Jonathan's blog

An interesting article of that same title by Stacy Weiner in the Washington Post describes how some non-religious parents desire their children to have the psychological and spiritual comforts that religion provides:

...many nonreligious parents -- whether they've eschewed belief or practice or both -- find themselves seeking the psychological, spiritual and moral blessings they hope a religious background can bestow on their offspring... In 2002, for example, the percentage of fathers who attended church at least once a month was nearly twice that of men who had no children, according to data from a major demographic study. At least some parents likely were motivated by a kid-centric quest. Such parents may seek the sense of community or emotional security they hope religion will provide their kids; they may want a sense of purpose or tradition; and they may be looking for ethical or spiritual influences to mold their children's lives. For some, a religious education simply means giving their kids a better shot at understanding a cultural force that they consider both powerful and pervasive.

There's a recent interesting blog post by Greg Stevenson about moral stories and the entertainment company Walden Media. Here's a quote:

In our constant attempt to wring all complexity or ambiguity out of stories, we have traditionally defined moral stories solely with reference to the amount of sex, violence, and profanity present. This despite the fact that the Bible contains sex, violence, and even vulgarities, thus demonstrating that such things can be present in the telling of "moral" stories. We have largely ignored the most central element of a "moral" story, which is the overall perspective or moral vision that the story communicates. Failing to recognize this has led to many Christians embracing shows as wholesome (due to the lack of sex, violence, and profanity) that are in fact communicating immoral messages. On the flip side, it also leads to rejecting shows with a sound moral vision because of certain undesirable content elements (Buffy the Vampire Slayer comes to mind, as I argue in my book).

Via the MoJo Blog, from a recent article in the LA Times by Louise Roug titled "Targeted Killings Surge in Baghdad":

More Iraqi civilians were killed in Baghdad during the first three months of this year than at any time since the toppling of Saddam Hussein's regime - at least 3,800, many of them found hogtied and shot execution-style. Others were strangled, electrocuted, stabbed, garroted or hanged. Some died in bombings. Many bore signs of torture such as bruises, drill holes, burn marks, gouged eyes or severed limbs. Every day, about 40 bodies arrive at the central Baghdad morgue, an official said. The numbers demonstrate a shift in the nature of the violence, which increasingly has targeted both sides of the country's SunniShiite sectarian divide... In the Sunni cemeteries serving Baghdad, a city of 5 million people, demand for tombs is so high that people are buried between old graves or at the edges of the burial grounds. Near the gate of one Sunni cemetery tucked inside the Ghazaliya neighborhood, a sign proclaims, "Fee for burial - only 175,000 dinar," or about $120.

So that's how things are going in Iraq...

From an article by Denise Ono on MSNBC.com:

Christian-themed games aren't new, of course. But as the video game industry gathers this week for its annual Electronic Entertainment Expo, developers of Christian video games are aiming at wider audiences, hoping to copy the mainstream success of movies such as the "The Chronicles of Narnia" and books like the "Left Behind" series. Christian game makers also see themselves as offering a much-needed alternative in an industry often criticized for games that feature graphic violent and sexual content... Virtue Games produces "Isles of Derek," an adventure game about a community that is trying to break free of a tyrannical society that forces them to worship "false gods," and the upcoming "Mayabin," in which players are presented different world views and spiritual philosophies. "Our games aren't out there to evangelize, but to present a Christian world," Tewell said... [Left Behind Games CEO Troy] ...Lyndon said that last year's public outcry [over the content of video games] was overblown. "A child can get on the Internet and within five minutes, get porn that is far more graphic than any video game. This is a far worse problem (than video games). I think our lawmakers need to get their priorities straight."

I think that last point is an excellent one. Parents these days pretty much have to assume that their children have easy access to porn via their friends' internet connections if not their own. What's a parent to do? At a minimum, make sure our heads aren't buried in the sand...and have those uncomfortable conversations early and often, I would guess.

Even more reason to be depressed about the plight of Africa. From an article titled "Liberia sex-for-aid 'widespread'" on bbcnews.com:

Young girls in Liberia are still being sexually exploited by aid workers and peacekeepers despite pledges to stamp out such abuse, Save the Children says. Girls as young as eight are being forced to have sex in exchange for food by workers for local and international agencies, according to its report. The agency says such abuse is continuing as people displaced by the civil war return to their villages.

Disgusting. From an AP article on MSNBC.com:

The U.N. humanitarian coordinator in Liberia, Jordan Ryan, said the survey was outdated because it was conducted nine months ago and much has improved since then. The camps that are the primary subject of the report are now closed, he said.