Category: Immorality

Harry Potter star Daniel Radcliffe has got some parents steaming over his racy new stage play role.

One of the publicity photos for the play shows a topless and buffed Radcliffe being hugged by a naked woman. Another shows him leaning against bales of hay as he stares up at the topless woman. A third has him posing in front of a white horse.

The pictures have been released ahead of the opening of Equus, a controversial Peter Shaffer play showing at London’s Gielgud Theatre from next month.

Radcliffe,17, plays a troubled stablehand who one night blinds six horses with a hoofpick.

He features in numerous nude scenes with co-star Joanna Christie, the woman in the publicity shots.

The UK’s Daily Mail reports that Harry Potter fan sites have received emails from concerned parents…

…The play’s producer, David Pugh, told the Daily Mail that Radcliffe had been rehearsing the nude scenes with Christie for more than a week and had overcome his initial shyness.

The young actor’s spokeswoman, Vanessa Davies, said: “Daniel does not want to step away from Harry Potter but he does want to show he is a rounded actor capable of very different and diverse roles.”

“He has tremendous support from Harry Potter fans,” she said.

Jano Gibson
Sunday Morning Herald

Analysis:

It is shameful that the young actor who plays Harry Potter feels that to prove his ability as an actor he must appear in nude scenes on stage, and scenes depicting sexuality. In fact, it is sad that any 17 year old would do so, and likewise a sad commentary that such a move is lauded as “brave” and “daring.”

While it is a bit presumptuous for Radcliffe’s publicist to claim that he has “tremendous support from Harry Potter fans” (many are shocked and dismayed at what he is doing), nevertheless it is true that others are taken with his lewd turn. In fact, many fans admire the publicity photographs released for the play. One female fan said, “When I saw it I couldn’t breathe for a moment … I like it … They’re awesome!”

This is just another example that in the midst of our ungodly society, sex sells. Of course, the Bible has something to say about such ungodliness. “Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, 20 idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, 21 envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God” (Galatians 5:19-21).

While the world is characterized by such ungodliness, the Christian should be clear of it. Both in his personal life and conduct, and in his approval of the same. Remember the apostle Paul’s condemnation of the ungodly in Romans 1, “Who, knowing the righteous judgment of God, that those who practice such things are deserving of death, not only do the same but also approve of those who practice them” (vs. 31). We must be sure not to approve of that which God clearly and forcefully condemns. Think about it!

First there was the LP sized Laser Disc, then the VHS—Beta battle (won by VHS). Now we have DVD’s, and already released HD DVD’s and Sony’s Blue Ray discs, that will be fighting a battle for supremacy for the next few years.

There were a number of reasons why VHS systems won out over Betamax (despite the Betamax tapes being slightly superior in technical quality). But, one of the primary reasons is that the pornographic distributors chose VHS. It seems that SONY (the manufacturer of Betamax) did not want its product to be associated with pornography, and so pornographers went with the alternative.

“Quite famously in the war between Betamax and VHS the latter won especially because the adult industry preferred it.” (Aaron McKenna, TGDaily.com)

If you can believe it, it is probable that the same thing will happen again.

Continue reading “In The News: HD DVD VS Blu-ray Disc” →

Podcast Number 33

Our society is presently plagued by many problems: Violence, sexual immorality, disease. Those who seek the answers to the problems are often looking in the wrong place. The Bible has the answers to society’s problems, whether men wish to accept it or not!

To listen to this Podcast, click here .

To subscribe to the podcast feed, click here .

“I wrote to you in my epistle not to keep company with sexually immoral people. 10 Yet I certainly did not mean with the sexually immoral people of this world, or with the covetous, or extortioners, or idolaters, since then you would need to go out of the world. 11 But now I have written to you not to keep company with anyone named a brother, who is sexually immoral, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or an extortioner — not even to eat with such a person. 12 For what have I to do with judging those also who are outside? Do you not judge those who are inside? 13 But those who are outside God judges. Therefore “put away from yourselves the evil person.”

1 Corinthians 5:9-13

In this context, the apostle Paul explains the difference between living in the world, and living “of” the world. It is obviously necessary for the Christian to interact with worldly people. Ungodliness is everywhere. When you go to the grocery store, the clerk might be an adulteress. Your child’s teacher might be guilty of covetousness, your banker might just be an extortioner, and the plumber may be a drunkard!

