I thought about this just now when reading a post on ChabadTalk. Am I wrong for thinking that the following is nuts? And not because I am a beheima who has been known to watch a movie. And not even because I've always thought that Chabad philosophy is: "just because the fools worship stars, the moon and the sun, should Hashem destroy His Universe?" But because I think that when parents haven't taught a child enough common sense or inner strength to resist temptation they have somehow failed...
I also like how merely owning a CD-ROM drive is already damaging. (Suddenly, MacBook Air looks more attracting.) What about a USB port?
In my opinion, merely having a VCR, DVD, or CD-ROM drive can be extremely damaging to a child's educational, spiritual, and psychological life. This might lead children to watch videos of bad content without the knowledge of their parents (yes, even with passwords and lock).
Unfortunately, many look at this belief as fanatical and out of touch, but I can attest that it is very true. I am a victim of this approach. I come from a very religious home with no TV, but for a short amount of time my parents borrowed a VCR for "kosher videos."
Without their knowledge (they still don't know), I cut school and compulsively watched videos of bad content. Since then my life has gone downhill. I now see therapists and psychologists to return to normalcy. I have also met many boys like myself who were victims of "controlled VCR's".
So please, if you want to do what's best for your child so they shouldn't end up like me and my friends, don't bring into your homes any videos, DVD's, or CD-ROMS.
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It does sound like: "Merely owning a stove in a house is already damaging to a child's health and the family's parnoso. Now, many people think that's fanatical, but I know a family, in which a child was playing with a stove and burned down the house, getting some nasty burns himself."
32 comments:
So what is this dude doing on the internet?
And whatever happened to this being Lubavitch, where we use everything for the positive, as the Rebbe stressed countless times?
This dude = the poster? I don't know, I guess maybe he believes that Internet is less dangerous than a VCR, because you use VCR davka to watch a movie, while you use Internet for a number of things (and there are better ways to control which web-sites you visit).
I agree, that's what I said. But he could say: so, watch the Living Torah tapes b'rabbim (own a "Rebbe machine" in a shull and come there to watch the videos motzei Shabbos).
Sorry, that first argument is ridiculous.
And if a legitimate reason can be found for bringing one of these things into your house?
Why? You can make it known to others which web-sites you visit. With VCR, it's more difficult to control.
So, do we justify the danger by the opportunity? I guess in Lubavitch we do, but if there was a way to fulfill the opportunity without the danger?
Huh? The whole problem this guy brings up is that kids will do terrible things precisely because they can get away with it! The interest is even more so.
If there was a way to fulfill the opportunity without the danger= when moshiach comes, and the spirit of impurity will be removed from upon the land.
Until then, we have free choice...
Well, a) it's easier to control Internet (from kids) than VCR, b) maybe he doesn't have Internet at home and is posting from work.
There are ways to minimize the danger almost to zero. People need to date in order to marry, but dating has a danger to it. That's why people date in public. (To put it very generally.)
We won't have free choice after Moshiach comes?
a: aderabe! with a vcr, the kids can only watch what goes in the vcr, thus limiting them tremendously. with internet, they can see everything on the internet. remember, anything you can do on the internet, your kids can do, and they can probably do more.
you can minimize and minimize and minimize, but when push comes to shove, if people want...
ask your local orthodox rabbi. off the top of my head I'd say, "No, there will be free choice, but it'll be like Reb Levi Yitzchok said, 'Hashem, why is the Torah in the books and the world out there for everyone to see? If the world was in the books and the Torah was out there for everyone to see, then no one would ever sin!'-when Moshiach comes, we'll see and appreciate what's what."
I disagree. You can control which sites your kid will be able to visit by a number of controls. It's not that hard. Yeah, the kids can probably go around them, but they have now obstacles to go around.
On the other hand, a kid can rent a movie in a Blockbuster and come home to watch on the VCR.
(Of course, I don't believe this is an intelligent way of raising kids, but since I am playing that poster's advocate...)
But there can be free will between holy and more holy. Like going to Hillel vs. Chabad for Shabbos dinner.
Find me a Blockbuster that rents movies anymore!
Anyway, the poster also had to hide what he was doing from his parents.
When Moshiach comes...
Huh?
Right.
...then there will be no Hillel-organization (on the other hand, there will be Hillel—the person).
It was a joke. Point being, there are no videos nowadays.
Yup.
What do you mean, there are no videos nowadays?
Who has videos anymore?
Oh, you mean tapes? I don't know, does Blockbuster not carry them anymore? I haven't been inside one for about 3 years.
Although I've been considering opening a Blockbuster in CH. Since my idea of opening a gun shop, a sword shop or a dojo was shot down.
Yes. The tape is dead. The vcr is dead. Heck, you can't even watch Living Torah on a vcr anymore.
Anything you can get at a blockbuster you can get online for cheaper...
Well, ok. DVDs are as dangerous. Although, maybe a little less...
Maybe I will open a movie theater in the middle of CH. Wanna bet that I would have a lot of business?
Less than videos?
I can't wait.
Yes.
How so?
I think this is an especially big problem in Israel where the rabbis ban anything that they don't like (certain instruments or beats or anonymous comments). It's not just the kids who have no self-control and need to be hemmed in by rules. Even the adults suffer from the malady.
Why do you assume that it's the adults who have no self control? Maybe it's the rabbis who want to have too much control?
be that as it may, once the adults are told "we will shield you from anything dangerous. You need not think for yourselves," the adults become like children.
Perhaps some of the adults do. it must be comforting to never have to think, eh?
comforting or smothering. or both.
To everything there is maalos and chisronos.
Another thing the poster on chabadtalk didn't realize is that correlation is not causation. If he wouldn't have been corrupted by his one-day-stand with the VCR, he might have been corrupted under different circumstances. Only a corruptable kid gets corrupted from being left at home with a VCR.
Excellent point.
pointing out the excellence of my point was an excellent point.
A metacomment? Horrors!
I only saw that TRS commented on this post and opened an e-mail which had only his comments. And for a few seconds I was confused, thinking that he is talking to himself.
e, that was exactly my point. We can shelter kids from all viruses or bacteria in the world by having them live in a sterile room and have no interaction with the world, or we can give them an immune system in mother’s milk and father’s syringe.
Father's syringe. I love it.
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