Exploiting the Vulnerable

Today I was rocked by a couple videos on a couple different subjects.

The first was a video about pornography and the affect it has on the brain and the harm it is causing in our society.  I was deeply troubled by the facts presented about how the sex industry exploits the vulnerable in our society.

The second video is one probably many of you have now seen--or at least have seen trending (and maybe are avoiding!).  It is the latest video exposing some of the practices of Planned Parenthood.  Again, my soul agonized at the ease with which our society discounts the rights of the most vulnerable for the desires of those who have the ability to wield their power over the vulnerable.

Both of these videos, while containing unique and important issues (that I will not address here)  pointed to one common disturbing trend in our society -- the exploitation of the vulnerable.

For a society that gets all up in arms over animal rights -- and is very vocal about our personal rights and freedoms -- it is frightening how quickly those same voices don't seem to grant the same rights and freedoms to those whom they somehow deem as having "less rights than themselves".

This is not new --- history going back thousands of years points to the repeated pattern of "powerful humans" exploiting "vulnerable humans" and using whatever means they needed to justify their actions.

As a Christian this is an especially important trend to pay attention to as God has always been One who sought the care of the "poor, needy and marginalized" --- When Israel was rebuked by their Prophets one of the re-occurring things that was rebuked was the exploitation of the poor!  (**note that "God's people" were not exempt from this shameful exploitation -- repeatedly, right into the Christian Church in the New Testament, God's people at times had to be rebuked and corrected because they started to overlook the vulnerable)

When Jesus walked the earth--He had harsh words for the rich who exploited the poor but extended incredible compassion to the vulnerable.  The Apostles continued this emphasis and one of the marks of the early Christian faith that the world found so intriguing was that "none among them were in need".  And this teaching continued as over and over Paul, Peter, James and others taught Christians to make sure that the poor, the orphaned and the widows (the most vulnerable) received special care.

Perhaps the Church is in need of another reminder of our responsibility to look after the most vulnerable!  Both these cases (Abortion and Pornography) exemplify our societies justification of  "the powerful human" exploiting the "vulnerable human". (The rights of one trump the rights of other)

Simply ask yourself this:  Is the life of an unborn child not of just as great of value as your own? (What about the life of an aborted baby who still has a heartbeat?)  Is the life of a woman sold and exploited for sex not of just as great of value as any other human?  (I watched another documentary a while back on how we get such cheap clothes by exploiting humans in other parts of the world-- Are they of the same inherent value as you?)

The actions of our wider culture say NO.  Somehow the value of one human becomes greater than another.

However, the Gospel says ALL HUMAN LIFE IS OF GREAT VALUE!.   As broken and depraved as humanity is, even at the core of our nature, God determined by His love that we were still worth saving.  The gospel is good news extended to ALL PEOPLE that brings forgiveness and life to all who will come to Jesus. -- The gospel declares that all of humanity is loved and valued by God.  Therefore those who live by the gospel ought to live in a way that sees ALL LIFE of great and equal value.

Dear Christian -- let the gospel change you and cause you to rise up and defend the vulnerable just as Christ rescued you when you were weak and powerless in sin.

Dear friend who does not yet know Jesus --You are loved already, you are valued even if you have no regard at this moment for God -- He does not abandon, and He will not abort the mission of making known His profound love for you through Jesus!

below is the link to the video on the effects of pornography.  The other video I'm sure you can find trending in cyberspace!

The Porn Pandemic

The Documentary on cheap clothing and its true cost can be found here.