Continue reading “In the World, Not OF the World” →

Responses from a recent poll indicated that sexually addictive behaviors are not foreign inside churches, and a large number of women in the pews struggle with the same temptations as men, The Christian Post reports. According to a poll by ChristiaNet.com and Second Glance Ministries, half of all Christian men are addicted to pornography. That may be nothing new, but the poll found 20 percent of all Christian women to be addicts to pornography. Additional findings showed 60 percent of the female respondents admitted to having significant struggles with lust, 40 percent admitted to being involved in sexual sin in the past year, and 20 percent of the church-going female participants struggled with looking at pornography on an ongoing basis.

Religion Today Summaries – Aug. 11, 2006
Compiled & Edited by Crosswalk Editorial Staff
Crosswalk.com

Analysis:

The statistics mentioned above are of course, disturbing. “Half of all Christian men are addicted to pornography.” Of course, this article defines “Christian” rather loosely. It has reference to those in the denominational world, many of which are not only steeped in doctrinal error, but have also never renounced as immoral the lusts of the flesh. Having said that, only the naïve will claim that pornography is not a problem in the Lord’s church.

And now, we read that some women are struggling with the sin of lasciviousness as well. There are cultural reasons for this, as we are living in a society which has lost its respect for female modesty. Men have objectified women, and women have often contributed to the problem by parading themselves about in unseemly dress. One of the byproducts of such ungodliness is that more and more women have become sexually predatory and aggressive. Profanity, the objectification of men and promiscuity is common.

It seems that calling the woman the “fairer sex”, and seeking to protect the sensibilities of the female is no longer applicable in at least certain parts of our ungodly society. In the face of such crassness, the apostle Peter described the type of woman a Christian lady should be. Notice the difference: “Wives, likewise, be submissive to your own husbands, that even if some do not obey the word, they, without a word, may be won by the conduct of their wives, when they observe your chaste conduct accompanied by fear. Do not let your adornment be merely outward–arranging the hair, wearing gold, or putting on fine apparel– rather let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in the sight of God” (1 Peter 3:1-4).

Brethren, we live in a world where immorality is the rule rather than the exception. It is a challenge to keep ourselves pure, and we must maintain diligence to present ourselves acceptable to God in our time.

I recently came across an article from the online edition of the Kansas City Star, detailing objections of the Chinese government to scenes contained in the recently released movie, Mission Impossible III.

The movie contains a few scenes shot in Shanghai, which the Chinese government finds objectionable. Of course, most are aware of the fact that China’s government is repressive, and does not allow the almost unlimited expression of free speech we see in other societies.

Continue reading “In The News: Movie Nudity – A Moral Issue” →

ROME (Reuters) – An Italian priest is resorting to some innovative theology to rid his church of young women’s bare midriffs.

“God knew what your navel looked like even before you were born, so there is no need to expose it in church,” commands a sign at the entrance to the church in Cinisello Balsamo.

Guards at major churches in Italy routinely keep out people wearing skimpy attire. But Father Felice says he resorted to the signs because his parish cannot afford guards to keep out the low-cut jeans and high-cut tops, newspapers reported Monday.

Monday, 6/5/2006 Reuters

Analysis:

It is summer, and clothes are coming off… all over the world. It is to the point that people are not only willing to dress immodestly, but they are not hesitant to do so in places where it is offensive to others.

Continue reading “In The News: No More Navel Gazing in Church” →

WASHINGTON – President Bush and congressional Republicans are aiming the political spotlight this week on efforts to ban gay marriage, with events at both ends of Pennsylvania Avenue – all for a constitutional amendment with scant chance of passage but wide appeal among social conservatives.

“Ages of experience have taught us that the commitment of a husband and wife to love and to serve one another promotes the welfare of children and the stability of society,” Bush said in his weekly radio address. “Government, by recognizing and protecting marriage, serves the interests of all.”

Continue reading “Gay Marriage Ban Destined To Fail” →

Dutch pedophiles are launching a political party to push for a cut in the legal age for sexual relations to 12 from 16 and the legalization of child pornography and sex with animals.

