Purpose Statement – What We Believe

The American Decency Association is an overtly Christian organization directed by a biblical worldview. We believe that God’s desire for His people is that they be not conformed to this world, rather, transformed by the renewing of their minds unto Christ. Being a light in a darkened world does not imply a selfish retreat from that world, but an activism within it proceeding from love for God and our neighbor.
a) ADA is an overtly Christian organization whose positions on the nature of morality emanate from a biblical worldview.
b) we believe that Christians are called to the pursuit of holiness in all aspects of their lives,
c) that holiness demands of God’s people that they be a light in a darkened world,
d) that being a light in a darkened world does not mean selfish retreat from the world, but an activism within it that proceeds from love for our neighbor.
e) the ADA seeks to provide those who would desire to be a light with the tools and resources necessary to be
that light.

A) ADA – An Overtly Christian Organization
1. We believe the Bible to be the inspired, the only infallible, inerrent, authoritative word of God.
2. We believe that there is one God, eternally existent in three persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
3. We believe in the deity of our Lord Jesus Christ, in His virgin Birth, in His sinless life, in His miracles, in His
atoning death through His shed blood, in His bodily resurrection, in His ascension to the right hand of the Father,
in His present rule as head of the Church, and in His personal return to power and glory.
4. We believe that for the salvation of lost and sinful men regeneration by the Holy Spirit is absolutely essential.
5. We believe in the present ministry of the Holy Spirit, by whose indwelling the Christian is enabled to live a
godly life.
6. We believe in the resurrection of both the saved and the lost, that they are saved unto the resurrection of life
and that they are lost unto the resurrection of damnation.
7. We believe in the spiritual unity of believers in our Lord Jesus Christ.

B) Called to the Pursuit of Holiness in All Aspects of Our Lives
Because we are human, we are also marked by sin and in need of a Savior and His Lordship in our lives.  We are a Christ-centered ministry. We believe our only hope is in the Lord Jesus Christ through His saving grace. Any righteousness we may have only comes in and through Christ – His shed blood on the cross in atonement for our sins. But, in our salvation, Christ calls us to be holy for He is holy. We are made holy in salvation but we are then to be holy – “to pursue holiness …without which no man shall see the Lord.”  [Hebrews 12:14].

As we have lived out our lives in the twentieth century and now more recently in the twenty-first century, we question: Why do so many people who call themselves Christians live as if they are oblivious to God’s call for them to “be holy for He is holy”; and to “… place no wicked thing before mine eyes” [I Peter 1:15,16; Psalm 101:3a]? Is it because the Church, the home, the school is largely silent regarding the holiness of God?  We believe the answer is an unequivocal “Yes!” And, as Satan attacks us, our youth, and our families via desensitizing, degrading “entertainment”, we Christian leaders live as if there is no battle. So many who should know better have viewed filthy things and have lost their sense of righteousness. Confusion marks many. What is right? What is wrong? Multitudes have no inkling that placing wicked things before their eyes desensitizes and degrades. And there is no outrage. No outrage for the assault upon our precious children and families. And the glory of God is degraded as we His people walk in darkness.

C) Holiness Demands of God’s People to be a Light in a Darkened World
Continually seeking to be discerners of the will of God, we desire to find those avenues of doing ministry that will most effectively accomplish His purposes. “And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them.” [Ephesians 5:11]

Having no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, we are engaged in the development and coordination of newsletters, bulletin inserts, speaking engagements, and educational resources that will remind, exhort and/or encourage people to love Christ and to remind them of His call to pursue holiness.

Exposing the unfruitful works of darkness, we seek, then, to stand in opposition to the flow of pornography and indecency in the marketplace and the media. Speaking out against the influx of pornographic images in shopping malls, standing against erotic magazines in family supermarkets, and monitoring television and/or radio shows that are most concerning – identifying particular advertisers most responsible for empowering programming that damages and demeans the image of God, His character and His people. These are but a few ministry
efforts in which we engage the culture, confronting darkness with light.

D) An Activism Within the World that Proceeds from Love for Our Neighbor
Striving to educate and coordinate with concerned citizens, churches, and other organizations to work cohesively to protect men, women and children from the insidious impact of the pornography/entertainment industry that is at work to erode the character of Christ, His glory and His people.

E) Providing Resources to Assist Others to be a Light in a Darkened World
a) daily email alerts, reaching tens of thousands of pro-decency people, that encourage, inform, challenge and rally hearts, giving tools and opportunities for activism
b) our website, updated daily, offering a wealth of information to assist in advancing the battle for righteousness and an individual pursuit of holiness
c) production of a monthly newsletter for education on ADA’s identified decency issues such as: pornography, homosexuality, immodesty, indecency in entertainment, and sexual victimization
d) produce and distribute monthly bulletin inserts, American Decency Update, providing timely articles to exhort and encourage Christians in over 1,200 churches
e) Promote and disseminate educational and spiritual resources useful for the building up of the body of Christ in relationship to the spiritual battle we are engaged.
f) provide tools for Christian activism that will allow Christians practical “weapons” to respond to the various societal issues in which we are engaged.