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A Mary T. Hoffman Commentary from All-Creatures.org

 

"Joyful Curmudgeon" An oxymoron?
No! I see all the beauty of God's creation and I'm joyful.  At the same time, I see all the suffering and corruption going on in the world, and feel called to help expose and end it so that we may have true peace and compassion.

 


Violent Video Games – 4 August 2006
By Mary T. Hoffman

“Playing violent video games changes brain function and desensitizes chronic players to violence, according to a new study led by University of Michigan researchers.” This statement appeared in the February 2006 issue of Science & Theology News under the heading “Violent video games alter brain.”

In a nutshell, “The researchers found participants who routinely played violent video games responded less to violent images, as measured by diminished P300 brainwaves. This was not true of their response to other, equally negative, nonviolent images.”

In my opinion, this study would seem to validate what is observable in society at large: in the pursuit of many activities, as time goes by, increased stimulation is needed to achieve a sought-after response. The result is addiction.

This is a point I tried to make in my Blog, “Practice Makes Perfect – 1 August 2006.” Addiction to killing results in a search for more and more victims and even in increasingly challenging tortures. The victims may be hunted animals, farmed animals, companion animals, human animals, or fish. Yes! That’s right! Fish! All of God’s creatures are fair game for those who learn to victimize others.

The following is an example of such behavior that unfortunately is acceptable in society: I have never forgotten a conversation I had with a retired police officer. He said he had two sons. One was an “avid” hunter; the other was not. He seemed to favor the hunter and proudly described to me how that son, while hunting, had injured a bear and proceeded for half an hour to video-tape and sound-record the cries and painful suffering of the bear until he died. Mind you, this was related to me with enormous pride. This man had no idea how I felt about animals and thought that I would be impressed. I was “impressed,” all right – negatively impressed! Stunned, I mumbled something and excused myself. He probably wondered why, after that day, I would avoid talking with him.

Go on to: Deception in the Churches – 5 August 2006
Return to: Diet by Design – 3 August 2006
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