Garbage in Garbage out

[«MªÞlεδtǻr»]

You don't have to be religious to know that this makes sense. Basically, if you take in "garbage," such as watching horror movies, hanging around people with drugs or just being in relation with drugs, hearing cussing a lot, then you're going to let "garbage" out. You will start cussing, you'll think the killing and disgustingness of horror movies is fun, and you might start doing drugs. All of the junk on MTV has influenced teens in an enormous amount. It's just what happens, when introduced to bad things, you'll start producing those bad things.

The same thing goes with good things. If you hang around with people who don't cuss (or at least rarely do), then you probably won't cuss.If you hang around with people who don't do drugs, you won't do drugs. If you watch something other than shows that are sexual and contain other things, then you won't be having lots of sexual thoughts and become obsessed.

I was reading a book called "Rachel's Tears" a little while ago, they gave a few facts about how when they decided to have separation of religion and school, the teen pregnancy, failures (as in not graduating and failing classes), teen violence, and teen drug usage percentages went way up. They went up because there is no longer any moral value taught in schools, only regular curriculum is taught. Whether or not the kid actually would believe in God or not, having a simple prayer (the "give us this day our daily bread..." one), things like the pledge of allegiance, and other things that may promote good morals way a very bad choice.

Of course it's not all the seperation of religion and state's fault. Let me tell you a little fact; with movies, they alter the film for certain countries. They take out the boom for Muslims countries, they take out/tone down the violence for some countries in Europe, and in America.....they turn the violence and boom WAY up. Something starting to gel?

So try to expose yourself to things of better moral, it'll probably make your life a lot better.

EDIT::

Here's a little addition that I found in my devotional (the devotional is called "Experiencing God Day by Day," I highly suggest it if you're looking for a devotional) ::

What Comes out
of Your Mouth?

"By those things which proceed out of the mouth,
come from the heart, and they defile man"

Matthew 15:8

The Bible stresses that what you say is an accurate indicator of what is in your heart. If your words bless and encourage others, they give evidence of a compassionate heart. If you often share the good news about Christ, you demonstrate a heart that is grateful for your own salvation. When others are in a crisis, do they know they will find peace and comfort in your words? Do you frequently and spontaneously offer prayers for others? Do your words and the manner in which you say them reveal a patient heart? All of these behaviors indicate a heart that is like the heart of the Father.
Or do you often regret your words? Are there people even now who are hurt or angry because of something you have said? Do you enjoy gossip? Do you tend to criticize others? Do you feel that you are not responsible for what comes out of your mouth when you are angry? Does your mouth spew grumbling and complaints? These behaviors come from a heart that is unlike God's heart.
You may say, "Oh, but that's just the way I am! I'm always saying the wrong thing!" Yet Scripture clearly states that an abusive tongue is not under the control of the Spirit (James 3:3-10). A sanctified mouth is a wonderful instrument for the Lord. A heart like the Father's heart will produce only pure and loving words. Without making any excuses for your words, ask the Holy Spirit to forgive you for any words that have brought harm. Than ask Him to discipline your mouth so that every word you speak is used by God to encourage and edify others.

[Rowanclaw]

I agree with Maple, to a certain extent. I know poeple can be corrupted by dealing with the corrupt. People are influenced by Media, sources of pop culture, peers, etc, but not everyone turns into a bad person by being around bad things. My friends can be really bad for cussing, (and worse things) but I choose to not follow them.
However, I agree about the influences totally. I am influenced, but I see how they are, and I can be influneced to not be that way. And I know that I am not invincible; I have become almost desensitized to things like that. However I am not the same person that I would be if I was not their friends, but I am glad of the person I am. If I wasn't, I may not be as of aware of how . . . bad things can influnce and affect us. Well I apologize if I ranted a bit. . . However I do agree with MapleStar; "expose yourself to things of better moral, it'll probably make your life a lot better."

[«MªÞlεδtǻr»]

yeah, not all people are going to be influenced greatly by bad things, those as Rowan said you can get desensitized to them. And usually if you have a fairly strong foundation in Christ you'll influence others, rather than them influencing you.

