Marsha West
America's moral implosion
By Marsha West
"One-tenth of sexually active New York City high school students say they have had at least one same-sex partner, and teens who say they've had sexual contact with both sexes report higher-than-average rates of dating violence, forced sex and risky sexual behavior." — Karen Matthews
The 60s generation embraced moral relativism — the belief that there is no right and wrong — and it swept across our nation like a firestorm. Five decades later a large number of Americans have completely lost their moral compass. We have become the hook up culture, marked by casual sexual encounters. We are a nation of Girls Gone Wild, where young women expose themselves before cameras. How much deeper into the immoral abyss can we slide?
When a nation has no clear understanding of what exactly is moral and immoral the younger generation's thinking becomes muddled. Without proper guidance from their parents, young people are unable to discern good from evil.
Speaking of which, teen idol Miley Cyrus is working on changing her image to sultry seductress. In her raunchy new music video single "Who Owns My Heart" fans won't recognize the cute teenage girl who plays the title role of Hanna Montana on the Disney channel. Miley is17-years-old and apparently thinks she's all grown up. If appearances are any indication, she seems quite comfortable in her new role. Watching the video makes one think that writhing on a bed wearing only underwear and grinding with males and females on the dance floor wearing short shorts and a reveling top is old hat for Lady Miley. One thing's for sure: Miley Cyrus is no longer the Disney darling she once was. Watch her video. See the new Barbarella do her thing.
In a 2007 interview with USA Today, Miley said that her Christian faith is "the main thing" in her life. She said that God wants her to be a "light, a testimony" in Hollywood.
Then in 2008 Miley caused quite a stir when she posed for Vanity Fair. While there was no nudity, the 15-year-old was wrapped in what appeared to be a bed sheet with her entire back exposed.
At the ripe old age of 16, Miley dawned short shorts, black boots and did a pole-dancing performance at the Teen Choice Awards.
Going back to Miley's video, my question is: Who put this girl in provocative poses? Who shot the video? Do we not have laws to protect children from being sexually exploited by idiot adults? Inquiring minds want to know.
Miley's dad is crooner Billy Ray Cyrus who is best known for his mega hit "Achy Breaky Heart." Billy Ray is a devout Christian who professes his deep faith in God. For several seasons he starred in the faith-based TV series Doc. Billy Ray's achy breaky heart must have shattered as he watched his precious little girl stand on a table and "get her body movin'." Then again, he could have stepped in and put a stop to it. Why didn't he?
Tish Cyrus, Miley's mom, must have been in Borneo at the time of the filming and was unable to get to her daughter in time to rescue her from the perverts who produced and directed the video.
Am I being too hard on Miley's parents? I think not. They are, after all, her guardians. They are also professing Christians. If the Cyrus' were your typical Hollywood couple I wouldn't be writing this column. I've chosen this particular subject because I find Miley Cyrus' slide into sleaze disturbing. I've mulled it over for several days and come to the decision that what I have to say to her parents needs to be said in print. Just three little words....You blew it!
When my daughter was 17, I would have died a thousand deaths if she had appeared in a video dressed up like a tramp. I cannot imagine any Christian parent thinking it's no big deal for millions of males to ogle their daughter's half naked body and fantasize about what they'd like to do to her. But that's just me.
Back when I was a teenager Americans still embraced Judeo-Christian values. We were a moral people. When I was 17 the main topic of conversation with my friends was boys, movie stars, and fashion. Most of my friends were modest... innocent...impressionable...and easily manipulated! In great part thanks to Hellywood, and that isn't a misspelling, a great many teenage girls lose their innocence because they're impressionable and easily manipulated.
Kids have always looked to celebrities as role models. Many people, young and old alike, make their relationship, fashion, and even life decisions based on what their favorite celebrities wear and do. Females emulate the likes of Lady Gaga, Lindsay Lohan, Britney Spears, Amy Weinhouse, Heidi Montag and the Kardashian sisters, while males tend to look up to rap artists and athletes. Almost without exception, rappers are poor role models. Some athletes such as Tiger Woods, Mark McGuire, Jason Giambi, Michael Vic and Michael Phelps have made mistakes and publicly apologized. But they still failed the role model test. And when celebrities blow it how do their fans respond? They say things like: We all make mistakes. We all sin. No one's perfect. He/she deserves another chance...or 2 or 3 or 4...
