Chapter Two – A World Gone Mad with Sex

The sexual revolution of the latter twentieth century changed the entire world—and not for the better. During this period, the idea of “sex without boundaries” did, in fact, escalate beyond all bounds. The advent of cable television, the Internet and the vast expanse of every conceivable kind of pornographic website that it offers, and the ease with which adult videos can be obtained, have helped spread the mindset that all sex is good—in or out of marriage.

Barriers everywhere have dropped—and are still dropping as they near a complete collapse on all fronts. Seemingly, every day establishes new lows in immorality, perversion, debauchery and “anything goes” when it comes to sexual habits and appetites. Experimentation and indulgence have become the norm. Most today have come to believe that free sex of every conceivable kind, with the same or opposite sex—or both—is a simple matter of personal preference. It is as though there is no longer the slightest concern about whether sexual activity is right or wrong. Vast millions have come to believe that achieving sexual pleasure in any setting, for any purpose, and involving any kind of experimentation or activity (and this includes any number of men and women participating in a single sexual episode) is perfectly acceptable—and is now, at least unconsciously, even seen to be a kind of human “right” of sorts.

By every older human standard and definition of morality—not to mention what God teaches!—sexual values in the early twenty-first century are infinitely worse than a mere fifty years ago. Words like “disgusting, sickening, shocking” and “revolting” come to mind when one looks across the world at what is now seen to be almost normal conduct, at least in the eyes of young people. Even the bestiality more common in ancient times is quietly reappearing. It is not too early to ask: How soon before this perverse evil becomes at least tacitly accepted by society?

This Time Foretold

God foretold that in the “last days...men shall be...lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God” and “without natural affection” (II Tim. 3:1-4). In the age of gross materialism, mixed with rank hedonism, the three “L’s” of leisure, luxury and license have come to dominate the thinking of whole societies and nations.

Of course, God is certainly not against enjoyment, which includes many kinds of pleasure, and obviously sex is perhaps chief among them. But He declares of our wanton, lascivious age, through the Old Testament prophet Jeremiah, that “Every one neighed after his neighbour's wife” (Jer 5:8). And then there is His now almost completely forgotten Seventh Commandment—“Thou shall not commit adultery”—that is being routinely ignored by great numbers who then, as professing Christians, turn right around each week and go to church. As one preacher so aptly put it: “Most people sow wild oats all week, and then go to church on Sunday and pray for a crop failure.”

The Bible is filled with scriptures—literally scores of passages—describing the sexual saturation of wrong conduct and wrong thinking in the modern age. God pulls no punches in labelling many different kinds of sexual behaviour as sin. These will be examined more closely at the end of this chapter.

Again, before we can understand all that God teaches about the true purposes of sex, we must examine what is occurring today. This will require more than a superficial view if we are to grasp just how bad it is in light of what God instructs.

Rampant Adultery

Adultery is now rampant in all Western nations, with 83 percent of American households experiencing—and afflicted by—adultery, being committed by either one or both mates. The suffering of all kinds connected just to illicit sex by married people is staggering to consider. At what point will we find 90 percent—95 percent—or even 100 percent—of couples no longer faithful in marriage?

The widespread practice of adulterous “pleasure marriages” has grown stronger in the Middle East and is also quickly regaining popularity in the new, democratic Iraq. This is the custom of men marrying several so-called “widows” for the sole purpose of sex outside marriage, but done under the guise of taking care of women in need. In addition, because of China’s explosion of economic prosperity, adultery in that country has grown so widespread that there are now tens of thousands of private investigators whose sole task is to track and report the marital infidelity of wealthy executives whose wives doubt their faithfulness. Incredibly, only one in 100 is found to be faithful! Then there are the various cultures of Europe, where having a mistress has long been considered a badge of honour—and wives willingly accept the status quo.

But conditions have gone far beyond simple adultery, which is wrong enough and terribly damaging. Recognize that the very worst kinds of perversion and sick, degenerate practices in modern society cannot even be discussed in this book. Here is why: “For it is a shame even to speak of those things which are done of them in secret” (Eph. 5:12). Again, we will momentarily discuss in more detail certain of these things—where we can. But it is important to bear in mind that the very worst things that are happening in the sexual arena throughout society are necessarily excluded from this book.

Most modern societies have been forced by militant social radicals to embrace the concept of political correctness. This mindset permits all people to live whatever lifestyle—including “alternative” ones—that they choose, as long as they can rationalize that “it doesn’t hurt anyone else.” Such tolerance was rarely, or possibly never, known before this age. Virtually everyone and everything that people do is now tolerated with little question. Of course, the arrival of the personal computer has helped spawn this era of tolerance, and we will momentarily explain how.

Pleasure and betterment for the self are the main goals and hopes of most people. In this vein, great numbers would argue that, if they are only hurting themselves, they should have the right to experiment and enjoy whatever they please. But is all this self-pleasure leading toward real betterment of lives?

Improving or Degenerating?

To some, the world exists in a state that appears to be improving. Great achievements in science, technology, medicine and economics have led to advancements of every kind imaginable. As problems and troubles arise, man seems unlimited in his ability to solve them. But is he really solving them? Are the inevitable wounds of advancement being healed by technology?

It has been said that the total fund of human knowledge doubles annually. Is all this information improving society? Is it allowing humanity to make better choices? Are human beings, as “informed” people, better off than the “ignorant and uneducated” masses of previous centuries?

One of the greatest areas in which knowledge has flourished is that of sex. A plethora of information—and “instruction”—is now available. But has this avalanche of information enabled human beings to make better decisions in their sexual practices?

Has the almost total pursuit of “better sex” and just plain more sex improved social conditions or solved personal problems—has it stemmed the tsunami tide of all the negative effects that hurt and destroy so many lives? Or is it making things worse?

Most people never stop to examine the depth to which sex permeates almost every facet of society. One can no longer turn on the television (and this applies to almost all movies as well) without finding a program that has at least sexual undertones—but more often blatant messages! Magazines, beginning with the cover, are literally filled with photos, stories and features that would shock even the most liberal-minded of past generations.

Just the sheer emphasis on number of articles about sex in these magazines is overwhelming. For instance, how many have been written with titles such as “Ten Ways to Please Her (or Him),” or “Twelve Bedroom Secrets to Use on Him (or Her),” or “Six Tips to Know When to...”, etc.? And, again, there is now also the Internet, and its online magazines, which offer a veritable buffet—an astonishing smorgasbord—of incredible sexual perversions, titillations, venues and “activities.”