[[Fawn{STAR}]]

Yeah, I know what you mean. When I was in middle school, my school was tiny, and I'd never been exposed to cussing. I mean, I had, but no one at my school actually cussed. Now I go to a public school, and when you go to public school, it's pretty obvious that any innocence you ever had pretty much goes away, unless you go to a rare public school (At least, this is the way it is in the South). I don't cuss even though some of my friends do. Actually, I know three people (excluding myself) in the whole of my school's 1500 student population that don't cuss at all. It's easy to be desensitized to it, and all the drugs and violence to. Cussing used to irritate me, but now I'm finding that I don't even notice anymore because I'm so exposed to it. A ton of people I know drink or do drugs. One girl in one of my classes even came to school so stoned it was disgusting.
I don't think it's smart to get into a lot of relationships with people like that (And I"m not only talking about dating relationships), but I think it's good to be in a few, so that you can be the positive influence.

[|:{Rainita}:|]

okay....i have a lot to say on this subject...but you guys have said most of it....even though it's hard, i think a lot more people need integrity ((yes flash, i said integrity...you're "favorite" word...)) if you don't exactly understand what integrity means, i'll tell you...integrity is when you do what you think is morally right when everyone else isn't....it's staying firm in your beliefs and morals.....it's like being a salmon swimming upstream when everyone else is swimming down because it's easier...((i actually wrote a cute little story about a fishy that has integrity...lol))....but yeah....INTEGRITY is a really good quality to have....

[«MªÞlεδtǻr»]

heehee, in fourth grade when we got a new principal she would hand out little awards every month to kids and everyone had to get one. I got "Integrity" at the end of the year, but I think that's b/c they couldn't think of anything else to give me, lol

[«MªÞlεδtǻr»]

I've been reading up on the effect music has on plants, and the certain sound waves correspond with amino acids and proteins and such to help or destroy the plant. Same with humans. So I was talking to my mom and it's interesting because she was saying that with the right sound wave God could make things do anything he wanted (She was reading about the string theory). Also she told me that she had been praying for my dad because he had been at risk for prostate cancer and one night she heard this amazing low melody that she can't even describe (obviously it was in her head and not out loud) and the next night she had prayed again and God said that he was already healed. And he was when it came time for his next check-up!(This was in the Prayer thread too)

Classical music is best for plants and rock is one of the worst. Which goes to show that some music can cause you to act differently.

Read the article here :: www.earthpulse.com/src/subcategory.asp?catid=2&subcatid=6

[wolfwind]

((yay string theory!)) yes according to string theory by using certain sound waves or adding dimentions you would change the vibrations of the strings. by altering this vibration you would change the matter it would create and then would be able to start. and humans are more complicated than plants and classical music with terrible lyrics is worse than rock promoting good vitues. so sound can help but your heart is better.

[dragonkit]

Rock and Heavy Metal can really change you physically and all, but listening to any music with dirty lyrics, can harm you mentally. Most the songs...well everywhere are disgusting. There are good songs, but they're wrapped in a burrito of nastiness. So, I encourage you to actually listen to what you're listening to. If you are listening to music and even singing along, chances are, you don't really know what you're saying. If you read the lyrics you could very well find yourself disgusted with what you were just singing...because it's vulgar. I told my friend to do that and now she's afraid of the radio. You don't have to be dramatic like that, but switching stations when something by Justin Timberlake comes up would probably make you a happy person. ((I don't think he has any music that isn't vulgar...)) So yeah...listen to better music. It really does affect you.

[badgerstar]

(('tis Nighty))

Does that mean I'm a bad influence?!?!?! *Looks around wildly* I cuss, and love heavy metal, and rock, and...drugs. I don't do them (alergec and 11), but they make people look cool...like on T.V. and stuff. I feel so bad *Crys*

[wolfwind]

DRUGS?!?!?!?!? sorry but DRUGS?!?!?! by the way the tv is a lying evil thing. unless you watch nova! and no just because you like rock and heavy metal doesnt mean anything but DRUGS?!?!?!? are they medicinal?

