My wife and I have 5 children ranging in age from 8 to 18. Something we have experienced with every child is the dislike they had for punishment when they did something wrong. Each child went through the same progression. First, they were sorry we disapproved of them doing something wrong. Next they were sorry they had been caught doing something wrong. Finally they were sorry they had done something wrong.

These three stages are ones we all pass through. At first we don’t know what we do is wrong. Then we only do what is right if we are forced to or if we believe that we’ll be caught and punished if we do the wrong thing. Finally we arrive at the place where we do the right thing because it is the right thing to do.

With the exception of psychopaths, pretty much everyone older than 10 knows right from wrong. That just leaves two stages to pass through. It is amazing how many people get stuck in stage two.

The time spent in stage two varies from person to person. Some never move on. Some do so only after many years. Most of us make the move anonymously and it’s a good thing since there is much we’ve done that we wouldn’t want to be made public. But some of us don’t. The latest to miss the anonymous trip is American Idol’s Antonella Barba.

Ms. Barba, recently voted off of the popular reality show, is just 20 years old. Despite being talented enough to make the show’s lineup, her personal life left a few things to be desired. She was involved in a sexually active relationship with a recent boyfriend. She allowed him to photograph their intimacy. She also posed for erotic photos in very public places, including a graphic wet t-shirt picture while she was in the fountain at the WWII memorial in Washington DC. After her breakup with the boyfriend she became an American Idol celebrity and her ex posted these pictures on the Internet.

In short, Ms. Barba got caught and is suffering the consequences. Not because she did something right, but because she did something wrong.

They media won’t spin it that way, of course. They’ll sympathize with her, feel sorry for her and denounce those who think what she did was illegal, immoral or, worst of all, sinful! The truth behind the story, however, is Ms. Barba’s actions wouldn’t be newsworthy if we didn’t all know, deep down, what she did was wrong. We may not say it, but everyone knows it.

Sometimes you get away with what you do. The Lord knows I surely have on multiple occasions and I’m grateful for the grace. But sometimes, sometimes the world crashes in on you for one moment of carelessness. I’ve had that happen, too. When it does, you show the world what sort of person you are by how you respond.

Before this morning, I had a great deal of sympathy for Ms. Barba. She messed up, was caught publicly and is paying the price. I wondered how she was really dealing with it and figured I would never know since I don’t know her personally.

This morning, though, World Net Daily linked to a Houston Chronicle story on that very topic and my heart sank. The headline to the story is, “After racy photos on Web, ousted Idol singer wary of trust”.

Having endured all of the negative publicity, the scorn, the pain, the anguish an event like this must certainly bring, the most important thing she learned was, “Be careful who you trust!” I was hoping for, “Be certain anything you do you would be proud to have splashed over the front page of media around the world!” How tragic not to have come away with more considering what this has cost her.

Tragic because Ms. Barba is stuck in stage two. Chief among her criteria for judging her own behavior is, “Will I get caught and how bad will it be if I do?” If I can be certain I won’t get caught, if I’m sure my companions will not rat me out later, I can do whatever I like because there will be no consequences. If I’m not sure my companions are trustworthy, then I better be careful because they might roll over on me later and I’ll have to deal with what I’ve done.

There is no morality. There is only, “What can I get away with!” You can protest, “I do TOO have morals!” However, that some of what you choose to do is generally accepted as “good” means nothing. What you do when everyone is watching is not ‘Character’. ‘Character’ is what you do when NO one is watching, when you’re SURE you won’t get caught. It’s when you do the right thing because it’s the right thing to do! It’s stage three.

Hoping Ms. Barba chooses to perform there soon…

BCM

2 Comments
Heroes, Hollywood, News, Porn, Spiritual Warfare

In an article on Fox News entitled, “Sales of Rap Albums Take Stunning Nosedive”, it states that sales of rap music is down 21%. A drop! Historically rap music has been a climbing genre, let’s hope this trend is over and it continues to decline. The article tries to point out that rap music is negative and it may be affecting our culture negatively. Chuck Creekmur, a Rap industry insider, said, “I wish America would just be honest. America is sick. … America loves violence and sex.” But why should America be honest? What is honesty? What is right and what is wrong, can we know the difference? (more…)

4 Comments
Evil, Hollywood, News, Porn, Spiritual Warfare

I found a small pamphlet in my office, from years ago, about p0rnography addiction entitled : P0rnography: Road To Hell by Michael Pearl. I thought it was relevent to my latest thoughts. Here are some of his quotes:

“Now I am speaking to you, fathers. If you isolate yourself in a room and indulge in p0rnography, you are not sick, you are evil. …there are thousands of others engaged in erotism with the same image. You are part of a disgusting group of perverts, all piled onto the same image together.”

