The Uncivil Men Among Us
Righteousness exalteth a nation: but sin is a reproach to any people. (Proverbs 14:34) Marriage is honourable in all, and the bed undefiled: but whoremongers and adulterers God will judge. (Hebrews 13:4)
We wish the national sex scandals of late would just go away. It makes us uncomfortable. However, a lot of women, girls and children are being abused in this country and their story is covered up. It has not been “news” until recently. Breaking these stories is one of the greatest things that has happened in America in a long while, in my opinion. I agree with a Christian newscaster who said this week: “God has shined a light on the plight of these helpless women.”
Women and teenage girls have been long-time victims of powerful men in the news media, government, doctors’ offices, educational establishments, athletics, and wherever powerful men and their employees work. Men lean on helpless women and the women keep quiet to keep their jobs.
Fox News lost its president a few months ago and then Bill O’Reilly. New York Times, CBS, NBC, Politico, the leading and second-leading cable networks, the top public-radio network, have all confronted the same problem: A prominent figure accused of behaving inappropriately. (Politico). The problem is so big that once the boil had been lanced with Harvey Weinstein, women began to come forth with their stories and the powers that be are frantically trying to cover their bases. These power centers have known for years they had a problem, but no one was making any noise.
The current stories are not about adults having affairs between consenting adults. These stories go beyond that to men disrespecting women and treating them like they were owned objects for their own pleasure. That’s another sorry step in America’s downward plunge.
My good friend and attorney, William Ball, one of the nation’s leading constitutional attorneys, told the pastors in North Carolina in the 1980’s that the highest court in America is the “Court of Public Opinion.” I never forgot that. But, this court lacks the refined features of a court room. It has no printed rules of evidence; the witnesses cannot be cross-examined, and there are no penalties if witnesses in the drama lie and frame a victim. That’s simply part of the “Court of Public Opinion.” Nevertheless, it is the highest court in the land. (William Ball was professor of Constitutional Law for twenty years at Notre Dame School Law School)
Another friend is Don Boys, Ph.D., Christian evangelist, and former member of the Indiana House of Representatives. He writes recently: “Steven Law, chief executive of the GOP Senate Leadership Fund declared, “There is no place in our party for sexual predators.” Well, that is not exactly true. I checked the record and was shocked and surprised by the sexual scandals I found since 1900. There have been 67 sexual scandals in the House and Senate, and the White House. It also includes a U.S. Supreme Court Justice.”
Dr. Boys states further: Of the 67 sexual scandals, 28 were Democrats and 43 were Republicans! I was shocked. So, the Republicans have made room for sexual predators such as…” and he names six prominent and recent members of the Republican Party. He also covers the short-comings of the Democrat Party and the shame brought on by one of its recent presidents.
We need to remember, though that the sordid behavior of men in the present news is just the tip of the iceberg. The powers that be can fix their exposed and shameful behavior by publicly disposing of the named sinners. It remains to be seen if any evil-doer politicians will be sent home. Excuses will be made, and they will wait it out until the cameras go away. That’s the easiest way to fix it. The voting public has short memories.
The larger segment of the abuse of women is somewhere else. The worst is the human trafficking, that involves the kidnapping or luring of girls and young women held against their will. Their bodies are sold in this country and in foreign countries where they are taken. It wouldn’t work if men with money would not buy them for their own lust. Some of them are photographed in their activity and the videos marketed in the porn industry. That’s not in Africa or some primitive third world country. That’s in the United States. Even ten-year-old children are channeled into this market because there are men who will pay to get to rape a child.
The family setting is the greatest place for the abuse of women and children. It is not in some distant city; it is not confined to government and news offices and other work places. Joyce Meyer, one of the top TV evangelists, draws mostly women to her local meetings in the largest arenas. One of her strongest appeals that draw women to come to her meetings is the public knowledge that her own blood father raped her over 200 times in their home. This occurred while the mother was doing the weekly grocery shopping. Women, everywhere, are being abused in their homes. I once had a secretary who confided to me one day that she had been sexually abused by her own blood-father. The damage from this is deep and long-lasting.
Children in homes are being abused by family members. Children in foster homes are sometimes abused. This problem cannot be fixed by passing more laws. When the influence of the Bible is reduced, the children and women are the first to pay the price. When men’s hearts are changed, they will love and respect their wives and children.
For many years, women have recognized their weakness in dealing with men and have tried to come up with schemes to turn the tables. It was attempted with the Equal Rights Amendment that almost became a Constitutional Amendment. But, it was discovered that the ERA in the long run was undefined and would make women responsible on a par with men. That would have been cruel.
Women cannot unload trucks or climb telephone poles as well as men. Likewise, ye husbands, dwell with them according to knowledge, giving honour unto the wife, as unto the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life; that your prayers be not hindered. (1Peter 3:7)
Another side of the story is that all women do not tell the truth when accusing. When I was a senior in high school, a teenage girl became pregnant and spread the word in school that I was the father of the child. When my father confronted the girl’s father with a lawsuit for slander, the young lady signed a notarized statement that I was not the father of the child. Her older sister did not believe it and asked me to perform her wedding ceremony in a couple of years. Some women will lie.
