As children’s pastor, I listened as a fourth-grade Sunday school teacher shared a concern. Completing a quarter’s lessons on the Ten Commandments, he had asked the kids, "What is the hardest Commandment for you to keep?" Most of them responded, "Thou shalt not commit adultery." We couldn’t understand why fourth graders would find that command such a problem until a mother quizzed her son on what he thought committing adultery meant. Without blinking, the boy replied, "Thou shalt not sass back to adults."
Adult-ery. Talking back to adults. That makes sense, right? Maybe we misunderstand the meaning of adultery too. We want to see adultery as only the act of marital unfaithfulness, but Jesus insists that we understand that unfaithfulness begins in our hearts and minds. To give into lust is to already be unfaithful—to our spouse (or our future spouse) and to our God. Thus to give ourselves to lust is to already commit adultery. But then, that is Sunday’s sermon.
When it comes to lust, we live in a time like no other. While pornography has always existed (witness the ruins of Pompeii), it has never been as accessible. People who would never be caught dead in an adult theater or bookstore can turn on their computer and find anything they can imagine… and a few things they can’t. The web makes pornography highly accessible and practically anonymous. It is a trap that waits to spring shut every time we log onto the web. Porn is not just a problem for “dirty old men in the dark eating salty peanuts with no teeth” (an old Bill Cosby line). At one national Promise Keepers rally, 50% of the men surveyed admitted to viewing porn in the week before the event!
Take the time to view this webcast done by the folks at safefamilies.org. In fact, spend some time on their site. If you don’t already use a filter to block porn sites, they offer one free of charge. In the presentation, they refer to online porn as "an elephant in the pew." It is a big problem that we just want to ignore. Maybe its time to stop ignoring it.
14 comments:
"It is a big problem that we just want to ignore. Maybe its time to stop ignoring it." Amen
Porn makes me cry. . . I am a married man, a father and my desire is for my wife and for my wife alone. I’ve seen enough of it to know they are poor bastardizers who promote it. When you see it you will know it is someone’s child. Willing or unwilling partakers (legal or illegal) WHO CARES! The person behind the camera is a dead man! When the father of that child executes his justice, the good father will and there is no place to hide from the light of that morning, that morning will come as promised. (Remember that when you are visited by “pornography” it is someone’s child and there is no time to waste.), I hope this helps.
The next time you visit Jeff Miller’s Marts take note of the magazines and such in plane view for our children to see and make some noise. Do not direct it at the one behind the counter who is just trying to pay the bill’s direct it at the ones who are getting drunk and rich on the blood of our children.
If we continue to look the other way and pretend it isn’t problem among us; the roots of pornography in our society will chock out the good among us and will continue to make the “mafia”s of our society filthy rich and their money is their power hit them in the pocket book and you hit them in there engine room. Do not support them and the weeds of evil will die. Those are my views on the problem of porn etc. thank you for bringing up the subject, that is a present problem and it has been with us for some time
Let's remember as well that there are God-fearing people addicted - there but for the grace of God goes ANY of us on ANY given vice. I will never forget the time I sat through a Bible study when someone stated quite plainly that the study we were doing that week on adultery was just an observant lesson b/c the teacher was certain that would never be a problem for anyone in the room. Well, I knew of several couples in the room that day who had confided in me on that particular issue in their lives. How demoralizing! They are all GONE from our congregation today. Doesn't Tuck regularly compare the church to hospitals? We are to help each other heal.
The “victimless” crime of pornography is no such thing. Countless hours and dollars are spent producing, distributing, viewing and in their pursuit those who support it are robbing children of more than their time and talents. Shame is the tools of those who mandibulate those they are taking advantage of. Extend pardon to those who will be covered under the blood of the lamb. Offer them that which is free for all who will hear and obey the word of the good father and remember their iniquities no more.
“Adultery” takes many forms let's nip it in the bud before it takes root and destroys everything we have worked so hard for. For us and future generations but most importantly because it is wrong and if you do something you know is wrong you know what you are doing. HAY, we are all adults here!
The earth will be richer, “thank you for all of it”.
What would you rather spend your life with, pornography or a mother who loves her children?
Leave it to the merchants to make money off of something as beautiful as the (private expresion love) between a husband and his wife and I am not going to discuss the other types of “pornography”. (Unrealistic expectations may lead to disappointments) After viewing some who are burning the fuse at both ends and in the middle at the same time.
Addictive patterns do not developed overnight and they are difficult to break but it can be done. Submitting yourself to good people with your best interest at heart is most valuable but may be most difficult for those unwilling to relinquish control. Everyone is at danger and isolation means no support, no accountability and a chance for a private backslide. Don’t put yourself at risk! Be with others, do something useful, help others and ask for help. Pray for strength that you may help future generations overcome. We are all God’s children under his wing or wayward we are all his and will be held accountable for our actions or lack of it. Being with good people who will hold you accountable will help you and others. It is time to redeem the time!
Plant good things in your heart for you and others. Don’t feed the porn and it will eventually die. Don’t let the beautiful garden of your mind be overrun with immoral thoughts. It is never to late to weed the garden of your mind, pull out the weeds and plant something good for you and others.
Sticking your finger in an old wound and wiggleing it all around does not help anyone heal, it only causes more pain and we don't need anymore of that. Amen?
Don’t waste our time beating a dead horse. (Take care of yourself.)
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