So there’s sex on TV what’s the big deal? It’s not like it’s a national security threat!

Why are some conservatives (like myself) so upset with the state of sexual imagery in our culture? Are we just a bunch of old fuddy duddies? Some say we are faking it, just a bunch of self-righteous hypocrites! I can’t tell you how many times I hear about a conservative who champions family values and then suddenly gets caught doing exactly the opposite of what they’ve stood against. (Senator Larry Craig comes to mind.)

When this happens, the immediate reaction by some is, “See! I knew it! What a hypocrite! They’re so full of it!”

This is an easy thing to do for most people. It’s also very convenient because it changes the subject from whether or not something is right or wrong to judging an individuals actions.

And just why is it that those who speak the loudest about values are mocked so ardently when they have a personal moral struggle? Do we forget that we are all men and women, flawed, and imperfect?

Every person has had bad thoughts. I’d venture to say everyone has lost his or her temper or told a little lie. Does that mean those things aren’t bad? No, of course not!

If a pastor thinks dirty thoughts, or insults someone, does that mean all of Christianity is null and void? Nope, sorry.

The plain and simple truth is we’re all naturally inclined to make mistakes and do bad things. The state of humanity is such that it’s a struggle to do what is right! It’s much easier to do what’s wrong in a lot of cases. It’s much easier to cheat a little here on your taxes. It’s much easier to give in to lustful thoughts than it is to keep your thoughts and actions pure. Sometimes telling a lie is the easy way out.

Doing what’s right isn’t easy but it doesn’t invalidate the principle!

The reason some conservatives like myself are so upset by the increased sexual imagery (along with other areas of moral decline in our culture) is threefold:

For one thing, I personally don’t appreciate all the filth I’m tempted by everywhere I look. I’ll admit that, I don’t care for it personally. Second, I sure as heck don’t want my kids some day to be bombarded with this junk on television, the Internet, billboards, magazines racks at the grocery store, lyrics to music on the radio, and more. Third (and finally) I’m gravely concerned with our countries future. You see, unlike libertarians and even those that are solely fiscal conservatives, I see this decadence as a direct threat to our national security.

It’s an attack on the family which is the bedrock of civilization and American. How is it an attack? The mainstream sentiment is that marriage is rather old fashioned. The message is clear. Why not just live together? Let me ask you this, have you ever seen the numbers on couples who live together before getting married or who never get married? Numbers don’t lie and they aren’t pretty. Co-habitation outside of marriage leads to greater risks of divorce and family instability. Furthermore, the culture widely portrays sexual promiscuity and recreational sex as the norm. Sure there are efforts underway to educate people about pregnancy and STD’s but do they address the emotional damage done by casual intercourse? You know what else our society does? It devalues women under the guise of empowering them. Pornography is now accepted as mainstream material. The messages are very blunt. Dress like a slut and you’ll be popular, cool, and get all the boys attention. This turns women into pieces of meat, and leads many to get into relationships based on physical attraction alone which, as we all know, fades with time. Don’t get me wrong, I appreciate a beautiful woman as much as anyone else, but I’m well aware that beauty is skin deep. I could go on with other examples that put the traditional family at risk including homosexuality, alcoholism, drug use, a disregard for the sanctity of life, and others. Not to worry though, I won’t belabor the point.

Another interesting and sad side-effect to the decline of moral standards in American society is the reaction from other cultures. The Muslim world comes to mind. They see see this garbage from the American media. They see it in the filthy movies coming from Hollywood, and over the Internet and they think that this must be how all Americans are. That’s the America they see! Not a shining city on a hill, not a beacon of freedom and democracy, but a pit of vulgar offensive trash. They have visual evidence! Is it any wonder that that extremists refer to America as the “great satan of the west”?

Now I’m not saying that this is the only reason that Muslim extremists hate us. There are dictators, madmen, and terrorists throughout the Muslim world that want to kill us because they hate the idea of freedom. They don’t like the idea of religious choice, or free speech, or political democracy. However you can’t tell me that they don’t get sympathy from other devout followers of Islam by showing our pop culture as an example of what will happen to their families if we are not destroyed! I’m telling you it’s not a stretch to argue that our moral crisis in American culture is a threat to our national security and I mean that.

Do you agree? Do you think I’m nuts? Please don’t hesitate to tell me. The other question you might be asking is something along the lines of, “Yeah you make a good point, but what can we do?” You can do your best to raise your kids right. You can speak loudly with how you spend your money and who you put into office. You can join social groups that advocate change in Hollywood and in the media. You can reach out to the Muslim people and the rest of the world and show them the good things about America. The worst thing you can do though is to shrug your shoulders, sigh, and do nothing. So get out there and fight for what’s right America!