Shock, horror, unanimous disgust! Is exhaling tobacco smoke more reprehensible than sexual perversion or killing an unborn child? Are such people competent to make moral judgments, to decide how God should deal with sin?They cannot even distinguish between wickedness and bad manners." (pg 25)
Dennis Prager once discussed a similar topic on his radio show when he posed the hypothetical question to parents: "If your child were addicted to one or the other, which would you rather your child be addicted to--television or tobacco?" (paraphrased). He said that a great number of parents that he spoke with on this topic were quick to respond with "Television."
Interesting.
What do YOU think?!
3 comments:
i'd probably say television as well, even though i'm not morally opposed to certain forms of smoking. what say you?
Well, it naturally comes down to the question of "the lesser of two evils" in my opinion.
Addiction, obviously is not a good thing. Ever. But I would say that I would probably rather be addicted to smoking because I think it probably has less psychological effects than television does. Television can drastically affect the way people think and speak and live. Smoking tobacco I don't think has been shown to do that (yet).
(I know, not a very profound or explicit answer. But I like to at least START simple!) =)
No, it's a tough question. Playing devil's advocate ... What about the permanent physical damage that is irreversible from smoking, let's say, cigarattes from a child?
Also, what kind of TV are they watching? Are they watching Oprah (forgive the suggesting Lord! =)), or Power Rangers?
What's funny is, I won't let my kids be addicted to either. They will have boundaries and limits to TV, in which I will keep a close eye on what they're watching and when. Smoking, out of the question till they're 18. And even then, only cigars =)
Post a Comment