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Donald Duck, Chip and Dale, and the Lowering of my Precious Self-Esteem

So here it is, Monday morning.  It is a glorious morning weather wise here in North Central Virginia. 
























We have had a wonderful two weeks of weather. I even think the 2 feet of rain was okay on Saturday.  This morning I have been pondering a few things.  After staying up late to finish some last minute homework I watched some old Disney cartoons and it got me thinking.  Am I a horrible person for laughing at the way Chip and Dale always get the best of Donald Duck?

 I mean after all they are continually bullying him and taking things that are not theirs.  The particular cartoon I watched last night Donald was being a good conservationist and planting acorns to grow some trees, but Chip and Dale needed said acorns for their winter food supply and took it upon themselves to take them and hilarity ensued.  This was obviously before their Rescue Ranger days.  If you don't know what Chip and Dale Rescue Rangers is then you are un American and probably don't love the Lord.

 I just wonder if our culture today would consider some of the buffoonery of these classics to be an affront to the tender mind of young children.  This is indeed the type of thing people come out against.  They are scared that a cartoon character performing something laughably unreal will make their kids do something crazy.

 
  This is not completely without merit because how many kids have a Superman scar?
 
 What is troubling to me is that they do not see the hypocrisy of allowing kids to watch oversexualized television shows.  Well, you might say that those are for adults and kids should not watch them.  I would challenge you to turn on the television and watch an hour of the non cartoon Disney shows they produce now.  They, almost without exception, promote the idea of parents being idiotic and as persons to be avoided and overcome instead of respected and obeyed.  I'm not here to Disney bash or to call for a Disney boycott(didn't work last time Southern Baptists tried it).  I just am struck by the evolution of material produced by one source.  If art imitates life then life is not in a good place. 

As a parent of young children I often wonder how I am to handle this epidemic.  How careful should we be about what informs the life of our children?  I hope we can be diligent in our efforts without being overly
isolationist. 

This may seem like a rambling post, but it is my heart to understand the REAL dangers of this world.  Is damaging self esteem the real danger? Or is it pervasive immorality? I recently saw a TV show where a father with a grown up child was asked why he never let the kid win at cards when they were young.  I think his quote sums up my position.  He said "I don't believe in this build up your self-esteem crap, if you are gonna win against me you have to earn it".  I had a similar experience with an old man named Willard that lived in a nursing home where my mom worked years ago.  He had the same reasoning when I asked him why he never let me win at checkers.  Our concerns for the next generation are misplaced.  Until we see that the Cross of Christ is the only remedy for their lives and low self-esteem that is the result of sin then we will continue to turn out those that are passive against a culture that promotes sin as an acceptable way of life.

 

 Love God, Love your neighbor, and protect your family from the real evils of the world. 

Blessings,
Bro. Russell

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