No More Taboos?

Listen to what 1st Peter 1 says:13 Therefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; 14 as obedient children, not conforming yourselves to the former lusts, as in your ignorance; 15 but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, 16 because it is written, "Be holy, for I am holy."   I was alarmed and amazed by the words spoken by TV icon Mary Tyler Moore in an interview before receiving the Screen Actors Guild Lifetime Achievement Award last night.   According to Zap2It.com:

She broke a number of taboos in her shows, but doesn't think there are many barriers left to break through on telelvision. "Taboos?" she says, "there aren't any taboos anymore."

I think this is disappointing, but very true - and perhaps the remaining taboos will crumble if court action concerning the FCC's policy on profanity is struck down - those that wish to see it revised say the current policy is unclear. 

And, while what is shown on television and depicted in movies does have a strong influence on our behavior, it does present a challenge to us as Christians to not only evaluate what we consume, but also what we regard as "taboo".   I believe that the Scriptures teach moral absolutes - what is right and what is wrong, what pleases God's heart and what does not.  And, as we have been cleansed by Jesus Christ in salvation by virtue of receiving a new heart, so we are encouraged to walk with clean hands and a clean heart - to monitor our thoughts and our behavior, to make sure that everything inside and outside lines up with the moral code that is given to us in the Bible.  That is what holiness entails...

...And in this age of grace, where so many, even within the church, have an "anything goes" mentality in a number of areas - God's absolutes, His holy standards remain.   So, as the standard has been set to be holy as He is holy, we recognize that we must protect our hearts and minds from cultural influences that run contrary to what pleases God and take seriously the call to be a peculiar, a different, a distinctive people, who reflect the nature of God.   Yes, for the Christian there are plenty of what you would call "taboos", leading to what the Bible calls "sin" - and I am thankful that I have a Savior who can cleanse us.