Last Paragraph Apart - A Superb Letter In Yorks Post.

rom: Martyn Scargill, Chantry Meadows, Kilham.

THE Bishop of Leeds is perfectly correct in his ideas about capturing the vision of young people. At last, some clear and constructive thinking (The Yorkshire Post, July 4). This obsession with “celebrity” and “entertainment” that has taken over the country since the war is totally flawed and corrupt beyond belief. It is like the decline and fall of the Roman Empire. Packed with debated values and misguided thinking.

It is indeed a sick society that constantly supports and promotes these twisted and dangerous values. If it is so true that there is not enough spirituality, but there is far too much materialism and greed. Young people however, are not to be blamed in the slightest. The fault lies firmly rooted in the adult world. We are truly locked in a frightening “me-me-me” and “up-for-grabs” culture that is rotten to the core.

Financial success is regarded as the ne plus ultra in life rather than helping and respecting others, and taking care of the environment. Children are no longer taught enough about the appreciation of nature and all the beautiful things in creation. Victorian hymns are full of inspiration in this direction.

Television programmes and magazines are crammed full of mindless trash about so-called “celebrities” whose lifestyles of debauchery are looked upon as success – some example for our children to wish to copy. The manic adoration of the world of pop music has much to answer for. Even then very word “music” or “concert” now implies “pop” to many people. Why are the schools no longer teaching about the vast beauty and wealth of wonderful sounds created by real composers and musicians?

The wonder is, in the light of all this, that the great majority of young people are such sound of mind and well-balanced individuals. It would also be of help to them and people in general if fewer double standards were prevalent. I mean, how can children be expected to listen meaningfully to the wisdom of educated and intelligent people in the ministry when the idea of Darwinism and the quasi-scientific “theory of evolution” is pushed down their necks from primary school onwards?

If the churches in general devoted more time to teaching the Biblical truths, and less to popular “singalongs”, then we may begin to see positive results.