“You are a pervert. A real man is bigger than his member. He is big enough to say no to his passions.”

“You are plunging your soul into eternal destruction, moving as far away from God as you can get.”

“Very few return from the pit in which you are sinking. You have taken the downward slide into Hell, and there is nothing to stop you besides your willingness to put on the brakes.”

“P0rnography destroys your ability to “make love,” and replaces it with a cuning wit to use and abuse.”

“You are a dog. There are millions just like you. Most are not as hypocritical as you are. Some of them hang around bars, nightspots, and p0rno shops; but take note, you feed on the same diet.”

“But the most destructive thing about your sin is the effect it has on your children. We live in a spirit world of both righteous and fallen angels. We are surrounded by evil spirits seeking the moral destruction of every human soul. The children of Godly parents are protected from unclean spirits by being under their moral umbrella. But when a father gives his mind over to wicked lusts, he removes the hedge of protection around his family and invites impure devils into his home. Any prayers you pray for their safety are negated the moment you look at a p0rnographic book or glare at a electronic image. …the devil won’t stop with your mind; they will gleefully run into the bedrooms of your children and assault their little souls and bodies.”

“You sneak around like a thief as you lie and deceive. Your whole life is dedicated to the Dragon. Your body is being consumed and your soul is being digested.”

“The dragon can be killed by Christ alone. Whom Christ makes free shall be free indeed.”

“I wrote this for one reason- to see some children saved when their daddy repents toward God. It’s your move. Your children, your wife, and your God are waiting.”

“Stolen waters are sweet, And bread eaten in secret is pleasant. But he knoweth not that the dead are there; That her guests are in the depths of Hell. ” Proverb 9:17-18

17 Comments
Porn

I’m just at a loss right now. My frustration has hit a all-time high in regards to the internet. Why does there have to be so much smut and trash on here? For example, I logged in to my MySpace account (something I rarely do these days, and for good reason) to check my emails, comments, friends request, etc. I clicked on a profile and I was hotlinked forwarded (or whatever it is called) to an adult movie site. MySpace has pissed me off for the last time. They have so many users it is virtually impossible to control what people put on there.

Sites like these are just too dangerous for guys like me. They are too dangerous for most everyone. Today I spent a few hours trying to find a site that offers free hosting of media, like images and video, with the ability to share your videos through embedding into your blog posts. It zaps too much bandwidth to host my movies on my own server space. I must have went through two or three dozen different sites. Most every single site contained uploaded videos with adult content… even though many of them have no xxx and adult themes policies. The few that seemed ok were just so limited on upload space and ease of use.

I tried: Youtube, iFilm, MySpace, Putfile, ZippyVideo, OurMedia, ImageCabin, Photobucket, VidLife, GoogleVideo, Bolt, etc, etc. Either they allow adult content or they don’t enforce their anti-smut policies. I think I am done trying to search for one. I have seen more than I need to already. Just last week I clicked on a video I had uploaded in Putfile and there was a banner ad which showed thumbs of different videos people have uploaded into Putfile. One of the thumbnailed links was a picture of a couple having sex! What if my wife or my in-laws were to check out my video and seen that banner add on the side of the page? I have already contacted Putfile and have yet to receive a response. I am deleting my account with them, and I think I am going to delete my MySpace profile, too.

Those of you scanning the net looking for somewhere to put your vids and pics, BEWARE! Stay away from these sites.

(If anyone already knows of a site like these that is family friendly please let me know. )

18 Comments
Duct Tape Zone, Porn

I’m sure most of you webcrawlers have viewed a ‘true.com’ web banner once or twice (or thirty billion) times while doing your daily surf. They advertise on every stinking website out there on the vast interweb.