The Charity, Freedom and Diversity (NVD) party said on its Web site it would be officially registered Wednesday, proclaiming: “We are going to shake The Hague awake!”

The party said it wanted to cut the legal age for sexual relations to 12 and eventually scrap the limit altogether.

“A ban just makes children curious,” Ad van den Berg, one of the party’s founders, told the Algemeen Dagblad (AD) newspaper.

“We want to make pedophilia the subject of discussion,” he said, adding that the subject had been a taboo since the 1996 Marc Dutroux child abuse scandal in neighboring Belgium. “We have been hushed up. The only way is through parliament.”

The Netherlands already has liberal policies on soft drugs, prostitution, and gay marriage, but the NVD is unlikely to win much support, the AD quoted experts as saying.

“They make out as if they want more rights for children. But their position that children should be allowed sexual contact from age 12 is of course just in their own interest,” anti-pedophile campaigner Ireen van Engelen told the daily.

The party said private possession of child pornography should be allowed although it favors banning the trade of such materials. The broadcast of pornography should be allowed on daytime television, with only violent pornography limited to the late evening, according to the party.

Toddlers should be given sex education and youths aged 16 and up should be allowed to appear in pornographic films and prostitute themselves. Sex with animals should be allowed although abuse of animals should remain illegal, the NVD said.

The party also said everybody should be allowed to go naked in public.

The party’s program also includes ideas for other areas of public policy including legalizing all soft and hard drugs and free train travel for all.

AMSTERDAM (Reuters)

Analysis:

It is a bit difficult to be shocked anymore when presented with examples of ungodliness and immorality in our world. I must confess, however, to being especially appalled at the reading of the preceding article. Pedophilia (sexual activity with children) has long had adherents (from ancient Greece until our day. But it seems pedophiles are becoming more vocal in the pressing of their peculiar agenda to be accepted by society.

One reason why such perverts are emboldened in their agenda to legalize such abominations is that a secular society has no sound foundation upon which to exclude any immoral activity. If God is not the arbiter in the questions regarding good and evil, who is? If men determine what is immoral and what is not, perhaps men will one day determine that pedophilia is wholesome and harmless. Farfetched? Hardly, as we see this is exactly what has been done with regard to homosexuality, abortion and euthanasia.

In the days of Noah we are told, “Then the LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually” (Genesis 6:5). It seems that the world in our day is looking more and more like that ancient world. God destroyed that world by water. One wonders whether God’s longsuffering is nearing its end with us as well! “But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up” (2 Peter 3:10).

Sermon Title: Lot – How to Make a Terrible Decision

This sermon by Heath Rogers establishes that bad influences (in this case the men of Sodom) can corrupt our thinking and judgment to the point that we make bad decisions. Great lesson for young people.

Sermon PowerPoint: Click Here .

Sermon Audio: Click Here .

Muslims throughout the world are outraged at a set of cartoons published by a Danish newspaper (and later republished by a Norwegian paper), which depict the “prophet” Muhammad. As a general rule, the Muslim belief states that no images of Muhammad, or any other prophet, should be made. This is to help avoid idolatry. However, they were further outraged by the fact that Muhammad was demeaned in several of the cartoons; including one that showed Muhammad with a bomb for a turban. This outrage has ranged from silent discontent to the firebombing of Scandinavian embassies.

Continue reading ““Cruci-Fixin’s”” →

AUSTIN – Forget education reform and taxes. On Tuesday, the Texas House turned its attention to a measure dubbed “the booty bill,” voting to crack down on cheerleaders who perform sexually suggestive routines at school-sponsored events.

The legislation, which passed 65-56, would give the state and school districts more power to shut down or punish drill teams, dance squads, cheerleaders or “any other performance group” that perform ribald acts.

Many members chortled, joked and jovially waved blue and white pompoms during the debate, but the bill’s sponsor, state Rep. Al Edwards of Houston, said the legislation is no laughing matter.

“Girls can get out and do these overtly sexual performances and we applaud them. And that’s not right,” said Edwards, an ordained minister. “This is the beginning of an era to change some of what we’ve been seeing.”

Though Edwards is a Democrat, most in his party opposed the bill while most Republicans voted in favor.

