"It's interesting that so many consider the vilest fiction "harmless". Anything a person absorbs through their senses - sights on TV and movies, sounds, reading - it all colors the mind and heart, either for good or ill."
That is the central thesis of this disagreement. Some of us have seen this happen and so accept it, while others insist that it can't happen because...I don't know, because people are too smart or something.
I'm beginning to think that it's one of those things that the default position is disbelieving it, and there's no way to persuade anyone until they see it for themselves.
It's funny, though...it doesn't work so well if applied to other sorts of written material.
Try, "My seven year old son reads homosexual pornography, and it has no effect on him." And yet, "My seven year old son reads books about the occult and they have no effect on him" seems perfectly plausible to some people.
The belief that one can immerse his mind (via eyes, ears, and so on) in any crap and not be affected is purely wishful thinking.
If people weren't affected by what they take into their minds via the senses, every dollar spent by the advertising industry would be wasted. There would be no advertising industry.
No one would be enlightened by reading inspirational literature or scripture, no one would become educated or wise by reading or hearing lectures or textbooks, etc.
It's merely common sense.