Freeze the Sleaze

Half a century ago, C. S. Lewis wrote in Mere Christianity, "There are people who want to keep our sex instinct inflamed in order to make money out of us."

If that was true in the 1940s, consider what's happening now. A U.S. News & World Report cover story (February 10, 1997) on "The Business of Pornography" laid bare some shocking figures. More than $8 billion was spent on porn last year, and the number of hard-core video rentals grew from 75 million in 1985 to 665 million in 1996. Amazingly, Americans spend more money at strip clubs than at any other kinds of theaters combined, including Broadway, off-Broadway, opera, jazz, and classical music performances.

It's sad enough when grownups spend big money on bad morals. But what's happening to the children? Jesus stood a little child among the disciples and said, "Whoever welcomes a little child like this in my name welcomes me," and then he warned, "But if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a large millstone hung around his neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea" (Matthew 18:5, 6).

This is serious business. What kind of divine judgment awaits a society that abuses the bodies, corrupts the minds, and destroys the innocence of its children? More positively, how can we bring up mature, wise, self-controlled children in a world polluted by sex miseducation and distorted values? Let me suggest four "ex-rated" steps.

Examination. Instead of pointing fingers of accusation at others, let's begin with honest self-examination. Are our own thoughts pure? Are we allowing our children to grow up too fast? What are they viewing on TV, at the movie theater, on the computer, and in the homes of their friends? Are we allowing sexual impurity to invade our families unchallenged?

Explanation. We must ensure that our children understand the blessings of sexual purity, the dangers of sexual sin, and realistic ways to resist temptation.

Exhortation. Church leaders can address this touchy topic with candor and good taste. The apostle Paul calmly wrote about the positive place of sexual intimacy in the context of committed marriage (1 Corinthians 7:3-5), and he exhorted Christians to avoid even a hint of sexual immorality, impurity, obscenity, foolish talk, and coarse joking (Ephesians 5:3, 4). Concerned citizens need to encourage lawmakers to uphold obscenity laws too, and we need to support those who do. Organizations like the American Family Association (601-844-5036) and Morality In Media (212-870-3222) can help.

Example. Paul told Timothy to "set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity" (1 Timothy 4:12). It's hypocritical to speak out against pornography unless we're striving to rid our own lives of lust.

Standing for purity isn't prudish; it's prudent. Folks are playing with fire, and they're getting burned.

So let's start in our own hearts and homes, and create an environment where purity thrives. Let's do it for the Lord's sake, for our children's sake, for our own sake. It's time to put a freeze on the sleaze.