The Ever GROWING Tastelessness of Our World

My son looking out on Charleston's harbor at dusk

I will start this out by saying there are things and factors in this world that get me riled up, angry, heartsick..and anxious for our children and our families.

And for you.

I was going to write about our Edisto short day trip, but instead will jump up on the biggest soap box I have , and unburden my heart about the ever growing, ever polluting fact of tastelessness and crassness, crudeness that has invaded our lives through the media, television, movies, magazines, books , and of course the internet.


I do not like to watch TV, consider it boring ,a major growth-inhibitor in every way...but I had it turned on to listen to music on there the other day when I was cleaning upstairs..and what I saw when I flipped the channels..at 1 PM in the afternoon, was a naked woman with a thong on having computer sex with some guy on a murder mystery.
1 PM in the afternoon. Basic cable channel, no Playboy network, no HBO or Cinemax here. Right there on regular TV.
Acceptable now.
My son and his friend were in the next room playing dinosaurs.

I have also seen ads and commercials with extreme sexual suggestiveness and dress, or also very crude...in prime time and earlier...getting worse every year.
Right there when my son sits to go over the baseball scores or watch a cartoon.
All , smack in his young face.

Hyper-sexuality with it's accompanying images of what the porn industry , media, or music industry wants us to believe is what makes a woman beautiful or desirable ...is destroying the average beauty of a woman from outwardly to her very soul.
But that is another blog entry I will do.

I want you to also know about me, that I am very far from a Bible-thumping prude , Suzie-Q-Perfect Christian woman. I would fit closer to the chief of all sinners if there were categories. I am so far from perfect in my own behavior and past , that I almost feel disqualified for even broaching this subject.

But I will.
I ache inside over this.

It appears the new acceptable , and I seem to see this more accepted in the under 40 crowd, not all...please do not think I am saying all of the under 40...plenty of over 40 too. But I believe it is partially what that age group has grown up with as examples.

It seems to not faze many people to throw profanity ( sort of like a 11 year old peppering their conversation with curse words  to be cool ) , lewdness, crassness, sexual innuendo , sexy images...whatever...in their conversations at work, on their blogs, in their Twittering -facebooking-My spacing, out in public, and in their own homes with their children listening to every coarse or suggestive word they say.
Their children see them laugh or leer at images or dialogue on TV or in the movies.  At things that are in extreme poor taste.
Many people are oblivious to the impact they are making.

But I am not only writing about this for their sakes...your children, but for your very own sake.

We have 4 children, 3 grown..and one at home being a fun 9 year old.

I am MUCH more careful what I say in front of him, what I allow him to watch, than I was  with my first 3 who are 12 years older than him. I kept thinking, back then, that most of this ' stuff' is over their heads. They hear it at school, in the movies, on TV, but they will be OK.
We also had our own struggles at work and in our marriage...that I believe now caused me to be neglectful in that area.

I was wrong.

I have come to realize, that was an erroneous assumption on my part. Most likely laziness  and , and ignorance.

What we see, or allow in our vision..in our world...what we hear, what we listen to ...how we speak...can promote truth, true beauty, and goodness, righteousness.

Or we can promote more polluted homes, families, and souls.

Protect your children , stand up for what is wrong...stop allowing utter tastelessness to keep rearing it's very ugly head in your lives and speak up against it when you can.
Monitor what comes into your home or out of your mouth. Monitor your words and actions.

One person can make a difference, remember that.

I am also not of the leaning , " Well, a little bit of crudeness , a little bit of lewdness, etc..that's just how the world is. "

I'm also not excusing the sexes, men in particular, because that is their general leaning. The leaning toward their physical needs or desires overwhelms them. Riiiggghhhttt.  Boys will be boys is a cop-out excuse for what men do or say. Men need to be men... grow up and act honorable . Get carried away with your own wife and not images of others. Put your foot down about the language your children use, your own language, how they dress , what you allow to be watched in your home or work, etc. Men know what is right and what is wrong . I don't want to seem like this is strictly man-bashing time.  I am also not  excusing women for our own physical desires, our own emotions which carry us places we shouldn't go. Women need to know their value , stop doing wrong things to get attention or love. Stop being a stepping stone for further hyper-sexuality in our world by monitoring your words,  and your images. Stop allowing yourself to be used.




All the crass and lewd images  everywhere undermine our best intentions...and it is getting worse.  I sit and wonder, How much worse can this get ? It truly frightens me for my children and future generations. I am shocked and angered about what I see , and again...I really want you to know I am not an uptight Christian chick. I am very, very far off from that. I keep saying that as I want you to know I have not been perfect and do not want you to think you can not relate to what I am saying because I must be really good.
I am not really good..I struggle with being good. 
More than I like.

But I know I am right, and I know that you know I am.

We are all cheating ourselves, under-estimating our own discernment to think that is just they way things are...that we cannot do anything about it . Thinking like that, looking at tasteless images, or words cheats you of appreciating the really excellent , glorious things that are in this world.

The devil is having a hey-day with this.

Real beauty , real satisfaction is what you are missing.

What you are doing is denying yourself by settling for cheap imitations of everything.
Looking for a quick fix to sate you.
Problem is, crass, crude and lewd never , ever satisfy for long. It just makes people look for more and different versions of it . It will not, cannot satisfy you ...the deepest part of you inside. It is a surface distraction that will eat away at the best you can be .
Our world , our societies are inwardly combusting. We are sinking deeper in the mire.


We are living in an age of revolving , escalating tastelessness.

Selling art, and being an art lover...I know that taste in art is subjective. I also know that once you see enough of the truly authentic GOOD and GREAT art, that you will be unsatisfied with imitations and poor quality in artwork.

That is what has happened to me more, but it is God's presence in my life that has changed me concerning my outlook on life. When you become a Christian, the Holy Spirit resides in you. He is pure and holy, set apart.

The tastes of this world become less appealing , less attractive...and He allows you to really SEE what beauty and goodness, and light are.
What happens is beauty in it's authentic form appeals to you...like a real woman compared to a surgically-enhanced  moaning actress young woman on the internet or in a movie.
Like when a good old-fashioned comedy comes on , compared to a crass, bathroom- humored, teen- sexuality comedy comes on.
Like when you turn off the TV, Internet, altogether...and go outside and see the beauty of nature.
When you look at your children and stand amazed at their beauty and purity. When you realize that your actions and words can pollute their lives or enrich them.
Step back into the light of reality and truth.

Light ALWAYS prevails over darkness.

It is stronger, it is more powerful...and I believe most souls lean towards the brightness of good.

No matter how much the dark entices them , the pull of goodness is the beacon towards an abundant life. 
It ultimately is more powerful , and it will illuminate your world to reveal true beauty . It will help you see what is excellent and not simply momentarily amusing or exciting .
Good taste in all things is never crude, crass, lewd , rude or showy.

 Me and my husband at dusk in Charleston at the harbor

I will jump down from my soapbox now..I am sure I have stepped on some people's toes , I may have made you think I am a ranting Christian-do-gooder woman.
You are partially right...I am a Christian , I do rant about topics sometimes...and I do want to do good.
That does not make me a better person than someone else, only one very concerned for a better moral atmosphere on this earth.
I know it's not sexy , hip or cool to admit that...don't care. I do care deeply about this topic.




Fight the good fight,


Gina

" Say to the righteous that it shall be well with them. For they shall eat the fruit of their doings. Woe to the wicked ! it shall be ill with him. " Isiah 3:10-11