Do You Want To Watch Movies?
Two
teenagers asked their father if they could go to the movie theater
to watch a movie that all their friends had seen. He denied their
request.
“Ah
dad, why not?” they complained.
Dad
replied: “Because every movie contains nudity and portrays
immorality as being normal and acceptable behavior.”
“But
dad, those are just very small parts of the movie! That’s
what our friends who’ve seen it have told us. The movie is
two hours long and those scenes are just a few minutes of the total
film! It’s based on a true story and good triumphs over evil,
and there are other redeeming themes like courage and self-sacrifice.
Even the movie review websites say that!”
“My
answer is ‘no,’ and that is my final answer. You will
not go and watch any film. End of discussion.”
The
two teenagers walked dejectedly into the family room and slumped
down on the couch. As they sulked, they were surprised to hear the
sounds of their father preparing something in the kitchen.
They
soon recognized the wonderful aroma of cookies baking in the oven,
and one of the teenagers said to the other, “Dad must be feeling
guilty, and now he’s going to try to make it up to us with
some fresh cookies. Maybe we can soften him with lots of praise
when he brings them out to us and persuade him to let us go to that
movie after all.”
The
teens were not disappointed. Soon their father appeared with a plate
of warm cookies, which he offered to his kids. They each took one.
Then
their father said, “Before you eat, I want to tell you something:
I love you both so much.”
The
teenagers smiled at each other with knowing glances. Dad was softening.
“That
is why I’ve made these cookies with the very best ingredients.
I’ve made them from scratch. Most of the ingredients are even
organic; the best organic flour, the best free range eggs, the best
organic sugar, premium vanilla and chocolate.” The cookies
looked mouth-watering, and the teens began to become a little impatient
with their dad’s long speech.
“But
I want to be perfectly honest with you. There is one ingredient
I added that is not usually found in cookies. I got that ingredient
from our own back yard. But you needn’t worry, because I only
added the tiniest bit of that ingredient to your cookies. The amount
of the portion is practically insignificant. So go ahead, take a
bite and let me know what you think?
“Dad,
would you mind telling us what that mystery ingredient is before
we eat?”
“Why?
The portion I added was so small, just a teaspoonful. You won’t
even taste it.”
“Come
on, dad; just tell us what that ingredient is?”
“Don’t
worry! It is organic, just like the other ingredients.”
“Dad!”
“Well,
OK, if you insist. That secret ingredient is organic … cat
poop.”
Both
teens instantly dropped their cookies back on the plate and began
inspecting their fingers with horror.
“Dad!
Why did you do that? You’ve tortured us by making us smell
those cookies cooking for the last half hour, and now you tell us
that you added cat poop! We can’t eat these cookies!”
“Why
not? The amount of cat poop is very small compared to the rest of
the ingredients. It won’t hurt you. It’s been cooked
right along with the other ingredients. You won’t even taste
it. It has the same consistency as the cookies. Go ahead and eat!”
“No,
Dad … Never!”
“And
that is the same reason I won’t allow you to go watch movies.
You won’t tolerate a little cat poop in your cookies, so why
should you tolerate a little immorality in your movies?
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