Why do people protest and mourn when a meerkat is killed by a natural predator on “Animal Planet,” but we’re weirdly unaffected by weekly reports of human violence, war, and death? Wired’s Tony Long reflects on the ways we react to violence and atrocity, and wonders at the cost of our desensitization to it all:
I’ve been in the news business for a long time. I remember as a young editor being deeply affected by certain stories I’d see, often involving abject human misery and cruelty, only to hear the older guys on the desk cracking tasteless jokes and laughing about those same stories. I put this down to the “cop mentality” that a lot of reporters and editors develop. Constant exposure to the seamy underbelly of human existence, which pervades certain aspects of our business, forces you grow a thick skin. Some of it is bravado, for sure, but not all of it.Eventually, without really being aware of it, the same thing happened to me. Stories that used to upset me barely registered a reaction. “Family of six slaughtered in Alabama trailer park.” “Ferryboat carrying religious pilgrims capsizes in Java Sea—hundreds die.” Yeah? Wow. When’s lunch?
I’m used to seeing this issue discussed by concerned Christian pundits, but it’s interesting to see it come up at Wired.
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October 25, 2007 at 17:58
I think to an extent “not caring” is a way for us humans to cope. To be frankly honest, if I allowed an emotional reaction to every bad news report really hit and touch me I’d be a shambled wreck. Do I care? Yes. But can I allow that to effect me? Only to a point.
There are so many horrible and bad things that happen. So many causes and so many problems. It is very difficult for one human being to allow themselves to be affected and concerned (at a heart felt level) for them all.
When I see a family of six was killed horribly in some other part of the country it is sad. I can allow myself to imagine what that’s like…seeing my own family dead. But for what means? To make myself sick?
It’s a defense mechanism that must be carefully balanced. When someone happens in our vicinity or within a realm of influence we have then we need to react. But those things outside our realm of influence really have to be “ignored” to an extent. A quick prayer for the families and move on.
We’re not able to take the sins and the concerns and the pains and the problems of the world on our shoulders. That was Jesus’ job. We’re only human. And as such such horrible events can quickly paralyze us if we allow them to much thought on such a wide scale level.
October 25, 2007 at 21:50
I think that we live in such a cruel world, that the more we hear bad or terrible stories, the number we get. The Bible says “because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold” Mat 24:12. Hear it once, it’s a tragedy; hear it twice, it’s unfortunate; hear it 10 times, we continue whistling our hymns.
October 25, 2007 at 22:46
It’s really like you said, desensitization. We are so used to it in todays culture that it’s second nature, that is until it hits home and becomes personal. I don’t even care to watch the news anymore, I skim the columns online looking for what interests me. An example from the news is all the mine tragedies we have seen worldwide in the last few months. Now I don’t even give it a fleeting thought. Sure I feel for those directly affected but the whole thing seems so distant, so common place.
October 26, 2007 at 08:01
I’m a 20-year newspaperman, and I must admit to having the same problem. Whenever I respond to a fire or a traffic crash, I try to remember to pray for those involved, but I’m not always successful.
I have a “professional” excuse, but it seems the problem has permeated the culture, too. The moral double standard is real. God, help us…
October 26, 2007 at 11:09
very interesting post this is because I used to work in a funeral home and would have to deal with death all the time. Some of these deaths were tragic like crashes or shootings and it was my my profession to “be cool” and not get too emotionally attached to the victims and their families. Now that I’m no longer there, I find myself not caring too much about tragedies in the world. Another reason that I think has helped contribute to this lack of caring is the rise in violence in movies, music, and video games. uhoh i said it…here comes the hate mail! Satan wants us not to care about these things because he can get away with more and more corruption on this earth. He uses tools like the media that overemphasizes death and violence to make humans not want to hear about it anymore. We are being blinded and are losing compassion, mercy and love.
October 26, 2007 at 13:01
I’m not in agreement that you can blame “the media”. Even before we had violent video games or movies this has been the case. I do agree that there should be some censorship with any games/movies/lyrics we see and hear, but I wouldn’t point towards that direction as the motivating factor for not having compassion for tragedies. I believe we had this discussion before here at Thinkchristian.
October 26, 2007 at 14:50
I don’t know, Moe, I am with Bill on the media desensitization. You know commercials are made because they work – by affecting our emotions & desires; what makes us think that continual media exposure to abuse, murder, immorality, greed, divorce,deceit, etc., doesn’t have an effect on us? Vance Havner called this spiritual phenomenon “Getting Used to the Dark” (available for free listening on SermonAudio.com).
October 26, 2007 at 16:16
I like what Matthew said: “I think to an extent “not caring” is a way for us humans to cope. To be frankly honest, if I allowed an emotional reaction to every bad news report really hit and touch me I’d be a shambled wreck. Do I care? Yes. But can I allow that to effect me? Only to a point.”
