Silence Is Acceptance?

A few weeks ago ABC televised a program to encourage parents to talk with their children about drugs. I appreciated the good intentions, but the slogan used by the network puzzled me: "Silence is acceptance."

No, we shouldn't be silent about drugs. But shouldn't we speak up about some other destroyers of our nation's youth as well?

Sexual immorality. Many movies, TV programs, and magazines continue to portray promiscuity as the norm, while young people fall prey to sexually transmitted diseases and reap the spiritual and emotional consequences of their actions. Who will speak up for abstinence, purity, and faithfulness? Approximately one-fourth of all Americans read Sports Illustrated's annual swimsuit issue, making it the magazine equivalent of the Super Bowl in terms of advertising revenue. If "silence is acceptance," why don't more people speak out against this cultural phenomenon, which degrades women and soils the minds of men?

Alcohol abuse. Advertisers continue to encourage alcohol consumption with commercials featuring Budweiser frogs and attractive young adults. Meanwhile, binge drinking continues to grow on college campuses, and in 1995, 17,274 people died in alcohol-related accidents on American highways, accounting for 41.3 percent of total traffic fatalities (one every 32 minutes).

Spiritual danger. In March, 39 people committed suicide in Rancho Santa Fe, California, because they believed a cult leader's lies. This sad event should serve as an eye-opener in a day when many people assume there is no such thing as God-given truth and any belief system is just as valid as the next. The Heaven's Gate cult starkly illustrates that some ideas are simply wrong—tragically, harmfully wrong.

Parents, church leaders, and young people need to think biblically, choose wisely, and communicate honestly. There's a time to be silent, and a time to speak out.

And what about our physical health? God designed our bodies. He owns them. His Spirit indwells them. He cares how we use them.

Our ears hear God's Word. Our tongues confess Christ. Our hands serve him. When we're baptized, our bodies are buried in water. When we partake of the Lord's Supper, we taste and digest the bread and juice. Our bodies matter to God.

Jesus doesn't promise us perfect physical health (this side of Heaven), nor make us immune to this world's hardships. Like others, Christians struggle with disabilities, weight problems, and illnesses. But by following God's Word, we can avoid many health hazards. (For example, consider God's warnings about gluttony, laziness, and alcohol abuse in Proverbs 20:1; 21:25; 23:20,21.) The healthy bodies and minds of Daniel and his friends served as an impressive witness to their neighbors (Daniel 1:11–20). God wants us to honor him with our bodies (see 1 Corinthians 6:12–20).

Physical health, though, is only part of the picture. The adage, "As long as you have your health, you have everything," isn't true. To paraphrase Jesus, "What does it profit a man if he has a strong, healthy body, but loses his soul?"

Let's "purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God" (2 Corinthians 7:1).