Whether realized or not, an invisible law that God has set in motion affects all mankind. Some refer to it as “karma.” Others call it “cause and effect.” Regardless of how men may choose to label it, this law is irrevocable. It produces either good or bad results. The Bible states it this way: “Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting” (Gal. 6:7-8).
But this leads to a question: Who decides who shall get the good results or the bad? The answer: You do! How? Because you will have already determined the outcome during your lifetime. As free moral agents, men can choose either right or wrong. This is why the book of Job states: “Even as I have seen, they that plow iniquity, and sow wickedness, reap the same” (Job 4:8). And in the New Testament, “But he that doeth wrong shall receive for the wrong which he hath done: and there is no respect of persons” (Col. 3:25). But this leads to another question: Who determines right from wrong? The answer: God alone has that prerogative and He determined it long ago!
The Law of God
When man was created, God set an invisible, inexorable law in motion-a law that carries an automatic penalty when violated. This invisible, inexorable law is the Ten Commandments. What does the Bible state about this law? It says that this law was made for man’s benefit, made to protect him from the consequences of evil.
The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple. The statutes of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart: the commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes. The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring for ever: the judgments of the LORD are true and righteous altogether. More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold: sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb. Moreover by them is thy servant warned: and in keeping of them there is great reward. (Ps. 19:7-11)
Here is God’s instruction to ancient Israel:
Behold, I have taught you statutes and judgments, even as the LORD my God commanded me that ye should do so in the land whither ye go to possess it. Keep therefore and do them; for this is your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the nations, which shall hear all these statutes, and say, Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people. For what nation is there so great, who hath God so nigh unto them, as the LORD our God is in all things that we call upon him for? And what nation is there so great, that hath statutes and judgments so righteous as all this law, which I set before you this day? (Deut. 4:5-8)
The statutes and judgments were only a portion of the Law of God. They were applied to various civil situations as they arose in the physical nation. The Law of God as a whole, if obeyed, enables man to enjoy the good things of life and not have to suffer the consequences of sin. They are alive and well today. “The works of his hands are verity and judgment; all his commandments are sure. They stand fast for ever and ever, and are done in truth and uprightness” (Ps. 111:7-8). Jesus said this: “Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to [Gk. make full]. For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all (Gk. should be fulfilled)” (Matt. 5:17-18).
Antagonism against the Law of God
Antagonism against God and His commandments is rampant in the Western World of so-called Christianity. While many denominations profess God, few try to live by His every Word (Matt. 4:4). “They profess that they know God but in works they deny him . . . ” (Titus 1:16). Many religions have created God in the image they want; their worship reflects that image. Add to this the widespread increase in secularism with its out-and-out hatred toward conservative and fundamentalist Christians. The future does not portend good. Today, Paganism has all the advertising space and this could not be more reflected than in the media. Media people may or may not be good in their field, but when they get into religion they make utter fools of themselves. The sad part is they don’t seem to know it. Morality is one major issue that most enrages those who hate God’s Commandments.
This was perhaps best illustrated in an article by Christopher Hitchens, posted on the Slate website and entitled, “Moore’s Law-The Immorality of the Ten Commandments.” The article dated August 27, 2003, says that Judge Moore is a fool and a publicity hound who identifies the Mount Sinai orders to Moses with an interpretation of Protestantism. Readers may recall that Judge Moore took the Federal Government to task over the removal of a massive stone on public property that displayed the Ten Commandments. Hitchens says that the first three commandments suggest terrific insecurity on the part of the Person supposedly issuing them. The fourth commandment, according to Hitchens, is scarcely a moral or ethical one unless one assumes the other days are profane. It reflects nothing more than what a labor union would have demanded, perhaps during the arduous days of the unpaid pyramid erection. So, according to Hitchens, the first four commandments have almost nothing to do with moral conduct and for that matter cannot be enforced. The fifth commandment is a harmless enough idea but unenforceable and inapplicable to orphans. That there should be no protection of children seems odd. The sixth, eighth, and ninth commandments add nothing to what society already frowns upon. People can actually refrain from breaking the seventh commandment, and the tenth commandment not to covet is not only absurd but totalitarian because it tells us “don’t even think about it.”
To Hitchens, the mystery is why this same God, who created the audience He was addressing, would have molded in His image a covetous, murderous, disrespectful, lying, and adulterous species. Hitchens refers to God as One who created men (that is, assuming He did) in a sick state, and then commands them to be well. What a mad despot this is, and how fortunate He exists only in the minds of his worshippers. Hitchens closes his article by saying that too many editorialists have described the recent flap with Judge Moore as a silly confrontation with exhibitionist fundamentalism, when the true problem is our failure to recognize that religion is not just incongruent with morality but is in essential ways incompatible with it.
Other website articles are about as contemptuous as that of Hitchens. The Liberated Christian website says that the adultery of a wife with another man is the violation of a man’s property rights and therefore wrong, but there is nothing wrong with adultery by agreement between man and wife if they share themselves sexually with others since no property rights were involved. And it adds nothing is ever wrong with singles sexuality. The article goes on to say that in the Sermon on the Mount the only law is the law of love. Therefore, anything that is hurtful, and not by mutual consent, would be immoral for a Christian.
Knowing human nature for what it is, we should not be surprised at the resentment against the Law of God, as expressed by Hitchens and many others. This is exactly what the Bible foretells. Consider the Apostle Paul’s prophecy for the “end times.”
This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away. (2 Tim. 3:1-5)
Hitchens asserts that a God who would make man so evil is a mad despot. His view conveys a total lack of knowledge as to why man was given human nature. There is a purpose. The unconverted mind of man was made hostile toward God. The Bible tells us that ” . . . the carnal mind is enmity (deep-seated animosity) against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be” (Rom. 8:7). God has given man this nature to overcome. Overcoming this nature is building holy, righteous character. Holy, righteous character requires the ability to recognize right from wrong and to always choose the right in opposition to the wrong. With the help of God, one can overcome the pulls of human nature and build the kind of character that leads to salvation. The very definition of character demands a standard by which to judge. That standard is the Law of God. It defines right from wrong, and good and evil. Without this law there can be no true definition of evil. The failure to understand the purpose of this law is the leading cause of so much misery in the world.
