ABC/Disney’s “Desperate Housewives” kicks off its season premiere

By: Steve Huston

“… Separate them more and more from sin and sinners, by making them more pure, more spiritually-minded and more like thyself….”
[Taken from Daily Readings by J.C. Ryle] September 30, 2008

Personal note –

As the battle for the heart and soul of our nation continues on many fronts, the battle for purity is so easily forgotten. Below
we provide a few links that will hopefully encourage and edify.

But first this – ABC/Disney’s “Desperate Housewives” kicks off its season premier:

In 2004 when ABC premiered the show “Desperate Housewives”, pushing the envelope even further on network television, we stated at the time: “Desperate Housewives constant barrage of sexual themes and normalization of infidelity is one of the worst assaults upon the family.”

Four years ago “Desperate Housewives” gained notoriety for its taboo breaking storylines – a housewife having an affair with a minor, scenes of bondage, etc – four years later our culture has acclimated to what once shocked and disgusted. The proverbial frog in a kettle. And as “Desperate Housewives” gained acceptance, ABC and the other networks followed with similar themes, pushing that envelope further and further, until we reached the point where such a depraved show as “Swingtown” aired this summer on network television.
[See https://americandecency.org/main.php?f=updates_new/2008/June/06.10.08]

While its notoriety may be lessened, “Desperate Housewives” still remains an assault upon the family. The new season began Sunday evening, once again showing erotic bed scenes of one the “housewives” engaged in an affair with a much younger man. As she kicks him out of bed she tells him, “We just had hot sex and I didn’t force you to cuddle. Go brag to your friends.” This is the ongoing message of this show – intimacy and faithfulness are replaced with casual sex and the selfish pursuit of pleasure at all costs.

Advertisers include
Yum Brands (Kentucky Fried Chicken, Procter & Gamble, Nikon, Sprint
https://americandecency.org/main.php?f=updates_new/2008/September/09.28a.08

*** The kick off of our weekly radio broadcast.
AFO President, Steve Ensley and I kick off our weekly online broadcast which we have entitled “The battle for purity.”

This week’s edition is a discussion that includes in part –
(1) An overview of the unfolding of the Internet, (2) obstacles Christian ministries have faced in attempting to clean up the Internet, (3) Some of the ways that Christians have responded to the bombardment of pornography on the Internet, (4) a brief discussion regarding social networking sites
See link below.
http://www.afo.net/downloads/battle_for_purity_092608.wav

*** Holy living is the great proof of the reality of Christianity.

In John 17:11-17 our Lord proceeds to name the second thing he asks for his disciples in prayer. Preservation was the first thing and sanctification the second. He asks his Father to make the disciples more holy, to lead them on to higher degrees of holiness and purity. He asks him to do it ‘through the truth’, by bringing truth to bear more effectually and powerfully on their hearts and consciences and inner man. And to prevent mistake as to what he meant by truth, he adds, ‘Thy Word, thy revealed Word, is the truth that I mean.’

No doubt the word ‘sanctify’ originally and primarily means ‘set apart, separate for religious uses’; and it might be used of a vessel, a house, or an animal. But inasmuch as in human beings this separation is principally evidenced by holiness and godliness of life and character, the secondary sense of ‘sanctify’ is ‘to make holy’, and holy and godly people are ‘sanctified’. This I hold to be the meaning here most decidedly. It is a prayer for the increased holiness and practical godliness of Christ’s people. In short, the petition comes to this: ‘Separate them more and more from sin and sinners, by making them more pure, more spiritually-minded and more like thyself.’

It is a prayer that the Father would make his people more holy, more spiritual, more pure, more saintly in thought and word and deed, in life and character. Grace had done something for the disciples already – called, converted, renewed and changed them. The great Head of the church prays that the work of grace may be carried higher and further and that his people may be more thoroughly sanctified and made holy in body, soul and spirit – in fact, more like himself.

Surely we need not say much to show the matchless wisdom of this prayer. More holiness is the very thing to be desired for all servants of Christ. Holy living is the great proof of the reality of Christianity.
[Taken from Daily Readings from all four Gospels, by J.C. Ryle, published by Evangelical Press, Darlington England]

***
“The Truth Project” from Saturday: A very good day for all of us in attendance as Focus on the Family’s Dr. Del Tackett and staff did an outstanding job of presenting their vision for the training of hundreds of thousands throughout the land to bolster a greater understanding and life response to Biblical Truth in all areas of life. For further information see: thetruthproject.org

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American Decency Association
Bill Johnson, President
P.O. Box 202
Fremont, MI 49412
ph: 231-924-4050
https://americandecency.org

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