I had my fill when I was online with my four-year-old son playing online video games. We clicked a link to play a great Transformers game when my son was subjected to not one, but two, ‘True.com’ ads with half naked women looking very sexual. This pissed me off. My son then had a very puzzled look on his face and he said, “Dad, that’s yucky girlie stuff.” “Why yes, son that is,” was my reply. So I decided to write these boneheads an email to let em have it:

Dear “True.com” I just wanted you all to know that your email marketing is very effective. Half naked women on dang near every web page I view these days… what original sales tact. Here’s my prob though: I am tired of my kids (and myself) seeing your slutty web banners everytime we get online. You even stoop to the all-time low of advertising on online video-game sites where many young people frequent. You are on notice. Stop peddling your smut. Please take the high road and change your web banners. Many companies, like yours, put good looking women in their ads without having them in provocative poses, half naked. If you continue to use these slutty photos I will organize a boycott of your company. I know this may not scare a big, greedy, business such as yourselves, but I must do what is right even if you will not. For our kids, JJ Honeycutt www.GodGunsGlory.com

3 Comments
Porn

So let me get this straight: former strippers… turned Evangelical Christian… go to Strip Clubs and pay for lap dances… in order to witness to the topless dancers? The trio known as JC’s GirlsGirlsGirls do just that. I don’t know about you, but for me it is oftentimes difficult to speak of the love of Jesus to a stranger in a NORMAL setting. How do these ladies convey the love of God while grinding on a half naked woman? Any thoughts?

10 Comments
Porn, Religion

God is real in Cincy A miraculous weekend at the Vineyard Church in Cincy. One story in particular rose to the top as the weekend came to an end. Mike and I had just ended the 11:30 service when a young came forward to accept Christ. What happened next we will never forget… Here is his story… in his words: “My name is eugene, for the last 7 years I have been an adult website owner this past year I have developed severe depression and anxiety attacks (the depression and anxiety has wrecked my physical health)…My body aches all over my spirit feels completely crushed under the weight of this blackness (sin)… click here for the rest

11 Comments
General, Porn

Go Stephen, go Stephen. One of Hollyweird’s rare breed, Stephen Baldwin, is about practicing what he preaches. Stephen became a born-again Christian after the tragedy on 9/11 and he hasn’t looked back. His faith has brought him to Christian activism, fighting for what he believes and fighting against evil. Baldwin has been waging a war against a business that shows pornographic movies on Route 59 in Nyack, New York. He has been standing outside the business taking pictures of thier customers and is threatening to publish their photos in an advertisment in the local newspaper. This guy is my freakin’ hero. How often do you hear about a celebrity talkin’ the talk and walkin’ the walk? Because of this I think I will forgive him for making the movie “Bio-dome.”

“I won’t stop until it shuts down,” Baldwin told the Westchester Journal News. “I don’t want it this close to my house. I’m personally not OK with pornography. I definitely think that it adds to the moral decay or our culture.” “In my position, I just don’t think I’m supposed to keep my faith to myself,” Baldwin told a group of Texas Southern Baptists in 2004. “I’m just doing what the Lord’s telling me to do. You know, if the Lord’s not telling anybody else [in Hollywood] to [talk publicly about their faith], well, then God bless ‘em. But I don’t think that’s the case. I think there are a lot of people who don’t put their faith before everything else, you know. And that’s a big problem. I’m just doing what the Lord’s calling me to do. Period.”

If only we all had the internal fortitude to do what the Lord calls us to do. Read more about Stephen’s mission to rid his town of filth.

8 Comments
Hollywood, Porn

As some of you know I used to struggle with pornography addiction. When I was in the Army I bought my first computer and got myself hooked up to the Ole’ American Interweb. The internet is an amazing thing. But like most great inventions, it can be used for evil. The wide world of internet pornography is the demise of many a good man (and woman). I emplore anyone who struggles with the sin of lust and internet pornography addiction to get themselves some accountability software or get rid of their computer.

For the last couple years I have used Covenant Eyes accountability software. It is without a doubt the best accountability software on the market. Unfortunatley it costs $7/month for the service. Luckily I ran across some software, made by XXXchurch.com called X3watch. X3watch is not as sophisticated as Covenant Eyes but it gets the job done and it is free. Please, get yourselves an accountability partner and download this software on your computer.

This is a FREE accountability program helping with online integrity. It is offered at no charge by the ministry of XXXchurch.com and it’s supporters. Whenever you browse the Internet and access a site which may contain questionable material, the program will save the site name on your computer. Approximately every 30 days or 2 weeks(depending on your preference), a person of your choice (an accountability partner) will receive an email containing all possible questionable sites you may have visited within the month. This information is meant to encourage open and honest conversation between friends and help us all be more accountable.

