Byron Paulus, is the executive director and president of Life Action Ministries, a fundamentalist Christian group that seeks to “ignite Christ-centered movements of revival among God’s people that display His glory and advance His kingdom throughout the world.”
Yesterday, the Charisma News site posted an article written by Paulus for the True Woman website. Here’s an excerpt from the article:
It’s no secret. When black and white merge, they produce grey. Every time.
There is absolute white. There is absolute black. But there is no such thing as absolute grey. The color grey has an infinite number of shades. Not just 50. And that is exactly why this Friday could go down as one of the most morally destructive days in our nation’s history.
For us as Christians, the lightest shade of grey is destructive when we know it is a matter of disobeying the Word of God or the Spirit of God.
I heard one preacher say, “It could be the most destructive day globally since Eve took a bite of fruit in the Garden.” Eve allowed her curiosity to lead her to just one bite. Satan did not tempt her with the entire tree; just a bite.
One bite hidden and not resulting in brokenness and repentance will naturally lead to many bites. Don’t fall for it. The grey pathway is paved with increasing desensitization resulting in destructive behavior. This chart is the path David took regarding Bathsheba and Uriah in 2 Samuel 11.
Even a small amount of societal grey can be destructive. For us as Christians, the lightest shade of grey is destructive when we know it is a matter of disobeying the Word of God or the Spirit of God.
Even a seemingly small area of disobedience is sin. And the wages of sin is death, in some form or fashion. Therefore, this Friday will likely be remembered by godly people not as a “grey” day in history, but a “black” day.
When it comes to desensitization to moral perversion resulting in cultural disintegration, the release of the movie Fifty Shades may be more destructive than ISIS. Why? Because at least we are still on our guard fighting against ISIS at some level. But on many fronts, we quit fighting against sin in the sexual realm.
While we vigorously defend our geographical boundaries against physical aggression of evil designed to torture and kill the human body, we passively support and even promote soul aggression of evil that tortures and destroys the mind, emotions and human spirit.
Even a seemingly small area of disobedience is sin.
We must not forget that 50 of 52 major civilizations were destroyed because of inward moral decay … from allowing white to lead to grey and then to black…
…A nation of no black and white (absolutes) will become a nation where all shades of grey are acceptable. So this Friday is not only the opening of a movie but the opening of a desensitization like that could release unparalleled sexual immorality … UNLESS …
I believe using the name Christian Grey as the lead character in Fifty Shades is not coincidental. We must not allow “gray” to describe “Christian” and thus define our lifestyles as believers. We are Christians with absolutes, not Christians without absolutes…
…The church exists to glorify a holy God, a pure God who fully understands our temptations to invite gray in as a brief house guest. Regarding Fifty Shades of Grey, do not even go on a curious search. Not even one small “bite” of curious search…
The slide downward to a gray lifestyle can be countered by praying for supernatural protection from even innocent exposure, and taking steps to avoid temptation that is fostered by curiosity. Then biblical persuasion will be the tool to continue a pathway to avoid all shades of gray…
I ask you dear reader, what kind of mental gymnastics is required to convince yourselves that
is far more dangerous than
Does Paulus really believe Christian women reading mommy porn and going to see an R rated movie is going to bring Western civilization to its knees? Or is he just trying to gin up controversy and support for the Christian women who really, really want to go see the movie but can’t because their church/pastor forbids it?
Russell Wilson, quarterback of the Seattle Seahawks, got himself in a bit of trouble this week with Team Evangelical. Russell is an Evangelical, and during the week before the Super Bowl, countless Evangelical blogs, website, and news sites, featured stories about Russell Wilson, the great man of faith. They were as proud as a peacock over having one of their own on such a prominent stage.
Imagine their outrage when Wilson tweeted:
You can read all the tweets from outraged Christians here.
Wilson later tweeted:
And, offended Christians were even more offended.
My take? It’s just a lame movie that will be forgotten about like the Passion of the Christ was when it was hailed as the greatest movie ever made.
Unlike Paulus and the horde of whining, offended Christians, I know that a book/movie like Fifty Shades of Grey, will have little to no cultural impact. A far more real threat to our culture and the world is the Muslim extremism of ISIS. Surely, anyone capable of rationally looking at the two things will conclude:
- ISIS=big problem that could result in American military action and increased violence and bloodshed
- Fifty Shades of Grey=mental diversion into the seedier side of life that will likely have no lasting effect on those who dare to watch
They really keep overreacting to that piece of badly written and unimaginative fan fic that is 50 Shades and miss all the points about how it is degrading and lacks any sexual consent. Just ignore it!
Ladies Against Feminism has posted a gut busting ten articles in a few days on how this is the worst thing in the world. Evangelical panties are twisting hard over this silly crap.
I wasn’t going to see this film until I read your post!
Still not sure I’ll bother mind you….
WTFF?? “A lame movie??” Are you NUTZZ?? It was AWESOME!! And, my girlfriend nearly jumped me right there in the theater!!! (Now, you’ve offended ME!!! GRRRR!!!)
(But seriously. This movie is clearly more dangerous than ISIS ever could be; only non-religious fanatics can’t see that)
If your girlfriend nearly jumped you right in the theater over 50 Shades of Grey then you should really show her 9 1/2 Weeks. Just take a lot of vitamin E first.
There is always something ‘worldly’ in popular culture that Fundamentalists are sure will bring down civilization. When I was in high school it was Led Zeppelin. Oh yeah, and KISS (Knights in Satan’s Service – or so we were told). Fads and tastes come and go, but the hysteria is always there.
@HeIsSailing:
“Fads and tastes come and go, but the [fundagelical] hysteria is always there.”
Well said.
I heard the book wasn’t well written. I’ve also heard that the BDSM in the movie is actually abuse and not true BDSM. In fact, I’ve read comments from people in the BDSM community who condemned this book and movie. As for me, I’ll read what I like that is well written. Otherwise, I don’t care if people watch read the book or watch the movie.
Hmph. Clearly, none of you understand the true, soul-devouring danger of… The Gray Agenda!
I do not know who Paulus is, which means she is a nobody. I do know who Obama is. ISIS is very, very dangerous. It is not “on the run” as Biden said of ISIS ally Al Qaeda, or nothing more then a “JV team ” as Obama said it was.
I feel sorry for people who live in such a sad state of paranoid hysteria, that they see such danger in a seedy movie. I can only imagine how wonderful living in reality would feel to someone that far gone. I know life got a lot better for me when I lost faith but I was never that crazy
Separation of church and state is something I am so grateful for, when put in mind of ISIS. Very much so. And I was taken to see that movie, I kind of knew it would bore me, but I humored my roommate and sat through it. There were better show we could have seen. Given the comments I’d hear from time to time on Christian radio, there are some ISIS wannabes out there. Makes you glad you didn’t live in Medieval times, when the idea of separation of church and state would have been called blasphemy, and the stake with hay piled around its base was waiting for you. Separation of powers is worth fighting for. Look at those nuts who stormed the Capitol . SMH.