Some people think there are XXX IMAGES FOUND HERE!

I've mentioned before that I use stat counters to see how many people visit my blog, what posts they read, and how they found it. A couple of years ago, I was a little surprised to see that someone found my blog while searching for porn. The visitor had done a Google search on phrase “humiliation porn pictures” which turned up my post, “Photo Gaffe or Major Porn Humiliation?”

I got a little chuckle and thought about how disappointed the visitor might have been when he realized he'd landed on a Christian blog. On the other hand, I also realized that these are people I want to have reading my blog. In half jest, I mused if I should start including choice key words in the titles of some of my posts with the hope it would turn up in more Google searches. I discussed this in a short post which I intentionally titled, “No XXX IMAGES found here!” Sure enough, over the next couple of weeks, I began receiving hits on that post from people searching for “XXX images.”

After a while, the traffic to that post died off and it was business as usual. All of a sudden, though, I've started having a lot of traffic to that post again. My stat counter shows again that it's from people searching the term “XXX images.” Last week, it was the second most read post on my blog.  

By the way, the most searched for term was on the origin of life which I intend to talk in an upcoming post.

I'm not sure what has happened to cause traffic to that post to spike. I do know that Google tends to rank sites found in a search by their relevance and popularity. This means that each time someone clicks on my blog while looking for “XXX images”, the more likely it is to be ranked higher in the next search. You will notice that I've also included the term “XXX images” in the title of this post. I've also used the term “XXX images” several times in this text which makes this post seem even more relevant in a search for “XXX images.” For the next few weeks at least, my blog should see even more visitors looking for “XXX images” than did visit the last couple of weeks.

Getting people to visit my blog hasn't been a real problem. There are typically between 3,500 – 5,000 page views here each month. I just wish I could figure out a way to get these new visitors to stay a while.

No XXX IMAGES Found Here!

You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives. (Genesis 50:20)

I've heard before that the most frequently searched websites on the net are porn sites. It's sad that we've created such a powerful tool and many people abuse it only to slake their own lusts. However, as we see in Genesis, God sometimes uses people's evil motives to accomplish good things.

The Statcounter I installed a few years back provides me with a lot of useful information. Besides showing me how many visitors I receive and which posts they viewed, it also shows me how they found my blog. To my surprise, one visitor found my blog while searching for porn. The Google search phrase, “Humiliation porn pictures” landed him on my post, “Photo Gaffe or Major Porn Humiliation?” Isn't that funny?

I'm not sure if the visitor read my post but I hope he did. I hope he visits again. My objective in writing is to take God's message to the world and that would include reaching more people like him.

Other people have found my blog in unusual ways but I never suspected that my blog would pop up in a porn search. Wouldn't it be great if it did every time? Maybe I should add some clever key words in my blog description. I could say something, “A Sure Word: using the net for something other than FREE PORN” or “A Sure Word: no XXX IMAGES FOUND HERE!”

Photo Gaffe or Major Porn Humiliation?

I really don't follow sports so I don't know who Felipe Baloy is but I read about him on Yahoo! Apparently, he's a soccer player and I know enough about sports to know that soccer is a big deal in a lot of countries outside the US. Pro soccer players there are viewed much the same way as pro basketball players are viewed here. Frankly, I've always thought the hero worship of sports figures went a little too far but it is what it is.

Anyway, Baloy is one such sports figure who has a lot of fans. According to the Yahoo! article, Baloy seems like a nice enough guy who is usually happy to take a moment and pose for a picture with his fans. Recently, he posed with a young fan who looked about 3-4 years old and was decked out in his team's colors. Using popular, internet terminology, the photo turned out to be a “fail.” In a semi-transparent shopping bag that Baloy happened to be holding right in front of the kid, we can clearly see the cover of the Playboy magazine Baloy had just purchased.

Yahoo!, being the liberal organization that it is, made light of the incident:

“Of course, there was no harm done and it was very nice of Baloy to make a young fan's day by stopping and smiling for the shot, but the child will probably appreciate this picture even more when he's a little older.”

Yahoo! obviously doesn't see a problem with a photo like this. There's “no harm done,” they say.  Never mind that this little boy might grow up thinking it's OK to read pornography because his hero reads it too. He will probably even learn to “appreciate” this moment! Is Yahoo! serious?

