By James Fire
Morality is something integral to the revelation of God’s Word. His Law, and specifically the Ten Commandments reveals God-ordained morality with every one of the ‘thou shalt’s and ‘thou shalt not’s.
God is eternal and immutable, and so is His Law and Truth, thus morality likewise does not change, despite popular beliefs in our modern times that tout relativism as the be all and end all in this world.
Today, people believe that morals are relative and not revelatory; that is, it’s up to people on an individual or even a group consensus basis to determine what is moral and what is immoral and not prescribed by God for mankind; There are some that even espouse an amoral attitude and conduct. The majority reject the idea that morals are based on God’s truth and that we are obligated to obey it. If truth is rejected, not recognized as existent or deemed relative, not only then does justice suffer, but morality as well. And this inevitably leads to the destruction of any society.
The dangers of pornography and the relativism that allows, even extols it, is the subject in today’s TTUF article. . .
The WRECKAGE THAT IS RELATIVISM –
Relativism has thus blurred the lines, even
obliterated them so that humanity has a ‘free reign’ in their conduct, wholly disregarding what God has revealed in His Word and in actuality rebelling against it (“iniquity” or lawlessness is what the Bible calls this). Far from being a modern phenomenon, Scripture tells us that this ideology has been with us since the days of antiquity (DEUT 12:8; JUDGES 21:25; PROV 21:2).
JUDGES 17:4-6
4 Yet he restored the money unto his mother; and his mother took two hundred shekels of silver, and gave them to the founder, who made thereof a graven image and a molten image: and they were in the house of Micah. 5 And the man Micah had an house of gods, and made an ephod, and teraphim, and consecrated one of his sons, who became his priest. 6 In those days there was no king in Israel, but every man did that which was right in his own eyes. Such conduct has spelled discord, anarchy and the eventual ruin of whole civilizations throughout history, the Roman Empire not excepted. The Bible states that “the wages of sin is death” (ROM 6:23a), and “death” in this instance not only means death, but also destruction, ruin, disrepair beyond remedy, and we witness the truth of this when we consider the degradation of morality in any society.
YOU SAY YOU WANT A REVOLUTION (Of The RAUNCHY SORT)?
The sexual revolution of the 60’s with the “Free Love Movement” along with the availability pharmaceutical contraceptives and anti-biotics (to cure VD, particularly syphyllis) opened a Pandora’s Box in America; between that and the general belief in relativism our society has experienced a downhill, and even more so today, a free-fall plummet into depravity.
The explosion of pornography as a result of convenient access via the Internet is a plague that is causing destruction, ruin and too often, disrepair beyond remedy in our world today. An exaggeration, you say? Let us continue this examination . . .
Whether one obtains a porn magazine with its velvet-textured pages or clicks on a link to such sites, we see this so-called ‘art form’ as a modern phenomenon, yet pornography has been a part of our fallen world since the fall of man.
The PERDITIOUS PORN of the PAST –
The very word pornography is from the Greek word porneia – which is from pernaō, "to sell off" – [specifically] properly, a male prostitute; (pórnos) is "properly, 'a male
prostitute'; in the NT, any fornicator"; i.e. anyone engaging in sexual immorality; it is associated with the act of fornication and prostitution (“harlotry” as mentioned in Scripture; JER 3:6-8; EZEK 16:15-16, 28).
God rebuked Israel when she fell into spiritual as well as carnal harlotry and the worship of pagan gods. In such rituals that honored these false deities, sexual practices were not only commonly engaged in but expected. They partook in all sorts of debauchery including drunkenness and sexual immorality between sexes as well as same-sex intercourse, all in worship of these false gods.
They would engage in these illicit practices in “groves” where they would worship the idol gods of pleasure like Molech and Ashtoreth.
Groves were those areas located “in the high places” of both Israel (during the times of her apostasy) and the pagan nations that surrounded her. Pagans would often cut the branches off of trees, forming a pillar and then carve the images of false gods into them, or even images of practitioners enacted in profane and vulgar sexual practices (the pornography of their day). For a comprehensive article from an archaeological perspective, read about the high places and groves here.
Paul the apostle mentions that the worship of idols is actually worship of demonic spirits (1 COR 10:19-21) and this is verified by what we read in the Psalms:
PSALM 106:36-38
36 And they served their idols: which were a snare unto them.
37 Yea, they sacrificed their sons and their daughters unto devils,
38 And shed innocent blood, even the blood of their sons and of their daughters, whom they sacrificed unto the idols of Canaan: and the land was polluted with blood.
The SPIRITUAL CONNECTION of PORN and SEDUCING SPIRITS –
Why am I addressing all of this about idolatry and demons in regards to the
issue of pornography?
Because just as the idolatry of times past was associated with sexual rites and
perversion, the immorality of sexual conduct in our society today is no less idolatrous – we are a culture that worships sex. It’s such an adored idol that we glorify it in our films, our literature, our social lives, our internet media and in the plethora of porn readily available for anyone with a smart phone. We even still sacrifice children to it – but instead of being offered up in “the high places”, these infants are sacrificed in abortion clinics! They are not burned in the flames
of fire, but in highly concentrated saline salts.
Just as demonic spirits were involved in and fed off of the pagan worship with all of its religious rites of ‘porn’ and the slaughter of infants, they are just as much involved in luring people into this dark world; one needs only to make an honest appraisal of the fruit of porn to see that this is so. We shall examine its fruit in this article.
A Sister Saint brought various Scripture from PROVERBS into view on the fruit of this darkness and all that it entails:
PROVERBS
1:7-10
7 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom
and instruction.