Some teenage girls have lied in court about their fathers abusing them in order to get out of the home. When the court put their father in jail, they suddenly realized what they did and tried to fix it, but it’s a hard thing to fix.
Some women may willingly cheat on their husbands. In Tallahassee, Florida I visited a yard sale warehouse to talk with the owners, a husband and wife. The husband had fixed a corner of the warehouse with a stained-glass window from an old church and an organ. She played hymns on the organ that she had learned in child-hood. I sensed it was “window dressing” and was on the surface. One day I dropped by and the woman was there alone; her face was red but not from crying. She was mad!
She took one look at me and blurted out her story. “Reverend, I’m mad as h… at my husband and I went out this morning before breakfast and committed adultery to punish him!” I believed her. This was no time to try to fix anything. So, I got back into the school bus I was driving and went on my way. I’ve thought about that scene many times.
And it came to pass about this time, that Joseph went into the house to do his business; and there was none of the men of the house there within. And she caught him by his garment, saying, Lie with me: and he left his garment in her hand, and fled, and got him out. And it came to pass, when she saw that he had left his garment in her hand, and was fled forth, (Genesis 39:11-13) You remember that Joseph ended up in prison because of this woman’s false accusation.
This is a fallen world, and something is bad wrong with the human race. I’ve spent a lifetime of listening to sad stories about people being ugly to one another. Not too many years ago, families would not allow their daughter to go anywhere with a young man in a car without a chaperone being in the car with them. For a young woman to go to a man’s apartment or have a man come to her apartment was unthinkable. I think it’s still unthinkable.
Whenever possible, young people will do better to live at home and go to junior college rather than live in a school dormitory. This gives two years of practice at knowing what the school is like and how to be safer in their school experience.
There are uncivil men among us and the ladies will do well to be very careful in what they say and how they conduct themselves. If, after you have done your part at smart behavior and some clown leans on you, scream bloody murder at the top of your voice. Go to the boss’s office and pitch a striped fit. If it is the boss, then go to the chairman of the board. Otherwise, pick up your purse and go home and tell the Lord about it. He will help you find a job with men who are more civil. Ω
Read Through the Bible in a Year
NOVEMBER 24, 2017 - FRIDAY
A.M Ezekiel 32-33 P.M 1 Peter 1
(Bible Gateway will read this to you if you like. Look for the speaker icon.)
Good Verse to Memorize:
Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life. (John 8:12)
Song for Today:
Rock of Ages (4:09) (Vestal Goodman & Gaither Group)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BmrvPPYLTDg
You may have to adjust the volume and delete Ad
Righteousness exalteth a nation: but sin is a reproach to any people. (Proverbs 14:34) Marriage is honourable in all, and the bed undefiled: but whoremongers and adulterers God will judge. (Hebrews 13:4)
We wish the national sex scandals of late would just go away. It makes us uncomfortable. However, a lot of women, girls and children are being abused in this country and their story is covered up. It has not been “news” until recently. Breaking these stories is one of the greatest things that has happened in America in a long while, in my opinion. I agree with a Christian newscaster who said this week: “God has shined a light on the plight of these helpless women.”
Women and teenage girls have been long-time victims of powerful men in the news media, government, doctors’ offices, educational establishments, athletics, and wherever powerful men and their employees work. Men lean on helpless women and the women keep quiet to keep their jobs.
Fox News lost its president a few months ago and then Bill O’Reilly. New York Times, CBS, NBC, Politico, the leading and second-leading cable networks, the top public-radio network, have all confronted the same problem: A prominent figure accused of behaving inappropriately. (Politico). The problem is so big that once the boil had been lanced with Harvey Weinstein, women began to come forth with their stories and the powers that be are frantically trying to cover their bases. These power centers have known for years they had a problem, but no one was making any noise.
The current stories are not about adults having affairs between consenting adults. These stories go beyond that to men disrespecting women and treating them like they were owned objects for their own pleasure. That’s another sorry step in America’s downward plunge.
My good friend and attorney, William Ball, one of the nation’s leading constitutional attorneys, told the pastors in North Carolina in the 1980’s that the highest court in America is the “Court of Public Opinion.” I never forgot that. But, this court lacks the refined features of a court room. It has no printed rules of evidence; the witnesses cannot be cross-examined, and there are no penalties if witnesses in the drama lie and frame a victim. That’s simply part of the “Court of Public Opinion.” Nevertheless, it is the highest court in the land. (William Ball was professor of Constitutional Law for twenty years at Notre Dame School Law School)
Another friend is Don Boys, Ph.D., Christian evangelist, and former member of the Indiana House of Representatives. He writes recently: “Steven Law, chief executive of the GOP Senate Leadership Fund declared, “There is no place in our party for sexual predators.” Well, that is not exactly true. I checked the record and was shocked and surprised by the sexual scandals I found since 1900. There have been 67 sexual scandals in the House and Senate, and the White House. It also includes a U.S. Supreme Court Justice.”
Dr. Boys states further: Of the 67 sexual scandals, 28 were Democrats and 43 were Republicans! I was shocked. So, the Republicans have made room for sexual predators such as…” and he names six prominent and recent members of the Republican Party. He also covers the short-comings of the Democrat Party and the shame brought on by one of its recent presidents.