Today, those who speak out against immorality are impugned and maligned. The same thing happened to all the true servants of God. The Bible tells us: “They hate him that rebuketh in the gate, and they abhor him that speaketh uprightly” (Amos 5:10). “He that reproveth a scorner getteth to himself shame: and he that rebuketh a wicked man getteth himself a blot” (Prov. 9:7). Of ancient Israel, God said: “Ye have wearied the LORD with your words. Yet ye say, Wherein have we wearied him? When ye say, Every one that doeth evil is good in the sight of the LORD, and he delighteth in them; or, Where is the God of judgment?” (Mal. 2:17). Should we expect our present society to be any different? “Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard his spots? then may ye also do good, that are accustomed to do evil” (Jer. 13:23).
A NewsMax.com article by Phil Brennen, April 27, 2005, looks at political parties today. He points out that the battle today involves the very future of the United States. If secularism prevails, the decadence that follows will be irreversible. Human lives are at stake, and while the nation rightly mourns the deaths of 500,000 men during the Civil War, abortion today has already cost the lives of 40 million innocent unborn victims. One of the two great political parties has been taken over by militant secularists who are determined to drive any thought or mention of God from the public square. Brennen quotes Ann Coulter who said, “They are terrible people, liberals. They believe-this can really summarize it all-these are the people who believe you can deliver a baby entirely except for the head, puncture the skull, suck the brains out and pronounce that a constitutional right has just been exercised. That really says it all.” Brennen goes on to say that a president twice vetoed a ban on this gruesome, infanticidal practice. Most members of his party and their abortion industry allies, with their millions in blood money political contributions, have consistently supported it. Brennen says, this is the party of abortion in all forms, the party that endorses sodomy, euthanasia, and the tyranny of an out of control judiciary, a party that implements programs they cannot impose by legislation.
The above summary of Phil Brennen’s article should make us all realize the seriousness of what is taking place in America today. The one thing that Thomas Jefferson feared the most about our Constitution was that the judiciary would eventually gain control of the government. We can conclude that Jefferson was absolutely right. How many times do the courts nullify the majority vote of the people?
The Breakdown of Morals
The breakdown of morals in America has been gradually taking place for some years, and was exacerbated by the work of Dr. Alfred Kinsey with his infamous Kinsey report published in 1948 and 1953. Highly touted at the time, it has now been recognized as a fraud, but the damage was already done. Kinsey’s report changed the thinking on sexual behavior in the United States. His portrayal of normal sexual behavior among American males was a deliberate distortion. He did not interview normal American males, but 25 percent of his candidates were prisoners or ex-convicts, and another abnormal percentage was composed of sex offenders. Many were recruited at sex lectures. Some were paid, including crime figures and leaders of homosexual groups. In addition, Kinsey interviewed at least 200 male prostitutes. The advertisements at the time said his interviews were conducted “with full regard for the latest refinements in public opinion polling methods-a carefully planned population survey.” The female presentation was distorted as badly as the male. The above information was garnered from the book entitled, Kinsey, Sex and Fraud. In addition, there is evidence that children were sexually abused, and that if the truth about Kinsey’s personal life came to light, the public would be shocked.
Much evidence is available concerning the decline in morals today. Consider this example from the Dear Abby column, Register Guard, April 18, 2005. It reflects the present view on morality. An attractive single woman, who considers herself beautiful, has HIV but would like to get married. She struggles with the question: How soon should she reveal that she is infected with the AIDS virus. She asked Abby when she should reveal the condition to her date. Friends urged her to wait a month or two, but she said she would feel betrayed if someone waited that long to tell her. On the other hand she didn’t want to blurt it out on the first date. Abby advised her that there is every reason in the world to take the time to know someone and for him to get to know you before having sex. When ready for physical intimacy disclose your HIV status, and if he loves you he won’t leave you. If he doesn’t love you, good riddance. Perhaps Abby is unaware that this could be a death sentence for any man who marries such a woman.
A later follow-up article on this subject in the Abbey section of the Register Guard, dated May 19, 2005, involved a male with AIDS. He informed Abby that as a middle-aged man he took care of this nasty notification business as early as possible, not in the heat of passion. While he had been nearly always told, “Thanks for telling me, being honest with me. It’s OK; we’ll just play it safe.” Then the guy vanishes. The middle-aged man then told Abby that he now has a wonderful partner who is negative and who loves me as I am.
The Aspen Education Group website reveals the extent that sexual promiscuity is becoming rampant among teenagers and pre-teenagers. It refers to the statistics of The American Academy of Pediatrics, which points out that 36.9 percent of 14-year olds have had sex, that is, more than one out of three, and 66.4 percent of 12th graders have had sex! Along with this there are about 3 million cases of sexually transmitted diseases and about one million pregnancies. These youngsters are encouraged by school programs that distribute birth-control devices, and the result is that only one out of five teenagers will remain chaste during these early years. Also, there are about nine million couples living together intimately without being married and the number of these couples has increased 72 percent in the last decade. As far as homosexuality is concerned, studies indicate that more than three million people are involved in these liaisons, and a poll taken in 1995 indicated that 90 percent of the nation believes that society should value “all types of families,” including homosexual arrangements. [Comment: It is highly unlikely that the above poll is even close to being accurate based on how voters in the 2004 elections rejected public acceptance of this lifestyle]. Reasons given for this immoral behavior is attributed to rationalism, Darwinism, scientific discovery, war, technological advance, and cultural shifts. What is most obviously overlooked in these reasons is a rejection of the Law of God, and the need to overcome the pulls of human nature and to develop holy, righteous character.
Immorality is a worldwide problem, and in the West television has been instrumental. The Opinion Section of the Daily Utah Chronicle, in an article by Jasyn Jones, said that Janet Jackson’s breast exposure during the Super Bowl half-time special is an example. MTV has been a leader in this moral degradation, sponsoring lesbian duos, girl-on-girl kissing, and crotch less leather pants sending a hyper-sexualized message to youngsters. The message to men is that the only value of women is their looks, that they are easily disposable, and that their only purpose is to provide sexual pleasure.
