Focus on the Family Archives

Let’s face it, Evangelicals have an irrational fear of breasts. Evangelical men are so weak that if a woman exposes even a portion of her breasts they are sure to fall into sin. I find it amazing that the Christian God can save them from any and every sin but he is quite powerless to keep them from being tempted and led astray by a woman’s breasts.

Let me illustrate this for you.

The following picture first appeared in the 1937 Popular Photography Magazine.

In 1937 this picture of a burlesque dancer appeared without the black bar over her breasts. 75 years later, when this picture was republished in the May 2012 magazine, the black bar was added to cover the woman’s bare breasts.

Why?

Several readers objected to the black bar being placed over the woman’s breasts. They considered it prudish and censorship, two things not normally on display in a photography magazine. (and I subscribe to the magazine)

The caption for the picture stated, “it was illustrated with semi-nude shots we have to black-bar today.” One reader asked for an explanation for the phrase “we have to.”

Why did the editors of Popular Photography magazine put a black-bar over the woman’s breasts? This was their reply:

The editors decided to add the black-bar to a photo originally published in Popular Photography in 1937 because we feared that running a topless photo would have gotten the issue pulled from distribution by some retailers, school libraries, and other outlets.

We have the answer to WHY and now we must ask the WHO question. Who is it that would object to this woman’s breasts being bared?

Those of us who follow the culture war carefully know who the WHO is. It is Evangelicals with breast-a-phobia. Groups like One Million Moms, the American Family Association, and Focus on the Family look for opportunities to gin up controversy. Let a Janet Jackson-like breast exposure occur and 48 hours later the Evangelical Borg are calling for people to cancel their subscriptions and calling on them to let their local libraries know they don’t appreciate the library exposing their children to porn. (no it is not porn but in the Evangelical mind porn has a far different definition)

The editors of Popular Photography need to realize that the Evangelical bark is a lot worse than its bite. Ignore them. Library directors need to ignore them too. The picture in question is not on the cover so no child is going to be breast-traumatized by walking past the magazine rack.

Pity the poor Evangelical. So weak that they can not withstand a look at a woman’s breasts. It should come as no surprise that Evangelical men and pastors find themselves in all kinds of trouble…..They are taught they are weak. They are taught they are but one sin away from being a pervert, child molester, porn addict, or rapist.

Teen boys are constantly berated and reminded that God will judge them if they give into temptation. After all, everyone knows photography magazines and National Geographic Magazine are gateway magazines. Let a teen boy gaze on naked women in these magazines and the next thing you will know they will be filled with raging lust and who knows what they will turn into next.

So silly, isn’t it?

I am often asked “if Christianity doesn’t matter why do you bother with it?” Good question.

James Dobson returns to the airways:

Religious Right powerhouse James Dobson returned to the airwaves last month, launching a new daily radio program co-hosted by his son Ryan.

Dobson, the founder of Focus on the Family (FOF), announced last year that he planned to retire from the group and cease his daily radio broadcasts – but that turned out to be short-lived.

Dobson soon announced that he would launch a new radio program called “Family Talk with James Dobson.” The show began airing May 3 on 326 U.S. stations.

“Please don’t expect me to take a ‘softer, gentler’ approach to the issues that burn within my soul,” Dobson wrote on the program’s Web site. “I have never spoken or written without passion for values in which I believe, and I don’t intend to start now. Babies are dying, the very definition of marriage is under attack, the financial underpinnings of families are being destroyed by confiscatory taxation, and children of all ages are being taught wickedness and every form of godlessness. This is no time to grow timid!”

Dobson has also continued his meddling in partisan politics. The new program is sponsored by a tax-exempt organization that is barred by federal law from endorsing candidates. As a private citizen, however, Dobson is free to announce his favorites – and he has been.

Dobson and I agree on one thing: This is no time to grow timid.

We must continue to oppose the right-wing religious agenda of James Dobson and those like him. They will not rest until God is elected President and the apostles run Congress. They will not rest until our legal code is rewritten to reflect God’s law.

Several generations of Christians have been raised under the tutelage of the good Dr, Dobson. The result? They gave us eight years of George Bush. They were briefly defeated when Barack Obama was elected. But, make no mistake about it, the signs are everywhere for all to see, they have not gone away.

Since they have not gone away…….we must not either.