I think that this email holds a huge lesson that I think people in general(not just teens but adults to) need to realize: that garbage is garbage no matter how small and nicely packaged.
Subject: Special Brownies
Many parents are working hard to explain to their children and teens why some video games, music, movies, books, and magazines are not acceptable material for their youth to see or hear.
One parent came up with an original idea that was hard to refute. He listened to all the reasons his children gave for wanting to see a particular PG-13 movie: - It had their favorite actors. Everyone else was seeing it. Even church members said it was great. It was only rated PG-13 because of the suggestion of sex. They never really showed it. The language was pretty good. They only used the Lord's name in vain three times in the whole movie. The video effects were fabulous and the plot was action packed. Yes, there was the scene where a building and a bunch of people got blown up, but the violence was "just the normal stuff." It wasn't real bad. Even with all these explanations for the rating, the father wouldn't give in. He didn't even give them a satisfying explanation for saying, "No." He just said, "No."
It was a little bit later that evening when this same father asked his teens if they would like some brownies he had prepared. He explained that he had taken the family's favorite recipe and added something new. When asked what it was, he calmly replied that he had added a special ingredient - - dog "poop." He stated that it was only a little bit. All the other ingredients were gourmet quality. And he had taken great care to bake it at the precise temperature for the exact time. He was sure the brownies would be superb. Even with all the explanations of the perfect attributes of the brownies, the teens would not take one. The father acted surprised. There was only one little element that would have caused them offense. And he assured them that they would hardly notice it at all. But they all held firm and would not try the brownies.
He then explained that the movie they wanted to see was just like these "PG-13 rated" brownies. Sin enters our minds and our homes by first deceiving us into believing that just a little bit of evil won't matter. Yet with the brownies it was obvious that just a little bit of "offensive material" DOES make all the difference between a great brownie and a totally unacceptable product. Even though the movie producers would have us believe their products are acceptable for adults and youths to see, they are not. Now when this father's children want to do something or see something they should not, the father merely asks them if they would like some of his special brownies . . . and they never ask about that activity again.
Subject: Special Brownies
Many parents are working hard to explain to their children and teens why some video games, music, movies, books, and magazines are not acceptable material for their youth to see or hear.
One parent came up with an original idea that was hard to refute. He listened to all the reasons his children gave for wanting to see a particular PG-13 movie: - It had their favorite actors. Everyone else was seeing it. Even church members said it was great. It was only rated PG-13 because of the suggestion of sex. They never really showed it. The language was pretty good. They only used the Lord's name in vain three times in the whole movie. The video effects were fabulous and the plot was action packed. Yes, there was the scene where a building and a bunch of people got blown up, but the violence was "just the normal stuff." It wasn't real bad. Even with all these explanations for the rating, the father wouldn't give in. He didn't even give them a satisfying explanation for saying, "No." He just said, "No."
It was a little bit later that evening when this same father asked his teens if they would like some brownies he had prepared. He explained that he had taken the family's favorite recipe and added something new. When asked what it was, he calmly replied that he had added a special ingredient - - dog "poop." He stated that it was only a little bit. All the other ingredients were gourmet quality. And he had taken great care to bake it at the precise temperature for the exact time. He was sure the brownies would be superb. Even with all the explanations of the perfect attributes of the brownies, the teens would not take one. The father acted surprised. There was only one little element that would have caused them offense. And he assured them that they would hardly notice it at all. But they all held firm and would not try the brownies.
He then explained that the movie they wanted to see was just like these "PG-13 rated" brownies. Sin enters our minds and our homes by first deceiving us into believing that just a little bit of evil won't matter. Yet with the brownies it was obvious that just a little bit of "offensive material" DOES make all the difference between a great brownie and a totally unacceptable product. Even though the movie producers would have us believe their products are acceptable for adults and youths to see, they are not. Now when this father's children want to do something or see something they should not, the father merely asks them if they would like some of his special brownies . . . and they never ask about that activity again.
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