When you turn on the television now

By: Steve Huston

“… In the 1950s and ’60s it used to be that you would never see married couples in bed together. … You may have noticed that when you turn the television on now you still never see married couples in bed together, but for entirely different reasons,” said Tim Winter, PTC president. ‘You´ll see teenagers in bed with prostitutes, men in bed with their mistresses and teachers in bed with their students.’ … ”
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2008/aug/06/study-finds-nonmarital-sex-a-prime-time-staple/
Personal note:

Some (presumably many) of my generation (graduates from the 60s) and earlier generations lament the above quote “… ‘You´ll see teenagers in bed with prostitutes, men in bed with their mistresses and teachers in bed with their students.’ … ”

In fact, we did grow up in a day when such images were unthinkable. I couldn’t leave my teaching position of 18 years fast enough in the late 80s as I was hopeful that I could make a difference in battling for decency in my generation. I sensed God’s calling in my life and He provided the means to join the fight for decency.

Little did I realize that the battles of the 80s and 90s were child’s play compared to what we as Americans face today. ” ‘… teenagers in bed with prostitutes, men in bed with their mistresses and teachers in bed with their students.’ … ”

I am thankful that I was raised in a time when television programs were innocent, clean – that encouraged (for the most part) good character rather than undermined traditional family values.

I could sit down at any time of day with Mom and Dad and brothers and sisters and enjoy together positive messages, themes and images that were free of eroticism. The programming reinforced the training of my parents: decency, doing right, honoring parents, being faithful to your mate.

Some would say what comes first the chicken or the egg – that it was really the breakdown of the family that led to the decline in television programming. To that I say “Nonsense.”

AFA’s Chairman Donald Wildmon used to ask the question in the 80s “Who is America’s leading evangelist?” Responses were predictable. “Billy Graham,” the audience would respond.

Wildmon would say ” America’s number one evangelist was Norman Lear who created such programs as ‘All in the Family,’ ‘Maude,’ ‘Sanford and Son’ and other programs that pushed new themes that little by little played a role in the initial undermining of time-honored standards of the Biblical ethic of decency.

Norman Lear, of course, is not the leading evangelist today. Who is the leading evangelist today? It certainly is not a Christian leader – for America has now quite some time ago turned its back upon God.

And though America has removed itself from God, He is not oblivious to our rebellion against His call for us (all peoples) to love Him and obey Him.

I haven’t been able to be the instrument that I would have liked to be in effecting change. Nonetheless, at least one thing I have understood. I have been called to be faithful not to be successful, although I strive to be successful.

By His grace, I desire and intend to continue to be faithful.

God’s prophetic word has gone forth before to a wayward people.

It serves as a reminder that our God does and will judge a nation that goes a whoring:

” …Thus saith the Lord GOD; Because thy filthiness was poured out, and thy nakedness discovered through thy whoredoms with thy lovers, and with all the idols of thy abominations, and by the blood of thy children, which thou didst give unto them; 37 Behold, therefore I will gather all thy lovers, with whom thou hast taken pleasure, and all them that thou hast loved, with all them that thou hast hated; I will even gather them round about against thee, and will discover thy nakedness unto them, that they may see all thy nakedness. 38 And I will judge thee, as women that break wedlock and shed blood are judged; and I will give thee blood in fury and jealousy. 39 And I will also give thee into their hand, and they shall throw down thine eminent place, and shall break down thy high places: they shall strip thee also of thy clothes, and shall take thy fair [12] jewels, and leave thee naked and bare. 40 They shall also bring up a company against thee, and they shall stone thee with stones, and thrust thee through with their swords. 41 And they shall burn thine houses with fire, and execute judgments upon thee in the sight of many women: and I will cause thee to cease from playing the harlot, and thou also shalt give no hire any more. 42 So will I make my fury toward thee to rest, and my jealousy shall depart from thee, and I will be quiet, and will be no more angry. 43 Because thou hast not remembered the days of thy youth, but hast fretted me in all these things; behold, therefore I also will recompense thy way upon thine head, saith the Lord GOD: and thou shalt not commit this lewdness above all thine abominations. …”
Ezekiel 16:36-43

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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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