A New York Post article by Bill Hoffman referred to a global sex survey sponsored by Esquire which included 11,000 women with an average age of 22. Some of the facts listed were that it took American women an average of 5.5 dates before the couple headed for the bedroom. Swedish women were the quickest with four dates, followed by Australian and British women with 4.4 dates. Dutch women with 4.7 dates, German and Israeli women with 5.3 dates, and Brazilian, Italian, and Spanish women with 5.4. At what age they lost their virginity, 16 was the average age in the United States, Australia, Germany, Britain, the Netherlands, and Sweden. In Spain, Italy, the Philippines, and Russia, it was 17. It was 18 in Brazil, Israel, and Poland, but Indonesian women waited the longest at age 21. When asked how many men women have slept with, the leading numbers were from Brazil, Israel, and Russia, with 10 men. American women admitted they had slept with about nine, and Indonesian women, the least with two. As far as lesbian relationships are concerned, 43 percent of Australian women admitted they had had at least one encounter, British women 42 percent, Germans 41 percent, and American women 39 percent. The question we might ask is this: Did this survey take a cross section of the true society, or was it limited to deviants and criminal types like the Kinsey Report?
The latest trend in England is what is called “daisy chaining.” Groups of older teenagers are making the rounds to each other’s homes and participating in swinging. This involves youngsters engaging in sexual activity with several partners at these sex parties. School health officials are concerned because such risky practices could lead to an increase in sexually-transmitted disease. An example of this is that a 14 year old boy contracted the AIDS virus, but he claimed he could not have caught HIV as this disease only happens to older people (Associated News Media, May 28, 2005).
Immoral people may also be influenced by 20th Century psychology. Joan Swirsky in an article entitled “Runaway Hoax,” posted on the NewsMax.com website, May 2, 2005, says that the rationale behind the non-judgmental world of psychology is that there is no age at which one should be held accountable for his or her actions. No matter how egregious, premeditated, or criminal, there is always a mitigating reason for the act. The view of psychology is that the cause may be traced to one’s childhood, no matter how many years have lapsed, or to the influence of peers, society, education, the media, or even one’s genes. In brief, one’s bad conduct cannot be the fault of the perpetrator.
The Register Guard, May 23, 05, page 2, reported on the recent influence of psychiatry when representatives of the nation’s top psychiatric groups urged legal recognition of gay marriage. The measure would make the American Psychiatric Association the first major medical group to support same-sex marriage. Their view was that same-sex marriage promoted mental health. The move by these psychiatrists should not come as a surprise. After all, three decades ago the profession removed homosexuality from its list of mental disorders. What are the fruits of the various lifestyles that reflect immorality?
Destruction of the Family
The destruction of the American family has certainly contributed to the increase in immorality. One of the reasons for the family’s decline, given by Rabbi David Eidensohn in a website article posted on December 2, 02 and entitled “The Theory of UnRelativity: Television and the Destruction of Family in America,” has to do with over-consumption. Since the 1950s consumer spending doubled while wages just crept up. This amounted to fiscal suicide. Then along came the 60s with the Vietnam War and disillusionment with society in general. By October 2002 the majority of American adults do not marry, and half of all marriages end in divorce. Married women are having fewer children, while unmarried women have more. The rate of children born out of wedlock has doubled and is increasing. From 1970-2000 the increase in single mothers went from 3 million to 10 million while single fathers went from 393,000 to 2 million. In less than thirty years there has been a six-fold increase. So, not only is the failing of the family a fiscal one, but a moral one also.
What was it that drove consumption to double that of previous generations? According to the rabbi, research has shown that children are increasingly seen as interfering with the spousal relationship. The cost of childrearing conflicts with the increasing materialism and aspirations for expensive consumer goods, suggesting that the higher priority for spending on themselves tops the need to provide for a family. In effect, consumption has drowned the basic instinct of family in both men and women, especially men. Why? The answer is television. In the 50s television began on a national level. The driving force behind television is to sell what advertisers want to sell, so consumption is the soul of television. The ideal family today is programmed to take, not to give, and such motivation cannot be overcome by attending to spiritual matters once a week. Television is not only entertainment, but education, persuasion, and the selling of concepts that effect gender, life, and parenthood. Almost all are a violation of biblical family values. Television has convinced most people that they are the foremost thing in life, certainly not a future, family, or children. Many, if not all, of its programming is anti-biblical with the take, not give, philosophy. It has for all purposes destroyed the family. Pleasure is associated with consumer goods and has poisoned the emotions, the soul, and the billfold.
Venereal Disease
Consider venereal disease. A website entitled “Fornication and Sexual Disease in the Last Days,” by Alan Yusko, gives us the following information: The AIDS virus is so small it can pass through defects in condoms. The disease can remain unknown to the carrier for a number of years while continued sexual activity infects others. The virus mutates and is, therefore, impossible to cure. The infected person’s immune system begins to fail, gradually losing resistance to other diseases and often succumbs from these. One out of six Americans has genital herpes. Herpes is transmitted by both the genitals and the mouth. Sores develop below the waist, and the person must live with this the rest of his or her life even though the disease is not fatal. It can be suppressed by lotions, but regularly recurs. Syphilis causes skin ulcers, eruptions of the membranes, inflammation of the eyes, bones, and central nervous system. If not treated it can damage the central nervous system which could lead to blindness and insanity. While it can be treated with Penicillin, some strains cannot be cured. Gonorrhea can infect the genital area, the mouth, throat, and eyes. About 50 percent of women who contract this disease are not aware of it, and continued sexual activity infects their partners. Also, it can cause sterility in women. Chlamydia is another venereal disease that is similar to gonorrhea and can also cause sterility in women. About 70 percent of those infected with this disease are not aware of it. Papillomavirus is a disease that is contracted through sexual contact and is the cause of warts on the cervix, vulva, vagina, and penis. It can cause cancer of the cervix in women. Many are not aware that hepatitis-inflammation of the liver-can be transmitted by sexual contact. It cannot be cured and eventually will damage the liver, leading to premature death. Some nuisance diseases also result from sexual contact. Scabies, caused by a parasitic mite, is one example, although other forms of contact can also be responsible, such as even the handshake from an infected person. A lotion is available to remove this nuisance.