This is still another reason why idolizing sports celebrities is a bad idea. Simply being a good athlete does not equate with being worthy of emulation. Being physically exceptional is not the same as having a good character. Just ask Tiger Woods.

It's been a few years but I'll be honest – when I was younger, I sometimes purchased Playboy magazines. Whenever I bought one, I suspected I was doing something wrong (of course, not strongly enough to not do it) and I felt a little embarrassed about it. What if the cashier was a female? What would she think about me? And heaven forbid that she might know me!! If a picture like this came out of me (though I know that none exist), I would feel humiliated. I guess the times have changed.

Bill Bennett once coined the term, “the death of outrage.” We now “tolerate” things that were once taboo. Pornography is no longer an embarrassment. Out of wedlock sex is now the punchline in TV sitcoms. Hugh Hefner got his own “reality” series where a 70 year old man got to show off his three hot girlfriends. Of course, illegitimacy rates are also sky rocketing and the children of these single parents will likely face a life of poverty. True reality isn't quite as glamorous as the Playboy Mansion.

Pictures like this are sad. The parents of this young boy should be outraged. Baloy should be apologizing. Instead, it's all a big joke. Playboy is out of the brown bag. I don't think it's funny.

A Nation of Wimps!

Last night, on Face Book, my former pastor and Face Book friend posted a video of Gianna Jessen, a woman whose mother attempted to abort her but she survived the abortion and was born alive. It was a touching video of her giving a pro-life speech in Melbourne Australia (you can watch it here). It prompted me to look for similar stories on YouTube. Apparently this has happened on other occasions as well. A woman named Melissa Ohden posted a short video describing a similar experience (here). Their testimonies are moving and rebut the lie that abortion advocates are “pro-choice.” Certainly the babies in these abortions are not given a choice and it's wonderful to hear these intended abortion victims give a voice to the millions more who have been killed.

Abortion is a plague that haunts America. It is our holocaust. A majority of people identify themselves as “Pro-life” and overwhelmingly believe that abortion should be illegal or legal in only certain circumstances. Yet we either lack the will, the political courage, or the political savvy to do anything about it. We have let the fringe minority set the agenda and now have abortion on demand. If a woman wishes, she can, for any reason, have an abortion at any time during her pregnancy.

But my main point of this post isn't to talk about abortion.

I also came a across a video series (parts 1, 2, and 3) about a woman named Carly who had an abortion and regretted it. Near the beginning of the first video, she talks about how she and her boyfriend became sexually active at the very beginning of their relationship. Certainly one component in a woman's decision to have an abortion is the relationship with the father. Many women having abortions aren't married to the father. But then again, many women having babies aren't married to the father. The logical conclusion is that many women are having sex with men they aren't married to. Our society glorifies sex and ignores consequence.

But neither is my main point about out of wedlock sex or illegitimate births.

The main point of my post is the role of men in the above examples. In the cases of the abortion survivors, what were the fathers doing while the mothers were trying to abort their children? In the case of Carla, we know what the father was doing: he was being a selfish jerk pressuring Carla into having an abortion while he himself was too scared to walk into the abortion clinic with her. And what were they thinking while they were having sex with these girls? Did it not occur to them that they might make these women pregnant?

I read a book a few years ago called, The Power of Myth. Even though the author, Joseph Campbell, was an atheist, he did raise a least one good point. In many cultures around the world, boys of certain ages are subjected to a rite of passage where, afterward, they are treated as men. Among Jews, for example, there is a bar mitzvah. It is a defining moment in their lives – a clear distinction where they understand they need to stop acting like boys and start acting like men. Like Paul said in 1 Corinthians 13:11, “When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things.”

Here in the US, we have no formal tradition where this occurs. This is why we have adult men who still act like teenagers. There are certain milestones in our lives that would be good candidates for a rite of passage (turning 18, graduating from high school, etc) but in many of these cases, the older generation continues to treat the man like a boy. If an 18 year old man were to talk to his parents about marriage, they would likely tell him he is still too young. They might tell him to wait, go to college, save his money, and then get married at some unidentified moment in the future when he is “ready.” In my opinion, this only perpetuates adolescence. Instead of getting married, the 18-year-old will heed his parents advice about marriage and simply continue having sex with his girlfriend-of-the-moment. And what is the parents' advice about having sex? Probably something like, “Well, you know how kids are. They're going to have sex.” What a cop out! Instead of telling them it's OK to act like kids, why don't we tell them to grow up and start acting like adults?!

