Obscenity--New Hope

Part 1
Our culture has sunk into an immoral abyss without even realizing that they are close the point of self destruction. It will not be from muslim militants that destroy our culture, it will happen from our living rooms through the media propaganda and immoral content of programs that have so easily enticed us. The next two blogs I would like to devote some teaching on the concepts of Obscenity and Profanity. I was reminded of how serious this is in our culture when I attended a play this weekend at the Bucks County Theatre in New Hope, PA. It is ironic that the town is called New Hope. I was able to enjoy about five minutes of the play before my wife and I had to walk out. Everyone else was in hysterics and applauding after hearing the ultimate in profanity and the acting out of sexual intercourse on stage. Here is my first installment of how we can restore the years that the locusts have eaten.

Obscenity
The Greeks restricted violence and intimacy on stage, not because of their high moral standards, but because of their understanding of aesthetics and obscenity. The word obscene means “off stage.” Violence and intimacy were considered “off stage” behaviors. Intimacy is ordained of God for marriage, not for public eyes. Public intimacy is obscene, not because it is evil but because it is sacred. Moreover, when an audience is captivated by the dramatic involvement of the characters, violence and sexual content break the aesthetic mood. The memorable vicarious experience is now overshadowed and disrupted by shocking violence or sensual provocation. Capturing the interest of an audience aesthetically requires the pen of a skilled word-crafter; shocking the audience with a violent scene or stimulating them sexually requires no talent. We are losing our taste for aesthetic beauty, becoming immune to inhumane and violent treatment of others, and dulling our sense of compassion, imagination, and conscience. The warning here is not that these things are hurting our children, they are ruining the lives of adults and our ability to enjoy things that are pure and holy; the things that bring true enjoyment. So, may the words of our mouth and the meditation of our heart be acceptable in His sight.