Give me a break! Being a role model is an honor celebs should not take lightly. Although there are a lot of superstars (and politicians) who are honorable people and wonderful role models, many are not. Famous people who have a multitude of fans trying to emulate them should be humbled by the adoration they receive. Moreover, they should try hard to be upstanding citizens. Loose ladies and "bad boys" make bad role models.
Since the sixties secularists have been denigrating and coarsening our culture to the point where most adults have learned to accept seeing teenage girls parade around in public, scantily dressed, wearing getups that 20 years ago only prostitutes turning tricks on street corners would dare dress in. Guess who they're trying to emulate?
Like much of Western Europe, America is a bastion of immorality, in large part due to our adopting a liberal worldview. While liberals pushed their filth on us, many people stuck their heads in the sand. But, thankfully, some fought back. The much maligned religious right has been in the trenches fighting to restore America to its Judeo-Christian roots. The idea is to free our nation from the grip of secularists /liberals/progressives. These warriors have gotten no help from the mainstream media whatsoever. Instead the liberal press viciously attacks them at every turn.
Americans are discovering that unbridled immorality is part and parcel of the secular worldview. Take for example what is happening in middle schools across our nation. We can thank liberals/progressives who have control over the government schools for the growing number of preteens who have become sexually promiscuous. I'm talking 11 and 12-year-olds! What these kids don't realize is that having sex with multiple partners is risky! Sooner or later "hooking up" will result in a sexually-transmitted disease (STD), some of which are deadly!
Here's a real shocker. A recent study conducted by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) showed that nearly1 in 4 teen girls — that's more than 3 million — have 1 or more sexually transmitted diseases.
Constant exposure to sex is harmful to kids. They're not equipped to process information about sex — especially homosexual sex! Parents who encourage their sons and daughters to embrace their homosexuality need to know that a September 2010 CDC study conducted on 8,000 "gay" men showed that 1 in 5 is infected with the AIDS virus — and nearly half are unaware of it! "This study's message is clear," said CDC National Center for HIV/AIDS director Kevin Fenton. "HIV exacts a devastating toll on men who have sex with men in America's major cities."
Young people abuse drugs and alcohol. They lie, cheat and steal without remorse. They do not flinch at brutality. Instead of portraying vampires and witches as villains, they are the new heroes and heroines. Coarse language spews forth from the mouths of preteens...there is little or no respect for authority or for adults...selfishness and narcissism has become the rule, not the exception. What more proof do we need that liberalism brings destruction to a nation?
Here's one last example of America's moral implosion. Actresses on the TV show "Glee" posed for a GQ photo shoot as the characters they play. Here's the problem. GQ magazine is explicitly written for adult men. The photos hyper-sexualize the actresses who, although adults in real life, play high school-aged girls. Tim Winters of the Parents TV Council believes that because the photos will be published in an adult male magazine it borders on pedophilia:
"Many children who flocked to 'High School Musical' have grown into 'Glee' fans," says Winters. "They are now being treated to seductive, in-your-face poses of the underwear-clad female characters posing in front of school lockers, one of them opting for a full-frontal crotch shot. By authorizing this kind of near-pornographic display, the creators of the program have established their intentions on the show's direction. And it isn't good for families. ...'Glee' creator Ryan Murphy has declared that it is his goal in life to remove every barrier to the depiction of explicit sex on TV. On Bravo's 'Sex in the Box' Murphy said, 'It's tough to get that sexual point of view across on television. Hopefully I have made it possible for somebody on broadcast television to do a rear-entry scene in three years. Maybe that will be my legacy.'"
This is a legacy to boast about?
