Looking at the sexual obsessions of our culture is highly disappointing. There is much to be said about it -- but first let’s build some ground. I think it's important to define what sexual freedom is.
Don't get me wrong, I appreciate that I have sexual freedom. Though this is unofficial, the basic definition of sexual freedom could be as follows: "the ability to freely choose whom to have sexual activity with, granted that the sexual partners are consenting adults." I don't think that any respectful human being would say that freedom is inherently bad, even when it comes to choosing whom to have a sexual relationship with, as opposed to the opposite, which would be forced sex. (I, coming from a biblical perspective, do believe this freedom is only good when exercised within the context of God’s design for marriage, but will save this for a more in depth future post.)
However, our culture has gone too far. I get the impression that the media takes sexual freedom to mean "the freedom to talk about sex, show sex, and discuss sex whenever, however, and wherever desired in any manner or attitude desired."
If you disagree, go ahead and turn the television on. Watch a show for about 5 minutes and count the number of sexual references heard. Try a popular sitcom, MTV, or the most highly advertised drama. Or even worse, watch a commercial for a simple product such as clothing, or even a food item.
How about popular music? What is the top song on the charts these days? I guarantee you it will discuss sex, or, at the very least, mention sexual attraction.
During time spent immersed in any media activity, you will likely hear sex treated as a joke, commodity, or used as a tool to sell products or to attract someone to a message. The status quo of culture is both reducing and glorifying sex.
Is this what we want? Do we want sex, a human expression of love, reduced to comedic relief? Do we want to raise sex as the most important factor in our social status? Do we want sex to be the main deciding factor in simple, every-day decisions?
I believe that God has set for us a standard for how sexual freedom should be defined. I'll expand on this concept a bit more in following blogs, but for now, let's truly assess our culture and our media. Let's examine the messages that are sent out to parents, husbands and wives, friends, siblings, and children.
How does our culture's media define sexual freedom? And do we want to believe the messages this definition sends us?
Sincerely,
Hannah Noel
Don't get me wrong, I appreciate that I have sexual freedom. Though this is unofficial, the basic definition of sexual freedom could be as follows: "the ability to freely choose whom to have sexual activity with, granted that the sexual partners are consenting adults." I don't think that any respectful human being would say that freedom is inherently bad, even when it comes to choosing whom to have a sexual relationship with, as opposed to the opposite, which would be forced sex. (I, coming from a biblical perspective, do believe this freedom is only good when exercised within the context of God’s design for marriage, but will save this for a more in depth future post.)
However, our culture has gone too far. I get the impression that the media takes sexual freedom to mean "the freedom to talk about sex, show sex, and discuss sex whenever, however, and wherever desired in any manner or attitude desired."
If you disagree, go ahead and turn the television on. Watch a show for about 5 minutes and count the number of sexual references heard. Try a popular sitcom, MTV, or the most highly advertised drama. Or even worse, watch a commercial for a simple product such as clothing, or even a food item.
How about popular music? What is the top song on the charts these days? I guarantee you it will discuss sex, or, at the very least, mention sexual attraction.
During time spent immersed in any media activity, you will likely hear sex treated as a joke, commodity, or used as a tool to sell products or to attract someone to a message. The status quo of culture is both reducing and glorifying sex.
Is this what we want? Do we want sex, a human expression of love, reduced to comedic relief? Do we want to raise sex as the most important factor in our social status? Do we want sex to be the main deciding factor in simple, every-day decisions?
I believe that God has set for us a standard for how sexual freedom should be defined. I'll expand on this concept a bit more in following blogs, but for now, let's truly assess our culture and our media. Let's examine the messages that are sent out to parents, husbands and wives, friends, siblings, and children.
How does our culture's media define sexual freedom? And do we want to believe the messages this definition sends us?
Sincerely,
Hannah Noel