All we need is true love

The first edition of Love Island Malta was aired on the Maltese national television station last May. 

As many already know, this was a replication of a British reality show in which a group of men and women live together under one roof, pair up and, ultimately, there will be a so-called “winning couple” that is even awarded a substantial amount of money.

Although Malta is becoming much more secularised by the day, somehow, to a certain extent, this show was still a ‘cultural shock’, especially when considering the fact that, in a small country like ours, everyone knows everyone.

However, the real truth is that we are living in times when everything is being normalised and easily accepted. Unfortunately, we are forgetting how to wisely, morally and ethically make a distinction between what is right and what is wrong. This is perhaps because we are being driven by the idea that there is no right and no wrong, and that if we attempt to refer to the concepts of ‘right’ or ‘wrong’, we will be labelled as judgemental and intolerant.

Therefore, Love Island Malta soon became a means of entertainment to practically all categories of society. Many claimed they watched it due to a sense of curiosity and/or for some “fun time”.

Is it not worrying that eagerness for bad influence stuff is replacing major foundations such as values, principles, quality time and maturity in our way of thinking and life approach? What about misconceptions about love and relationships that are being communicated through these kinds of shows to people out there, especially to younger generations?

Really and truly, genuine and loving relationships are based on dignity, honesty and exclusiveness.

A sense of maturity and serious intentions enables a person to fall in love with one’s soul and not with one’s fervour to reveal her/his body prematurely, to the extent that s/he is ready to expose it even publicly.

Moreover, love is certainly not to be traded. Besides the €20,000 given to the “winning couple”, we were not informed how much the total expenditure for this production amounted to.

Is this the type of ‘culture’ we should be promoting and investing in? 

I hope that more people become aware of the deceiving hidden agendas behind poor quality initiatives of this sort and are willing to send out  positive messages of what true love is really all about.

Alison Tonna – Mosta    

Lack of respect

I am writing this out of responsibility and not to accuse anyone in any way or another.

I refer to a band march held in the morning at Victoria on August 15, the feast of Santa Marija. Though part of the external festivities, the march is still directly connected to the celebration of Our Lady’s feast. So, I respectfully ask: why do we insult, offend and degrade other saints and not indulge in praise of our saint as a celebration of the feast?

This really confirms the shallow state of our maturity where these feasts are involved. No one has any right to insult any followers or even the saints themselves just to try to justify that our saint reigns supreme on all others.

This is not all. I appeal to all responsible band presidents, committee members and those officials responsible for the organisation of such external festivities. They have a moral duty to use all their power and influence to mini­mise, or even more, prohibit this sort of irresponsible behaviour, which does not reflect well on our Christian saintly devotion.

Emmanuel Galea – Victoria