There is a war going on in the hearts of mostly men, although some women are suffering from it as well. That war is for sexual purity. It afflicts single people. It affects married people. If affects the young. It affects the old.
If you look around, some people have begun to address the subject, and scripture provides wisdom and guidance to maintain sexual purity. What I found interesting was this article from an ex-Loaded magazine editor.
For those who don’t know, Loaded is one of the foremost magazine outlets that promotes a ‘lad’ culture which peddles soft-porn. The argument of the editors and contributors of the magazine is that it reflects part of real life for young men. The argument of those who oppose magazines like this, is that it actually corrupts young men by promoting and glorifying images that cheapen and dehumanises women in particular.
Reading the article is fascinating to see the former editor speaking up against what his old publication promotes and acknowledging his part in the agenda. What is particularly interesting is how his perspective was affected following the birth of his first child, and the battle he went through considering how he could carry on with something in which someone’s daughter might be involved. It took him two years, but he’s spoken out in the hope that others will take his lesson on board and avoid such publications.
I can attest to changes in attitudes after the birth of the first child. My own experience revolved around my view of hatred. Previously I’d used the word to talk about things like Manchester United. In the light of seeing the vulnerable, tender and needy young baby in my arms it became clear that my understanding of hatred had to be radically revised.
The connection between that and the article, surrounds the view of dehumanising. I felt in the core of my being that if someone so much as hurt this child then the very real rage associated with hatred would be aroused. That is easy to talk about when we consider the brutal horrors of things such as physical and sexual abuse.
There is something about it, though, that goes deeper than that. The culture that my three daughters grow up in has distorted the appreciation of beauty into whatever goes for ‘art’ and worse still whatever sells products best. My dear daughters will grow to be ogled by men and boys who have been indoctrinated by society that sex is cheap, available and to be exploited at any opportunity. It will be the grace of God for my daughters to avoid this and see and pursue the road to purity.
I am grateful to God for articles like the one mentioned, yet I am only too aware that the sex industry is a multi-billion pound affair that infiltrates many walks of life and can enter in as subtly as an innocent visit to a friend’s house to see their video collection. The snare can be simple. It won’t take much. Yet as long as God rules and His church have people who have suffered and have overcome by God’s grace, then the forces of darkness will not be overwhelmed and the light of the love of the Lord will continue to offer people a way of escape.
For His Name’s Sake
Shalom
dmcd
Life With CD 