Fighting the culture war

To what extreme can we go with the freedom of expression as it abuts decent, moral standards?
That debate has been raging since the First Amendment was drafted more than 200 years ago. What is and isn’t permissible to say or do under protection of the Constitution has been continually tested, twisted and revised over the years.
The bottom line is an unmistakable and continual lowering of standards and a much more liberal interpretation of free speech. Back in the 1950s, Rob and Laura Petrie had to sleep in separate beds on “The Dick Van Dyke Show.” In the 1960s, The Monkees poked fun at the fact that you couldn’t say H-E-double hockey sticks on TV.
Fast-forward to today. Not only can vulgarities be heard on primetime television, but the words even appear in some of the titles. Recently, I was watching one of the popular detective programs on TV and was horrified to see nude bodies on full display in the morgue (with private parts washed out in bright lights).
As I’ve flipped through channels, I’ve seen scenes of gay men kissing. You wouldn’t have seen that on TV five years ago, let alone 60.
Back in 1969, the Best Picture Oscar went to “Midnight Cowboy” which was rated X at the time. After its win, the rating was lowered to an R. I’m told it would probably be PG-13 by today’s standards. I have not seen the film, nor do I want to.
As a young man in the 1980s, I recall a television commercial where the model is gushing enthusiastically about how wonderful her bra is. As she begins to disrobe to show it, there is a whistle in the background and she stops. I don’t even need to tell you how far lingerie ads go today.
The more desensitized we become to these things, the more acceptable they become and the further the envelope is pushed in order to get noticed. It happens in all forms of media. Every time a line is pushed or blurred, the standard gets lowered.
Even fashion cannot escape this problem. Hardly a day goes by where one does not see ample cleavage on display or outfits designed to enhance every curve of the body. It even happens in church, which just goes to show how much the erosion of standards has permeated our culture.
Where do we draw the line? Where do we say, this far and no farther? It seems that any attempt to uphold the standard is seen as censorship and a violation of First Amendment rights.
A couple weeks ago I wrote a column against gay “marriage.” It caught the usual flack about how we should not put religion over the Constitution. While I’m not going to debate that right now, it is abundantly clear that the gay agenda is being pushed to an obscene level in today’s culture. And the more we’re exposed to it, the more we accept it.
If you take the First Amendment to its most liberal interpretation, most anything would be permissible. It would be legal to say and show anything no matter how lewd or detestable it is. There would no longer be anything as foul language because it would all be protected as free speech. Nudity would go from obscene to obsolete.
If you don’t think there are people who can and will push things to their lowest level, I invite you to research the North American Man Boy Love Association sometime. It’s a real organization that advocates consensual sexual relations between men and boys.
Call me prude, or an old-fashioned fuddy-duddy, but I’m not afraid to draw the line and say this is wrong. I’m not afraid to fight in the culture wars. I’m not afraid to raise the bar and elevate the standards of decency.
As Promise Keepers co-founder Bill McCartney said once, “Men, we have been in a war, but we have not been AT war.”
I have been engaged in the culture war most of my professional career. There are battles I have lost and more that I will lose. But I also have my victories. Despite the long odds, the cause is just and noble and is in dire need for more who are willing to engage in the fight.
It must be made clear, however, that the culture war is just part of a bigger battle against Christianity. The Bible says that in the end times, many will be deceived by the great deceiver (Satan). Let me make some of these deceptions plain: the acceptance of evolution over creation; legalization of “medical” marijuana; the proliferation of porn; the growing belief that there is more than one way (Jesus) of getting to Heaven; abortion; Boy Scouts losing funding because of the organization’s stance on homosexuality; the loss of prayer in schools; the acceptance of pro-gay organizations in schools; and so much more.
I will shamelessly and without excuse stand up for what I know and believe to be right. Will you join me? Will you dare to stand up and face ridicule and scorn? I just did. And I’d like you to do it too.