Yesterday, April 29th, Jameis Winston was suspended from the FSU Baseball team because he allegedly shoplifted $32.72 worth of groceries from a Publix in Tallahassee, Florida. This is the same Jameis Winston who is the quarterback of the national champion FSU football team. This is the same man who freely admitted that he had consensual sex with another FSU student while two of his friends watched the encounter.
Even though there are serious questions about how the investigation of this event was handled by authorities, Winston was found not to have committed a crime. Therefore, no suspension for the Heisman Trophy winner. Why? Because there is no stigma associated with what the Bible clearly calls sexual immorality. Apparently this act was not as significant as the $32.72 worth of missing groceries. Don’t misunderstand, his suspension is totally warranted. I am just illustrating how little the ways of God mean to our culture.
Also yesterday, the owner of the Los Angeles Clippers was just banned for life from the National Basketball Association as well as being fined 2.5 million dollars because of his atrocious racial comments. This action was taken even though the owner did not commit a crime. I fully support the action taken by the NBA Commissioner. However, the owner was not fined or reprimanded for his sexual sins. He and his estranged wife are still married and he has a very public girlfriend.
Professional sport is littered with men who have had multiple children with multiple women. If you want verification of this sordid mess just go to Google and look it up. There is a well-known and documented list of such men, some of whom are among sport’s biggest stars. Again, no fines, no suspensions.
Sport is not the only place where such disdain for sexual purity exists. It is part of our culture. Sexual purity now carries the stigma of dysfunction that used to be associated with sexual promiscuity.
What is my point?
Simply this – ignoring and promoting sexual sin is a sign of a decadent culture. It is a sign of a culture that believes it can mock God with impunity. This is the world your children will grow to inhabit. Warn your children of the danger of mocking God and of sexual immorality. Encourage them to love God and his ways even in the midst of a depraved culture. Even though our leaders in sport, entertainment, business, education and government ignore the rule God, assure your children that God is not ignoring them. Pray for repentance, preach the gospel, prepare for the response of the Lord of Heaven and Earth.
7 thoughts on “Sexual sin is of no consequence in America”
Thanks Jay. Those are wonderful comments and should be printed on every major newspaper’s front page and they should also be the lead story on every stations’ local news. The only item I would add to is your choice of “depraved.” I would add the adjverb “overtly” to the front of that sentence. We are in serious trouble as a society.
I share the disdain for society’s sexual perspective, however, it is not appointed to us to control the sins of other people with penalties. Likewise the NBA ban and fine for an expressed opinion in a private conversation is as reprehensible as the opinion was. We have freedom of speech in this country and someone’s opinion should not be bullied into conformance. That doesn’t work anyway. To support that is shortsighted. It will go hand in hand with penalties for expressed disagreement with homosexuality etc.
Christopher,
I understand your concern and it is valid. In this case the NBA is a private organization, not public. So there are particular guidelines that those who are owners agree to when they join the NBA as owners. One of those provisions is giving the commissioner the power to do what he did. Thus the reason for my support. Hope that helps.
La Kita, great comment, thank you. What makes the Sterling case different is that he signed an agreement to submit to the rules of the NBA when he became and owner. Those rules allow for the commissioner to do what he did. But your points are well taken!
The
only thing that the Bible is not clear on when it comes to sexual sin
is masturbation, as it does not say anywhere “thou shall not
masturbate”. True, it does say that we are not to lust and that is the
close as it gets, it just doesn’t say that masturbation itself is a sin. So
what is a person to do?
Actually the Bible is clear. The only appropriate setting for sexual activity is marriage. And within the context of marriage sex is to be for the benefit of the opposite spouse.Using these guidelines, masturbation is not an appropriate activity.
The bible only speaks of marriage as the appropriate setting for sexual activity. The goal of sexual relations is to honor God and bring pleasure to one’s spouse. Nowhere does the Bible teach that sex is to be strictly for one’s own pleasure.