BYU Study Links Bible Passages To Aggression
Apparently, my alma mater, Brigham Young University, conducted a study very similar to one of the studies that linked violent videogames to aggression. In fact, one of the researchers was on the team that did the research most often cited linking real-world aggression with violent videogames. But instead of videogames, they used the Bible as their violent medium of choice.

The findings? Very similar to the videogame studies. Biblical passages about violence and, more specifically, justifying the violence were linked to an increase in aggression.

The story is in today's Deseret Morning News (the same paper that generally took a favorable attitude towards the anti-videogame legislation being promoted by local lawmakers). You can check out the full report here:

Research Links Scripture to Some Hostile Acts

As a religious university, BYU is obviously already feeling some concern about the political unpopularity of the results of this study. BYU takes scripture study very seriously, and requires 14 credit hours (basically a full semester) of religion classes to graduate --- including study of the Bible.

Professor Robert Ridge, explaining his findings, said, "We're not saying that just in and of itself violent media is uniformly bad but oftentimes there is no redeeming context to it. If one reads the scriptures with an understanding of context, both historical as well as with a (desire) to hear what God is trying to teach us, you can read it in a different way. But if a person dives into (a violent passage) without the context, you could probably get some increased aggression."

Well, I guess that just about explains the Crusades. We just can't have nice things, can we? People will twist any belief, philosophy, or ideal to justify their actions. I mean, I used to joke about militant Buddhists, but apparently that's no laughing matter, either. That Buddha was a meanie, huh?

But seriously, just like the videogame study, I take this study with a grain of salt small Siberian salt mine. Not that the results of the research are wrong - it's just that it can be something of a stretch to form a larger correlation about real-world aggression or violence based on the results of these studies. I guess it's a news flash that --- hello! - We're all influenced by the world around us. Be it media, scriptures, some guy cutting us off on the way to work, watching our favorite team win a basketball game, or having a coworker say, "Good job!"

Not exactly a news flash, but I think it helps put the previous study in perspective.

Hmm... think anyone's gonna try and push through legislation to criminalize selling the Bible to minors now?

Tip o' the visor goes to GamePolitics.com for the scoop.

Labels: Politics

- posted by The Rampant Coyote @ 7:58 AM (Permalink)