Almost every negative term imaginable has been used to describe first, the wanton rape of children by former PSU coach Sandusky and second, the equally egregious cover-up by the PSU coaches and administration. These terms all fit the crime and greedy self-interest by those involved. But there is one word that has not been used by the media to describe these events: sin. First and foremost these heinous actions are wrong because they violate the law and rule of God. They are sin.
The problem for our culture with using the word sin to describe these actions is that sin implies that there is a God to whom we must be accountable. Even in the face of these outrageous events, our culture, our political leaders, and our media will not call these crimes what they really are. The idea of sin means that we are accountable to God for what we do. Such a notion has been rejected by a sophisticated American culture. We find it repugnant as a country that we would be accountable to anyone but ourselves.
But the apostle Paul had some different words to speak to the sophisticated thinkers in ancient Greece. To these thinkers he said this:
In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent. For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to everyone by raising him from the dead. Acts 17:30-31
It doesn’t matter if I think that what Sandusky and the leaders of Penn State did was wrong. It only really matters if God thinks it is wrong. Our culture is rapidly going about reclassifying sinful behavior as acceptable behavior. Sexual promiscuity of any type used to be considered sin. Pornography used to be considered sin. The killing of an unborn child used to be considered sin. If we replace God’s standard for morality with one of our own making, the day will come, that just like in the days of Sodom, what Sandusky and Penn State have just done will be considered common place and acceptable.
By failing to label these crimes as sin, God has been relegated to the role of a being who exists only to serve personal needs. But God will not share his glory with another. He will not be ignored. To ignore him is to do so at great peril. We must call sin what it is – sin.
16 thoughts on “Penn State & Sandusky: What about God?”
This article hits the nail on the head. It is exactly correct. Thank you for posting it.
I agree Kirk. Love your heart. I think we should use the word sin more freely. If I was preaching and sharing the gospel more regularly like the Lord wanted me to I would use the word a lot more. Thank you brother.
Revelation 2:2
I know your deeds, your hard work and your perseverance. I know that you cannot tolerate wicked people, that you have tested those who claim to be apostles but are not, and have found them false.
Revelation 2:1-3 (in Context) Revelation 2 (Whole Chapter) Other TranslationsRevelation 2:20
Nevertheless, I have this against you: You tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophet. By her teaching she misleads my servants into sexual immorality and the eating of food sacrificed to idols.
WE HAVE BECOME A CULTURE OF PEOPLE WHO “TOLERATE.” GOD SPEAKS ON THIS IN REVELATION. WE NEED TO GO BACK THE WORD AND “LISTEN” TO WHAT THE SPIRIT IS SAYING!
Amen! I’m tired of being asked to be tolerant of abhorent behavior. I’d rather stand for the truth and be called a bigot. I know it isn’t bigotry but adherence to the commandments of our Lord.
Personally, It is only by the Grace of God that any and all of this could have involved any of us, or children or someone very close to us. I feel hurt for the victims and this is sin in the eys of Christ, brings another “black eye” to Christians, the Church at large and unless there is a stand that we take how will the world even know. The Churches, ministers, the layworkers, the members, the layworkers, the attendees and others NO LONGER are taking stands.
I will admit it, I run scared as a American Citizen, proud to be an American, proud of our country but as a born, bred and by the masters choice am a white man, married with a family and run scared to approach most thoughts and ideas. White guys are walking on the “thin ice of being white” as compared the the black Americans.
We have to watch what is said, how it is said and who it is said to. We are scared in some cases just because we are white. Is that fair? My parents, are both passed and NEVER raised anyone of us to be rude, non accepting, disrespectful or in any way to offend black, hispanic or other races or creeds of indivduals.
However, how does it work in our society that if someone started the reverse of the NAACP and called it the NAAWP, the Miss Black America was changed to the Miss White America, the United Negro College Fund also reconized the United White College Fund, the Black Business Owners Association is accepting applications from the White Business Owners Association and many many more….
I do NOT believe in any form of profiling, descrimination and believe in the fact that our country was put into place starting in 1492 and it took us up to 1776 to put together what we know as the Constitution that has stood the times, stood the fire and has protected each of us.
If all would just understand the changes we make are those that MAN makes and if those changes affect a few then just maybe that change was not proper or good. Example would be the Prayer in Schools. See where that has taken us. Would we be where we are today had the Judicial not accepted ONE WOMAN to appear and THE FEW agreed including the Judical. Had that not happened, can you just imagine how much further under God’s favor we would be. It is not the Constitution that needed a change or a amendment. It was the man, Judicial, the Executive, the MAN and WOMAN that allowed this to go forward. They did NOT consider the Who, What, When, Where, and Why of this Country’s history and its roots. Even the “boy” that the rule changed about asked the Judicial to change it back as at the adult age he committed himself as a Christian minister and if the rule was put into place because of him, then should he not be able to ask for it to the revoked. No because MAN, the Judicial. Pray for our Judges as some if NOT all do NOT profess to be a Christian or have full knowledge of what we are about.