We are a nation of wimps. Our men refuse to act like men. They're old enough to work, drive, have sex, and do all the things a man does but they refuse to take on the responsibility of being a man. They want a life without consequences. The out of wedlock sex, illegitimate births, and abortions are merely symptoms of their childish behavior. “Wimps” is certainly an appropriate description but I guess I could also call them “babies.” Actually, “babies” is a little too tame since babies tend to cry over little things. Here, we are talking about matter of importance.

What else might we call them? “Idiots” works. I mean, even a simpleton can understand that having sex could lead to pregnancy. Obviously some men haven't figured that out. They can't think beyond the 15 minutes in bed. Besides pregnancy, they are also risking contracting and spreading STDs so these men are demonstrably stupid. “Selfish” comes to mind too. I don't care what they say, these men have only one thing on their mind – their own gratification. They don't care one whit about the women they are having sex with and if they claim they do, then I also call them “liars.” If they really cared for the women beyond sex, then why don't they just marry them?

“Cowards” might be the strongest word I could use to describe these men. That Carol's boyfriend wouldn't walk with her into the abortion clinic didn't make him a coward; he was already a coward and that act merely made it evident. These men are only pretending to be men while they abuse women to slake their own lusts. They're afraid to do those things that truly identify someone as a man: things like taking responsibility, making a commitment, providing for a family, raising your children, and being a role model.

Yet even worse than cowards, these men are “sinners.” God made marriage an earthly model of our relationship with Christ. Men are supposed to love their wives like Christ loves His Church and gave His life for it (Ephesians 5:25). Christ endured the cross to redeem His Bride but these men surf the net for porn. They aren't even interested in a “bride.” They aren't the shepherds of their family like Jesus is but they are the thieves and robbers who only come to steal, kill, and destroy (John 10:10). They're also “idolaters” who put the needs of their own flesh above obedience to God.

Lest anyone should think I'm just being proud and judgmental, I assure you that I was young and dumb once too. It was only by the grace of God that I grew up before becoming a victim of my own stupidity. Take it from someone who knows. My advice to all of you is repent. Show some responsibility. Stop thinking of yourself and start thinking of others. Be a man!!

Unwed Adoption in Arkansas: The Courts v. the People

In the November, 2008, election, a citizen-initiated state statute was on the ballot in Arkansas. Proposition 1 banned unmarried couples from adopting or providing foster care to minors. The proposition passed by a comfortable margin: 57-43. Obviously there are many reasons why such a law would be popular. One immediate consequence would be that gay and lesbian couples would be unable to adopt since same sex marriage is not legal in Arkansas. There's also a greater risk of separation if the adoptive parents aren't married. Still too, there are people who just feel that being in a home with married parents provides the best atmosphere and greatest opportunity for children. Whatever the reasons for its popularity, the measure was voted on and passed.

Today, the law was overturned by one man, Pulaski County Circuit Court Judge Chris Piazza, who said in his ruling that that people in "non-marital relationships" are forced to choose between becoming a parent and sustaining that relationship. Excuse, me, Judge Piazza, couldn't the couple just get married? Now, I know that I'm not a lawyer but shouldn't there be a little more substance to a judge's opinion? I see how such a law presents a dilemma for unmarried couples but so what? Is there some absolute right to adopt or be a foster parent?

Suppose for a moment that a person owned a film studio that made porn flicks. Such a profession would likely disqualify him from being able to adopt, right? In that case a similar dilemma would exist: he would have to choose between being a parent or continuing in his profession. How unfair is that?! You see, this smut peddler might retain his most basic, unalienable rights (free speech, freedom of religion, etc), but no one would argue he has an unalienable right to adopt. This might be an extreme example but it illustrates a simple point. In such a situation, the state retains the right to decide what is in the best interest of the child over the smut peddler's supposed right to adopt. In the case of unwed couples, the people of the state have decided that it is not in the best interest of children to allow them to adopt. For whatever the reason, that was the law.

What was it that I've heard from Democrats after every election since Bush/Gore: Republicans seek to disenfranchise voters? Cases like this shine a spotlight on the dangers of political activism. One man in a black robe went beyond his job of interpreting the law and instead set aside the law. He has chosen to substitute his own liberal preference in place of the will of the people. Courts are supposed to be our redress; judges like this make the courts our tyrants. Why even bother with an election? Perhaps we should stop voting and just let the judges decide what's best for us.