Protecting our children
As
Orthodox Christian adults, we have only to compare the moral climate of
today with that of our childhood to know that we are living in an age
of increasing apostasy. Thirty, forty, fifty years ago, the secular
culture offered children wholesome entertainment basically supportive
of a Christian upbringing. The films and TV programs of those times -
e.g. Lassie, Leave it to Beaver, My Friend Flicka, The Lone Ranger--
were all characterized by a well-developed sense of morality that is so
essential to a child's proper development. In the past decade, the
focus of children's entertainment has radically changed into what can
justifiably be perceived as a conspiracy against Christian parents.
This neglect of morality - caused by the pervasive greed that favors
cheap sensationalism and anything that sells over quality - is not just
limited to television programs - today, games, toys, comics and even
coloring books are filled with nightmarish images offering a barely
disguised invitation into hell.
For those who think such a statement is a gross
exaggeration, a visit to the "toys and games" aisles of the local
department store will deliver an unpleasant shock. There, besides "Snow
White" and "Kitten Friends," is a macabre coloring book featuring the
TV-based "Skeleton Warriors," proudly advertised as "bad to the bone!!"
On the back cover is a cut-out mask with fangs. "Hey kids," reads the
package of a menacing turtle figure, "with your help, Don can instantly
mutate from his Ordinary Turtle Teen self into a sewer secret Night
Ninja! the world's most dangerous dude!" ("Ninja," in Japanese, is a
martial arts warrior). In company with the "Teen-age Mutant Ninja
Turtles" are a host of other mutants, aliens and extra-terrestrial
"heroes," such as "Transformers" and other soulless robots that sport
such names as "Dr. Terror," "Rampage," "Tantrum," and "Razorclaw."
There are "cuddly" monsters and grotesque monsters like the
"Berserkers," a "roaring band of renegade Mutant Viking Cyborgs." The
popular New Age "Star Wars" film and "Star Trek" TV series have spawned
whole lines of toys and "play sets" - i.e. outerspace environments and
space ships like "Death Star." And now, Disney Productions--once
synonymous with family values - has come out with a film, "Gargoyles."
TV Guide assures parents that these demonic-looking creatures, with
their huge claws and enormous bat-like wings, "only look scary"; they
are actually "decent and moral." The cast of characters includes the
"noble" Goliath and his cohort Xanatos (meaning "death" in Greek). Then
there are macho soldiers such as Rambo and the now long popular G.I.
Joe, who come with a whole arsenal of sophisticated weaponry and
"battle machines" like "Steel Monster" and "Terror Dome." Most of these
toys are characters from films or cartoons, which "show" a child how
the toys are supposed to behave. Promoted as "action toys," they
inspire violent and aggressive play. Video games, such as "Mortal
Combat," have become another source of violent children's
entertainment. Other toys are familiarizing children with elements of
the occult and Eastern religions. In their cartoons, the
innocent-looking Care Bears, the Smurfs and My Little Pony are all
heavily laced with occult and New Age symbolism.
And then there's sex. Since her debut in 1959, the
glamorous, buxom Barbie has been the queen of dolls, and has become
something of an obsession among many young girls. With regular baby
dolls, girls naturally practice parenting-after all, toys are effective
learning mechanisms--but with Barbie, the focus is on physical
attractiveness, boyfriends, and dating, which, in today's
sexually-charged atmosphere, is particularly unhealthy. A board game
designed for mid-teens spells it out: "Hey, let's be honest. At this
stage of our lives, what's more important than finding the perfect
member of the opposite sex? Not much. Basically, you play girls against
guys. That's cool for starters. You get to make the other team do all
this bizarre stuff. If they don't do it, you stamp them and they become
your personal party-slaves. Naturally, they have to do whatever you
say. Cool. . . Don't be stupid. Try it!"
The toy industry, which is spewing out such
abominations, is enjoying a profitable partnership with the film
industry. Cartoons have become essentially 30 minute advertisements,
and children have responded by becoming aggressive consumers of
whatever film-character toys are in fashion - in addition to the
bed-sheets, lunch-boxes, T-shirts, posters and other articles bearing
the image of their favorite TV-toy, whether it is the macho G.I. Joe or
the New Age Pocahontas. This gross abuse of children's souls is a
lucrative business.
The task of raising Christian children has never
been an easy one. "A young child," writes St. Dimitri of Rostov (l709),
"is like a board | prepared for icon painting. Whatever the
iconographer paints on it, honorable or dishonorable, holy or sinful,
an angel or a demon, it remains forever. The same applies to a young
child: that upbringing which he is given, those manners he is
taught--whether God-pleasing or God-despised, angelic or demonic--shall
be part of him for the rest of his life." Because children are so
impressionable, parents must be especially vigilant regarding the
influences surrounding their children, ensuring as much as possible
that these make a positive contribution to their development, towards
making them worthy citizens of the Kingdom of Heaven.
The powerful influence of images on the soul is one
reason why icons should have a prominent place in the Orthodox home. In
his book, The Meaning of Icons, Leonid Ouspensky writes that
the icon "transmits, or rather testifies visually to. . . the reality
of God and of the world of grace and of nature." Iconography, he says,
is a means which the Church employs to convey its teaching, to transmit
the revelation of the divine world, to point to the Kingdom of Heaven.
Icons are reflections of men who have been regenerated into eternity;
they aid us in uncovering and developing the beauty of holiness. In
other words, they help men attain likeness to God, following the basic
principle that "we become like that which we habitually contemplate"
(Constantine Cavarnos, Orthodox Iconography.).
The same principle holds true for the abominable
images which have invaded the world of children's toys. "It is well
known," writes Bishop Theophan the Recluse (l894), "how powerfully
corrupt images act upon the soul, no matter in what form they might
touch it." Children are particularly vulnerable; their consciousness
and their identities are not yet developed. And so, Satan has targeted
them with his own perverse form of "iconography": images which harden
their souls and accustom them to a world of darkness - a world where
traditionally demonic images are considered "good," where ugliness and
brutishness are glorified, and where aggression is rewarded. The lines
of good and evil are blurred. There is no God. The "saviours" of the
world come from outer space. Or they come in the form of Nietzsche's
superman, who wields power without conscience. Far from being repulsed
by these monstrous inventions, many children describe them as "cool,
"awesome," and, approvingly, "bad." Should Satan visit these children
in their dreams, they would have no fear, and no defense.
What can and should Christian parents do to protect
their children from such "soul-corrupting evils"? It is, of course,
normal for children to have a certain fascination with scary monsters,
and a child who plays with a magic wand or a Power Ranger isn't
necessarily harming his soul. What is essential here is that the child
be surrounded by a strong Christian culture in the home, and that
parents be attentive and take an active part in the child's
development. Providing opportunities for genuine play is important, and
there are many healthy alternatives to the toys and games we have
described. As most toys today are priced beyond the range of a child's
allowance, it is up to parents to exercise control. Non specific toys -
i.e. those that give the greatest scope to the child's imagination and
creativity - are best; these include card board boxes, blocks, tinker
toys, crayons and other art and craft supplies; for an older child, a
supply of scrap wood with a hammer and nails. Children enjoy playing
with parents, and there are many board games that are fun for the whole
family; these include Parcheesi, Monopoly, Pictionary, and Scrabble.
Reading aloud is another valuable pastime which brings children and
parents together.
The world is full of images that pull the soul in
the wrong direction. Parents should surround children with images
conducive to salvation, images that make the soul receptive to grace.
Raising Christian children in this post-Christian age is a daunting
responsibility and a real podvig. It requires a serious investment of
time, patience, love and prayer. But the rewards are incomparable - and
eternal.