6 Comments
Porn

This comes from Blazing Grace.

<li>At 12 billion a year, the  revenues of the porn industry in the  U.S. are bigger than the NFL, NBA and Major League Baseball combined. Worldwide porn sales are reported to be 57 billion. To put this in perspective, Microsoft, who sells the operating system used on most of the computers in the world (in addition to other software) reported sales of 36.8 billion in 2004.

Family Safe Media

<li>

According to the Justice Department, in 1998 there were 28,000 X-rated Web sites generating 925 million dollars in revenue. Within just three years this number increased to 280,000 X-rated Web sites.

<li>60% of all website visits are sexual in nature

<li>Roger Charman of Focus on the Family's Pastoral Ministries reports that approximately <strong>20 percent of the calls</strong> received on their Pastoral Care Line are for help with issues such as pornography and compulsive sexual behavior.</li>


<li>A 1996 Promise Keepers survey at one of their stadium events revealed that over <strong>50% of the men </strong>in attendance were involved with pornography within one week of attending the event. </li>


<li>In 2000 Christianity Today survey, <strong>33% of clergy</strong> admitted to having visited a sexually explicit Web site. Of those who had visited a porn site, <strong>53% had visited</strong> such sites “a few times” in the past year, and<strong> 18% visit sexually explicit sites </strong>between a couple of times a month and more than once a week.</li>


<li>Out of 81 pastors surveyed (74 males 7 female), <strong>98% had been exposed to porn</strong>; 43% intentionally accessed a sexually explicit website

National Coalition survey of pastors. Seattle. April 2000.

<li>In his book, "Men's Secret Wars", Patrick Means reveals a confidential survey of evangelical pastors and church lay leaders. <strong>Sixty-four percent</strong> of these Christian leaders confirm that they are struggling with sexual addiction or sexual compulsion including, but not limited to use of pornography, compulsive masturbation, or other secret sexual activity.</li>


<li>In his book "The Sexual Man", Dr. Archibald Hart revealed the results of a survey of some 600 Christian men, on the topic of masturbation:

61% of married Christian men masturbate 82% of these have self sex on an average of once a week; 10% have sex with self 5-10 times per month, 6% more than 15 times per month, and 1% more than 20 times a month. 13% of Christian married men said they felt it was normal.

<li><strong>34 percent of female readers</strong> of Today's Christian Woman's online newsletter admitted to intentionally accessing Internet porn in a recent poll.

<li>In March of 2002 Rick Warren’s (author of the Purpose Driven life) Pastors.com website conducted a survey on porn use of 1351 pastors: <strong>54% of the pastors</strong> had viewed Internet pornography within the last year, and 30% of these had visited within the last 30 days.</li>


<li><strong>47%</strong> percent of families said pornography is a problem in their home.

Focus on the Family Poll, October 1, 2003.

<li>In March 2005 Christianity Today published the results of a study called “Christians and Sex” in their Leadership Journal. 680 pastors and 1,972 laypersons were surveyed, with the following results:

* 44% of churchgoers want to hear more scriptural teaching from their pastors on the subject of sex. * 22% of pastors feel they should spend more time on the topic. * 85% of pastors say they speak about sexual issues once a year, while 63% of churchgoers say their pastors do so. Among those churchgoers who say they want their pastors to preach more about sexual issues, 47% say their pastor speaks about it once a year, an even bigger difference of opinion. A CTI analyst was quoted saying “Perhaps this desire for more biblical exposition on sexual issues exists because pastors are not speaking forcefully or clearly enough, while exposure to sexual images and messages in today’s media is ever more heightened.” * 57% of pastors say that addiction to pornography is the most sexually damaging issue to their congregation. * Almost 9 in 10 pastors reported counseling a layperson on sexual issues once a year or more.

    <li>I had a hard time believing that half the men in the church would really be accessing porn, so early 2004 I asked the church where we attended at the time if they would be willing to take a survey. They agreed, and in the survey we asked the men "when was the last time you looked at pornography?" The church was made up mostly of young families, and the idea that many of the husbands and fathers I sat next to every Sunday were dabbling in porn... I couldn't comprehend it. Surely, I thought, the numbers would be lower. It can't be half, not in my church.

Here’s what came back: 25% had viewed porn within the past month 44% within the past 6 months 61% within the past year

Pornography is corrupting the church and destroying our nation; without action the problem will only get worse.

8 Comments
Evil, Porn