2007年VOA标准英语-Religious Movement Views Media as Cause of Yout

By Zulima Palacio
Washington, D.C.
21 June 2007
 

A fast-growing religious movement in the U.S. says violent media messages are responsible for most of today's troubles with young people, and its followers¹ see God as the only solution.   Producer Zulima Palacio talked to some of the group's members, as well as to a variety of experts who see other causes for violent behavior among the young. Jeffrey Young narrates² the story.

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A Teen Mania concert

Every month somewhere in the U.S., thousands of young people are drawn⁴ to the call of music.  Teens love it. It is loud and fun and they can dance. 

But this is not a typical rock concert. It is Christian⁵ music, and it includes prayers and multiple references to God.  The concerts and many other youth activities are organized by a group called "Teen Mania."  It  is part of a national campaign driven by evangelicals and conservative Christians⁶ who say that this generation is under attack by a culture of drugs, sex and violence, mostly promoted by the media. 

Reverend Ron Luce is the president and founder⁷ of "Teen Mania." "What young people are being assaulted with right now, no other generation has ever been assaulted with,” says Luce.  “They are being hammered and destroyed by the culture, the garbage from New York, Hollywood, music world, MTV, they're being destroyed, so this is a battle."

Luce says that about 200,000 teens from 60 different Christian denominations⁸ have joined his group's youth activities.  He says they reject violent media messages and support the study of the Bible as a solution.

Teens attend a Christian concert

"Churches are rising, saying we are going to go after young people just as passionately⁹, just as fervently¹⁰ as the Madison Avenue marketers and the people who make the garbage music, and reach out to rescue them,” continues Luce.  “We are calling our churches to double their youth ministry¹¹ every year, double it every year for the next five years."

Some of Luce's young followers expressed their commitment to God as the only real solution to what they say are today's heavy messages celebrating drugs, sex and violence.

"I think that teenagers should do sports and do a lot of extracurricular activities and all that stuff, but honestly, [it's now too much]” says a citizen. “God alone is going to give you that sense of worth, that real joy and just life."

Many people believe that media messages can influence young minds, but they also say there are other factors involved.  The U.S. Congress created the Hamilton Fish Institute to study school and community violence.  Beverly Glenn is its director.

Hamilton Fish Institute director Beverly Glenn

"We know for example that the U.S. Surgeon General says that about 11 percent of young people has serious mental illnesses,” says Glenn.  “That works out to about four million kids. There are about 59 million kids in kindergarten through 12 education in America. Four million of them are in trouble."

Glenn says that millions of young people watch TV and play violent video games daily but never show signs of violent behavior.

"This is almost the first generation of young people who have had unfiltered messages to the kinds of things that only adults get to hear and see,” adds Glenn.  “I think young people are doing very well, because most people are not mass murderers.”

Glenn says that many studies have shown what works well to keep young people out of trouble and away from violence -- things like small schools, academic achievement, sports, arts and music.  She says religious activities are not the only solution.

"If religious organizations are really engaged in youth development, no proselytizing¹², but youth development support, that works to develop young people."

Many say that knowing what triggers violent behavior is a complex question.  Dr. Paramjit Joshi chairs the Department of Psychiatry¹³ at Children's Hospital in Washington, D.C.

"Many people who commit mass murder may have a mental illness, but I am sure there are some who don't and it is just an act of violence with no regard for the other person,” says Dr. Joshi.  "We know that the rate of violence is increasing, especially in the U.S.  There are many factors and media is just one piece of it.  There is access to fire arms, frustration¹⁴ among the youth and many psycho-social factors."

While the followers of the "Teen Mania" movement see God as the answer to all questions, when it comes to specifics of youth violence, Dr. Joshi and Beverly Caffee Glenn agree there are many reasons, and many causes. They also concede there are still many questions, but few answers.

1 followers   

追随者( follower的名词复数 )； 用户； 契据的附面； 从动件

参考例句：

• the followers of Mahatma Gandhi 圣雄甘地的拥护者
• The reformer soon gathered a band of followers round him. 改革者很快就获得一群追随者支持他。

2 narrates   

v.故事( narrate的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• It narrates the unconstitutional acts of James II. 它历数了詹姆斯二世的违法行为。 来自辞典例句
• Chapter three narrates the economy activity which Jew return the Occident. 第三章讲述了犹太人重返西欧后的经济活动。 来自互联网

3 mania   

n.疯狂；躁狂症，狂热，癖好

参考例句：

• Football mania is sweeping the country.足球热正风靡全国。
• Collecting small items can easily become a mania.收藏零星物品往往容易变成一种癖好。

4 drawn   

v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的

参考例句：

• All the characters in the story are drawn from life.故事中的所有人物都取材于生活。
• Her gaze was drawn irresistibly to the scene outside.她的目光禁不住被外面的风景所吸引。

5 Christian   

adj.基督教徒的；n.基督教徒

参考例句：

• They always addressed each other by their Christian name.他们总是以教名互相称呼。
• His mother is a sincere Christian.他母亲是个虔诚的基督教徒。

6 Christians   

n.基督教徒( Christian的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Christians of all denominations attended the conference. 基督教所有教派的人都出席了这次会议。
• His novel about Jesus caused a furore among Christians. 他关于耶稣的小说激起了基督教徒的公愤。

7 Founder   

n.创始者，缔造者

参考例句：

• He was extolled as the founder of their Florentine school.他被称颂为佛罗伦萨画派的鼻祖。
• According to the old tradition,Romulus was the founder of Rome.按照古老的传说，罗穆卢斯是古罗马的建国者。

8 denominations   

n.宗派( denomination的名词复数 )；教派；面额；名称

参考例句：

• Christians of all denominations attended the conference. 基督教所有教派的人都出席了这次会议。
• The service was attended by Christians of all denominations. 这次礼拜仪式各教派的基督徒都参加了。 来自《简明英汉词典》

9 passionately   

ad.热烈地，激烈地

参考例句：

• She could hate as passionately as she could love. 她能恨得咬牙切齿，也能爱得一往情深。
• He was passionately addicted to pop music. 他酷爱流行音乐。

10 fervently   

adv.热烈地，热情地，强烈地

参考例句：

• "Oh, I am glad!'she said fervently. “哦，我真高兴！”她热烈地说道。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• O my dear, my dear, will you bless me as fervently to-morrow?' 啊，我亲爱的，亲爱的，你明天也愿这样热烈地为我祝福么？” 来自英汉文学 - 双城记

11 ministry   

n.(政府的)部；牧师

参考例句：

• They sent a deputation to the ministry to complain.他们派了一个代表团到部里投诉。
• We probed the Air Ministry statements.我们调查了空军部的记录。

12 proselytizing   

v.（使）改变宗教信仰[政治信仰、意见等]，使变节( proselytize的现在分词 )

参考例句：

13 psychiatry   

n.精神病学，精神病疗法

参考例句：

• The study appeared in the Amercian science Journal of Psychiatry.这个研究发表在美国精神病学的杂志上。
• A physician is someone who specializes in psychiatry.精神病专家是专门从事精神病治疗的人。

14 frustration   

n.挫折，失败，失效，落空

参考例句：

• He had to fight back tears of frustration.他不得不强忍住失意的泪水。
• He beat his hands on the steering wheel in frustration.他沮丧地用手打了几下方向盘。