Indeed, in the present climate of mistrust of institutions, many people who yearn for a more meaningful and fulfilling life would regard the church as an unlikely place to go for guidance.
From Hugh Mackay
But the rule seems to be that the bigger and more life-changing the decision, the less it will seem like a decision at all.
Although we love the idea of choice - our culture almost worships it - we seek refuge in the familiar and the comfortable.
Recounting their histories, people often sound like interested bystanders to their own lives.
Perhaps it's the people whose lives have taken sudden new twists - people who have learned to embrace the creative possibilities of change - who stand the best chance of penetrating life's mysteries.
No one welcomes chaos, but why crave stability and predictability?
The copycat effects of media violence, similar to those previously attributed to westerns, radio serials and comic books, are easy to exaggerate.
Still, most of those effects occur in the context of harmless play and it is patently obvious that children are not normally turned into aggressive little monsters by TV or video games, since most children do not become aggressive little monsters.
On average, Australians watch more than three hours of television a day, compared with 12 minutes a day spent by the average couple talking to each other.
Some researchers sensibly suggest that rather than worrying too much about which programs our children are watching, we should concentrate on trying to reduce the total amount of time they spend in front of the screen.
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