Being a responsible parent-to-be, I just watched an hour of public television about human nature and parenting.
The little professor man from the University of Arkansas was telling me that there are three basic ways to view the behavior of children. That they were devils (this is a very bad view), that they were clay (this was a moderate view), or that they were basically good little angels (this was the proper view).
To explain the devil view, the little professor man quoted lots of historical church figures and ministers. He picked harsh sounding quotes and altered his voice to make them sound heartless and mean. He explained that a parent who held this view would react to a minor infraction by a child by "locking the child up in their room for years."
By contrast, the angel view - spoken of in an angelic voice - reasoned that kids would just be kids, and wouldn't it be better if we just worked with the children and helped them become who they already are meant to be. Oh, doesn't that just sound more like what we should be doing? You see, children are basically good.
Once again I see Jake Allen's reasoning behind defunding all public television and radio. The not-so-subtle message is, "If you listen to your minister and the teachings of the Bible, you really hate your kids and will be a bad parent." This little professor man constructed a straw man - a distorted shadow of biblical teaching - and tore him down in a systematic, soft-spoken, emotional way.
Someone has said, "All theology is personal." Perhaps the little man grew up in a very harsh Mormon environment and is revolting or something. It does not give him the right to ignore biblical theology regarding the fall of man, humanity's natural selfishness, and the goal and purpose of children.
I was appalled at his one-sided and, basically, uninformative presentation. I guess you get what you pay for.