For Real?
I could not BELIEVE that the story I was hearing on the radio yesterday was actually true until I was able to get home and check it out for myself. And, yep - much to my disbelief, they really are having this conversation in New York. I laugh a little even typing this... I mean, seriously. THIS is a First Amendment issue?
I've got to believe that, were they still alive, the founding fathers and all those involved with penning our nation's documents would be very ashamed at what we've done with the wisdom and words that they left us. We live in a country where the rights of debase individuals are put above those of innocent children and patrons who might just want to use the library for, oh I don't know... READING BOOKS.
Consider this... I remember watching TV with my parents on the weekdays, after dinner, where we would see things like "The Cosby Show," "Family Ties," "Who's the Boss," and those other shows that now get played on Nick @ Night. I even remember the episode of "Murphy Brown" that caused such a stink because she was a single mother being portrayed on TV in a positive way... but that's NOTHING compared to what was on TV just last night. My family didn't have cable TV for the past 5 years, so we still watch a lot of CBS out of habit. Last night, every single show that was on made some reference, had some suggestion, or specifically dealt with sexual activity.
Some of the wiser among you might say, "Well, preacher boy, just change the channel if you're worried about it." Yeah - you try that. Unless I want to watch non-stop CSPAN or QVC, the non-stop sexual barrage of TV is impossible to escape. And now, we get to add to that the fact that we're going to ALLOW people to publicly watch pornography in libraries?!
This isn't where the bad stuff ends, folks - this is where it starts.
The normal response to this is "Well, I just won't go to the library anymore..." But - have we stopped to consider that this response simply doesn't work? Giving in and walking away doesn't help your cause - it destroys it! In a battle, you don't give ground, you take ground. And make no mistake at all - this is a battle. It's a battle for the minds and morals of all those who come behind us.
I don't know that I have anything profound to say about this - just that the shock of the state of things is still sinking in. I can't believe that we're actually, as a nation, having this conversation. We have walked so far away from good and right and righteous that we wouldn't recognize it if it were shoved down our throat. You know this is true because every week, in good churches all over the world, the Righteous is shown to us through the Bible and we, sitting like stones, all too often let it bounce off of us like so much garbage.
What will it take to stir the good people of this nation into action? When will looking at something like this and shaking our head in disgust cease to be the average response? When will we act?
Or will we? Maybe that's what bothers me the most. We've allowed the world to breed all desire of fight out of us to the point that, as long as you're famous enough when you say it, we'll believe and accept anything dished out by those who seek to harm us. "But Mason," you say, "Jesus was a hippie who loved everyone and said turn the other cheek and all that..."
Read Matthew 21. You'll eventually stumble over verses 12ff. Jesus didn't see the people taking advantage of worship and profaning the temple and simply shake his head and say "Man that's terrible..."
He drove them out - he turned over tables - he kicked over chairs. He reclaimed his ground.
Shouldn't we?
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