can it be bad?
Well, of course. Recently I was reading on a Catholic blog where the author confessed to loving the Oscars. This author is a very good and holy woman and it makes her so human to me when she confesses loving a television show or enjoying a good beer with her husband from time to time. So I find it refreshing when she offers people a chance to "let down their hair" and say yeah, they watched the Oscars to see who wore what, etc.
The only problem is, the vast number of responses she got seemed to be looking down their noses at her. They stated that all the fashions are always immodest (which most were not if you watched the show this year, but then again modesty is totally subjective). They said they did not want to give Hollywood any attention because they didn't watch the films because of questionable content and because of the secular nature of Hollywood.
Rants like the comments I read have a place, on your own blog. Most of these women were looking for a chance to publicly toot their own horn about what a moral and good Catholic they were in a very public forum. The question wasn't do you or don't you watch and why. It was, if you do watch, which dress was pretty, which acceptance speech made you cringe.
This blog is mine and is my soapbox and pedestal, so I'll say here what I would not say there. When someone asks a question, you should answer the question they asked. You shouldn't go off and promote something else for your own agenda in their space. We all spend so much time complaining about politicians doing this, well, folks, let's not bother with the specks in others eyes at risk of ignoring our own vision is impaired by a log!
I think what really bothers me by the comments I read on that post and by comments I read at places like Celebrity Baby Blog where people feel free to criticize someone's c-section or breastfeeding, is that these people who are being holier than thou are sinning. It's called pride. When we turn something like a question about what you enjoyed on a television program into a platform for why we are so moral as to not watch that show and we don't do it from our own blogs, one has to wonder, why do we feel the need to express that where we know it will get read by more people. The pride of these (mostly women) to extol their virtues is something they should supress. They should pray hard before they post and ask themselves, why am I responding in this way? Maybe an examination of conscience will follow.
I know few people read this blog, so I'm posting here to get my own thoughts out. I could certainly put this in the comboxes at the blog where the responses were, but I don't think I will.
And after all, let's not forget that the internet where we post all these things is also the source of mass pornography and unfortunately causes many more break-ups of marriages than Hollywood movies these days and one awards show. We should maybe rethink that if we aren't going to watch tv because of possible objectionable content, maybe we shouldn't be surfing the web either.
Now, an olive branch. I pray for all those who are feeling the need in their hearts to show their piety publicly like the Pharisees, may God change their hearts and allow them to see that they are not doing His will by prostrating themselves at the feet of the Internet. May they learn that kind words and prayers are better weapons to change hearts and that their quiet and example will encourage more to examine their souls.
Pleasant words are a honeycomb, Sweet to the soul and healing to the bones. Proverbs 16:24