[stealthkit]

i agree wth you dragon... but i listen to the nasty crap... but it'sbecause t has a good beat, i read the lyrics before i sing along to it, i understand what the lyrics mean, and i do a bunch of other stuff. I lik heavy metal, hard core hate, and dark music, they have good beats and are my type. i'm not saying i don't like anything else, i love all music but country. (random about the love all music crap but what ever)

Oh and if people do listen to nasty music.. all they have to do is balance their music choices, i listen to more music that isn't nasty then i do that is. I mean. balance to mucic can change a person for the better or not better. but it's the way you balance the music. take disney slipknot and Justin timberlake..... If you have one more non vulgar music artist then you do that has vulgar in it.. your good, but if you have metallica, slipknot, static x, system of a down, and eminem, over disney, justin timberlake and country, and christian. then basically you are screwed.. because you have more intake of vulgar then non vulgar and well you become changed in a bad way..


But you know what else.. this is coming fom some emo guy, who lives in cananda and has no one to care for, no one to care for him, and no freaking life. A guy who no one gives a rats butt about. A guy who everyone forgot about and no one listens to.. so i guess what i say would matter. and wouldn't change what others say or think. Like everyone says" why take advice from someone who doesn't matter?" yea.. i get that alot but you know what they can go F them selves because i don't care what others say.. take my advice i don't care.. but you know... being here isn't so different. i don't matter, no one listens.. and everyone forgets about me...

[shadowstar]

I o't do drugs. They just make people look cool. And why must you freak out like its a big deal? Its not.

[firepaw]

uhhhh yeah it is you die! thats kinda important! i mean your life matters a lot and have you had your dare program yet?

[NightStar.]

Yes, I have done D.A.R.E. [Drug Abuse Resistance Education] at my school. I live in Louisiana and they call us 'Cancer Alley'. You wantt o know why they call us Cancer Alley?! Because of the incredible Drug Usage, Smoking, Etc. that produces cancer. That and teh fact that we have the highest Cancer rate in the country. D.A.R.E was soemthing I took a long time ago, although I remember everything I learned like it was yesterday. I even think I still have the booklet around here somewhere...But it teaches you NOT to do drugs, NO smoking, and it teaches you how to say "NO". Doing Drugs can get you involves with people that only influence you to do more than you should. Sex, Guns, Robbery, Etc.. So why in the HECKA do you think drugs make people look cool, when all they do is make people sick, and twisted?

[«MªÞlεδtǻr»]

Well I listen to NPR and Air1 which are good stations that aren't nasty if you're looking for a non-nasty station. Air1 is a christian station, an NPR (National Public Radio) is just general. They have lots of different stuff on. You can google their site and figure out what they're playing at each time of day.

Also as for the drugs thing, try when you see someone smoking and you think it's cool, think about how lame they actually are. Who would WANT to destroy their lungs, etc? In ads they show people being "cool" and sometimes seducing one another, mmmmm, the smell of smoke! So delicious! Now I totally want to go out with you! I mean after all, I love] licking ashtrays! (referring to when you would kiss them). So yeah, it might "look" cool, but in the mental aspect of it it kind of lame. It's way cooler in my opinion if you're able to have tons of fun and be yourself without drugs.

[dapplekit]

Yes I agree my Dad is like the top oncologist in the country (oncologist is a cancer doctor) and we call ciggerates(sp), cancer sticks at my house. Just the smell of them has mad me throw up. They are so bad for you it isn't even funny, and thinking its cool is just plain lame. So I agree with Mapleh.

[NightStar.]

Yes, I agree with Dapplekit. My mom's BEST firend in the world was recently diagnosed with lung cancer, because she smoked. She has a 14% chance of living, with the limit of 2 month's left. And its not only the person that smokes who gets affected, its the people who hang around him or her. My Grandmother's ffriend used to smoke, and her friends brother, was diagnosed with lung cancer. Uhm, her brother never smoked a day in his life.

[wolfwind]

yep secondhand smoke kills. my mother never smoked but my grandmother did and she has bad allergies and has trouble breathing sometimes. besides cigaret smoke makes me gag! i hate it.

[leafspirit]

Like all of you said, smoking does kill. The problem is though my mom smokes, so what would be a way to get her to stop smoking? One more question does smoking count as a drug, hypothetically?