Trade in Your Bible for Porn

Students of the Atheist Agenda club (excuse me, organization) at the University of Texas at San Antonio recently led a campaign to get students to trade in their Bibles or Korans for free porn. They called the initiative "Smut for Smut" stating that the violence in the religious texts are the causes of religious fighting and wars.

While I am not an advocate of the Koran (I believe all religions have some sort of truth in them in that they all usually teach Biblically true morals or lifestyles - love others, stand up against injustice, etc.; however, this is not to be confused with the assertion that all religions are True because it is not logically possible... see my explanation on this by clicking here), but I do not believe it to be smut, and I obviously do not consider the sexuality, violence or anything else in the Bible to be smut, either. (That's another conversation for another day)

Contrary to their organization's public statements, this campaign of theirs has very little to do with actually opening the channels of communication and instead is nothing short of a smear campaign against organized religion. Rather than write for pages as to my response, I will instead summarize my response in a few points and leave the door open for real conversation (feel free to speak your heart/mind by commenting on this post):

• Regarding their initiative and hope for dialogue: Logically and respectfully, if their organization's intention truly was to "talk," wouldn't it seem more polite and sincere to just sit down with Christians/Muslims instead of insult them?

• A question: Why put porn in people's hands in exchange for their Bibles (is it to be their new "Bible")? Based solely on this initiative, would it be safe to assume that atheist do have a god and authority, but instead of it being a person or entity, it is personal pleasure ("do what feels right")? Since most atheists argue it is possible to have a moral compass and not believe in God, wouldn't this smut for smut initiative speak against such a notion ("let's counter supposedly 'wrong' reading with more 'wrong' reading")? Granted, each of these is its own conversation, but are worthy questions none-the-less.

• A point for consideration: the reason the atheist agenda would seek to have people turn in their Bibles/Korans is so that those people are supposedly free to live however they want, with no authority over their lives other than themselves. Since the Bible speaks against sin (living against God), people are forced to make a choice when reading it. They can either (1) ignore those parts of the Bible (focusing on the parts they like better), (2) call those parts and morals of the Bible ancient and no longer relative to our culture, (3) turn their back altogether on (their) faith and embrace their new god - pleasure.

While I wholeheartedly stand against everything the Atheist Agenda stands for and speaks against, at least they know where the heart of the discussion is: God's Word. Now all they have to do is get it out of people's hands - and in this case they hope to replace it with other reading material.

NOTE: Having a Bible is not enough. Nor is it enough to just have one and flip it open in times of anguish. God's Word is our source of Truth, hope, love and understanding of life from Him who created it. The further people grow and walk from it the more confusing life gets and the more relative their truth becomes.

What do you think? Join the conversation. Click here to post a comment or question.

NOTE: The image above is not from the Atheist Agenda campaign. It is an atheist bus tour not related to the campaign I wrote about.
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Christianity Takes a Vacation

I loved the Cheers theme song when I was growing up...

 

"Sometimes you want to go where everybody knows your name..."

 

It seems, however, that many times Christians seem to take these words too literally and think that being somewhere people don't know their name gives them liberty to do things they wouldn't otherwise do at home. These are "Geographic Christians." Their faith is semi-solid within their personal limits. Step outside those limits and all bets are off.

 

For some it's going on vacation somewhere.

 

For some it's going somewhere family or accountability is not. 

 

For some it's going where "no one will know" (spouses, kids, family, church family, etc.)

 

For some it's being with people who are doing the same thing, so therefore (to those people) "what I'm doing is no big deal"

 

There are any number of scenarios that fit the bill. Settings change from person to person – for some it’s going out with the guys/girls, for some it’s hangout with non-church friends and for others it’s being somewhere no one knows you (like on vacation somewhere). Instead of loving God in those moments, their faith takes a vacation. Instead of running from things that could hurt themselves, their family, their marriage, their friendships, their church, their reputation as a believer (which also soils the name of Christ), or, worse-yet, their faith, they run to those activities thinking they’ve got a “license to ill.” Thus, when they would never consider doing these things in their “hometown,” church or family company, drinking, drugs, illicit sex (or sexual acts/activities), going places they ought not be, etc. become their new-found expressions of “freedom.”

 

Make no mistake about it – truly loving God never goes on vacation. Scripture tells us to love God with all our hearts, minds and souls – this has no geographic limitations. It is to be the desire of our heart at home, in church, at work, with Christians, with non-Christians, in public, in private, in our hometown and on vacation. God could care less about “rules” of living, however, He very much desires to be loved and worshiped. Do we do that everywhere we go? Or are we simply looking for our chance to “get away” and love ourselves or other things more than we love Him who literally gave His life for us?