We are the most tolerant nation on the face of the earth. We will allow for anyone to smack our “face” and yes, we turn the cheek but ask them to hit us again. We will defend anyone’s right to be wrong. I know that our nation at large will defend the right of Americans to go out into the USA and have the freedom the do with what they will. We will defend the right for a Mosque to be built anywhere in the land. We will defend their right to co-exist even if they use everything they have against us. That is what America does. We go to foreign lands and defend their properties, protect their rights and give them funds. The foreign nations use our funds, our arms, our equipment to work and kill our Sons and Daughters in harms way. It hurts to know that yes, we provided the means, protected their rights and defended their way to take out our own. Wow! When is America at large going to wake up.
Finally, I know I have been all over the “whatever” but at the least it feels a lttle good to get some out. I pray that America at large including ME, My Family and Friend see where we are headed and understand that Man or Men individually canot make a change. Only Christ can do this. Not a statue, Not a dead individual but only one true and living God. We need a revivial in both our hearts and homes. We need to get on our knees and pray for all not just one. We pray for the favor, pray for the healing and pray for each other. If America does not heed to the Master and if the Master takes his FAVOR from the USA, we are not going to stand.
I am sorry for any and all language, misspelled words, I was typing and not correcting as going. I also do not have a spell checked on this. All of this is said in and with Love for my nation, its people and most of all with Love of God.
Thanks
D. P.
Unfortunately we now live in an Alice in Wonderland world, where bad is good, good is bad, wrong is right and right is wrong. Many Christians in this nation are apathetic, and let the evil doers continue their message and life style of immorality, and perversion. We as Christians need to be vocal in our distain for these practices and not worry about the consequenses. Jesus told us that whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. It only took one person to take prayer out of school. It has only taken a minority of people to extinquish our moral values and change the definition of truth. We can’t even sing “Onward Christian Soldiers” without being attached. Something has to change!!
We as Christians need to exhibit the characteristics of Jesus to win people over. Beating them over the head with a 35 pound Bible just doesn’t work; they have to see we are different. Jesus Himself just said, “follow Me”…either they did or didn’t, He never chased them down with a club!
Just love them and lead them; stand on the truths of the Word and live them…when we do it’s easier to espouse those Words when we’re living them. The Lord bless you Braden. Stay strong and walk in faith…walk the talk my friend.
Kirk Cameron’s heart is a after God’s own heart and speaks uncompromising truth. Living Water’s Ministry answers the call to preach the Gospel.
Our churches need to emphasize sin more. Many churches have drifted away and only preach the ‘goodness’ of God and not the repercussions of “sin”. It’s all about the “worship” music and feeling good anymore. Please don’t get me wrong, I love worship music, but even with that it seems to have become about ‘perfoming’ for the ‘audience’. We tend to forget that the only ‘audience’ is God Himself!
Absolutely nothing in any of the many media have connected the homosexual movement to Sandusky’s activities. It is as if we had an epidemic of the plague, and the various media lamented all the deaths, all the while ignoring the hoards of rats and fleas that spread it. Many of them talk of how “horrific” Sandusky’s actions were, and how it scarred the lives of the boys, but Sandusky was just acting out what the queers have been promoting for years. The “B” in NAMBLA stands for “Boy” (North American Man Boy Love Association). So we reap what they have sown and we have tolerated. It is past time to quit crying about the effect and begin to look at the cause. The cause and effect cannot be separated no matter how much the politically correct crowd tries to ignore the cause. If you promote queer behavior, you’ll get queer behavior. What did you expect? Isn’t that what they asked for?
Thank you. Thank you for calling it, what it is, sin. This is the point of removing the Ten Commandments from the walls of the halls of Justice. This is the point of removing prayer from our schools. This is the point of taking Jesus out of Christmas. This is the point of a secular society. To do what you please, simply because you desire it. No need think that we are accountable for our actions to someone other than ourselves. Watch the news at night. We are inundated with story after story of people who do what they please, with no accountability to anyone but themselves.
Great article. Thank you!
I 100% agree! One request: Is it possible to use darker print? It’s a challenge for older eyes to read gray on white. Thanks, so much!
Woe to those who call good evil and evil good. Woe to those who call light darkness and darkness light; who call sweetness bitter and bitter sweet. Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes and clever in their own sight…for sudden destruction will come upon them and they shall collapse like dried grass into the flame; and there will be none to deliver them.
I say what I mean and I mean what I say..when I say it’s a sin, it’s a sin. I tell my family and my friends..( the one’s that I have left). No one wants to hear it but I am going to say it!! I fear no evil. And so be it if they don’t like it. 🙂
Amen to that. I have been condemned by my family because of my faith in Jesus Christ and I almost let them make me feel bad. When I really got to thinking about it, I felt great. I knew I was doing something right!!!
“All that is required for Evil to triumph is for Good Men to do nothing.”