Because of people like Ryan Murphy, a large number of our younger generation is missing out on childhood altogether. Sadly, very few people seem genuinely concerned about how our highly sexualized culture affects children. And this includes most religious leaders! Many of them sit on the sidelines while those on the frontlines of the battle try to put a stop to the pornification of our culture. Instead of fighting pressing problems on their home turf, religious leaders go to Third World Countries to help those in need — a magnanimous gesture to say the least — when their own country needs help battling the culture war! Our nation is going to hell in a hand basket! Hello!
No one knows what went on behind the scenes during the making of Miley Cyrus' video. It appears, though, that her parents failed to provide her with some guidance — and many parents and grandparents extend this same attitude toward their own families. Parents seem numb to what's going on in the world so they sit on the sidelines hoping the problem will just disappear. It seems some parents are either not living in the real world, or they are, and cannot figure out how to solve the problems, so they let things slide.
As for Christians...
Too many professing Christians are not engaged in the culture war. They've tuned out what's going on around them. They turn their faces away while others are doing the dirty work. It's time to show some moxie, Christian! Join the fight! God-fearing people must pitch in and help put a stop to the child exploiting/corrupting garbage dump our nation has become. With God's help — and His blessing — Gideon's army of 300 took on and took out 135,000 Midianite soldiers. (Judges 8:10-12) Christian conservatives may be small in number, like Gideon's army, but God will work through us if we trust in Him.
First and foremost, Christian, you must share the Gospel of Jesus Christ with the lost. (Mark 1:14) Go and make disciples of all nations. (Mat. 28:19) This is what your Lord and Master instructed you to do. Are you obeying His command? People will not change unless hearts and minds are changed.
Moreover, Christians must come to terms with the fact that we've allowed moral anarchists to drag America through the mud — and they're not finished soiling her good name. Fight for her!
Also, we've huffed and puffed while greedy adults exploited impressionable children but we did little or nothing to stop them. Young people need our help. Fight for them!
Lastly, pray, pray, pray! I hope some of you will consider praying as Isaiah did: "Here I am. Send me." (Isa. 6:8) Trust me, He will do it.
© Marsha West
October 26, 2010
"One-tenth of sexually active New York City high school students say they have had at least one same-sex partner, and teens who say they've had sexual contact with both sexes report higher-than-average rates of dating violence, forced sex and risky sexual behavior." — Karen Matthews
The 60s generation embraced moral relativism — the belief that there is no right and wrong — and it swept across our nation like a firestorm. Five decades later a large number of Americans have completely lost their moral compass. We have become the hook up culture, marked by casual sexual encounters. We are a nation of Girls Gone Wild, where young women expose themselves before cameras. How much deeper into the immoral abyss can we slide?
When a nation has no clear understanding of what exactly is moral and immoral the younger generation's thinking becomes muddled. Without proper guidance from their parents, young people are unable to discern good from evil.
Speaking of which, teen idol Miley Cyrus is working on changing her image to sultry seductress. In her raunchy new music video single "Who Owns My Heart" fans won't recognize the cute teenage girl who plays the title role of Hanna Montana on the Disney channel. Miley is17-years-old and apparently thinks she's all grown up. If appearances are any indication, she seems quite comfortable in her new role. Watching the video makes one think that writhing on a bed wearing only underwear and grinding with males and females on the dance floor wearing short shorts and a reveling top is old hat for Lady Miley. One thing's for sure: Miley Cyrus is no longer the Disney darling she once was. Watch her video. See the new Barbarella do her thing.
In a 2007 interview with USA Today, Miley said that her Christian faith is "the main thing" in her life. She said that God wants her to be a "light, a testimony" in Hollywood.
Then in 2008 Miley caused quite a stir when she posed for Vanity Fair. While there was no nudity, the 15-year-old was wrapped in what appeared to be a bed sheet with her entire back exposed.
At the ripe old age of 16, Miley dawned short shorts, black boots and did a pole-dancing performance at the Teen Choice Awards.
Going back to Miley's video, my question is: Who put this girl in provocative poses? Who shot the video? Do we not have laws to protect children from being sexually exploited by idiot adults? Inquiring minds want to know.
