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by Lt. Colonel Carolyn Peacock –
The 1998 White Ribbon Against Pornography Campaign is being conducted in conjunction with Pornography Awareness Week. Salvation Army units across the Western Territory are taking an active role in the fight against pornography. We need to speak out about the abuses of pornography and witness to the saving power of Jesus Christ.
If you haven’t seen the new “white ribbon” lapel pins, please contact your divisional current issues representative to request one. Larger than before and more distinct, they enable others to better see and recognize the ribbon.
Last year, we were successful in flying white ribbons on car antennas, with fact sheets being given to the drivers. Many people had great opportunities to witness and share the good news of Jesus Christ as they passed out those ribbons.
Our goal in this is two-fold: one, to have a mass territorial participation during the national campaign to be held on Saturday, October 31; two, to pass out flyers and fact sheets as we tie the white ribbons on cars in the cities, towns and neighborhoods of Salvation Army communities. (Don’t forget to get permission to tie those white ribbons on the cars!)
The following article by Captain Don Gilger helps explain why pornography is a subject we can’t ignore.
“End of the Innocence”
In his song, “The End of the Innocence,” Don Henley says that there are times in life when we can no longer ignore what is happening around us. This is where we are in America today, as the plague of pornography infiltrates every facet of society.
I am the first to acknowledge that purity of heart and mind is not a popular topic, but we can no longer ignore the obvious–porn is at the door of every house in America, Christian or not. And it’s big business, with more than 450 different magazines in stores throughout our country.
From the publication in 1955 of Hugh Hefner’s Playboy magazine, we’ve now “progressed” to having 250 “kiddie porn” magazines, making our children the victims of our own sensual lusts. I’ve heard how porn is a “victimless” pastime; yet today there are three times as many porn shops as McDonald’s restaurants, with gross sales of over $8 billion. We’ve gone from just one magazine to movies, videos, phone sex, and uncensored access on the Internet. The sad news is that while 70 percent of unsaved men say they have pornography in their possession, 40 percent of men who are born again admit that pornography is infecting their lives. Is there something wrong with this? Where do we draw the line? Who has the answers?
God’s word gives us our standard. We find eight principles in Ephesians 5:10-21 to help us fight pornography: 1. Don’t connect yourself with immorality (v.1-3) 2. Don’t miss out on heaven (v.4) 3. It’s easy to be sucked in (v.7) 4. Christians are to be different (v.8) 5. Purity is the secret to knowing God’s will (v. 10) 6. Christians must fight sin (v. 11) 7. Leisure time opens us up to immorality (v. 15-16) 8. Accountability is the secret to right living ( v. 21).
What can we do right now to fight the real battle against pornography? Pray–for ourselves, our families, our country; read the Word–and obey it; speak up and out–we have been the silent majority for too long; write letters–the written word is powerful and has an impact; set the standard and live it; mobilize with other Christian groups; take a stand–in your house, in your life.
Each of us can take up the challenge as set by our leaders and fight against this plague that defeats and destroys so many innocent lives. How? By taking one white ribbon and placing it on your car antenna or on your lapel as a sign that, like Jeremiah, “As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”
