Sexuality Deterioration

There has been serious regression in America pertaining to sexuality in the "normal" human condition recently. The majority of the world either does not recognize God or has Him confused with someone else - either way, modern society that is not IN CHRIST in general has removed themselves so far from God that human relationships are spinning wildly out of control becoming worthless and ruined.

The regression... sexual immorality: promiscuity, immodesty, and specifically homosexuality. This is where opinions will fly and people will quickly jump to a conservative or liberal stance, based on personal standing - Christian or not. Let me get this out of the way before I go further. I tend to be more liberal than conservative - in defining terms:
Liberal

1.

• a. Not limited to or by established, traditional, orthodox, or authoritarian attitudes, views, or dogmas; free from bigotry.
• b. Favoring proposals for reform, open to new ideas for progress, and tolerant of all people regardless of their behavior; broad-minded.
• c. Tending to give freely; generous; generous in amount
• d. Not always strict or literal; approximate.
• e. Favorable to the protection of civil liberties
• f. Consenting with governmental policies that support a free economy.

But not liberal in the sense of:

2.

• a. Being archaic: Permissible or appropriate for a person to have the behavior of primitive humans or being animalistic; seeking self satisfaction to the detriment of self and others
• b. Being obsolete: Morally unrestrained; licentious.
• c. Tolerant of any and all behavior of people; to each their own
• d. Not bound by ethical, moral, or humanitarian codes

I stand on the freedom that Christ brings, not what humanity's free-will has perverted freedom into being - a license to do anything, evil or not. God has given us His Laws - some are given to teach us a "best" way over a "good" way of life, and some are point blank "do's and don'ts" - "way of life" or "way of death" Laws that are not up for interpretation or debate. Homosexuality is one of those non-negotiable terms in God's Law. There's a reason for this Law - it goes against human nature as it was created to be. Yes - human nature has been poluted by sin, and therefore is in a debased state. But that doesn't mean we have to revel in that state, or become identified with that condition as "normal". We have an escape from our sinful nature in Christ Jesus! But those who reject Christ and find pleasure in their degenerate state are becoming the vast majority in this nation, and society as a whole is suffering for it.

For example - the male bond is being replaced with one extreme or the other - unnatural relationships (homosexuality) or estranged relationships (bravado and shallowness). There is no longer a place for true brotherhood among men. I agree with the statement made by Anthony Esolen (Professor of English - Providence College, RI) which paraphrased states that "the breakdown of natural sexuality in society is leading to the death of same-sex friendships". "For modern American men, friendship is no longer forged in the heat of battle, or in the dust of the plains as they drive their herds across half a continent, or in the choking air of a coalmine, ...most men no longer find themselves in situations that encourage straightforward male friendships. ...unnatural sexuality has nearly killed male friendship as devoted to anything beyond drinking and watching sports...." Women are also effected by the breakdown - women who are close friends are often mistakenly viewed as sexually involved, simply because of heartfelt emotions expressed towards one another in speech or actions. The other extreme is the unspoken rival competition between women evoked out of sexual comparison. Are we so confused of the sexual lines in society that we are afraid to imagine an intimate and dependant same gender relationship that is purely natural and unsexual? Is sexual energy so uncontroled that anyone and everyone becomes a prospective threat, and we must be isolated and totally self-reliant to protect ourselves?

Back to the male relationships - fathers are (and have been for a while) afraid to hold and be tender with their sons, and at the same time, those that do, tend to fail to teach their sons to be MEN and the result is often effeminate or gay men, if not lazy or fearful men. The Biblical image of the way men are supposed to be is Jesus. He was bold, a Man of action, self-sacrificing for others, yet tender and expressionate with people of both genders who were close to Him. He did not back away from duty or confrontation - He did not care what others thought of Him, yet He relied on the bonds of intimate human relationships around Him. He took care of those that were His responsibility, and He lifted them up to be all they could be. He was passionate and open, and opinionated (because He stated the Father's opinions - which were truths), yet He was also patient, understanding, and humble. Jesus went about doing the Father's will and pleasing Him. Where are the men that strive to be like Jesus today? To be fair, all people of God are to display these traits, and they aren't masculine characteristics per se. Both genders have a room for growth in the Body of Christ, for sure.

But Jesus was a balanced Man - He embraced close male friendship in brotherhood, which included honest emotional feelings, but they were not sexual, nor did Jesus connect intimacy in friendship with sexuality. Therefore He could seperate the two relationships and be true friends with both males and females alike without sexuality getting in the way. He lived out natural relationships the way God created human beings to be in relationship to each other.

Sexuality is a part of the human identity - but we were created to express our sexuality to only one other human being of the opposite sex (Genesis 2:24), or not at all (Matthew 19:10-11). It may be "liberated" behavior to flaunt your sexuality to everyone or anyone who is not your spouse, or to have more than one sexual partner, or for your sexual partner to be of the same sex... but this kind of liberation falls under the second definition of "Liberal" - and is a degraded human freedom to choose to do evil rather than expressing sexuality God's way. When sex becomes an acceptable and available option for anyone, anywhere, then every innocent and natural act becomes subject to reasonable suspicion. The more unnatural relationships get accepted and assimilated into society, the more distance and coldness will work it's way into natural relationships throughout society. How sad a state of world we live in now - and it's only going to get worse before it gets better. That means that it is just that much more important for believers to become seperate from the world and try not to let the depraved moral standard influence our thinking and drag us down with it!