While this report goes back some time ago, a Los Angeles Times article by Allan Parachini, dated December 11, 1987, reported the appearance of a new obscure venereal disease-chancroid-that had been largely unknown in the United States. It is related to prostitution, and increased 65 percent from 1986, and was up another 42 percent in 1987. One may wonder what the percentages are today. Other localities where it has been reported is Palm Beach County, Orlando, and Jacksonville, all in Florida, and also in Boston, southeastern Pennsylvania, Dallas, and New York City. We can assume it is active and increasing in today’s society.
The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases website states that an estimated 4.8 million new cases of HIV occur each year, about 95 percent of these in developing countries. More than 20 million people have died from AIDS since it was first discovered in 1981. In America about 850,000 to 900,000 people are now infected, a quarter of them unaware, and 40,000 new cases develop each year. The CDC estimates that 60 percent of men were infected through homosexual contacts, 25 percent by drug use, and 15 percent by heterosexual contacts. Of the estimated 16,371 AIDS related deaths in 2002, 52 percent occurred among blacks, 28 percent among whites, and 19 percent among Hispanics, and less than 1 percent among Asian/Pacific Islanders and Indian/Alaska Natives. The Avert.org website says that the number of people living with AIDS in 2004 is close to 40 million, and the number of children orphaned by AIDS in Sub-Saharan Africa by the end of 2003 is 12 million. In these developing countries medical treatment is rare, but in wealthy countries the availability of antiretroviral therapy has reduced the number of deaths. While deaths from AIDS have been reduced in wealthy countries, there is no cure, and infected persons will have shortened life spans.
Homosexuality
Rabbi Eidensohn points out that television openly promotes homosexuality. Homosexuality is so entertaining and pleasure oriented for homosexuals in transient contacts that the risk of AIDS is not even seriously considered. As a result, the disease increased in 2001 by 25 percent . The pursuit of enjoyment is so prevailing among homosexuals that tens of thousands of gay men are regularly being infected without any governmental interference as a result of confidentiality laws in Gay Lobby states. Homosexuals demand repeal of pornography laws and sexual contact with children because “We are what we are.” Homosexuality is related to problems with parents, says Rabbi Eidensohn, so the question is: What kind of people will grow up in a television family? Especially when they are encouraged by the American Psychological Association’s Rind report that states pedophilia can be good for a child. To Rabbi Eidensohn’s report, we may add no wonder God states: “Woe unto them that call evil good and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!” (Isa. 5:20) ” . . . O my people, they which lead thee cause thee to err, and destroy the way of thy paths” (Isa. 3:12). “For my people is foolish, they have not known me; they are sottish children, and they have none understanding: they are wise to do evil, but to do good they have no knowledge” (Jer. 4:22).
The Register-Guard, February 3, 2005, in an article by David Carey of the Associated Press, entitled: “Debate flares over teaching kids tolerance of gays” reports on what most parents are aware of, or should be aware of-what is taking place in the public schools. The article states that liberal ideologues argue that young children should be taught that intolerance based on sexual identity is wrong, and that gays are a legitimate part of the national mosaic. The article quotes Joan Garry of Gay and Lesbian Alliance against Defamations who said that the argument was about creating awareness and understanding of people who are different, and why shouldn’t that be a good thing for America’s young people? Carey reports that conservatives responded vehemently, stating that teaching children to be respectful of other individuals is fine, but the line must not be crossed by teaching them that homosexuality is acceptable. Tolerance itself can be a very dangerous word according to Terry Fox, a Southern Baptist pastor who added that tolerance taught in public schools is the avenue being used to brainwash children into believing that every lifestyle is OK.
The homosexual agenda is not limited to youngsters by any means. In an Associated Press article posted on NewsMax.com on May 4, 2005, we find that two groups filed a federal lawsuit in Greenbelt, Maryland. To block a health curriculum that would allow discussions of homosexuality with eighth graders, and also a video to be shown to sophomores that demonstrated how to use a condom. County educators said the curriculum change was necessary to teach students about the dangers of unprotected sex.
Some major religious institutions are accepting homosexual behavior as permissible. For example, the United Methodist Church recently reinstated a lesbian minister who had been defrocked after revealing her relationship with another woman. Church authorities said the church is not free to disregard the standards of justice and the inclusiveness that was preached by Jesus (Associated Press, 2005). The watering-down of biblical standards and the willingness to accommodate political correctness is rapidly contaminating those Christians who consider themselves to be following the teaching of Jesus-that sin, no matter how deplorable, must be overlooked because Christians are not to judge the conduct of others. Little do they know what Jesus said about repentance and the need to keep the Law of God.
Teenage Pregnancy
Another serious fruit of immorality is teenage pregnancy. According to a website entitled Teen Pregnancy Facts and Stats NCPTP, approximately one million teenagers become pregnant each year. These pregnancies result in approximately 520,000 births and 405,000 abortions, along with 80,000 miscarriages. The website states that a primary reason many teenage girls do not commit fornication is that it is against their moral values. Furthermore, teenagers with strong ties to their parents are much less likely to engage in premarital sex at an early age. (If true, the last few words of the previous sentence illustrates the degrading influence society has on children as they grow older. The Bible makes it clear that sex belongs in marriage only. See 1 Corinthians 7:2. The article goes no to say that other reasons given for abstaining from sexual activity were fear of pregnancy, venereal disease, or not having met the appropriate partner. Also, that teenager should abstain from sex, but have access to contraception. And they should refrain from sexual activity until they are out of high school. (These last two reasons are again typical examples of America’s liberal attitude toward sex.) A sexually active teen who does not use contraception has a 90 percent chance of pregnancy within one year. (Teenagers need to be taught that results differ in the reliability of various devices and means used to prevent pregnancies or sexually transmitted diseases.) Parents are rated high among many teens as the preferred source of information on birth control, and teens raised by parents from birth have lower probabilities of indulging in sex.
