Making acceptable that which is not

By: American Decency Staff

One of the recent phenomena of our culture is the voyeuristic trend toward “realityâ€Â TV.  From raising sextuplets (Kate plus Eight) to living life with the condition of dwarfism (Little People, Big World), cable networks such as TLC and Discovery bring cameras into homes to show viewers a slice of life of families with unique challenges.  And just as many can’t help gawking when driving past a roadside accident, Americans seem to be mesmerized. Occasionally reality television offers positive examples of family and even faith.  Take the Duggars of the show 19 Kids and Counting. The Duggar clan attended the Values Voter Summit which I and some of our staff recently attended.  I had the opportunity to hear the strong testimony of the Duggars as the parents were featured speakers and the children blessed the audience with some special music.  Jim Bob Duggar stated that the main stipulation when agreeing to take part in the reality TV program that showcases their family’s life is that their faith in Christ would not end up on the cutting room floor. Now TLC is offering a new reality show dealing with “faithâ€Â and “familyâ€Â – however, this version of faith and family is a warped and twisted view of both.  The show is called “Sister Wivesâ€Â and highlights the life of a polygamous family – a husband with a combination of four ‘wives’ and an assortment of 16 children who claim they are following the tenets of their faith, referred to as fundamentalist Mormons. Setting aside the moral objections of this show’s concept for just a moment, the TLC network seems to overlook the fact that polygamy is illegal in all fifty states!   Instead of upholding the law of the land, we reward them with a television series???  (Just yesterday news broke that Utah authorities have begun an investigation of the family regarding a charge of bigamy.) However, aside from condoning illegal activity, the far greater danger, in my opinion, is the direct assault upon the God-ordained institution of marriage.  This is a program that, instead of condemning something which is abhorrent, seems bent on loosening taboos – attempting to make acceptable that which is not.  Newsweek claims the show Sister Wives “… casts a more favorable light on polygamy.â€ÂÂ  And MSNBC, while acknowledging polygamy is “technically an illegal lifestyle,â€Â in a very sympathetically-written article asserts “… Sister Wives might go a long way in disputing perceived stereotypes (of polygamists)…â€Â and claims “the kids in the family are benefiting from being part of the show.â€Â Why would the secular media and entertainment elites have any words of affirmation for such a concept as polygamy – a lifestyle long-condemned by society and the Christian Church?  Could it be that these cultural tutors in political correctness “just want us all to get alongâ€Â while they quote their favorite scripture verse (out of context) “judge not lest ye be judgedâ€Â?   Or, do they recognize that every step that undermines traditional, biblical morality is a victory in their quest to abolish the inherent moral rightness or wrongness of lifestyle choices. For if polygamy is deemed acceptable, gay marriage certainly should be.  In another interview one of the wives in this so-called family stated:  “We know it’s illegal, but we made a conscious decision, based on our own faith and our belief systems, that this is what we wanted to do.â€ÂÂ  One also claimed, “We believe consenting adults should be with who they want.â€ÂÂ Â  Cody Brown, the husband of this harem stated, “…it’s hard to dictate by law who you love.â€Â Where have we heard that rationalization before?  ‘The law can’t dictate who we love.’  ‘We’re consenting adults.’  Every argument that is used for the acceptance of gay marriage can also be applied to polygamy or any such combination.  The proponents of such want their own sinful lifestyles validated with a stamp of approval, claiming that the institution of marriage can change with the cultural winds of the time.  However, society does not define marriage – God does, and He and His principles are timeless and absolute. Not a message that plays well to the seared consciences of those who push for the legitimization of polygamy or gay marriage. And while some may say this one obscure television show won’t singlehandedly undermine traditional marriage – it certainly is a step in that direction.  Twenty years ago we wouldn’t have envisioned the fight we face against those pushing for gay marriage.  What will we face twenty years from now? ======================================================= 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 ———————— Donate online: https://secure4.afo.net/ada/donate.php American Decency Association is a member of the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability.

---