Since 2007, I have had the privilege of writing and sending out weblogs on
various issues pertaining to Christian living, current events, and
theology. My intent from the beginning was to help God’s people think
just a little deeper about a variety of issues. Further, it was a way to
stay in touch with people in previous churches I had pastored, friends, and
extended family. My original mailing list has more than quadrupled in
size. I hope these have been an encouragement to you. As this year
marks the ten-year anniversary of these weblogs, I am going to be re-sending
some throughout the year, in addition to sending out new ones. Thank you
for your encouraging words along the way and letting me know how these have
been an encouragement to you.
The
following weblog is from November 16, 2009. It is one that received a lot
of feedback, because, I suppose, it is on a subject that hit close to home for
many people!
Allen
Raynor Weblog: The Changing Culture Down Sesame Street
(Nov.
16, 2009)
Can you believe it? Sesame
Street turned 40 last week! I was one of the millions of kids who
often spent my mornings watching the colorful characters engaging in banter,
projecting moral and life lessons, and generally trying to teach kids how to
make the world a better place. When I was watching Sesame Street
in the mid-seventies, the issues addressed were wholesome ones such as
acceptance of other races, sharing, the value of friendship, and many other
worthwhile things. But, as the culture has changed over the past 4
decades, so has Sesame Street.
Children have increasingly become the targets for indoctrination by those with
various agendas. Gone are the days of universally accepted values based
on a Christian worldview. Replacing these traditional values is a secular
system of thought proclaiming the highest of virtues as “tolerance” and/or
“acceptance.” If a boy wants to be more like his mother or if a girl
wants to be more like her father it is ok. If a girl has two mommies or
two daddies, it is great! Families are anything someone proclaims them to
be. The important thing is that there is love. Unfortunately, the
homosexual rights’ activists have captured shows like Sesame Street, and others
to use them as tools in the advancement of their causes.
In commemoration of the 40th anniversary of Sesame Street, which
began in 1969, DVD sets of earlier episodes are becoming available.
Interestingly enough, these DVD’s come with warning labels cautioning parents
that these episodes are not for children. Ironically, this children
show’s early episodes are deemed not suitable for the current generation of
children. The reasons cited are that children are seen riding bikes
without helmets; the Cookie Monster is seen gorging on cookies instead
of the much healthier snacks he eats today, and Oscar the Grouch is
portrayed as suffering from a personality disorder, displaying signs of
depression, and is perhaps even suicidal! I will agree that things do
change over time in light of new information, but COME ON! Political
correctness is paralyzing us! It is killing us!
Our culture has evolved rapidly to a point that every small minority is given
preferential treatment over and above the majority. Sesame Street
is far less of a trend-setter than it is a trend-follower.
It is a snapshot of what is going on in the public school system, through other
television targeted at children, through children’s books, etc. We have
largely lost the freedom to be “us” anymore! It is difficult to even have
a frank and honest discussion about anything with anyone anymore!
You must fall in line. You are welcomed, even encouraged to question or
berate anything traditional, conservative, or Christian-oriented, but you are forbidden
from questioning anything deemed to be politically correct or you will be
maligned with venomous hatred from those on the political left. Now, even
honest, hard-working, traditional, God-fearing Americans are fearful of being
unjustly labeled as racist, bigoted, or fanatically religious. Their
pseudo-solution to the problem is increasingly to be silent while liberals
scream!
Sesame Street is just one example of the many television shows which
have largely lost their way and bowed to political correctness. TV shows,
too numerous to list have, one by one, cut themselves off at the knees because
their writers, who are flaming left-wing liberals, are on the fringes of
society having pushed and pushed and pushed to move their ideas into the
mainstream. As the old saying goes, “the squeaky wheel gets the
grease.” These fringe people on the far left are, by far the most vocal,
most militant, most organized, and most galvanized in their hatred of all
things traditional, while those supporting traditional values have largely been
silent. Just a couple of weeks ago, Joel Osteen, pastor of the largest
congregation in America was asked an easy question on ABC’s The View, in
regards to homosexuality. He actually answered the question correctly but
he did so in such a sheepish and non-reassuring manner, I am not sure if I
even believe in traditional marriage anymore!!! Just kidding, but
my point is that liberals have got their bluff in on us and why, I do not
know! They are taking over everything we have, one by one, while we, for
the most part, stand by and watch!
Isn’t it time “we the people” stand up for what is right again? If you
look at all the heroic acts which were done by brave men and women to found
our country and preserve our country at various points, I think they
would be ashamed and appalled at how we have let it simply drift into the hands
of far left extremist. God is not political, but what we do
politically is a direct reflection of what, better yet Who, rules
and reigns in our hearts. I do not buy for a minute Jimmy Carter’s oft
stated argument that politics and our faith are two completely separate
realms. They are inseparable. As a good Okie boy, like myself,
would say, either it is or it ain’t!
In
Christ,
Dr.
Allen Raynor, Pastor
