An infestation greater than bed bugs

By: American Decency Staff

There’s an infestation that has spread throughout the country.  It has infiltrated homes, hotels, libraries, family shopping centers.  No, I’m not talking about bed bugs.  Rather something far more serious – pornography. A week and a half from now marks an annual event that will receive little notice in the media or even our churches.  October 31 – November 7 is WRAP week – White Ribbons Against Pornography.   This month we see pink ribbons adorning products and persons and hear news reports bringing needed attention to breast cancer awareness – a disease that has affected millions, including one of our staff members here at ADA.   And while devastating in a much different way, pornography is also like a cancer destroying the lives of millions; but don’t expect the media to draw attention to that fact.  Local evening news and newspaper headlines regularly report on a flood of sex crimes, but liberal media refuse to draw the obvious and proven connection to pornography.   And while, sadly, pornography is a struggle for many in the church, it is the rare pastor that speaks out against it. With the Internet, pornography is a mouse click away, available to men (and increasingly used by women) with ease and anonymity, giving easy access to material that is much more vile and perverse than the “nudie picturesâ€Â of a previous generation.   And as men become addicted, their compulsion leads them to greater depths of depravity.  Consider a couple of recent headlines from our local paper. “Neighbor caught off guard with charge against man for sexually assaulting pit bullâ€Â “Hill to be freed on child-porn chargesâ€Â Pornography can ensnare anyone, destroying lives and families.  An example of that is this headline:  “Lawyers spar over pedophile’s sentenceâ€Â Quoting: “Federal prosecutors say former Tulip Time official Thomas Westerlund should be locked up the rest of his life for preying on teenage boys he recruited as festival volunteers.  … “’The defendant created a haven for boys so they could be groomed for his sexual gratification,’ Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel Mekaru wrote in a memorandum. “’He was able to position himself as a trusted, upstanding member of the community.  Parents trusted him to supervise their children.  However, behind closed doors he was sexually assaulting boys.’  …â€Â “;;;Police subsequently found images of Westerlund abusing boys on his home computer… .â€Â(Muskegon Chronicle 5-8-10) This crime took place in a local community known for conservative, family values.  An area with deep Christian roots that still thrive today with seemingly a church on every corner.  Yet here was an “upstanding member of the communityâ€Â molesting boys.  It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to predict what material led this church-going, pillar of society to engage in such crimes. Yet where is the outrage against pornography?  It can start with you.  Speak out against this evil.  Urge your pastor to incorporate in his teaching and preaching what God says about pornography. Our friends at Morality in Media (MIM) and Concerned Women for America (CWA) are bringing awareness to White Ribbon Against Pornography (WRAP) Week and have made available some helpful resources to help you educate others to this concern. Check out the links below: MIM:  “Morality in Media provides many resources for WRAP at its www.moralityinmedia.org website (WRAP Campaign page). You can also call 212-870-3210, and we will send information in the U.S. mail.â€Â CWA: “To make your voice heard during Wrap Week, see the new CWA Wrap Week Fact Card available here. Making a white ribbon with a safety pin and attaching it to the card is a great way to make people aware and give them something they can wear for WRAP Week. Also, for those struggling with a porn addiction, there are free resources at www.PornHarms.com, www.purelifeministries.org and www.regenerationministries.org. Also, check out www.GirlsAgainstPorn.com. We urge churches to spread information about helpful resources to address this serious issue affecting many families.â€Â =================================== Thanks for standing with us: Donate online: https://secure4.afo.net/ada/donate.php American Decency Association P.O. Box 202 Fremont MI 49412 American Decency Association is a member of the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability. ———————— A classic resource available as short supply lasts: “The Holiness of Godâ€Â by R.C. Sproul. To order your free copy, email bjohnson@americandecency.org Many of you took advantage of our offer regarding the book “The Pursuit of Holinessâ€Â by Jerry Bridges. This is what Jerry Bridges has to say about this book offer “Every Christian who is serious about his or her growth needs to read ‘The Holiness of God.’ I profited greatly from this book.â€Â American Decency Association Bill Johnson, President P.O. Box 202 Fremont, MI 49412 ph: 231-924-4050 https://americandecency.org/ http://www.twitter.com/billwjohnson =================================== To Unsubscribe send an email to: info@americandecency.org include word “unsubscribeâ€Â in subject line.

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