Please, no more Sponge Bob!

I don't know about you, but when I was a kid cartoons looked like they were drawn by artists. There was depth and detail and they were anatomically correct.  I feel sorry for kids today who have to watch cartoons whose characters look like the lead artist was in K-5!  

Not long ago I stopped by the bank located at the end of aisle 6 in the grocery store.  To keep those standing in line awake they had a televison mounted on the wall, which on this particular day was playing a quality cartoon that I had not seen since I was a child.  The people looked like people and the animals looked like animals and the color of everything was normal.  

When I finally arrived at the counter and the teller greeted me I commented on the fact that it was nice to see a real cartoon for once.  She was in her early 20's and probably a college student so I wasn't sure what to expect for a response.  What a surprise when she agreed with me and said she liked the old cartoons better!  Spurred on with a new sense of confidence and noticing that no one else was waiting in line I shared with her how different television was today compared to the late 50's and early 60's.  I waxed eloquently about Hoppy, Roy, Gene and the Duke as I explained how they all stood for what was right and took action to correct what was bad.  "Those guys," I said "made a big impression on my generation as they defined what was right and wrong.     She readily agreed with me and said that she had watched some of those same shows with her dad.  

Finding myself still the only one at the counter I related to her an article that I read several months ago by Cal Thomas where he commented that his generation grew up with John Wayne who stood for what was right compared to this current generation whose role model is a 'mascara wearing pirate' who doesn't seem to know right from wrong.  At that point in the conversation she looked at me and said, "You know, who's to say anymore what's right and what's wrong?  I mean how can we really know?"  Quietly I stood there and realized that this intellengent, friendly young woman was a victim of post-modernism.  There is no right or wrong because everything is relative to the situation.  

Her questions were sincere and without sarcasm but they were very telling because they represent a prevailing view by many in this country.  I asked her "if there is no right or wrong does that mean you don't obey the speed limit or acknowledge stop signs?"  "If we can't know what 's right or wrong then would it be okay for me to rob the bank instead of make a deposit?" Immediately she responded "no those things are all against the law!"  Sensing there might be hope I asked what happens when we break the law?   With a look that would have dropped a bull moose she said, "well that's dumb, you get in trouble!" 

Thankful for a slow day at the bank I then asked her the big question.  "Where do we get our laws from?"  She thought for a minute and guessed Europe and then finally she thought maybe Rome.  Pursuing the point I asked what about before the laws before Europe and Rome?  Puzzled she said "Egypt?"  

For several minutes we continued talking until I asked her what were the ten laws that changed everything and provided the foundation for our constitution and judicial system?  She had no idea so I shared with her that they are found in the Bible in Exodus chapter 20, verses 1-17.  At that point her curoisity ended as she said the Bible had nothing for her.  

Walking out of the grocery store I was again reminded that there are so many people who view life just like Cara.  On one hand they believe that no one can really know what's good or evil and on the other they strongly object when anyone does something  wrong toward them.  You can't have it both ways.  If we have finally arrived at the point in our society when it is impossible to recognize right or wrong and good evil then we are close to the point of anarchy.  Like Israel in Judges 21:25 "everyone did what was right in his eyes."  From the nation's capital to the back pew in America's heartland we have bought into the idea that wheather something is right or wrong is all in the eyes of the individual.  I have heard it said on more than one occassion "what may be wrong to you maybe right to someone else, so don't be judgmental."  

The Bible was the basis of the core beliefs of our founding fathers.  At the constitutional convention of 1787 they recognized how important it was to both the founding and future of America.  They knew that it was impossible to have civility, justice and national longevity without the very thing so many in our country are trying to get rid of, the Bible.  Galatians 6:7 reminds us that what we sow we will reap.  If we are not reaping now what we have been sowing for almost five decades then maybe Sponge Bob is the new reality and Hoppy and Roy were confused about the good guys and the bad guys and standing f9r what's right against what's wrong isn't neccessary anymore.  While I know that there are many who believe that to be true I believe this philosophy has led America to the brink of disaster.  

We are running out of time but it is never too late to choose to stand against evil and do what is right.   Remember though,  it is impossible to define right and wrong apart from God's Word.