Pornography Dilemma
4/88
WASHINGTON, D.C. (EP) - Former U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice Warren Burger told 300 religious leaders with the Religious Alliance Against Pornography (RAAP) gathered in Washington March 1-2 that "Nothing could be clearer from the Court than that obscenity is not protected speech." Representatives of major Protestant, Catholic and Jewish groups attended the conference, which was chaired by Dr. Jerry Kirk, president of the National Coalition Against Pornography (N-CAP).
RAAP is an effort to mobilize churches and church leaders to renounce hard-core pornography, encourage the passage of child protection legislation, and participate in a national campaign to promote awareness of the harmful effects of pornography. Those attending the conference heard a wide variety of religious leaders address the need for a stepped-up war against pornography.
Joseph Cardinal Bernardine, vice chairman of RAAP, told members of the Washington press corps that "we are against censorship, but we are also against obscenity which is not protected by the First Amendment."
Clinical psychologist Dr. Victor Cline outlined the steps taken by hundreds of men he treated following their conviction for sex-related crimes. Cline said that viewing pornographic material leads to sex-related addiction followed by departure from the values an individual has previously held. The appetite for pornography grows, and the addict finds himself desiring more and more violent and bizarre material until they finally act out some of the fantasies they have become obsessed with through their exposure to obscene material. "The more intelligent the man is, the more vulnerable he is to acting out his fantasies," explained Cline.
William Weld, assistant attorney general, outlined current activities being undertaken by the U.S. Justice Department's Obscenity Enforcement Unit. That unit is completing the training of 5,000 individuals who will enforce obscenity laws and prosecute offenders. The unit provides support for District U.S. Attorneys and local law enforcement units who need expert legal advice, including supplying experienced trial attorneys. The unit is also involved in long-range planning toward the goal of dismantling the obscenity industry.
Other activities of the Obscenity Enforcement Unit which were outlined by Weld include litigation. In 1987 there were 79 indictments of purveyors of obscenity - many under anti-racketeering statutes, which allow the proceeds of the lucrative porn industry to be seized. Over 40 U.S. attorneys are now prosecuting and investigating obscenity cases. Indictments of child pornographers have risen dramatically, from three in 1983 to 244 in 1987.
The Justice Department is also pushing for legislation that would expand the provisions of racketeering laws to cover high-tech dissemination of obscenity and the selling of children for pornography.
Up one level
Back to document index
The Real Jesus: Who is the Real Jesus? Ever since the dawn of modern rationalism, skeptics have sought to use textual criticism, archaeology and historical reconstructions to uncover the "historical Jesus" -- a wise teacher who said many wonderful things, but fulfilled no prophecies, performed no miracles and certainly did not rise from the dead in triumph over sin. Over the past 100 years, however, startling discoveries in biblical archaeology and scholarship have all but vanquished the faulty assumptions of these doubting modernists. Regretably, these discoveries have often been ignored by the skeptics as well as by the popular media. As a result, the liberal view still holds sway in universities and impacts the culture and even much of the church.
|
This presentation explodes the myths of these critics and the movies, books and television programs that have popularized their views.
Presented in ten parts -- perfect for individual, family and classroom study -- viewers will be challenged to go deeper in their knowledge of Christ in order to be able to defend their faith and present the truth to a skeptical modern world – that the Jesus of the Gospels is the Jesus of history -- "the same yesterday, today and forever" (Hebrews 13:8). He is the real Jesus. Speakers include: George Grant, Ted Baehr, Stephen Mansfield, Raymond Ortlund, Phil Kayser, David Lutzweiler, Jay Grimstead, J.P. Holding, and Eric Holmberg. Ten parts, over two hours of instruction! Running Time: 130 minutes
|
| The Beast of Revelation: IDENTIFIED
Who is the dreaded beast of Revelation? Now at last, a plausible candidate for this personification of evil incarnate has been identified (or re-identified). Ken Gentry's insightful analysis of scripture and history is likely to revolutionize your understanding of the book of Revelation -- and even more importantly -- amplify and energize your entire Christian worldview! Historical footage and other graphics are used to illustrate the lecture Dr. Gentry presented at the 1999 Ligonier Conference in Orlando, Florida. It is followed by a one-hour question and answer session addressing the key concerns and objections typically raised in response to his position. This presentation also features an introduction that touches on not only the confusion and controversy surrounding this issue -- but just why it may well be one of the most significant issues facing the Church today. Ideal for group meetings, personal Bible study -- for anyone who wants to understand the historical context of John's famous letter "... to the seven churches which are in Asia." (Revelation 1:4) |
(Available in DVD only) $17.95 ORDER NOW!
|
INCLUDES A FREE Sixteen Christian leaders and scholars answer some of the most common questions and misperceptions related to this volatile issue: Download the free |
Perfect for group instruction as well as personal
Bible study. Speakers include: George Grant, Howard Phillips,
R.C. Sproul Jr., Ken Gentry, Gary DeMar, Jay Grimstead, R.J. Rushdoony,
Steven Schlissel, Andrew Sandlin, Eric Holmberg, and more!
Ten parts, over four hours of instruction! Watch over 60 streaming videos from God's Law and Society at:
Price reduced! |
| Amazing Grace: The History and Theology of Calvinism
Over four hours of instruction! Just what is “Calvinism?” Does this teaching make man a deterministic robot and God the author of sin? What about free will? If the church accepts Calvinism, won’t evangelism be stifled, perhaps even extinguished? How can we balance God’s sovereignty and man’s responsibility? What are the differences between historic Calvinism and hyper-Calvinism? Why did men like Augustine, Luther, Calvin, Spurgeon, Whitefield, Edwards and a host of renowned Protestant evangelists embrace the teaching of predestination and election and deny free will theology? This is the first video documentary that answers these and other related questions. Hosted by Eric Holmberg, this fascinating three-part, four-hour presentation is detailed enough so as to not gloss over the controversy. At the same time, it is broken up into ten “Sunday-school-sized” sections to make the rich content manageable and accessible for the average viewer. |
$19.95 ORDER NOW!
|
|
The Forerunner Forum is the discussion group for this web site. The purpose of the group is to engage in discussion about the articles on-line. If you want to discuss any article or video on this web site, visit The Forerunner Forum. |
| VIDEOS | WORDS | BLOG | DISCUSSION | WHAT'S NEW | ABOUT US | FEEDBACK | SEARCH | DONATE | JAY'S BIO | HOME |
For more information, contact:
| The Forerunner jrogers@forerunner.com |
|
P.O. Box 362173 Melbourne, FL 32936-2173 |
