Adam and Eve, Eyes and Ears

American college students often come and help us with our ministry. A few years ago we had a tall, attractive student that spent a few weeks with us. It didn’t take long for the young men on campus to notice her and take action. They started writing poems and passing them to her through friends. We had many laughs while reading the Shakespeare wannabe’s corny professions of love (note to self: NEVER try to write poetry in your second language—it usually just doesn’t work out).

This phenomenon is actually as old as creation (literally). Read Adam’s first words when he was introduced to Eve:

“At last!” the man exclaimed.
“This one is bone from my bone,
and flesh from my flesh!
She will be called ‘woman,’
because she was taken from ‘man.’”
-Genesis 2:23

Adam experienced love at first sight, and his response was to break out into poetry. From the Garden of Eden to our college campuses, there’s a principle at work: men tend to fall in love with their eyes, while women tend to fall in love with their ears. Male/female relationships are certainly more complex than this one statement, but I think we can learn some important lessons from it. Men and women have unique vulnerabilities because of this principle. Let’s start with the men.

From Adam until now, men are visually “wired.” By this I mean that we are easily aroused by visual stimuli. It is part of our Creator’s design that has been affected by sin. Here’s the problem with being visually wired: we men tend to sin with our eyes (see Matthew 5:27-28). Men, for example, drive the pornography industry. It is true that some women do get addicted to porn, but this is the exception. We men are the primary consumers, and the industry would not exist if all men were born blind. Our vulnerability is not limited to pornography. Many a man has suffered great loss (family, money, etc) because he fell for a beautiful face or body.

Women also have their unique weaknesses. Because they fall in love with their ears, women can easily fall prey to pambobola (flattery) and other verbal or written expressions. A woman may commit herself to purity, only to fall for a smooth-talking man with bad intentions. She may quickly give her heart to someone that has not truly proven himself to be trustworthy. Women’s love for romantic words drives them to buy “pocket books” and other romance novels. Unlike porn, this literature is not inherently evil. An obsession with romance, however, can cause a woman to make bad decisions or compromise her standards (see Song of Solomon 8:4)

Let’s carefully consider our vulnerabilities as men and women. Being cautious about what we watch and listen to will help us to guard our hearts.

This is one of the many articles that you’ll find in Basta LoveLife, Making Wise Relationship Decisions

From Harry Potter to Stardust: the Homosexual Agenda

Let me start this article by saying that I have not been a boycotter of the Harry Potter movies and books. Though I haven’t read the books, I’ve watched a few of the movies. It’s true that they have witchcraft, etc; but I think some in the Christian community have overreacted. Maybe I’m a bit naïve, but I think most people can distinguish between fantasy and reality. This even includes children, provided they are properly trained. I grew up watching movies with magic, dragons, spaceships, and superheroes. My parents encouraged imagination, but also taught me that certain things are not real (monsters, witches riding on brooms, etc) and thus not to be feared. My own childhood has heavily influenced my philosophy on fictional movies and books.

Now I’m having to step back and reconsider a few things. J.K. Rowling recently made headlines by announcing that a central character of Harry Potter is gay. Needless to say, I’m very concerned that such an issue has been thrown into a story that millions of kids are exposed to. How does this actually contribute to the story? Will the character’s sexual orientation be blatantly apparent in the next movie?

Let’s make no mistake here—some sectors of the media have an agenda to push homosexuality on our children. I saw evidence of this a few weeks ago when I watched Stardust. If you haven’t seen the movie, I’ll just tell you that one of the characters gives a new meaning to the term “fairy tale.”

These are just a couple of examples of the ever-increasing prominence of homosexuality in media. Does it make a difference? Absolutely! Allow me to make an observation as one who has lived in two cultures. After living here in the Philippines for five years, I’m convinced that cultural and environmental factors heavily influence homosexual behavior. We can argue about the role of genetics all day, but I’ve seen firsthand what happens when the line between male and female is blurred by society.* Culture and environment does make a huge difference.

I’m not really advocating a boycott. I’m not saying it is wrong to read Harry Potter or watch the movies. I simply want Christian families to be aware of the world’s agenda and respond accordingly. Prayerfully consider what your children are exposed to. Most importantly, teach them biblical values and help them identify lies in the media. Let’s not allow our youth to be seduced.

See Also: Ask Kuya Kevin–Same-Sex Relationships

*I’ll explain this just a little bit further. My experience has been that homosexuality is more accepted and more prevalent here in the Philippines than in the States (if not more prevalent, more obvious). I’m speaking purely from personal observation, not scientific studies. Here in Manila I’ve seen very young boys wearing makeup and feminine clothing. In other words, it seems the culture “grooms” young men and women to get in involved with the homosexual lifestyle. With such behavior so common, it is no wonder that so many youth struggle with sexual identity. Please keep in mind that I also see many wonderful aspects to Filipino culture–this is simply one negative observation. All cultures have good and bad aspects which must be scrutinized according to God’s word, the Bible.