The website adds that teenage mothers are less likely to complete high school and more likely to end up on welfare, as nearly 80 percent of these teen mothers end up on welfare. Children born of teenage mothers have lower birth weights and are more likely to perform poorly in high school and are at a greater risk of abuse or neglect. Sons of these mothers are 13 percent more likely to end up in prison and daughters are 22 percent more likely to become teen mothers themselves. The United States has the highest teen pregnancy rate of any developed country, and nearly one in five teenagers who indulge in premarital sex will get pregnant again within a year. Various estimates of the annual cost of teenage pregnancies is put between 25 and 50 billion dollars.
Abortion
Abortion falls into the realm of immorality. The website, Fast Facts: U.S. Abortions, reports that of the 1.6 million abortions performed in the United States each year, 91 percent are performed during the first trimester (12 weeks or fewer gestation). Women under 25 and unmarried, women separated from their husbands, and women who are poor are the most likely to seek abortions. Eighty percent of women who have abortions are single, sixty percent are white, and thirty-five percent are black, and almost half of all American women will have an abortion during their lifetimes. Between the years of 1920-2005, the number of estimated abortions is 937 million, and the current global average monthly is 1, 250,000. It is hard to grasp the scope of this offense against God. Married women who choose abortion are significantly more likely to be at high risk of clinical depression as opposed to unmarried women who deliver unintended pregnancies. According to a study of the Elliot Institute of Springfield, Illinois, shame, secrecy, and thought suppression are all associated with post-abortion depression, as well as anxiety and hostility.
This practice has serious consequences and has become the modern method of population control. In ancient times child sacrifice was a method of population control. While the motive for abortion is the same, modern methods have been refined to the point that the effects of abortion are viewed as minor. In England abortion has become so common that one out of three abortions are carried out on women who have had at least one abortion before. This is according to the London Daily Mail (reported by Matt Drudge, May 15, 2005). The Drudge Report says that figures from the British Pregnancy Advisory Service suggest that women who become pregnant at a university or at the beginning of their careers regard abortion as a means of delaying motherhood. Out of one-hundred abortions being done, only one is due to a medical risk. One London woman had six abortions in just twelve months. The Drudge report continues and says that the emotional and physical risks are being swept under the carpet, and many later on suffer from depression. In addition, the procedure can make it more difficult for women to ever start a family. A News Telegraph article by Michael Day, dated May 5, 2005, states that having an abortion almost doubles a woman’s risk of giving birth dangerously early in a later pregnancy. The News Telegraph article referred to a French study that found mothers who have had a previous abortion were 1.7 times more likely to give birth to a baby that is less than 28 weeks gestation, and many of these babies suffer a serious disability or die soon after birth. Dr. Caroline Moreau provided conclusive evidence of a link between induced abortion and subsequent pre-term births. The causes of premature births include premature rupture of the membranes, incorrect position of the fetus on the placenta, and spontaneous early labor.
In the United States, since the 1973 Supreme Court decision on Roe vs. Wade, the millions of babies killed were terminated because the child may have been unwanted, inconvenient, possibly imperfect, or even the wrong sex. The estimated rate of abortion averages one baby every 20 seconds. Pro-Life websites call attention to the methods used to abort a child. These are suction, dilation and curettage, dilation and extraction, saline amniocentesis, prostaglandin injection, inter-cardiac injection, and chemical abortion.
When suction is employed, a tube with suction 27 times stronger than a vacuum cleaner is inserted into the womb, and the baby is torn apart limb by limb and sucked from the womb along with the placenta. The remains are deposited into an attached waste bottle. With dilation and curettage the cervix is dilated, then ring forceps are inserted into the womb and the baby extracted piece by piece. A loop shaped knife is then inserted and used to scrape away any part of the baby left, as well as the placenta. Profuse bleeding follows. In the case of dilation and extraction the baby is dismembered with a plier-like forceps, and the baby is pulled apart. For example, a leg or other part of the body is grabbed and with a twisting motion torn from the baby’s body. The spine is snapped and the skull crushed. After the baby has been removed, the parts are reassembled to make sure the entire baby is removed. Parts overlooked can cause serious complications and sometimes death. Another method utilizes a concentrated salt solution that is injected into the amniotic fluid with a amniocentesis needle. The baby breaths and swallows this solution and dies about an hour later of acute salt poisoning. The baby is then delivered and the body burned. This method has been declining because of the dangers to the mother, and sometimes the baby survives. When prostaglandin is used, it is injected into the amniotic sac causing premature labor and delivery of a dead baby. With inter-cardiac injection a long needle is injected into the amniotic sac and into the heart of the baby. The cervix is opened over a period of four days and labor then induced. A dilation curettage is then performed. It is believed there is no pain to the baby if the heart is penetrated with the needle. Also various chemical abortions are used in the very early stages of pregnancy, such as the RU 486 pill and various birth control pills.
Drug Usage
One widespread consequence of declining morals is drug usage. Most informed adults are aware of the terrible damage that drugs do to the individual and the family. Perhaps some may not be informed about what drugs do to newborns and children. While there are several kinds of drugs available to drug addicts, due to its relatively low cost and easy accessibility, the current favorite among drug users is methamphetamine. An article by Ken Olsen MSNBC.com/news, dated May 1, 2005, related an incident that took place involving a Spokane social worker who was counseling a helpless methamphetamine addict. After three hours with the addict in her car and her office, the social worker became violently ill and had to go to an emergency room. This incident points out a characteristic of meth. One need not smoke, snort, or shoot meth to foul up the body. Simply hang around with someone whose clothes are soaked in fumes, or rent a house where meth was manufactured.