8 My son, hear the instruction of thy father, and forsake not the law of thy
mother:
9 For they shall be an ornament of grace unto thy head, and chains about thy
neck.
10 My son, if sinners entice thee, consent thou not.
PROVERBS 2:16-19 (the way of no
return and death); PROVERBS 5:3-5, 23;
9:18 (spiritually lost, as well as destruction, death and hell); PROVERBS 6:25-29 (brought to ruin and guilt)
PROVERBS 6:32 (his own soul is
destroyed)
From Anne Kisly, we have the following commentary:
“In addition to the strong language used in the above verses, the book of Proverbs tells us about other consequences. In PROVERBS 2:19 we are told how damaging sexual sin can be. Many never recover from it. By God’s grace some do recover, but even then there are scars that remain. Immorality results in a loss of time, money and reputation and it leaves the person with deep shame and regret (see PROVERBS 5:9-11). Such a man is seen as a FOOL (PROVERBS 5:23). He is burdened with great guilt (PROVERBS 6:29). He becomes the object of wrathful revenge (PROVERBS 6:34-35). His sin results in scars and wounds which will never be healed. The sin can be forgiven by the grace of God but often the damage that was done cannot be undone. Many times the lives of others are adversely affected as well.
“Such consequences are to be expected. To those who deviate from God’s sexual standards the Lord says, "I WILL JUDGE!" (HEBREWS 13:4).”
GALATIANS 6:7-8 English Standard Version (ESV)
Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap. 8 For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life.
THE DARKNESS THAT IS HELLYWOOD –
Allegations of sexual misconduct and even abuse have been brought up by many contemporary stars like Elijah Wood.
Rumors of ‘the casting couch’ where actors auditioning for roles would have to ‘pay out’ to a director or producer who was after more than simply the right cast member for a role. Too often the success of an upcoming actor depended on whether or not they were willing to engage in illicit sex.
But Hollywood’s long history is rife with porn film of the feral sort, couched in a liberal philosophy where ‘anything goes’ and quite often does, even in the conventional film industry – it is a kind of Babylon Reborn with dedication to and promotion of false gods; obviously governed by the god of this wicked age (2 COR 4:4).
BAAL WORSHIP, THEN AND NOW –
“. . . the fundamentals of Baal worship remain alive and well today. The principal pillars of Baalism were child sacrifice, sexual immorality (both heterosexual and homosexual) and pantheism (reverence of creation over the Creator).
“Modern liberalism deviates little from its ancient predecessor. While its macabre rituals have been sanitized with flowery and euphemistic terms of art, its core tenets and practices remain eerily similar. The worship of ‘fertility’ has been replaced with worship of ‘reproductive freedom’ or ‘choice’. Child sacrifice via burnt offering has been updated, ever so slightly, to become child sacrifice by way of abortion. The ritualistic promotion, practice and celebration of both heterosexual and homosexual immorality and promiscuity have been carefully whitewashed – yet wholeheartedly embraced – by the cults of radical feminism, militant ‘gay rights’ and ‘comprehensive sex education*’. And, the pantheistic worship of ‘mother earth’ has been substituted – in name only – for radical environmentalism.
* Condoms for Kiddies?
* My Two Daddies
* Sexual Freedoms in Public School Health classes promoted
“But it’s not just self-styled ‘progressives’ or secular humanists who have adopted the fundamental pillars of Baalism. In these postmodern times, we’ve also been graced, regrettably, by the advent of counter-biblical “emergent Christianity” or ‘quasi-Christianity’, as I prefer to call it.
“This is merely liberalism all dolled up and gratuitously stamped ‘Christian’. It’s a
way for left-wing ideologues to have their ‘religion cake’ and eat it too.
Under the guise of ‘social justice’, its adherents often support – or at least
rationalize – the same pro-homosexual, pro-abortion and radical environmental
policies pushed by the modern-day Baal worshiper.”
VOICES OF REASON –
In countering these deplorable practices, we have the following article for your consideration from TRUTH MAGAZINE: "Should Sex Education Be Taught In Our Elementary Schools?"
Is there anyone in our nation that would deny that pornography is a social issue and problematic in consideration of our moral decay? Certainly there are those who would make such a denial, presumably consumers who regularly partake of these things. Yet again, any honest appraisal of the situation will come to the conclusion based on the evidence, that pornography leads to destructive behavior, physical and emotional abuse, and criminal activity in too, too many cases. And in every case, partaking of such things is destructive spiritually and morally. How wide spread is pornography in our society? For some statistics that examines the widespread influence, perceptions and opinions regarding porn, have a look at this article by COVENANT EYES ministry:
WHAT ARE THE MOST UP-TO-DATE STATS?
You can download the details statistics from here:
For a comprehensive series of articles by many different authors regarding the various facets of the danger of porn, visit this page based on the SET FREE SUMMIT from COVENANT EYES:
And lastly, if you or someone you love is struggling with pornography, one of the most effective ways to combat it is with accountability, and you can set up an account with COVENANT EYES where someone you trust spiritually can monitor your online activities. http://www.covenanteyes.com/
Some sound biblical counsel may be found in the following article, The SIX LETHAL LEVELS LEADING INTO SIN FROM the MIND of FIRE Blog.
Until next time, when we conclude this article with
PART 2, may the LORD guard our eyes, minds and hearts in Christ Jesus our LORD!
PSALM 101:3
I will set no wicked thing before mine eyes: I hate the work of them that turn
aside; it shall not cleave to me.