by Jere E. Frost
But it did not begin there, nor did it begin with Gennifer Flowers or Paula Jones when he was governor of Arkansas. In fact, the crisis that now faces America did not really begin with Bill Clinton at all. Its root is in humanism, a pervasive and destructive philosophy that is being promoted every day by teachers, politicians and authority figures in high places.
Atheism is the belief that there is no God. Humanism is the religion of atheism (it has legal status as a religion). Humanism believes in and advocates sexual permissiveness. Bill Clinton is not a professing humanist, so far as I know, but he might as well be. He had a reputation in Arkansas as a womanizer, and he is on record favoring and pushing homosexual rights and the right to kill at will any unwanted, unborn infants. The humanists clearly saw him as standing with them. Meanwhile, some believers naively supported him because they look more to the party label a candidate wears than they do to his character and convictions. They got what we deserved. Immediately after the 1992 election, humanists open embraced him. The Humanist magazine said:
"I [had hoped] that the American people had finally had enough of .. moralistic, fundamentalist thinking.. Nevertheless, I wasn't prepared for the decisiveness of the election results ... Clinton clearly reflect[s] humanist principles; now it's up to us to hold him to them." ((Jan./Feb., 1993, pages 3,4)
The point is not that he is a leader in humanist philosophy - he isn't - but that he is a follower, or victim. He is more of a product than he is a cause. He did not produce humanism, or the humanist outlook on life. But he does reflect the outlook they already had, and had been advocating, long before he came on the scene.
Events and Perceptions
But then came the now famous August 17 confession. Though some broadcasters, analysts, and political leaders in his own party considered it defiant and called for his resignation, the immediate post-confession polls showed no significant slippage in popularity! A powerful, fifty-ish C.E.O. has sex with a girl in his employ who is barely legal age, it becomes known, and he loses little, if any, popularity! How could this be?
The Successful, Humanist Defense
A successful line of defense, reeking of humanist philosophy, has been offered and parroted over and over. I say parroted" because the term means to repeat something with out giving much thought or careful analysis to what is said. The parroted lines are, "It's just sex," "Sex between consenting adults in nobody's business," and, "It doesn't matter."
"Just sex!" "It's nobody's business"? "It doesn't matter"? Really? This flippant attitude toward sex is blatant humanism. It is trivial to them. They advocate experimentation and variety in the same fashion they recommend that one try different foods (that's one of their analogies in their magazine). The Humanist Manifesto II says:
In the area of sexuality, we believe orthodox religions ... unduly repress sexual conduct.
The right to birth control, abortion, and divorce should be recognized ...
" We do [not] wish to prohibit, by law or social sanction, sexual behavior between consenting adults.
"The many varieties of sexual exploration should not in themselves be considered "evil."
The Humanist Goal
"Our goal is .. to bring humanist values into the social mainstream. " (The Humanist, Jan./Feb., 1993)
The Philosophy Is Prevailing
The absence of outrage, coupled with the continued favorable ratings in the polls for the perpetrator of such a relationship, demonstrates the comparative success of humanism's pursuit of its goal. They are effecting the corrupting of our society. I venture that this very night, if you listen to a talk show where the matter is discussed, somebody is going to say, "It's only sex" and sound as if it's nothing more than sneezing without covering your mouth.
It does not bid well for the future. Even feminists are parroting the chant, notwithstanding their earlier objections to being sexually manipulated. No feminist who is silent here can protest any boss in the land, or what used to be called "dirty-old-man," having sex with a young woman in his employ. No one who defends it in the highest office can criticize it in a lower office.
Sex Is Serious
So much attention is riveted on the political outcome of whether or not the president will stay in office, or whether there will be other revelations that bring him down, that the sexual issue is hardly addressed.
We cannot let "it's only sex" be the last word on sex. We need a reality-check. Sex is serious. Under the law of Moses, prohibition of adultery was one of the ten commandments. It was declared a capital crime: "the adulterer and the adulteress shall surely be put to death." (Leviticus 20:10) God held the guilty to be worthy of death! Only sex? Indeed! Truly, the adulterer "lacks understanding." (Proverbs 6:32) The man who seeks sex for sex's sake "lacks understanding." (Proverbs 7:7) Those who minimize sexual activity lack understanding. The body is not for fornication. (I Corinthians 6:13) Fornicators simply will not inherit the kingdom of heaven. (Galatians 5:19-21) They stand unequivocally condemned. (Revelation 21:8)
In marriage, and only in marriage, is the bed undefiled. (Hebrews 13:4) Sexual conduct is serious!
"It's just sex?" Arrgh. Promiscuous sex is a major cause of much human misery - babies born without fathers who acknowledge them, babies murdered (aborted), venereal diseases and AIDS crippling and killing people, hearts broken, and lives shattered.
As for adultery, it is a betrayal. Marriages are premised on sacred vows - promises, if you please, made before God and men. Adultery is a breach in one's integrity; it is the ultimate betrayal of the one to whom those high promises were made. Any children who are involved have also been betrayed, and their sense of trust and security has been sadly and brutally shaken. The society where this is common is degenerate, and it has no stability. Only a godless humanist - and they are admittedly godless - and unthinking parrot can echo the words and dismiss such conduct, saying, "It's only sex."