Miley's dad is crooner Billy Ray Cyrus who is best known for his mega hit "Achy Breaky Heart." Billy Ray is a devout Christian who professes his deep faith in God. For several seasons he starred in the faith-based TV series Doc. Billy Ray's achy breaky heart must have shattered as he watched his precious little girl stand on a table and "get her body movin'." Then again, he could have stepped in and put a stop to it. Why didn't he?
Tish Cyrus, Miley's mom, must have been in Borneo at the time of the filming and was unable to get to her daughter in time to rescue her from the perverts who produced and directed the video.
Am I being too hard on Miley's parents? I think not. They are, after all, her guardians. They are also professing Christians. If the Cyrus' were your typical Hollywood couple I wouldn't be writing this column. I've chosen this particular subject because I find Miley Cyrus' slide into sleaze disturbing. I've mulled it over for several days and come to the decision that what I have to say to her parents needs to be said in print. Just three little words....You blew it!
When my daughter was 17, I would have died a thousand deaths if she had appeared in a video dressed up like a tramp. I cannot imagine any Christian parent thinking it's no big deal for millions of males to ogle their daughter's half naked body and fantasize about what they'd like to do to her. But that's just me.
Back when I was a teenager Americans still embraced Judeo-Christian values. We were a moral people. When I was 17 the main topic of conversation with my friends was boys, movie stars, and fashion. Most of my friends were modest... innocent...impressionable...and easily manipulated! In great part thanks to Hellywood, and that isn't a misspelling, a great many teenage girls lose their innocence because they're impressionable and easily manipulated.
Kids have always looked to celebrities as role models. Many people, young and old alike, make their relationship, fashion, and even life decisions based on what their favorite celebrities wear and do. Females emulate the likes of Lady Gaga, Lindsay Lohan, Britney Spears, Amy Weinhouse, Heidi Montag and the Kardashian sisters, while males tend to look up to rap artists and athletes. Almost without exception, rappers are poor role models. Some athletes such as Tiger Woods, Mark McGuire, Jason Giambi, Michael Vic and Michael Phelps have made mistakes and publicly apologized. But they still failed the role model test. And when celebrities blow it how do their fans respond? They say things like: We all make mistakes. We all sin. No one's perfect. He/she deserves another chance...or 2 or 3 or 4...
Give me a break! Being a role model is an honor celebs should not take lightly. Although there are a lot of superstars (and politicians) who are honorable people and wonderful role models, many are not. Famous people who have a multitude of fans trying to emulate them should be humbled by the adoration they receive. Moreover, they should try hard to be upstanding citizens. Loose ladies and "bad boys" make bad role models.
Since the sixties secularists have been denigrating and coarsening our culture to the point where most adults have learned to accept seeing teenage girls parade around in public, scantily dressed, wearing getups that 20 years ago only prostitutes turning tricks on street corners would dare dress in. Guess who they're trying to emulate?
Like much of Western Europe, America is a bastion of immorality, in large part due to our adopting a liberal worldview. While liberals pushed their filth on us, many people stuck their heads in the sand. But, thankfully, some fought back. The much maligned religious right has been in the trenches fighting to restore America to its Judeo-Christian roots. The idea is to free our nation from the grip of secularists /liberals/progressives. These warriors have gotten no help from the mainstream media whatsoever. Instead the liberal press viciously attacks them at every turn.
Americans are discovering that unbridled immorality is part and parcel of the secular worldview. Take for example what is happening in middle schools across our nation. We can thank liberals/progressives who have control over the government schools for the growing number of preteens who have become sexually promiscuous. I'm talking 11 and 12-year-olds! What these kids don't realize is that having sex with multiple partners is risky! Sooner or later "hooking up" will result in a sexually-transmitted disease (STD), some of which are deadly!
Here's a real shocker. A recent study conducted by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) showed that nearly1 in 4 teen girls — that's more than 3 million — have 1 or more sexually transmitted diseases.
