The Disease

I wonder how much this study cost?

McDermott and her colleagues found that study participants were 75% more likely to become divorced if a friend is divorced and 33% more likely to end their marriage if a friend of a friend is divorced.

So divorce is contagious…and you can catch the divorce bug from your friends—even from a friend of a friend (1)?

This article goes on to say the following:

Sociologists call the phenomenon “social contagion”—the spread of information, attitudes and behaviors through friends, families and other social networks (1).

So I bet I could have helped them save a lot of money and time! You can find the following text free on-line. The following is one of the most respected resources ever published. In fact people will freely give you the book that contains the following quote:

It is reported commonly that there is fornication among you, and such fornication as is not so much as named among the Gentiles, that one should have his father's wife. And ye are puffed up, and have not rather mourned, that he that hath done this deed might be taken away from among you. For I verily, as absent in body, but present in spirit, have judged already, as though I were present, concerning him that hath so done this deed, In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, when ye are gathered together, and my spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ, To deliver such an one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus. Your glorying is not good. Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump? Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us: Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. I wrote unto you in an epistle not to company with fornicators: Yet not altogether with the fornicators of this world, or with the covetous, or extortioners, or with idolaters; for then must ye needs go out of the world (2; bold mine).

Yes, when sin becomes the norm and the "in thing", others follow suit.



(1) http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2013/10/21/is-divorce-contagious/
(2) 1 Corinthians 5:1-10

And the Band Played On

Recently I was given the task to sit through a docudrama called "And the Band Played On." There were some positive aspects, it was entertaining, good acting, educational and helps one understand that we all are people and we all have needs. Also, we can't just ignore others because of his or her beliefs. However, overall I was disappointed.

Concerns

Being made in 1993, it documented the beginnings of the AIDS epidemic. While the topic was interesting, I left feeling quite sad. Why? because the use of entertainment to promote a devious worldview. Here are my main concerns:

Desensitization 

The movie presented itself as a "docudrama," however, it seemed that they wanted to minimally desensitize people to same-sex relationships if not totally make it out as if one is immoral if one says it is sin.

Emotions in the place of arguments 

Since it was a docudrama, they made arguments in a  "pathos", or emotionally appealing way, to convince the listener. They sidestepped rational and moral arguments by tickling one's emotions. In other words, they circumvent the intellect via the emotions. If one is not prepared for this or has been desensitized already, one will fall pray to this rhetoric.

One sided, ungodly agenda

Third, they seemed to have an one sided agenda in both politics and religion. While some of these steps were incognito, others were quite open shots against Christianity and the "political right." This also included a number of scenes where where there was the lack of modest attire and immoral conversation. Sadly they could do this all in the name of entertainment with a dash of "documentary."

The common Joe

Regretfully, most watching this type of movie wouldn't know the difference between right and wrong, or they have been so desensitized to immorality that they have lost their moral compass. When one has a biblical truth foundation and is one who is able to see and cut through this type of  rhetoric, one is prepared for untruth and those that oppose this truth.

After watching this docudrama, one can understand the reason why those around, even those who claim to be Christian, don't follow the motto "...whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things" (Philippians 4:8). How can we change the world, and be a light and salt if we allow filthy and worldly rhetoric to be part of our lives?

Ducks, Tolerance, and Persecution

In the land of the free, we have persecution. In fact it comes in multiple forms, but one main type is the putting some one down because they are intolerant. Our culture is constantly pressuring and persecuting those who do not fall in line with the status quo. It seems there is intolerance aimed at the biblical perspective.

Duck Dynasty's Phil Robertson made some observations on homosexuality. While a little crude, it was true and accurate. He used two very good lines of reasoning to tell why he does not support the act. The first one was design. Those of the same sex are not designed to have intimate relationships in that way. Jesus talks about how the first couple was designed to be male and female, they were one flesh. Second is biblical reasoning calling it sin. The Bible speaks out against homosexuality as Phil says. It is true, both Moses and the apostles wrote against it. The third line of reasoning, which he did not supply, is that the heterosexual relationships, ie. biblical marriage, is designed to biologically reproduce the next generation. This can't be done naturally with same-sex couples.

But what about tolerance, when people call for tolerance because someone else opposes their views, they themselves are being just as intolerant. The cry for tolerance in this sense is self refuting. GLAAD made a statement against Phil's statement that says the following "Phil’s decision to push vile and extreme stereotypes is a stain on A&E and his sponsors who now need to reexamine their ties to someone with such public disdain for LGBT people and families.” GLAAD demands tolerance for their views, but advocates intolerance for Phil's view.

The culture is calling for tolerance, but in the process they themselves are not being tolerant of Phil's biblical truth presentation. In other worlds, we are to be tolerant of everything except for Christian truth, in which we should intolerant. Would more Christians stand out like this guy on truth!

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