Opponents said the bill has already made Texas a national laughingstock, can’t be enforced and gives the state a power that should be reserved exclusively for local school districts&ldots;

…State Rep. Senfronia Thompson, D-Houston, said the bill was embarrassing and insulting, particularly as more pressing issues — like a major overhaul of the state’s school finance system — await consideration.

“We can’t legislate morality,” Thompson said. “I don’t know how this bill got to the floor. It’s stupid!”

The measure, which would still have to pass the Senate and be signed by the governor to become law, would allow the Texas Education Agency to require that school districts review possibly lewd performances.

If the school district determined that the act was conducted in an “overtly sexually suggestive manner,” they would have to take unspecified “appropriate action” against the performers and the performers’ sponsor.

Will Harrell, director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Texas, said the legislation was too vague, petty and “patently unconstitutional.”

“This broad, morally restrictive legislation reminds me of the Taliban,” Harrell said, referring to the former hard-line regime in Afghanistan. “Why not go all the way? Why not require them all to wear a burka?”

Ft. Worth Star Telegram
Jay Root

Analysis:

I purposefully printed most of the article, as it speaks for itself. While I will not comment on the wisdom of the legislation itself, the present attitudes toward what is obviously lasciviousness is interesting:

• The view that we can’t legislate morality is obviously not so. Laws against murder, for example, do just that.

• We live in a society in which many think that any limitation of prurient activity is tantamount to fascism.

• The world recognizes that the routines and dress of cheerleaders are sexually suggestive. Why is it that so many Christian parents still allow their daughters to participate?

Gibbons, in his well respected work entitled, Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, lists 7 reasons he contends were the major culprits resulting in the fall of the greatest of the ancient empires. The seven reasons listed are:

1. The divorce rate rose.
2. Taxes got higher
3. More public money was spent for welfare.
4. The craving for greater pleasure and leisure increased.
5. Sports appeared to get more exciting, more brutal.
6. The building of gigantic armaments continued.
7. Religion was thought by many to be on the decay.

Now, it doesn’t take a genius to see the parallels of the ancient society with our day and time. And this is a pretty strong indicator of the present state of our society as well. Continue reading “Decline and Fall” →

Author’s note: Sometimes my thoughts are inspired by current events. This makes it necessary to explain the context of the remarks when reprinting the article. This article was written following the first of three recent Dallas Cowboy victories in the Superbowl (January, 1993). I believe the message to be even more timely now.

Last week the city of Dallas had a parade and pep rally to celebrate the Super Bowl victory our Cowboys had two weeks ago. I watched the parade on television, and as soon as it was over I turned the television off. You have to understand that I am a big fan, and so when I turned off the television, I was in a very good mood. It was fun to see the fans and the players having such a good time.

Of course, you know what happened after the rally broke up. (A riot ensued). Continue reading “The Superbowl, and the Answer to Society’s Problems” →

The following comments are inspired by this short article I ran across in a bulletin entitled Preacher Talk.

So It Seems

Norma McCorvey is the “Jane Roe” of the Roe V. Wade Supreme Court decision which legalized abortion. Mrs. McCorvey uses the name of a husband she left. She is 46 and has had three pregnancies, the second and third out of wedlock. The third, though born before the Supreme Court decided Roe, was the baby of that decision.

Mrs. McCorvey announced herself a lesbian after the birth of her first daughter, Melissa, now 29, but she nevertheless conceived two more times. She has been living with a “pro-choice” Catholic woman, Connie Gonzalez, for 21 years. Gonzalez met McCorvey when she caught her shoplifting at a store where she worked.

Mrs. McCorvey reports that, when she first met her attorney, Sarah Weddington, whom the case made famous, she did not know the attorney had herself had an abortion. “When I told her than how desperately I needed one, she could have told me where to go for it. But she wouldn’t because she needed me pregnant for her case.”

As Raffaelo Balestrini remarked in his 19 century book on abortion in antiquity, abortion is a symptom of a widespread social degeneracy.

Reported by Harold O.J. Brown, The Religion and Society Report, 10/94, p. 8.

Raffaelo Balestrini’s observation is demonstrably true. Continue reading “Be Wary of a Dangerous Society” →