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 societys 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.


Photo by Luke Moss on Unsplash