A Warped Worldview: Another Moral Effect of Pornography
This research, taken together, offers compelling proof that an individual’s worldview is shaped by influences that are often not recognized. Therefore, the Christian thinker must be constantly aware that worldviews are not shaped only by arguments and cognitive engagements, but also by impressions and experiences.
Put bluntly, our worldview is shaped by what we allow to enter our minds. Given the massive psychological and physiological effects of pornography on male users, we should hardly be surprised that exposure to porn is so closely associated with the development of a generally permissive sexual morality and, specifically, with increased support for same-sex marriage.
Are We On The Brink Of A New Reformation?
It feels that at some point, we might have lost our way. Perhaps we became more concerned with success than fruitfulness. Jesus says we evaluate things in the Kingdom on their fruitfulness…but somewhere along the way it became about the size of your tree. Now having a big tree is a fine thing. Just know you’re only successful in evaluating yourself against the size of other trees, and God has never been terribly concerned about tree size. Just fruitfulness. That’s it. The point of a tree isn’t how big your tree is but how much fruit you have. It’s about fruit! And in the Kingdom, fruitfulness is always about reproduction. (Specifically, reproducing disciples…multiplying Jesus’ life into the life of others who can then go and do the same.)
Lost in Translation: A surprising gain in English translations
What I hadn’t realized, however, is that not only are readers of English not grasping everything the text has to say, they are also getting a lot more words in the process. Anyone who has done translation work knows that it is not like solving a mystery or connecting the dots. One word in Greek doesn’t necessarily equal one word in English. It can sometimes require as many as seven words in English to be translated clearly. This means that our English Bibles are thicker than those in the original languages.
10 Hard Questions Every Planter Needs to Ask
These are people who might believe in God (whatever that means for them), have a respect for Jesus and are on a spiritual journey, but they don’t consider the church (as we know it) as a resource to help them take steps. And it is likely they never will. They pursue their spirituality through culture, friendships, music, TV personalities, their own study of the Bible, self-help books and more. A study by the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life conducted in early 2010 reports, “… more than a quarter of Americans born after 1981 have no religious preference or affiliation. Fewer than one in five teens and 20-somethings frequent worship services” But the study also revealed that young adults pray as often as their elders did at that age and share an equally strong faith in God. More and more young adults are pursuing their faith outside of the church.
While I would never pretend that there is only one set way—or even one best way—to answer that question, there are certain biblical principles that must be observed as a church considers how to structure its energies for ministering to all ages.
What does your congregation want?
Are you known in your community for loving, serving, and making a difference in the world around you or are you locked tightly behind double doors? Are you afraid of getting involved with others because they look and act and sin differently from you? Are you so set in your ways that you refuse to bring others in? Do you want to be left alone as you go about your Sunday and Wednesday routine turning a blind eye to the needy, hurting, and lost?