For the last several days the media has fixated on Tyler Clementi's suicide. I am not going to link to any of the stories, if you haven't heard about it, Google his name and you'll find a plethora of links to click. It is a horrible thing when anyone chooses such a permanent solution to a temporary life problem. I am so sorry for the loss of this young man's life. And I am outraged that the focus of this tragedy is on his homosexuality.
Violating any human being's right to be safe in their home, dorm room, public restroom, or store fitting room-etc. etc. by secretly recording, filming or live streaming their activities is wrong. Period. I don't care whether this young man was playing Parcheesi with a group of nuns and Buddhists; to have his activities streamed via web-cam for anyone's entertainment or curiosity is wrong. I get that having intimate moments viewed in this manner is much more damaging to the psyche. I really do, but I resent the fact that because this young man was gay- that his having a homosexual encounter streamed via web-cam makes his choosing to end his life any more or less a tragedy.
Perhaps I am outraged because this sort of thing has happened to women for years and where were/are the celebrities making special pleas on their behalf? How many young women having sexual encounters video taped without their permission have had their lives destroyed when their sleazy boyfriends showed the tape or pictures to others? Wives have been victimized by their husbands in this same way. Are they less important to our society because they are not gay? Our young people are committing suicide at alarming rates. They do not have to be homosexuals to make such a desperate choice. All teenagers are at risk. What is the matter with everyone? Right is right, wrong is wrong and dead is dead. Doesn't anyone think anymore?
Who do we blame? Reality television? I heard one psychologist say that because the frontal lobe of the brain isn't fully connected that the students alleged to have set up the web-cam couldn't have known how serious the repercussions might be. (Hogwash. They may not have thought it through but they definitely didn't treat Tyler the way they would like to be treated- a concept requiring empathy...something that begins developing in toddlers). Perhaps we should blame technology advancing before we have social mores to tell us what is and is not acceptable? No, morals are always dependent on a consensus of opinion by those in charge. Leaders are not always right. Ethics are set by right and wrong. God's standards for behavior are the only sensible /ethical solution and the only true measure of right and wrong. I understand that unbelievers balk at the idea... but its because they want to do what they want to do, regardless of the right and wrong of it.
Romans 1:16-22
16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.
17 For in it {the} righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, "But the righteous {man} shall live by faith."
18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness,
19 because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them.
20 For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse.
21 For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God, or give thanks; but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened.
22 Professing to be wise, they became fools,
23 and exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for an image in the form of corruptible man and of birds and four-footed animals and crawling creatures.
24 Therefore God gave them over in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, that their bodies might be dishonored among them.
25 For they exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.
I John 5:20
20 And we know that the Son of God has come, and has given us understanding, in order that we might know Him who is true, and we are in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life.
Matthew 7:12
12 "Therefore, however you want people to treat you, so treat them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.
Violating any human being's right to be safe in their home, dorm room, public restroom, or store fitting room-etc. etc. by secretly recording, filming or live streaming their activities is wrong. Period. I don't care whether this young man was playing Parcheesi with a group of nuns and Buddhists; to have his activities streamed via web-cam for anyone's entertainment or curiosity is wrong. I get that having intimate moments viewed in this manner is much more damaging to the psyche. I really do, but I resent the fact that because this young man was gay- that his having a homosexual encounter streamed via web-cam makes his choosing to end his life any more or less a tragedy.
Perhaps I am outraged because this sort of thing has happened to women for years and where were/are the celebrities making special pleas on their behalf? How many young women having sexual encounters video taped without their permission have had their lives destroyed when their sleazy boyfriends showed the tape or pictures to others? Wives have been victimized by their husbands in this same way. Are they less important to our society because they are not gay? Our young people are committing suicide at alarming rates. They do not have to be homosexuals to make such a desperate choice. All teenagers are at risk. What is the matter with everyone? Right is right, wrong is wrong and dead is dead. Doesn't anyone think anymore?
Who do we blame? Reality television? I heard one psychologist say that because the frontal lobe of the brain isn't fully connected that the students alleged to have set up the web-cam couldn't have known how serious the repercussions might be. (Hogwash. They may not have thought it through but they definitely didn't treat Tyler the way they would like to be treated- a concept requiring empathy...something that begins developing in toddlers). Perhaps we should blame technology advancing before we have social mores to tell us what is and is not acceptable? No, morals are always dependent on a consensus of opinion by those in charge. Leaders are not always right. Ethics are set by right and wrong. God's standards for behavior are the only sensible /ethical solution and the only true measure of right and wrong. I understand that unbelievers balk at the idea... but its because they want to do what they want to do, regardless of the right and wrong of it.
Romans 1:16-22
16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.
17 For in it {the} righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, "But the righteous {man} shall live by faith."
18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness,
19 because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them.
20 For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse.
21 For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God, or give thanks; but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened.
22 Professing to be wise, they became fools,
23 and exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for an image in the form of corruptible man and of birds and four-footed animals and crawling creatures.
24 Therefore God gave them over in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, that their bodies might be dishonored among them.
25 For they exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.
I John 5:20
20 And we know that the Son of God has come, and has given us understanding, in order that we might know Him who is true, and we are in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life.
Matthew 7:12
12 "Therefore, however you want people to treat you, so treat them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.
Comments
These are sad days on every side. Only the Gospel of God's Amazing Grace can offer a break in the chain of bondage to sin. But then, you knew that!!
What is happening to the youth in our society who are being raised as narcissistic pagans is creating an epidemic of evil behavior(I am talking in general-not just what one youth did to another as you are addressing), the likes of which we have never witnessed in America.
Apart from a revival like the one God brought to the nation through men like Jonathan Edwards--it is going to be very bad indeed to live in America in the future.