With all the crazy stuff that goes on in this world, thinking about it all the time might paralyze us.
October 26, 2007 at 16:17
I noticed something the other day when I was riding home on the bus… a truck drove across a bus stop median and hit a city garbage can… the kind with spaces for regular trash and other recycling… I took a second look and as it turned out the pick up truck driver was attempting to run over a man… I was grieved and turned my head away in shame that a fellow human being could be capable of such an act.. . I began to pray for the man’s safety and the situation as the man had just fallen to the ground… perhaps he had provoked the driver but nonetheless I felt the grief of God in my heart and prayed… the bus driver stopped and honked his horn… if only to get the attention of the man… or perhaps it was to get the attention of a police car that was passing by… I lifted my head and nearly everyone in the boss was looking on eagerly… in eager wide eyed curiosity as if to see what was going on and some as if with hunger to see more… I think our tendency is to hold the truth in unrighteousness… and to rejoice in iniquity… but how much of this is also conditioned… I often wondered what would happen if the media sought to emphasize only the good things that are happening in the world… surely it is important for us to be aware of incidents and tragedies that affect us and so that we can be aware of the issues and to help… but is really true that only shockingly, dramatic and “bad” news sells…
October 27, 2007 at 01:38
I observe strong reactions by Christian organizations to sexual content or bad language. This seems disproportionate to their reaction to violence, which seems, to me at least, far more harmful than a few bad words or sexuality. In many cases certain forms of violence are promoted when it attacks those perceived as enemies or its not seen as bad when it happens to those who aren’t Christians.
I would suggest that one might look at the nature of the Bible’s reaction to violence and the use of violence by the God described in it. This may be one reason Christainity views violence with a split personality. Its hard to condemn something that one’s God uses so freely and one’s religion is notorious for using to promote its doctrines.
October 27, 2007 at 06:47
I think we have become immune to all of it Why or how we as a people have become that way I have no one thing I can personally say has caused the immunity we feel, but I will say may God help us.
I dont think all of us are immune or there would not be topics such as this discussed. I pray for a more compassionate and caring society.
October 27, 2007 at 12:06
Richard, at least Christians HAVE reactions, and believe me, when I see the slavery-prostitution trade so rampant in modern communist-Buddhist Asia, and the lack of religious freedom in Islamic dominated nations, and the power to keep people in abject poverty perpetuated by communist dictators like Castro; and when I recall the colossal acheivements of Nietzshean godless regimes such as Auschwitz and the Soviet gulags – what can I say except I am so grateful to be a Christian.
October 27, 2007 at 20:03
Christine, no doubt all of these things are terrible. Unfortunately you will find endorsements for slavery in the Bible and a serious lack of religious freedom if you happen to be a Canaanite or you happen to worship at a different mountain than the officially endorsed one. I would also note that communism has attacked Buddhism as well.
Also, Hitler followed Martin Luther’s recommendations to place the Jews in labor camps. Hitler quotes Luther in support of his anti-Semitic policies including the formation of Auschwitz and other camps. Hitler was educated and trained by Jesuits and quotes the Bible and refers to being called by God.
In terms of the modern world, according to the latest census over 70% of the people in Norway consider themselves atheist. According to the global peace index Norway is considered to be the most peaceful country on the planet. Norway is rated first in the world in life expectancy, literacy, education, and standard of living all while being arguably the most atheist nation in the world.
We only have to go back to the middle ages to find numbers of violent deaths due to Papal Christians killing others exceeding 50 million and some estimates are 150 million. This doesn’t include Protestant sponsored killing. A more detailed account of this can be found at.
http://arcticbeacon.com/books/Plaisted-Estimates_Number_Killed_by_the_Papacy-2006.pdf
So, I see no higher ground in being a Christian if we are to follow Jesus’ statement that it is by their fruits we shall know them. And I find it unlikely that violence is greater because someone is communist, atheist, or Buddhist.
October 28, 2007 at 05:54
Admittedly, Richard, you will find that the Bible is politically incorrect in a lot of ways. The God of the Bible is actually and truly God and He is also a God of truth; He is not really interested in making pagans (ancient Canaanites or modern atheists) theologically comfortable.
Your posts do confuse me a bit; on the one hand you condemn God’s followers for obeying Him in the Old Testament, and on the other hand you condemn them for not doing His will in the New Testament. The fact that God had His followers destroy the vicious and wicked Canaanites shows me that God is a God of love.
It often happens that people who put down the God of the Bible use folks like Hitler (who made no bones about how he was worthy of worship, in direct contradiction to the Bible)and Luther’s anti-Semitism to buttress their arguments. This never ceases to amaze me. Why not bring up Dietrich Bonhoeffer (also steeped in Lutheran tradition) or Corrie Ten-Boom instead? After all, if we are going to use folks outside of the Bible, it is only fair to pay attention to those who followed Him no matter the cost.