Great misery affects those who use meth as little as a few times a month. Those who inject the drug for a faster high often fail to sterilize the needle and contract AIDS, hepatitis B or C, or necrotizing fasciitis, a flesh-killing strep bacteria. Meth generates an endless adrenaline rush, which numbs the brain, hammers the heart, and weakens blood vessels and kidneys. Meth addicts do not eat or sleep, sometimes for a month. Gums break down, teeth fall out, kidneys disintegrate, and sores do not heal. Meth is believed to induce strokes, psychosis, and schizophrenia. Some users eventually become so mentally impaired that their lives are completely ruined. To avoid the intense depression that follows, along with a malnourished, fatigued body, many addicts stay on meth. “Speed sex” is also a part of the addiction. Meth increases the sex drive and enhances sexual pleasure. But while the drive lasts the performance plummets. In addition, children of meth users are likely to be sexually abused. Meth users are also prone to extreme paranoia, which can and often does lead to excessive violence. Sometimes the violence that occurs is horrendous, and much could be said about it. Meth addicts often beat their children, their spouses, and their friends. On one occasion a meth addict put her baby sitter in the hospital after a meth-induced fight. The Register-Guard, May 29, 2005, page 1, described what occurred to a young woman on meth who was living with meth addicted boyfriends. The first one got her onto meth, the second one murdered her two-year old son, and the third one nearly choked her to death. She is lucky to be alive and is now in recovery.
The Ken Olsen article refers to the damage that can happen to the brain. The most important part of the body is the brain, and meth can seriously affect the brain. One young man who dreamed of becoming a race car mechanic “cooked his brain” by using meth. Because of an overdose he now shakes too much to shave with a razor. On some days the whole room spins, and he is always dizzy. He cannot remember key words in a sentence. He was forced to lie in a nursing home for months, unable to walk. When he overdosed, his temperature went up to 110 degrees, destroying his cognitive skills, and he is now permanently disabled. The toxic materials used to cook meth include drain cleaner, gasoline, liquid ammonia fertilizer, Red Devil dye, red phosphorous, toluene, sulfuric acid, hydrochloric acid, and xylene-used to extract meth from diet tablets and over-the-counter cold remedies. Police refer to these small-time meth operations as “Beavis and Butt-head” labs.
What is written above hardly scratches the surface regarding this addiction, and much more could be said about the harmful effects of this drug. Interested parties can acquire a plethora of information about methamphetamine on the Internet.
To get back to how meth addiction affects children, the web article referred to above says that through no fault of their own, children are innocent victims of meth. When meth is brewed in the home, children are exposed to the volatile fumes and are often burned by caustic chemicals. They live in household garbage that may get to a foot and a half deep. They play outside where hazardous by-products are dumped. Some are locked in rooms for days while parents are high because they do not want their children to see them in that condition. Sometimes they forget to let the children out.
The article reports that when it comes to newborns, the situation is even worse. A woman who uses meth will deliver a newborn that, due to withdrawal, screams 24 hours a day, a newborn that will have tremors and behavioral problems. Some children are born with a heart that is backward and has two holes. This condition is called “worm heart.” Meth is such an insult to a developing baby that when it is the size of a thumb, the damage is extremely severe. The Anti-Meth site (formerly the Koch Crime Institute), posted an article on June 17, 2002, which states that in Newark, New Jersey, drug abuse is present in 40 percent of newborns. Also in this area of the country, cocaine and heroin were the drugs that tested positive in 38 and 22 percent of samples respectively.
The UC Davis website states that methamphetamine in its various forms may be the worst drug to hit America. A national household survey estimated that almost nine and one-half million Americans have tried this drug. In California 20 out of every 1,000 babies born suffer some kind of major birth defect due to drug abuse. Defects may include such things as spina bifida, which occurs in the first month of pregnancy and is caused by a neural tube that fails to close completely, thus leading to fluid on the brain. Defects also include underdevelopment, sleep disorders, full or partial paralysis, bladder and bowel control difficulties, learning disabilities, depression, latex allergy, and social and sexual issues. Defects resulting from the use of meth include heart, kidney, intestinal abnormalities, skeletal abnormalities, club foot, or missing parts of arms or legs. Another is gastroschesis-a hole in the abdomen with the intestines on the outside of the body. Effects on the brain may last for many years. The fact is: These drugs are ruining millions of lives-a very high price to impose upon an innocent child due to a lack of common sense and morality. Truly as the Bible says, ” . . . The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children’s teeth are set on edge” (Ezek. 18:2).
The Bible Witness
The above paragraphs clearly illustrate the fruits of immorality. The Scriptures tell us: “Because to every purpose there is time and judgment, therefore the misery of man is great upon him” (Eccl. 8:6). Many completely disregard this truth. The Law of God was given to protect us from the harm and evil of sin. Sin is the transgression of the Law of God (1 John 3:4). Immorality in all forms is sin, and the consequences of it cannot be avoided. What are the benefits of obedience to God’s Commandments? “Moreover by them is thy servant warned: and in keeping of them there is great reward” (Ps. 19:11). What does that reward include? The answer: Not having to experience the suffering and humility that goes along with sin. “Tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Gentile . . . . For there is no respect of persons with God” (Rom. 2:9, 11).
Consider sexual promiscuity-fornication. What does the Bible say about this practice? The present day watered down definition describes a person who fornicates as one who is “sexually active,” but the Bible calls it for what it is-fornication. Any dictionary will state that fornication, distinct from adultery, is consensual sexual intercourse between two persons not married to each other. Statistics show how rampant this practice is today. In the broad sense, fornication refers to any kind of illegal sexual conduct involving unmarried persons. The Apostle Paul points out that fornication is one of the works of the flesh. “Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, Envying, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God” (Gal. 5:19-21).
Why will fornicators be excluded from the Kingdom of God? The answer: Man was not placed on this earth to be an automaton. He was placed here to develop the perfect character of God. This is what the Ten Commandments are all about. Man will not be given the power and nature of God unless he can first demonstrate a willingness to develop God’s character. God’s character can be defined as absolute perfection and love. Man was given a nature that is contrary to God’s nature, and this human nature is what must be overcome. It can only be overcome by true repentance and receiving the gift of the Holy Spirit, which can give man the power to resist and overcome evil. Christopher Hitchen’s article, commented on near the beginning of this article, illustrates an utter lack of knowledge as to God’s purpose for man. Fornication is evil because it attempts to thwart God’s purpose for sex. That purpose involves not only procreation but for binding couples together in love in the marriage state. Outside of marriage, promiscuity results from lust and carries an automatic penalty. This is also why adultery is wrong. Adultery stains the physical relationship between wedded couples and often wrecks the marriage. Children are generally the ones who suffer the most.