Constant exposure to sex is harmful to kids. They're not equipped to process information about sex — especially homosexual sex! Parents who encourage their sons and daughters to embrace their homosexuality need to know that a September 2010 CDC study conducted on 8,000 "gay" men showed that 1 in 5 is infected with the AIDS virus — and nearly half are unaware of it! "This study's message is clear," said CDC National Center for HIV/AIDS director Kevin Fenton. "HIV exacts a devastating toll on men who have sex with men in America's major cities."
Young people abuse drugs and alcohol. They lie, cheat and steal without remorse. They do not flinch at brutality. Instead of portraying vampires and witches as villains, they are the new heroes and heroines. Coarse language spews forth from the mouths of preteens...there is little or no respect for authority or for adults...selfishness and narcissism has become the rule, not the exception. What more proof do we need that liberalism brings destruction to a nation?
Here's one last example of America's moral implosion. Actresses on the TV show "Glee" posed for a GQ photo shoot as the characters they play. Here's the problem. GQ magazine is explicitly written for adult men. The photos hyper-sexualize the actresses who, although adults in real life, play high school-aged girls. Tim Winters of the Parents TV Council believes that because the photos will be published in an adult male magazine it borders on pedophilia:
"Many children who flocked to 'High School Musical' have grown into 'Glee' fans," says Winters. "They are now being treated to seductive, in-your-face poses of the underwear-clad female characters posing in front of school lockers, one of them opting for a full-frontal crotch shot. By authorizing this kind of near-pornographic display, the creators of the program have established their intentions on the show's direction. And it isn't good for families. ...'Glee' creator Ryan Murphy has declared that it is his goal in life to remove every barrier to the depiction of explicit sex on TV. On Bravo's 'Sex in the Box' Murphy said, 'It's tough to get that sexual point of view across on television. Hopefully I have made it possible for somebody on broadcast television to do a rear-entry scene in three years. Maybe that will be my legacy.'"
This is a legacy to boast about?
Because of people like Ryan Murphy, a large number of our younger generation is missing out on childhood altogether. Sadly, very few people seem genuinely concerned about how our highly sexualized culture affects children. And this includes most religious leaders! Many of them sit on the sidelines while those on the frontlines of the battle try to put a stop to the pornification of our culture. Instead of fighting pressing problems on their home turf, religious leaders go to Third World Countries to help those in need — a magnanimous gesture to say the least — when their own country needs help battling the culture war! Our nation is going to hell in a hand basket! Hello!
No one knows what went on behind the scenes during the making of Miley Cyrus' video. It appears, though, that her parents failed to provide her with some guidance — and many parents and grandparents extend this same attitude toward their own families. Parents seem numb to what's going on in the world so they sit on the sidelines hoping the problem will just disappear. It seems some parents are either not living in the real world, or they are, and cannot figure out how to solve the problems, so they let things slide.
As for Christians...
Too many professing Christians are not engaged in the culture war. They've tuned out what's going on around them. They turn their faces away while others are doing the dirty work. It's time to show some moxie, Christian! Join the fight! God-fearing people must pitch in and help put a stop to the child exploiting/corrupting garbage dump our nation has become. With God's help — and His blessing — Gideon's army of 300 took on and took out 135,000 Midianite soldiers. (Judges 8:10-12) Christian conservatives may be small in number, like Gideon's army, but God will work through us if we trust in Him.
First and foremost, Christian, you must share the Gospel of Jesus Christ with the lost. (Mark 1:14) Go and make disciples of all nations. (Mat. 28:19) This is what your Lord and Master instructed you to do. Are you obeying His command? People will not change unless hearts and minds are changed.
Moreover, Christians must come to terms with the fact that we've allowed moral anarchists to drag America through the mud — and they're not finished soiling her good name. Fight for her!
Also, we've huffed and puffed while greedy adults exploited impressionable children but we did little or nothing to stop them. Young people need our help. Fight for them!
Lastly, pray, pray, pray! I hope some of you will consider praying as Isaiah did: "Here I am. Send me." (Isa. 6:8) Trust me, He will do it.
© Marsha West
The views expressed by RenewAmerica columnists are their own and do not necessarily reflect the position of RenewAmerica or its affiliates.
(See RenewAmerica's publishing standards.)