As for the atheists (not just in Norway, but over this whole globe) living lives of peace and affluence and thinking that this kind of worldly success justifies their world-view, all I can say is they have every blessing they possess by God’s good hand, not by anything they have achieved (God is a God of grace). And I personally would rather live in poverty with God than fabulous wealth without Him. I think you will find every true believer in the Lord Jesus Christ feels the same way.
October 28, 2007 at 15:06
Christine, you brought up the slavery trade in modern communist-Buddhist Asia. When slavery is endorsed and tolerated in the Bible that is not something I would limit to being simply politically incorrect.
If you wanted to make a case for anti-slavery you would have to pull from sources of ethical behavior outside the Bible. Jainism, one of the oldest religions in the world, considered slavery unethical thousands of years ago. The Bible, the source of Christian belief, has not even reached that level of ethical development.
There are certainly ethical Christians, but looking at all forms of belief and ideology, I would say that Christianity is toward to the top of the list of those who practiced violence to solve the problems of the world within the scope of world history. And one can easily see that the God of the Bible plans to use violence and destruction as the last act of cleansing this world and has instructed his followers to use violence, including geneocide, and death sentences much like Islamic extremists practice. One example is the killing of a man by a direct order from God for gathering sticks on the Sabbath in Numbers 15:32-36
This post has been about why Christians might be so indifferent about violence and I suggested that maybe its because of the use of violence by one’s God.
October 28, 2007 at 21:01
“If you wanted to make a case for anti-slavery you would have to pull from sources of ethical behavior outside the Bible.”
I disagree. The Christian doctrine of “neither male nor female, Greek nor Jew, slave nor free, all believers are one in Christ” not only helped topple the slave-based Roman government of its day, it galvanized William Wilberforce, that great Christian politician, to abolish slavery in modern Western civilization.
But slavery does come in strange forms. Take for example, a woman’s position in this world. In the Bible, women are held up as equally created in God’s image and as heirs of the grace of life right alongside the men. A woman named Mary Magdalene was the first Gospel preacher. Women worked alongside Paul on the mission field. Alas, in Jainsim, only men can attain enlightenment. Poor gals, doomed to an eternal cycle of doing really good works, but always being less than men…
Then again, that’s what I would expect from a religion made by men, for men.
And if I may point out one more thing about violence in the Bible: early, very early in human history, God sent a flood upon mankind and the overwhelming violence of that era was a deciding factor for God’s action. He gave the people time to turn to Him, but they felt they didn’t need Him. So, too, when He destroys this earth again, this time by fire, it will be not merely because of the wickedness and violence of mankind, but because of the great mercy and kindness of God, Who knows better than we do the depths of our depravities.
October 29, 2007 at 11:42
Christine, you will find no direct condemnation of slavery in the Bible. You will, however, find directions on how to treat one’s slaves that clearly see them as property. “If a man beats his male or female slave with a rod and the slave dies as a direct result, he must be punished, but he is not to be punished if the slave gets up after a day or two, since the slave is his property.” Exodus 21:20-21
In terms of your reference to women’s position in this world the Bible clearly states that women are inferior beings. “A woman should learn in quietness and full submission. I do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man; she must be silent. For Adam was formed first, then Eve. And Adam was not the one deceived; it was the woman who was deceived and became a sinner. But women will be saved through childbearing—if they continue in faith, love and holiness with propriety.” 1 Timothy 2:11-15
It is fortunate that there are those who were able to find principles in the Bible to motivate them to work against slavery. And it is fortunate that women have been able to make the progress they have in spite of the Bible.
Both of these examples are evidence of not only the physical violence taught by the Bible, but the emotional violence endorsed by the bigotry taught in the Bible.
I also don’t find it healthy to go around lamenting the depravity of people. I do think its important to be truthful and not gloss over the some the very disturbing types of violence taught in the Bible. Because, there are still people who use the Bible to justify the use of violence and I think we have to exceed the ethics of the Bible.
October 29, 2007 at 12:56
I appreciate your indignation at injustice, Richard, and it is my hope that we will one day find ourselves working together to eradicate the true injustices of this earth. My hope too is that you will realize that the eradication of slavery and women’s equality (I will not argue your verses cited as I never discuss Scripture when people quote it out of context) in our modern world have both been byproducts of the Holy Bible’s teachings. I commend to you Paul’s letter to the slave owner Philemon in the New Testament.
Your statement ”...there are still people who use the Bible to justify the use of violence and I think we have to exceed the ethics of the Bible” is really kind of a half truth – yes, people who have taken verses out of context (as so many still do with the submission theme) will use it to justify hurting others. But humanity will never, ever, exceed the ethics in the Holy Bible.