Of course, to the humanist and the current political power structure, opposition to sex outside of marriage is viewed as "right wing" or "radical right" philosophy. It is remarkable that America has become a county in which an unashamed repudiation of adultery is now considered radical. It only evidences the fact that the preaching of humanism has been effective. Bible teaching regarding this subject is desperately needed.
Ratings in the Polls
At first I was stunned that the president's approval ratings remained so high after his confession. Remember what the confession covered, namely, an admission of a sexual involvement by a fifty-ish CEO with a twenty-ish employee. But that did not - did not - result in significant disapproval of the CEO's popularity in the polls! Unbelievable! In the first few days, at least, during which the focus has been on sex, his ratings have held firm. How could this be?
Then I re-read the humanist philosophy.
Then I re-read their statement of their goal - humanist "values into the mainstream."
Then I re-read some statistics from the Lichter-Rothman report that was published in Public Opinion (I saw them in America Betrayed, by Marlin Maddoux). It was a survey of 240 leading broadcasters, writers, and executives who control what gets on TV and in our major newspapers. Here is the report:
Seldom attend religious services 86%
Adultery is acceptable behavior 47%
Homosexuality is acceptable 76%
Let homosexuals teach in schools 85%
Pro-abortion 90%
Should be no laws on sex 95%
The numbers for the producers of our prime time TV programs are similar, but a little worse. Only those producers who have had at least two successful prime time series were surveyed:
Seldom attend religious services 93%
Adultery is acceptable behavior 51%
Homosexuality is acceptable 80%
Let homosexuals teach in school 86%
Pro-abortion 97%
Upon reflection, I am not surprised that the populace is not outraged. Look at what has been going into their minds.
In a single word, humanism accounts for the apathy about God, and the scrubbing of the traditional morality from our national conscience. Our historical legacy has been trampled. The idea now is that references to God and morals are a violation of the constitution and a breach of the separation of church and state. The rationale is altogether erroneous in it premises and its logic, but you will hear it often from the parrots. It has had devastating effect on our country, all the way from the highest office, through congress, through the electorate, and all the way down to our children. No, it is no wonder that the populace is not outraged.
Where to from Here?
Our national moral fabric is in tattered rags because that fabric is made from a people's spiritual fiber Forget the "Crisis in the White House" for a moment. The scary one is "The Crisis in the Grass Roots." Will there be a return to God consciousness? Will there be a moral awakening* If our spiritual fiber is not renewed, our moral fabric will continue to disintegrate. If we sow the wind, we will surely reap the whirlwind. (Hosea 8:7) It is that simple.
War
The Humanist Manifesto and The Humanist magazine are plain and blunt about being at war with the old "Bible thumping, radical right." But somehow many who profess to believe in God have never taken up arms against the "irreligious left" (if I may respond in kind to their play on words). Has the enemy silenced many of us simply by calling us names?
It is time for us to hold up our side of this war. "The weapons of our warfare are mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds" (II Corinthians 10:5). But we must have the faith and convictions to use those weapons. Instead of whimpering along and seeing how much garbage we can tolerate and fellowship via unity in diversity, we need to do a little more preaching along the lines that sin is black and hell is hot. And God will not be mocked! If I may paraphrase and slightly change some otherwise familiar words:
The fight is on, the trumpet sound is ringing out!
The cry to arms is heard afar and near!
The Lord of hosts will lead us on to victory
If we'll but fight, and our foe never fear!
Sing it again, brother, and pick it up in the chorus!
2455 North Courtenay M.. Merritt Island. Fl. 32953
This article by Jere Frost is reprinted from the Sept. 1998 issue of GOSPEL TRUTHS, a paper published in Tulsa, Oklahoma and edited by J. T. Smith.
Considering the turbulent conditions in Washington, DC as we write this, we cannot know what may have happened by the time this reaches our readers. But regardless of where the president may be, this material will still be timely. It is absolutely true and will stand.
It is disturbing to consider the number of people in this country who simply do not care about right and wrong or who does what. So long as they are fat, dumb and happy nothing else seems to matter. That's why William Bennet's new book, "The Death of Outrage" is so timely and popular. People are not ashamed of sin and immorality. Hear what God said about such people in the past: "Were they ashamed when they committed abomination? nay, they were not at all ashamed, neither could they blush" (Jer. 8:12). Man is the only creature God made capable of blushing-or that ever needed to. The apostle Paul wrote of people "Who being past feeling have given themselves over to lasciviousness" (Eph. 4).
Christians are commanded to "have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them" (Eph. 5:11). We not only must refrain from the practice of sin and immorality, but we must speak out against those who do! Read Romans 1:32.
(if you do not receive Gospel Truths, may we commend it to you. It is a 24-page monthly paper and the subscription is $15.00 annually. The address is: Gospel Truths, P. 0. Box 906087, Tulsa, OK 74112.)