How to Push Back Against the Tide of an Immoral Society
With rampant licentiousness being
the societal norm, we need a robust Christian sexual ethic—something more than
just a vague notion that sex should be reserved for marriage. We must reclaim a
thoroughly God-centered, neighbor-serving perspective. I explore what that
perspective should entail in
a new article for Crosswalk:
Under
the surface of our society’s unabashed promiscuity is a root we can easily
overlook: a climate of consumerism. Using an impersonal, utilitarian lens, our
consumeristic culture encourages us to evaluate others based on their perceived
usefulness. The more willing others are to play to an individual’s felt needs,
the more willing he is to treat them with dignity and respect.
This
tendency essentially views or treats others as objects. It points back to the
end-user as the end goal: what he wants reigns supreme. The emphasis becomes
inward rather than outward. The question becomes, “How can this person
benefit me?”
An inward, consumeristic focus explains much about our culture’s view of sex. When people are mere objects, the result is that sex primarily becomes transactional rather than relational. The desired aim is our pleasure, and everything—and everyone—around us can be a means toward that end. In areas of romance and sex, people are products for appraisal, experimentation, and consumption. Those whom God has called us to love as neighbors are instead evaluated on their performance, or attractiveness, or ability to please us—or all of the above.
The article explores both society’s perversion of and God’s
original design for sex, as well as some practical, counterintuitive ways to overcome
the sexual sin praised in our culture. You can read the entire
piece here.