Last week I happened to catch a few minutes of the Glenn Beck radio program as the team was discussing comedian Louis C. K. ‘s monologue on a recent episode of Saturday Night Live. During the monologue, the entertainer joked about racism and child molestation. While some of his racism comments were perceived as controversial, it was the topic of molestation where I believe he really stepped outside the boundaries.
The comedian went so far as to say that if child molesters were willing to take the risk of jail time in order to molest a child, “it must be really good.” He went on to compare how good Mounds candy bars are for him and then pointed out that as good as they are, he wouldn’t go to jail for one. So, he implied, child molestation must be even better – at least to molesters.
I’m not sure what Glenn Beck was thinking, but he praised the comedian for his ability to broach the taboos of our culture in such a “masterful” way. He said, “That had been crafted over a very long time. You saw a master craftsman at work on Saturday Night Live,”1 Beck often pontificates about how much our culture has lost civility and moral fortitude, so it is completely beyond me, how he could praise this “performance.” Here are a few top reasons I believe Glenn Beck is dead wrong:
There’s nothing funny about a child being molested
When did our culture move from shock and horror at the thought of a child being intentionally injured, to paying to laugh at it. I for one would love to have seen the audience get up and walk out. That would have been the civil thing to do.
Children are sacred
There is nothing more sacred than our responsibility to protect our children. Jesus allowed the children to come to Him when everyone was telling them He was too important and too busy for them.
Some topics are inviolable
Despite the maddening rush to shake of all constraints of morality, there are topics that should and must remain inviolable if we are to maintain any semblance of civility. The abuse of children is certainly one of them.
Expertise does not excuse evil
We have a long history of celebrating bad behavior. Jesse James, Bonnie & Clyde, Al Capone, Politicians… the list goes on. Stopping to think for a moment, however, will shake us to realize that we do not want ourselves, our friends or our family bearing the brunt of this kind of evil. For those children who have been molested – and to those who love someone who has – Louis C.K. and Glenn Beck owe them a huge apology.
We have been dumbed down enough
The entertainment industry – which includes Glenn Beck – has long been aware that if you can get people to laugh, you can get them to accept. At times this has been used for positive ends in our culture. In the late 1800’s and early 1900’s, African Americans would often be portrayed in humorous roles as way of allowing those with prejudices to get to know them in a non-threatening way. Many former racists became fond of the actors and entertainers and as a result racism diminished. This opened doors for even more influence and more serious roles not only in Hollywood, but also society in general.
Nichelle Nichols played Lt. Uhura (Swahili for “Freedom”) on Star Trek beginning in 1966. She was personally praised by Martin Luther King, Jr. for illustrating strong black female leadership through entertainment at the height of the Civil Rights movement.
Sadly, this approach has also been used for bad – to desensitize entire generations to violence and deviancy. Do we really want child molestation to become acceptable?
—
I want to hear your thoughts. Am I too uptight, or do you agree? What points would you add?
Father protect the innocent and help us to be Your hands and feet in this very important task. Bless my readers today and give them courage to stand up for the weak. In Jesus Name! Amen!
————-