Mark Driscoll, controversial preacher and pastor of the very successful Mars Hill Church, has written a great book on sex and the Christian entitled Porn Again Christian: A Frank Discussion on Pornography and Masturbation. You can actually read the book online or download a free PDF copy here. As you might expect, such a subject is handled with both seriousness and humor – here's one of my favorite humorous remarks:
Question: My wife wants sex more than I do, what should I do?
Answer:
Don’t tell your buddies or they will mock you incessantly for the rest
of your life after staring at you blankly without blinking for about an
hour in total silence. Do have sex with your wife as often as she likes
and thank God.
Speaking about p0rn and the Christian, I give you Mike “Sticky Carpets” Duvall…
California state Rep. Michael Duvall, a Republican representing Orange County, is ostensibly a pretty conservative guy. Duvall, who’s married with two kids, emphasizes his commitment to “family values”; he’s a staunch opponent of gay rights; and he’s proud of his 100% rating from the state’s leading religious right group.
As for the bigger picture, the extraordinarily long list of “family values” conservative Republicans who preach one thing and do the opposite has yet another member. It’s almost as if this crowd is filled with philandering hypocrites.
Another nice touch is that the woman Duvall is referencing is a lobbyist.
Not only lobbyist, but lobbyists. Not only lobbyists, but married ones. Not only married lobbyists, but lobbyists who had matters before the committee that Duvall works on.
He resigned today.
I hope there's criminal procedings.
Of course this is part of the danger of the Christian community. There is a real desire to love people where they are, and bond in unity, that often times communities forgoe any sort of scrutiny or discipline. This guy was either a good faker, or his community let himself and all other Christians down by not calling him to account. Infidelity of any type, but certainly this is an egregious example, is not a "fall" or a "stumble", it is hundreds and hundreds of sins compounded.
John had something to say about this that should not be ignored:
"This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin." (1 John 1:5-7, NIV)
Only God knows the heart of a man, and I hope he truly has been down a long dark path, and will repent and come back. John's words call us to be discerning and to use our judgement. He has indicated he has no fellowship with God.
Oh, and the actual topic!
Looks fantastic. Mark has a great way of mixing funny with the hard things, in a way that actually illuminates rather than obscuring. I heard just yesterday that the Southern Baptist Convention made a motion at their last big get together to censor his materials because he makes too many graphic sexual references. I can only assume they are referring to last year's series on the Song of Solomon (Series: The Peasant Princes, can view the whole thing on the Mars Hill website). It certainly makes me wonder what the SBC's take on SoS is. That book is HAWT!
I haven't read through the link yet, but I've heard Mark speak on the topic. Frank would definitely describe his style, but also incredibly well rounded, deep, and informative. Because of his particular audience (least churched city in America), he goes to great lenghts to support his points not only from the bible, but from secular media and scientific studies.