We need to remember, though that the sordid behavior of men in the present news is just the tip of the iceberg. The powers that be can fix their exposed and shameful behavior by publicly disposing of the named sinners. It remains to be seen if any evil-doer politicians will be sent home. Excuses will be made, and they will wait it out until the cameras go away. That’s the easiest way to fix it. The voting public has short memories.
The larger segment of the abuse of women is somewhere else. The worst is the human trafficking, that involves the kidnapping or luring of girls and young women held against their will. Their bodies are sold in this country and in foreign countries where they are taken. It wouldn’t work if men with money would not buy them for their own lust. Some of them are photographed in their activity and the videos marketed in the porn industry. That’s not in Africa or some primitive third world country. That’s in the United States. Even ten-year-old children are channeled into this market because there are men who will pay to get to rape a child.
The family setting is the greatest place for the abuse of women and children. It is not in some distant city; it is not confined to government and news offices and other work places. Joyce Meyer, one of the top TV evangelists, draws mostly women to her local meetings in the largest arenas. One of her strongest appeals that draw women to come to her meetings is the public knowledge that her own blood father raped her over 200 times in their home. This occurred while the mother was doing the weekly grocery shopping. Women, everywhere, are being abused in their homes. I once had a secretary who confided to me one day that she had been sexually abused by her own blood-father. The damage from this is deep and long-lasting.
Children in homes are being abused by family members. Children in foster homes are sometimes abused. This problem cannot be fixed by passing more laws. When the influence of the Bible is reduced, the children and women are the first to pay the price. When men’s hearts are changed, they will love and respect their wives and children.
For many years, women have recognized their weakness in dealing with men and have tried to come up with schemes to turn the tables. It was attempted with the Equal Rights Amendment that almost became a Constitutional Amendment. But, it was discovered that the ERA in the long run was undefined and would make women responsible on a par with men. That would have been cruel.
Women cannot unload trucks or climb telephone poles as well as men. Likewise, ye husbands, dwell with them according to knowledge, giving honour unto the wife, as unto the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life; that your prayers be not hindered. (1Peter 3:7)
Another side of the story is that all women do not tell the truth when accusing. When I was a senior in high school, a teenage girl became pregnant and spread the word in school that I was the father of the child. When my father confronted the girl’s father with a lawsuit for slander, the young lady signed a notarized statement that I was not the father of the child. Her older sister did not believe it and asked me to perform her wedding ceremony in a couple of years. Some women will lie.
Some teenage girls have lied in court about their fathers abusing them in order to get out of the home. When the court put their father in jail, they suddenly realized what they did and tried to fix it, but it’s a hard thing to fix.
Some women may willingly cheat on their husbands. In Tallahassee, Florida I visited a yard sale warehouse to talk with the owners, a husband and wife. The husband had fixed a corner of the warehouse with a stained-glass window from an old church and an organ. She played hymns on the organ that she had learned in child-hood. I sensed it was “window dressing” and was on the surface. One day I dropped by and the woman was there alone; her face was red but not from crying. She was mad!
She took one look at me and blurted out her story. “Reverend, I’m mad as h… at my husband and I went out this morning before breakfast and committed adultery to punish him!” I believed her. This was no time to try to fix anything. So, I got back into the school bus I was driving and went on my way. I’ve thought about that scene many times.
And it came to pass about this time, that Joseph went into the house to do his business; and there was none of the men of the house there within. And she caught him by his garment, saying, Lie with me: and he left his garment in her hand, and fled, and got him out. And it came to pass, when she saw that he had left his garment in her hand, and was fled forth, (Genesis 39:11-13) You remember that Joseph ended up in prison because of this woman’s false accusation.
This is a fallen world, and something is bad wrong with the human race. I’ve spent a lifetime of listening to sad stories about people being ugly to one another. Not too many years ago, families would not allow their daughter to go anywhere with a young man in a car without a chaperone being in the car with them. For a young woman to go to a man’s apartment or have a man come to her apartment was unthinkable. I think it’s still unthinkable.
Whenever possible, young people will do better to live at home and go to junior college rather than live in a school dormitory. This gives two years of practice at knowing what the school is like and how to be safer in their school experience.
There are uncivil men among us and the ladies will do well to be very careful in what they say and how they conduct themselves. If, after you have done your part at smart behavior and some clown leans on you, scream bloody murder at the top of your voice. Go to the boss’s office and pitch a striped fit. If it is the boss, then go to the chairman of the board. Otherwise, pick up your purse and go home and tell the Lord about it. He will help you find a job with men who are more civil. Ω
Read Through the Bible in a Year
NOVEMBER 24, 2017 - FRIDAY
A.M Ezekiel 32-33 P.M 1 Peter 1
(Bible Gateway will read this to you if you like. Look for the speaker icon.)
Good Verse to Memorize:
Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life. (John 8:12)
Song for Today:
Rock of Ages (4:09) (Vestal Goodman & Gaither Group)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BmrvPPYLTDg
You may have to adjust the volume and delete Ad
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