Sexual abuse, especially rape, is on the rise in the world. People of conscience worldwide are bleeding emotionally from the trauma of rape victims, male and child prostitution, victims of sex trafficking, boys in captivity who are being sodomized by wicked men, etc. The news media report this sickening news every day.
In Asia, sex tourism is big business; in the church, paedophile priests who target boys and girls are on the prowl. Fathers and daughters are regularly being arrested for illicit sex and, worse, the abomination that caused the desolation of Sodom and Gomorrah in the famous Bible story has arrived in our world with the legalisation of same-sex marriage in many western nations.
Same-sex marriage, the mother of all crimes against humanity, epitomises the degeneration of our moral ethos. If two male adults can marry, what moral right do we have to condemn other forms of sexual immorality? If the Prime Minister of a nation could boldly proclaim himself to be gay, what moral authority does he have to prosecute other sexual offenders? If the world’s football governing body, FIFA, could sanction a player who criticised her colleagues for their lesbianism, how can we then, in good conscience, make war against rapists, and the morally deranged LGBT group?
Under the watch of Mr. Barack Obama, in the twilight of his presidency, his administration threatened to impose economic sanctions on countries, which opposed same-sex marriage. It would be recalled that African and Islamic nations’ delegations walked out of a session of the United Nations General Assembly when western nations brought the issue of same-sex marriage to the agenda of the world body.
The United States has lost its moral leadership of the world, for there can be no genuine leadership without moral authority and integrity. America allows children to own assault weapons, which these misguided kids use at random to kill classmates and other defenseless individuals, yet they decry high murder rates in their society. The same America popularised gun violence in movies where killings are glamourised and celebrated. The negative impact of these horrific films on our collective psyche has been horrendous.
These movies are the root cause of gun violence in homes around the world. Rape scenes are common in western movies. We can see where the inspiration for this gender crime comes from. Of course, we cannot put all the blame for sexual violence on the West. Our own leaders must take responsibility for aiding and abetting the criminality that has crept into our society from decadent western cultures.
It is clearly an unacceptable double speak to rail against rape and other forms of sexual abuse, while promoting a more vile and lawless form of sexual immorality like LGBT. It is shameful that the traditional vocal power of the church has become mute against the rise of this abomination. Why is the church so timid? Is it political correctness or complicity because of fear of losing the big bucks that come from leading large congregations?
The church must not live by bread alone but every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God (Deut. 8:3). It is instructive that Jesus quoted this verse when the Devil came to tempt him. The church should wake up from her slumber and exercise her mandate without fear.
The sentiments against sexual abuse must extend to other sexual sins like abortions, or, simply put, the killing of unborn babies. Abortion, too, has been legalised in many countries and that’s wrong. It encourages wilful murder of unborn babies, a great crime against humanity. Perhaps, you may be wondering why I deal with this subject in a column that’s dedicated to youth motivation. It is because sexual immorality is a sin commonly identified with youth.
Sexual immorality arises from lust or the burning of youthful passions, although it is a crime that’s often committed by people of all age groups. If you are reading this, I strongly advise that you tame your passion and control lust. Self-control and discipline are the virtues that keep you out of trouble.
If you want to have sex, go and get married. You cannot rape the wife, sister, mother or daughter of someone else. If you do, the law would not spared you. Recently, five young men who raped a lady in India were all hanged after being found guilty of the dastardly act. Rape is to be severely punished, even though there’s still the debate on whether the death sentence is proportionate to the crime. Nobody argues that rapists deserve harsh sentences, though.
The point is, why should you go to jail or face execution because you forcefully had sex with someone against their will? It is plain stupidity. Folks, do yourself a favour, never indulge in sexual immorality of any kind. The outcomes are usefully hurtful.
As for government, which treats all sexual crimes mentioned here with kid gloves, they’d sooner than later realize that when immorality of any kind is tolerated in any society, decline and collapse are the inevitable end. Where are the empires of old, like the Greek cultivation, Holy Roman Empire, the Babylonians, etc.? They’ve all perished because they allowed evil to prevail against decency. Take that home.
Weekend Spice: All that is not eternal is eternally useless – C.S. Lewis
Ok folks, enjoy your weekend. See you next Friday. Stay motivated.
•Ayodeji is an author, rights activist, pastor and life coach. He can be reached on [email protected] and 09059243004 (SMS only)