The End of the Culture
7/18/2005 4:59:00 AM
By Thorin Anderson, IFI Pastoral Advisor
We have, over the last several decades, removed the stigma from behavior that once was considered simply bad. Conduct that would have brought scorn 50 years ago gets little if any notice at all today.
It began with minor things, such as children calling adults by their first names rather than "Mr. or Mrs.," and in standards of dress. In 1950 a man would hardly be seen in public without a hat, now tee-shirts and cut-offs are standard. A woman then would be embarrassed to show a knee in public; now, one would be embarrassed to name what is shown in public.
The "First Tier" social standards were pretty easy to render out-dated. It took much longer to make "Second Tier" conduct, things like "shacking up" and divorce acceptable. But liberals accomplished it. And one no longer raises eyebrows to have children out of wedlock, to live together prior to marriage, or get divorced. Whether the general acceptance of these practices is good for society is certainly debatable. . . but the debate is over and we have now moved on to rendering "Third-Tier" offenses acceptable.
Third-tier offenses are those actions which were once unspeakable: things such as sado-masochism, homosexuality, and pedophilia. With cunning PR campaigns, proponents of these and similar behaviors have managed to break down traditional opposition, and have actually convinced many Americans that such conduct is somehow "normal."
This done, of course, without actually explaining what they do! This behavior, which if explained, would turn stomachs and carry an X rating at best, is given the imprimatur of social acceptance and equality with normal heterosexuality while violating every standard of good, moral, decent or healthy conduct! And while pedophilia has not yet gained the acceptance that general homosexuality has, organizations such as NAMBLA (which openly advocates adult/child sexuality) are sparing no efforts to gain culture wide approval for it as well!
Americans must understand that there are not only two options available. First, abusing any human being is unacceptable. As God's image bearers, all people, regardless of race, age or behavior, deserve respect. But we must not accept deviant and deadly behavior as normal either! People deserve respect, bad behavior does not.
It is a sad fact that people who are overweight often face ridicule or even prejudice. Should we, in order to correct that abuse, decree that obesity is normal, ignore its harmful effects and no longer attempt to help people overcome it? To be consistent with the trends of our day, we would have to do just that.
Homosexual behavior robs the average participant of fifteen to thirty years of life yet we are told that we must accept it as good, normal, and equivalent to heterosexuality. The facts are clear: homosexuals die much younger than heterosexuals do! Anyone who tried to say that obesity is normal and is to be celebrated would be scorned, yet those who claim homosexuality is as healthy and normal as heterosexuality are called open-minded, loving and courageous.
There are multitudes of people who struggle to stop overeating, smoking, or abusing alcohol and drugs. We all know that these things are harmful and because of that harmfulness, there is a social stigma attached to them. We have gone so far as to take legal action against companies that appear to be pushing these harmful things upon the public, yet homosexual conduct is more deadly than any of them, and possibly all of them combined!
Something doesn't add up, and it is long past time to begin dealing with the truth.
Homosexual conduct is neither normal nor healthy, but its practitioners must not be hated or abused. They should be offered hope and escape. Many have left the lifestyle for good; and to do so is wise. Jesus Christ offers an honest and gracious solution to all mankind's sin problems, including homosexuality: Forgiveness, cleansing and victory to those who come to Him.
There is therfore now no condemnation
to those who are in Christ Jesus,
who do not walk according to the flesh
but according to the Spirit.
Romans 8:1 (NKJV)
Pastor Thorin Anderson is a member of the Pastor Advisory Committee to Illinois Family Institute and the pastor of Parkwood Baptist Church on the south side of Chicago.
Protect Marriage Illinois!
 Illinois citizens who want to permanently protect marriage have until the end of March 2006 to gather an estimated 500,000 signatures, putting an Advisory Referendum on the ballot that would call on the General Assembly to pass a state constitutional amendment protecting marriage as one-man, one-woman.
If we do not push for an Amendment to the Illinois State Constitution, activist judges will redefine marriage forever. What would prevent further redefinition of marriage to include polygamy, group marriages, etc.? If marriage is redefined it loses all meaning.
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