Dear Josh,
I ran across a book the other day which got me to thinking, and I thought I’d share some points with you. It’s titled “Soft Porn Plays Hardball,” by Judith A. Reisman, Huntington House Publishers, P.O. Box 53788, Lafayette, LA 70505, 1991. Her book discusses the moral changes in campus life — and in society in general — in light of the influence of soft- and hard-core pornographic magazines.
You’ve heard Aunt Sarah and me talk about how much looser the moral structure is now than just 30 years ago — and then it was bad enough. Reisman believes today’s conditions are partly a result of the degrading effect of magazines such as “Playboy,” “Penthouse,” and “Hustler.”
How it started
Her contention is Hugh Hefner, publisher of “Playboy,” deliberately set out to change America from a Bible-oriented society in the Judeo-Christian tradition to a humanist, amoral nation with no restraints on sexual impulses. Of course, only God knows the motives of each of us, so we cannot judge Hefner’ s intentions. But it is significant to note the moral degradation that has coincided with the publication of “Playboy” and similar magazines.
“Playboy,” launched in December, 1953, was the first mainstream publication that featured photographs of nude women. The infamous centerfold photograph of a nude was cleverly designed to be pulled out and used as a poster on the wall.
At first, the magazine was originally placed primarily in universities. It doesn’t take a marketing genius to see the potential in providing nudie magazines to hormonal young men who are living away from home for the first time. And hormonal young men at universities become educated adults who are leaders in education, business, law and politics.
We know what a little leaven can do, and we are now seeing the effects of four decades of exposure to the material contained in these magazines. Men throughout our society have been fed a steady diet of images that portray women as nubile toys and, consequently, men have unwittingly reduced themselves to creatures who value ready sex and physical beauty over the qualities exhibited by godly women.
“Playboy” contains editorial material in addition to nude photographs. Because the magazine is built around the centerfolds and nude pictorials, the rest of the magazine follows suit. The editorial content portrays in words what the rest of the magazine gets across through pictures; they speak against marriage, children and virginity.
Their articles, now openly respected in our society for their “quality,” are written by recognized experts. Again, anti-Christian values are promulgated. In the early years of the magazine, articles dealt with the unnecessary burden of virginity and portrayed illicit drug use as a virtue.
The advertisements promote the same godless tone and often feature women as objects. “Playboy’s” early influence contributed to the current glut of bikini-clad women selling beer and other items.
The cartoons are particularly creative in their ungodliness. Cartoonists are not constrained by reality or the need to portray real-life situations or behavior. In fact, the activities depicted in some “Playboy” cartoons would be illegal if they involved real people. “Playboy” cartoonists introduced readers to children who enjoy sex with adults, babysitters who molest children, sodomy as normal conduct and abortions that are humorous. One regular cartoon character is Chester the Molester who victimizes adolescent girls by preying on them in parks, woods and other settings.
Attack on wholesome symbols
Beginning in 1957, “Playboy” started featuring Santa Claus in pornographic cartoons. Instead of being a loving, moral and trustworthy character, Santa was now a child molester who took advantage of children sitting in his lap. In 1979, Santa was shown mounting his reindeer from behind for sexual purposes.
Angels were also portrayed as engaging in various forms of sinful or deviate behavior.
Present-day results
The generation now running society can be rightly called “The First Playboy Generation.” Hefner’ s pioneering magazine is now relatively tame compared to many others that gained their inspiration from “Playboy’s” early success.
Television, movies, music, magazines and books all portray more sinful behavior than ever before and we, as a society, have become accustomed to being exposed to activities that would have shocked most of us a generation ago. We can’t lay the sole blame on Hugh Hefner, or on any other man. But we can easily recognize the symbiotic relationship between society and the media; each feeds the other until everyone is worse for it.
Remember, society’s current state began when men, who are ordained by God to be responsible, benevolent leaders for women, started to openly degrade them instead. That was the first step to undermining the importance of godly behavior toward wives and children, mothers and sisters and, finally, toward everyone.
Of course, there is nothing new under the sun and these extremes have existed at other times since creation. It was true in the days of Noah at the end of that age and it was true throughout the Roman empire before it collapsed.
While we may deplore the iniquity, we must realize that the influences around us constantly bombard our minds and affect our thinking. The antidote is the Word of God and association with brethren and sisters. As your college course becomes more difficult, you may feel you have to limit your time on Bible reading and ecclesial activities. Don’t do it.
We’re all living in a dangerous atmosphere, and yours is particularly difficult. Never forget that people who read “Playboy” are not happier than we are; they don’t have access to any pleasure that we should covet. Instead, their time is filled with empty pursuits that only seem gratifying because they exist in a vacuum, devoid of true satisfaction and pleasure. These men don’t know the pleasure of having a real woman by their side — in and out of the bedroom — and they will never benefit from the joy that comes from growing together in service to God.
Aunt Sarah and I pray that you will be given the strength to stand fast and keep yourself pure from the sin that is around us.
Much love,
Uncle Tom
The Origin of the Organic World – Part One