God’s Law involving fornication and adultery were given for man’s benefit-to bring happiness, to protect the home, and to provide a stable environment for the children. Here is what the Bible says about fornication. ” . . . Now the body is not for fornication, but for the Lord; and the Lord for the body” (1 Cor. 6:13). “Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body” (v. 18). “Nevertheless, to avoid fornication, let every man have his own wife, and let every woman have her own husband” (1 Cor. 7:2). “But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as becometh saints” (Eph. 5:3). “Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry” (Col. 3:5). “Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers . . . shall inherit the kingdom of God” (1 Cor. 6:9).
What needs to be recognized is that God’s Law was given to protect man, given to insure him of happiness and joy in this present life. To treat the Ten Commandments with contempt brings upon oneself curses and sadness. “For that they hated knowledge, and did not choose the fear of the LORD: They would none of my counsel: they despised all my reproof. Therefore shall they eat of the fruit of their own way, and be filled with their own devices. For the turning away of the simple shall slay them, and the (complacency) of fools shall destroy them. But whoso hearkeneth unto me shall dwell safely, and shall be quiet from fear of evil” (Prov. 1:29-33).
We have seen in the article above how homosexuality affects this nation, but what does the Bible say? Here is what the Apostle Paul wrote about those men who rejected God:
Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened . . . . Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves . . . . For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompense of their error which was meet. And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not (fitting). (Rom. 1:21, 24, 26-28)
A New Testament Scripture that reveals what God says about homosexuality states: “Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind . . . shall inherit the kingdom of God” (1 Cor. 6:9). “Knowing this, that the law is not made for a righteous man, but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and for sinners, for unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers, For whoremongers, for them that defile themselves with mankind, for menstealers, for liars, for perjured persons, and if there be any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine” (1 Tim. 1:9-10).
One can always receive forgiveness from God if he or she repents. When he spoke of the sins mentioned in 1 Corinthians 6:9-10, the Apostle Paul added. “And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God” (v. 11). Truly, God graciously forgives these sins when one repents, that is, stops doing them.
Homosexual advocates attempt to limit Bible prohibitions against homosexuality to temple prostitution only, as historical evidence shows this form of sexual conduct occurred in heathen temples. However, New Testament Scriptures do not support this notion. Why? It would be ludicrous to believe that while a homosexual act in a heathen temple is forbidden, a homosexual act outside a heathen temple is not. There is no indication that Paul limited homosexual acts to heathen worship in 1 Corinthians 6:9-10 and 1 Timothy 1:9-10.
The consequence of sexual sins can be diseases of one kind or another, including HIV. Some sexual addicts can be infected with several diseases at the same time. While the Bible does not specifically mention any particular disease, there is a strong suggestion of such in the book of Proverbs. Recall that the Apostle Paul wrote that homosexuals were “receiving in themselves that recompense that was (proper).” Here is a warning against promiscuity: “For the lips of a strange woman drop as an honeycomb, and her mouth is smoother than oil: But her end is bitter as wormwood, sharp as a two-edged sword. Her feet go down to death; her steps take hold on hell . . . . And thou mourn at the last, when thy flesh and thy body are consumed, And say, How have I hated instruction, and my heart despised reproof . . . . His own iniquities shall take the wicked himself, and he shall be holden with the cords of his sins” (Prov. 5: 3-5, 11-12, 22). One who habitually indulges in sexual promiscuity has, sooner or later, a good chance of contracting a venereal disease. Some of these diseases are incurable. We should have little wonder why the Bible states: “But whoso committeth adultery with a woman lacketh understanding: he that doeth it destroyeth his own soul” (Prov. 6:32).
What about teenage pregnancies? The facts show that the high rate of abortion in the United States is a result of teenage pregnancies. While worship during the Old Testament period was physical in nature, and salvation was not offered under the terms of the Old Covenant, there was a severe price to pay for illegitimacy-being born out of wedlock-even though the child was in no way at fault. “A bastard shall not enter into the congregation of the LORD; even to his tenth generation shall he not enter into the congregation of the LORD” (Deut. 23:2). This was the price that had to be paid for the sin of the parents. What the Old Testament indicates is that bastards had no claim in any paternal inheritance or to the privileges of legitimate children. We have all heard or read about abandoned children, some left in garbage cans by mothers who bore them illegitimately. Neglect and starvation of infants is often the consequence of such liaisons. While some married couples can be as neglectful as some unwed mothers, a portion of these unwanted pregnancies occur while under the influence of drugs. In many cases of unwanted pregnancies, the father is able to escape financial responsibility and the mother and infant must suffer the most from the consequences.
Considering birth control, previously mentioned above, it appears that abortion and child sacrifice have the same goal in mind-population control or the ridding of unwanted children. The only difference today may be the amount of pain suffered by the baby, and the amount of bodily harm that may occur to the mother. Child sacrifice may have had a lasting effect on the parents, but both the physical and psychological damage of modern abortion appears to have been either underestimated or underreported. Evidence of child sacrifice can be found in Halley’s Pocket Bible Handbook. Excavations at Gezer and other locations contain the remains of sacrificed children; the prophets of Baal and Ashtoreth were the official murderers of little children.
Scripture condemns child sacrifice. This practice was related to false worship. God commanded: “Thou shalt not do so unto the LORD thy God: for every abomination to the LORD, which he hateth, have they done unto their gods; for even their sons and their daughters they have burnt in the fire to their gods” (Deut. 12:31). Did the Israelites obey this command? No. They ” . . . were mingled among the heathen, and learned their works. And they served their idols: which were a snare unto them. Yea, they sacrificed their sons and their daughters unto devils, And shed innocent blood, even the blood of their sons and of their daughters, whom they sacrificed unto the idols of Canaan: and the land was polluted with blood” (Ps. 106:35-38). “And they have built the high places of Tophet, which is in the valley of the son of Hinnom, to burn their sons and their daughters in the fire; which I commanded them not, neither came it into my heart” (Jer. 7:31). “They have built also the high places of Baal, to burn their sons with fire for burnt offerings unto Baal, which I commanded not, nor spake it, neither came it into my mind” (Jer. 19:5). “Moreover thou hast taken thy sons and thy daughters, whom thou hast borne unto me, and these hast thou sacrificed unto them to be devoured. Is this of thy whoredoms a small matter” (Ezek. 16:20). Even King Ahaz of Judah was guilty of this sin. We read: “For he walked in the ways of the kings of Israel, and made also molten images for Baalim. Moreover he burnt incense in the valley of the son of Hinnom, and burnt his children in the fire, after the abominations of the heathen whom the LORD had cast out before the children of Israel” (2 Chron. 28:2-3).