 

Want to join the conversation? Click here to comment or ask a question!

 

Image borrowed from travelight.

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Thou Shalt Have Steamy Sex?!?!

I don’t know when it happened, but somehow, someway sex has become a taboo topic in the church. Teens are scared to say “sex” and adults squirm in their pews when it’s said. Teens and adults alike will watch show after show and listen to song after song that talk about sex (many times laughing or singing along), but “talk about it in the church? That’s uncomfortable.”

Recently a Catholic Priest, Ksawery Knotz, published a new book entitled Sex As You Don't Know It: For Married Couples Who Love God. In it he writes that there is nothing wrong with a steamy sex life; even going so far as saying it is a “good thing.” Maybe it’s because he’s a Catholic Priest writing on the subject, or because of the extreme traditionalism of the Catholic church, but for some reason it was newsworthy enough for Fox News to publish a story on the book. Regardless of why it was covered in the news I am excited because it opens the channels of communication again for this great love story that God created!

God created sex. As I joke with couples in counseling: it was not man or woman’s idea. Adam and Eve weren’t sitting around the Garden of Eden bored saying “so now what do we do?” and then stumbled into sex. God created them differently (man and woman) a placed a desire for one another in each of them. As soon as Adam saw Eve he was hooked (cue the old joke: he saw her and said "Whoa! Man!" Thus she’ll be known as ‘woman’.”)! The sexual relationship was designed by God to be one of the defining parts of a marital relationship (one of the key elements that make it so different from any other relationship). Men and women were created with a desire for one another already built in them (so-to-speak). They then enjoy the fullest physical and emotional pleasure possible with one another inside the protected, safe and committed marriage relationship.

In a world that has no boundaries for sex – that embraces girls going wild, open marriages, pornography, sexual dating relationships, etc. God’s design for the sexual relationship in marriage has been forgotten, misunderstood and misrepresented. “Enjoyable sex” between and man and wife seems ungodly now (like God doesn’t want man and wife to enjoy sexual intimacy - not sure how that belief came to be) or as if it is an oxymoron. It has become nothing more than a comic’s punch line: either (1) you never have sex once you are married, or (2) it becomes stale and unexciting.

BUT THIS IS NOT WHAT GOD HAD IN MIND for husbands and wives!!

God created sex (between a husband and wife in a covenant marriage) to be exciting, captivating, fun, pleasurable, enjoyable, lovely, passionate, engaging, intimate, creative, moving, enthralling, enchanting and, yes, even steamy! 1 Corinthians 7:1-5 tells husbands and wives that they belong to one another. It tells them to be sure to fulfill one another (yes, sexually) and to make sure they do so REGULARLY! Not out of obligation, but out of passion and love and dedication to your beloved spouse who is equally committed to you.

SINGLES or COUPLES LIVING TOGETHER (UNMARRIED): I understand your fear of marriage. In a world that has completely lost what it means to be married, with a divorce rate that has climbed to 50% and with so many marriages that seem to struggle (including in the church) I can understand your fear from wanting to be “that couple.” However, know that you are not protecting yourselves or your relationship. You are missing out!! God has crafted us in such a way that we crave intimacy from our spouse; hence the reason husbands and wives become “one flesh” – they are so intimately wound together that neither knows where one starts and the other stops! When we live with someone outside of marriage we steal from God what He designed for us and our own good and turn it into something He never desired for us. We actually set ourselves up for hurt.

HUSBANDS AND WIVES WHO ARE STRUGGLING: Know that you are NOT alone. This world and its desire to corrupt what God made for good and pleasure has made it difficult for many couples. However, having a successful, loving and passionate marriage is not an impossible feat! For those struggling, I recommend a couple resources: (1) the movie “Fireproof” (watch it together and then go through the book “The Love Dare”), (2) the book “God on Sex” by Daniel Akin (this is a POWERFUL and wonderful book based on Song of Solomon from the Bible), (3) take a small weekend trip together with your spouse; use it as a trip to pour into one another and love one another as intimately and deeply as you know how to, (4) transparency! Sit with your pastor (or go to a local church and speak to one if you aren’t in church) and share with him your struggles as a husband and wife and seek help in restoring your marriage.

Want to join the conversation? Click here to comment or ask a question!

If you would like to talk with me personally about a struggling relationship, feel free to email me at christianthechristian.c2@gmail.com!

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