Selling Society’s Conscience

By: American Decency Staff

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“Excellence always sells,”so says American self-help speaker, Earl Nightingale.  However, many snack foods companies and fast foods restaurants have long stopped depending upon the “excellence” of their product in favor of sexualizing their particular brand of food.  In other words, Doritos, Carl Jr., (you fill in the blank), would rather feed the public’s craving for sex than they would feed the public’s craving for food.

To be sure, many companies go with the “sex sells” slogan; but that is neither a good excuse for using sexualized ads nor is it acceptable to push an LGBT sexual agenda upon John Q. Public and our unsuspecting children.  These various companies have been laying a foundation of public sexuality and indecency for years.  They don’t just promote a product; they promote a way of life, a societal image, and a temperature change toward morality.  These food moguls continue to lead society into more and more immodesty, sexualization, and deviant behaviors as they promote these warped views in their ads.

The commercials shown today would never have been accepted years ago.  For that matter, some go so far that they are banned today; but their immodesty and filth can still be seen “thanks” to the internet; and they still affect our society today.  Some of these companies show women so scantily clothed that it leaves nothing to the imagination; if that weren’t enough, they are in such erotic poses one knows that it’s not food they are really trying to sell. 

For example, the Carl’s Jr. “all natural” commercial which was to be shown only to a portion of our country during the Super Bowl was banned but can still be viewed online.  It will still affect our communities by demeaning women and exciting men.  Erika Napoletano, a branding consultant, commented on the commercial to USA Today, stating, “It’s like porn meets American Pastime….  It makes NFL cheerleaders—underpaid and underclothed—look like nuns in comparison.”

Other food commercials display strangers kissing or even getting married due to meeting over these snacks. Some show either women or men sucking on the fingers of a man in a sexualized manner.  Other ads have shown two men in a lingering kiss, a man ripping the pants off another man only to sniff those pants because he had wiped Doritos cheese on them.  The list of improprieties which have bombarded adult and child alike through this medium goes on and on. 

Some of these companies not only promote that which is wrong but they also make fun of the Bible, the church, and God; so in some sense, they lift up the bad while putting down the good.

These ads have an impact on the individual, the family, and of course society.  Even if we were to leave our televisions off, never to turn them on again, we would still be affected by these ads as they infect our society by shifting the moral temperature and little by little searing society’s conscience.

The conscience has been described as a triangle.  The sharp points of that triangle prick the person causing him discomfort and at times pain.  Then he has a choice to make; “Will I do or refrain from doing that which my conscience is warning me of?”

Each time the conscience isn’t heeded, the points wear down a little more, the pricking doesn’t hurt as much, and it is easier to ignore the next time.  What we fail to realize is that our conscience isn’t only affected by our choices; the entertainment we watch, the books we read, and the commercials we see all have an effect on our and society’s conscience.

As near-naked images bombard our eyes and the eyes of our children, as immodesty to soft porn are presented as normal and acceptable, it’s not such a far step to full-blown nudity and harder pornography.  With the average first time exposure to pornography being five to eight years old, we should be all the more concerned about what is seen as acceptable in our society.

While it is true that laughter is good medicine, it’s also true that laughter can desensitize you to that which is evil and that which is godly.  Activities and lifestyles which are immoral or aberrant are frequently introduced to society during sit-coms and commercials using comedy as their medium.  The devil knows that once you laugh at sin you don’t take it as seriously as before.

In like manner, Hollywood has used comedy to poke fun at Christians, put pastors in a bad light, and blaspheme the name and character of God.  Euphemisms for God were almost unheard of and certainly not accepted until a string of sit-coms came out with them and the slang generally tied to a punch line.  Now taking God’s name in vain is commonplace, and we as a society are not the better for it.  A commercial spot during this past Super Bowl even made fun of the Almighty with an ad entitled “The All-Powerless.”  How does society take a holy God seriously when they are laughing at Him?

We have a grave responsibility to protect the eyes, ears, and mind of our children—and ourselves.  Do what you can about what your children are exposed to.  Guard your home!  Point out those things which are wrong and take a stand against them when possible.  Use your purchasing dollar wisely.

The individual impacts the family, the family impacts the church, the church is supposed to have an impact on the nation.  Unfortunately instead of the church turning the world upside down, the world has now turned the church upside down.

Advertisers and media in general are out to corrupt your mind and wear down your conscience.  They are pushing an agenda which runs counter culture to God and His way.  Protect yourself and your family.  Don’t be conformed to this world; instead, be transformed by the renewing of your mind (Rom. 12:1-3)

Leaders of the home, spend time in prayer, Bible reading, and meditation.  Lead your families in daily devotions, encouraging them to pray, read and meditate as well.  Do these things at all costs.  Your family is at stake; our nation is at stake. 

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American Decency is a member of the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability
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photo credit: August07 002 via photopin (license)

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