This practice is called an abomination. So the question is: What is the difference between child sacrifice and modern day abortion? The answer: only the motive. During the Old Testament period, one Canaanite practice was what is called “foundation sacrifice.” When a house was built, a child was sacrificed and its body built into the wall to bring good luck. Notice, this murder was done for “good luck,” that is, for the benefit of other family members. Most abortions done today are also for “the benefit” of others, generally the mother, or father, or both. Seldom is abortion done for the benefit of the child. Abortionists and those who tolerate this practice will have to answer for much.
Sexual Prohibitions
All the Scriptural laws regarding sexual conduct are intended for man’s good. Consider what we read in Leviticus 18:1-30, in the New International Version:
The LORD said to Moses, “Speak to the Israelites and say to them: I am the LORD your God. You must not do as they do in Egypt, where you used to live, and you must not do as they do in the land of Canaan, where I am bringing you. Do not follow their practices. You must obey my laws and be careful to follow my decrees. I am the LORD your God. Keep my decrees and laws, for the man who obeys them will live by them. I am the LORD.
No one is to approach any close relative to have sexual relations. I am the LORD.
Do not dishonor your father by having sexual relations with your mother. She is your mother; do not have relations with her.
Do not have sexual relations with your father’s wife; that would dishonor your father.
Do not have sexual relations with your sister, either your father’s daughter or your mother’s daughter, whether she was born in the same home or elsewhere.
Do not have sexual relations with your son’s daughter or your daughter’s daughter; that would dishonor you.
Do not have sexual relations with the daughter of your father’s wife, born to your father; she is your sister.
Do not have sexual relations with your father’s sister; she is your father’s close relative.
Do not have sexual relations with your mother’s sister, because she is your mother’s close relative.
Do not dishonor your father’s brother by approaching his wife to have sexual relations; she is your aunt.
Do not have sexual relations with your daughter-in-law. She is your son’s wife; do not have relations with her.
Do not have sexual relations with your brother’s wife; that would dishonor your brother.
Do not have sexual relations with both a woman and her daughter. Do not have sexual relations with either her son’s daughter or her daughter’s daughter; they are her close relatives. That is wickedness.
Do not take your wife’s sister as a rival wife and have sexual relations with her while your wife is living.
Do not approach a woman to have sexual relations during the uncleanness of her monthly period.
Do not have sexual relations with your neighbor’s wife and defile yourself with her.
Do not give any of your children to be sacrificed to Molech, for you must not profane the name of your God. I am the LORD.
Do not lie with a man as one lies with a woman; that is detestable.
Do not have sexual relations with an animal and defile yourself with it. A woman must not present herself to an animal to have sexual relations with it; that is a perversion.
Do not defile yourselves in any of these ways, because this is how the nations that I am going to drive out before you became defiled. Even the land was defiled; so I punished it for its sin, and the land vomited out its inhabitants. But you must keep my decrees and my laws. The native-born and the aliens living among you must not do any of these detestable things, for all these things were done by the people who lived in the land before you, and the land became defiled. And if you defile the land, it will vomit you out as it vomited out the nations that were before you.
Everyone who does any of these detestable things-such persons must be cut off from their people. Keep my requirements and do not follow any of the detestable customs that were practiced before you came and do not defile yourselves with them. I am the LORD your God.
We must remember what the Apostle Paul warned. He said: “Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body” (1 Cor. 6:18). This warning applies to every kind of sexual sin, as the Scriptures in the above paragraphs indicate.
America is in the middle of a cultural war. The fate of our nation will be determined in the coming years. It will either hold to the traditional values of the Bible or turn to secularism. The enemies of traditional values are vast, with huge sums of money at their disposal. Consider, for example, the ACLU (American Civil Liberties Union). Recently it filed a lawsuit against the federal government for “improperly using taxpayer money to fund Christian religious activities.” This organization wants all Christian symbols and morals erased from the public scene. Its recent suit involves an organization called the Silver Ring Thing which promotes premarital abstinence among teens. The ACLU alleges that the Silver Ring Thing crosses the line and uses taxpayer money to encourage young people to commit themselves to Jesus Christ. What is not generally known is that the Silver Ring Thing gives two presentations. One is secular, the other religious. When the secular presentation is complete, anyone interested in Christianity is invited to the second presentation. All others are free to leave. In addition, the Silver Ring Thing states that financing for the second presentation is not from taxpayer funds. The ACLU contends that students are encouraged to attend the religious option and enroll in a Bible-based follow-up program. What seems to especially upset the ACLU is that the abstinence pledge states “God wants you to be holy, so you should keep clear of all sexual sin. Then each of you will control your own body and live in holiness and honor.”
The ACLU is simply one of a number of the secular organizations that loathe any reference to God or moral living. The cultural war is becoming more and more intense as time goes by. Who will prevail remains to be seen. Whatever takes place, one thing is certain-secularism will continue to encourage or tolerate the kind of behavior that leads to the consequences described in this article. These consequences are the fruits of immorality. While secularists may not be fully aware of their motivations, they are haters of God. Why? “Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be” (Rom. 8:7). This is the mind that must be changed, but often will not do so until the lessons of suffering are learned. There may be some merit to the saying that a conservative is a liberal who has been mugged. There is a penalty for sin. The Bible defines sin as the transgression of the law (1 John 3:4). To repeat: “Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting” (Gal. 6:7-8). “For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live” (Rom. 8:13). The Bible says of those who spurn God: “While they promise them liberty, they themselves are the servants of corruption: for of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he brought in bondage” (2 Peter 2:19).