Exactly What Battle?

ROCK recently put up a billboard on I65, Someone's Daughter. It is near the porn store off of 65 and is a demonstration opposed to that facility.

It would, on some level, be nice to be able to stand with this group. I do not believe that they are truly wrong about the issues of pornography and the difficulties the sex industry bring to any region. It is a legitimate issue on so many levels.

The problem is that as I watched their video I did not get the impression that ROCK is a group that's main interest is in dealing with the local sex industry. The very name of the organization, Reclaim our Culture Kentuckiana, hearkens to something more. A lot more.

They decry a moral decline in a culture and claim this as a fact. I hear this a great deal and it's usually from people who haven't studied ethics. Every generation and every culture has its issues. We often hearken back to the 40's, the 50's, and the early 60's as the 'best of times.'

Racism was rampant.

Sexual harassment was rampant.

Domestic violence was rampant.

The percentage of gay people in the population was, I would imagine, the same as now. The only difference between now and then is that people pretended not to notice back in that time period.

The abortion issue is often raised. I knew a female doctor from that era who told me (when she was in her 80's) that not much had changed. She said that in 1965 they were merely called D&C's.

People make the statement that we are in a moral decline. The reality is that, like most eras, we live in the best and worst of times ethically.

In watching the video they spoke of oppression of Christians and a suppressing of religion. I've been a pastor for 24 years and guess how much oppression I've suffered? Zip. Nada. Prayer in schools is not illegal. I dare say many students have quietly prayed in taking exams. The only thing banned were the collective prayers in classrooms. I hear that the 10 Commandments have been removed from society. Maybe courtrooms, but St. Marks has the 10 Commandments posted outside in our building. Guess who told us to remove them? Not a soul. I still attempt to live by them. Whether they are posted over a judge in a courtroom does not add them or subtract them from public life.

There is talk about increasing secularism in our society and a rise in humanism. All of this is a departure from the Judeo-Christian values this nation was built on. Huh? Has anyone ever read anything about the founding fathers? John Adams was a Congregationalist (actually my demonination) and was very much faith driven. Most of what his faith was driving him to do was to forbid slavery in the new nation.

George Washington was a member of the Church of England. He wasn't very showy about his faith. Ben Franklin wrote a very entertaining essay on traveling evangelists. He found them to be entertaining and cautioned people not to carry too much money to revivals as these preachers were highly skilled at getting people to part with money. Jefferson and Madison, who were the main authors of our foundational materials were Theists, very, very marginal in their religious beliefs.

This was the Age of Enlightenment and, frankly, religion wasn't a big deal. St. Marks was founded in 1837 and the vast majority of the nation, at that time, was unchurched.

So, I wonder when these Judeo-Christian values popped up?

So, here's my question. Exactly what battle is being fought? Are we looking to confront the sex industry or is there a wider agenda to set the political table for candidates who support them?

In watching ROCK's video people may get the impression that they represent all Christians. They certainly don't represent this one.

I'm all for grappling with the porn industry and confronting prostitution. I'll wait for a group that is more concerned about that they pushing a much wider agenda.