Bad Idea -- Listening To The Radio

I had to drive an hour away from my house to help my wife at her parents' house. It was a far enough distance to where I could pick up different radio stations. When we left the following morning, I flipped around the dial and came across a station where a most lurid conversation was taking place.

A young lady was talking to the three hosts about how she was addicted to pornography. She talked about how she would find places on the Internet where she could call up any genre of porn that she wanted, sit back, and enjoy watching them. She would do this throughout the day, and whenever she felt her boyfriend was not giving her enough attention.

This station had some sort of gimmick on certain mornings where people could call in, confess something to the hosts, and then the person with the most depraved, gross, illicit, or horrible confession would win some sort of prize. Callers from all around the region would phone the station and share things that they would not tell their spouses or best friends to try to win money or get tickets to events.

Contrary to what I was expecting to hear, the hosts were not condemning of her, but instead were trading tips, techniques, and secrets in searching out smut. They stopped just shy of naming websites outright. One male host talked about how he was perusing a rather obscene and odd type of sexual fetish on the web on his laptop while his own kids were in the room. It was not until his wife passed by in the backyard and banged on the window that he stopped what he was doing.

After they finished with that caller, several more people called in, including:

• A woman who stole prescription medication from the ER where her husband worked as a doctor, to sell it on the street.
• A hotel staffer who was trying to get her supervisor fired, even though her supervisor was her own mother.
• A daughter who got her own mother exported to Mexico for illegally living in the US.
• A driver who knew most of the police department in her town in a Biblical way, so she could avoid traffic tickets and checkpoints.

I noticed that while these people called in, the hosts were not clicking their tongues at the callers or condemning them for their actions, but were instead asking about techniques, disseminating the effectiveness of their actions, and making recommendations along the way. They sounded more encouraging than they did dismayed at what people were doing. For the caller who sold drugs, one host asked how much, and said, "Huh. Not bad."

While once upon a time we had the good sense to see evil and call it as such, it has now become a novelty, something practiced and spoken about freely with others. Instead of feeling guilt or even shame for behaving in ways that would normally be frowned upon, people now uplift debauchery, malevolence, and violations of God's Law. Even overhearing casual conversations and looking at the magazines while in line at the grocery store illustrate this lack of decency and civility.

I was glad when I lost the signal to the station, but I have to wonder exactly what will come next in the guise of entertainment or day-to-day living.

Keeping Kids Off Drugs

When I went shopping yesterday, there were two people standing outside the store with a table promoting the local DARE program. They were asking for money to help fund their cause, and giving out some toys and knicknacks for contributions.



For those not familiar with DARE, it was an organization launched by the police in Los Angeles during the 1980s to combat illegal drugs by educating kids in public schools. Narcotics were taking a huge amount of the department's time and resources at that time, so they wanted to teach children early on the perils of illicit substances, in the hopes it would reduce crime. They created, "DARE," an acronym for, "Drug Abuse Resistance Education," to promote this cause. As time went on, the program spread from Los Angeles to schools all across the United States to help curb drug use.

I walked up to the door and the young-faced man and woman smiled and asked, "Excuse me, sir, could I take a couple of minutes of your time? Do you know about the DARE program?"

"Yes, I do," I replied. "Actually, I was one of the first graduates of the program in the 1980s because I grew up near L.A."

"High five for that!" he shouted, slapping my hand. "Then you know how important the program is to help kids out."

"Actually," I said, "I've learned something since that time that is more important when it comes to the problem of drug abuse. You see, drug abuse is only one piece of a greater problem, called sin. Could I take a quick couple minutes of your time?" They both nodded, and I gave them each a million-dollar bill tract.

I walked the young man and woman through the Law and Grace of God, using analogies reflective of drug abuse, such as being arrested for controlled substance charges and being put in front of a judge. I told them about how our sins are just like someone breaking the law by dealing drugs or running a meth lab, and that sooner or later, we would have to suffer the punishment. But the good news is that someone took our place and paid our fine, clearing us of all charges. That person is Jesus Christ. They listened to the Gospel and understood what I was saying.

As I was wrapped up presenting things to them, I tied it back into their efforts and cause. "You see, when you're addressing drug abuse, you're only changing the behavior of the person and what they're doing. It's like telling a thief not to steal anymore. You may have stopped the crime, but it doesn't change the fact that the person will still be judged for their crimes. A behavior change alone isn't enough to be made right with God. And just like that, you will also be judged for the sins that you have done in this life, unless you repent and put your faith in Jesus Christ, that he paid the price for you."

While the young woman seemed very responsive to the Gospel, the young man said, "Yeah, well I still think I'll go to Heaven because I'm a good guy trying to do the right thing." Then he abandoned our conversation and went back to work, asking more people entering and exiting the store for donations.

Pray for these two young DARE workers.