"Freaking" Out!By Steven F. Deaton |
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DO NOT read this article if you are offended by blunt talk. Read the other articles on our web site. You can go to the main page by clicking here. If you continue to read, do not blame me for direct, pointed fashion I deal with this issue. You have been warned. Whether you are a parent or a teenager, you are going to know exactly where the Bible stands on “freaking” and where I come down on the issue. To spare you some suspense, my stand, as the title says, is get “freaking” out! Continue At Your Own Risk You don’t know what “freaking” is? Good for the most part; bad if you are a parent. It is a type of dancing; raunchy, salacious, vulgar. It is where the male and female (or any combination and number of either sex) bump and grind. Their sexual organs press against one another to the rhythm of music, usually hip-hop. Basically, it is vertical sex, in public, with their clothes on. The issue has reached a boiling point in many school districts across the country. High school administrators are having a difficult time dealing with this form of dance because the kids like it. After years of telling them to express themselves, explore their sexuality, and you have rights to do what you please, they now are faced with limiting these freedoms. In order to avoid problems some school districts have canceled all dances. The latest problem highlighted in national media arose in Argyle, Texas. An article titled, “Freaked Out: Teens’ Dance Moves Split a Texas Town” appeared in the November 19, issue of the Wall Street Journal (read article here). It was on the front page. Now, if you do not know about the WSJ, it is a financial newspaper. It does deal with cultural and societal issues, but these are not the focus of the paper. In other words, it is a big deal to make the front page. This article will deal extensively with what the WSJ reported about the Argyle problem. Superintendent Hammered Down, Then Got Hammered The new school superintendent in the Argyle school district is being accused of “ruining” the homecoming dance in October because he clamped down on the dress code and “freaking.” Angry students left the dull dance. A firestorm ensued as students and parents reacted with ferociousness. The WSJ article said, “Mr. Ceyanes [the superintendent]…fears current cleavage-baring dress styles combined with sexually charged dancing could lead to an unsafe environment for students.” We do not want to be too hard on him, but let’s face it, he stated the obvious. It is amazing how many people, including Christians, refuse to see the obvious, let alone state it. Some parents jumped on the internet, found “dirt” on the superintendent, and began attacking him and his character; as though his short comings somehow mitigates the disgraceful actions of their children. One mother said, “We never had a problem before.” She was upset that she spent $400 on her daughter’s dress only to be used a few minutes at the dance. One parent who supports the superintendent’s actions started a blog and posted some of the teenagers’ MySpace racy photos. He was informing parents about what was going on. He said he received threats and has since pulled the blog down. Students See It As Normal Here is the defense offered: “grinding might look erotic, but they insist it’s just dancing, not sex. ‘We don’t think of it that way,’ says Ferrin Bavousett, 17.” Do these young people take us all for fools? It might look erotic, but it’s not…PUHHLEEEAZE! I may be slow and stupid, but not THAT slow and stupid. One dance choreographer said kids simply see the videos and mimic them. A student at the community meeting said that is all they know how to do; so what do the adults expect. Gino Johnson, a choreographer, said, “If you’re dancing to a song that says ‘shake that, shake that, shake that,’ it’s kind of hard not to shake that.” The Solution: Compromise Some deejays are mixing in dull dancing, line dancing, disco, and rock ‘n’ roll to cool things off. The superintendent in Argyle “wants to try again, and has scheduled another ‘Winter Dance’ in December.” He has recruited various dance experts to demonstrate to the kids what is acceptable and not acceptable to do. Thus, he hopes the December dance will go better. “But Mr. Roberti, the deejay, has some advice for Argyle: ‘The more they make a big deal over it, the more the kids are gonna wanna do it.’” Wise words, Mr. Roberti. In case you missed the tone of that last remark, it was sarcastic—extremely sarcastic. In Light Of Scripture What does the Bible have to say about all these things? Anything? Nothing? Does it still address the needs of modern man—and teenagers in an overly sexualized culture? Yes. It is intended for all men for all time (Matt. 28:18-20; Mk. 16:15; 1 Pet. 1:22-25). Consider the idea of the “freaking.” May I dare ask, “What Would Jesus Do?” Do you think Jesus or His apostles would be found at a homecoming dance with “freaking” teens? If so, would they be encouraging or rebuking the participants? If you do not know the answer to this, send me a personal email and I will answer it in no uncertain terms and address your fundamental problem (hint 2 Cor. 4:4). “Freaking” and all such dancing is condemned by what the Bible terms as “lewdness.” This word is defined in Thayer’s Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament as, “unbridled lust…outrageousness, shamelessness, insolence… ‘wanton (acts or) manners, as filthy words, indecent bodily movements, unchaste handling of males and females, etc.’ (Fritzsche).” “Indecent bodily movements” covers a lot of ground. Nearly every form of modern dancing done by teens is encompassed by this word. Too, the “unchaste handling of males and females” pretty much takes care of the rest of modern dancing. The Bible says that people involved in this will go to hell (Gal. 5:19-21). No ifs, ands, or buts about it. I am appalled that parents will vigorously defend their children “freaking.” These are the parents who buy a $400 dress that barely covers their little girl; the ones who are woefully negligent about what their children are doing on MySpace, or worse, endorse it. How can a father be at peace with his little girl being groped by a hormone driven boy who is giving her pelvic thrusts and rubbing his groin in her crotch? There was a day in our nation’s past when such action would have gotten the young man castrated and then hung. Not anymore. Now it is celebrated as an innocent freedom of expression. “Were they ashamed when they had committed abomination? No! They were not at all ashamed; Nor did they know how to blush” (Jer. 6:15). Do you know what the rest of that verse says? “’Therefore they shall fall among those who fall; At the time I punish them, They shall be cast down,’ says the LORD.” Was the Lord serious in Jeremiah’s day? Do you suppose He has changed? Don’t Offend The Kids Too Much The superintendent’s attempt to reach a compromise will end in utter failure. He may have a concession here and there for a period of time. However, sooner or later the kids will do what they want; to a great degree because of what their parents and teachers tell them—you have the right to express yourself. Allowing kids to dance is the problem; the problem just manifests itself in different forms, whether freaking, swing, salsa, or whatever a particular style is called. The deejay’s comments about making the kids want it more by making a big deal out of it is seated in willful ignorance. Should we take this position in other matters? Why don’t we stop making a big deal out of cocaine and heroin? It only makes the kids want it more. Let’s stop making a big deal out of racial slurs? If they are forbidden, the kids just want to use them more. While we are at it, we need to stop making a big deal out of rape (three boys, ages 8 and 9, were charged with kidnapping and raping an 11-year-old girl – see story here). Is ignoring or being silent about bad behavior the path to curbing it? The deejay and many of the parents need to get real. The clothing and dancing do excite the sexual desires of the teens. Maybe I’m Wrong Perhaps these teens are unlike any generation that has come before them. Maybe they do not have sexual urges. They might be the first generation of young people who are not affected by hormones and physical contact. They may be immune to excitement when their genitals bump and grind, even through clothing. Do you suppose this is true? Me neither. Finally Does the lady have a point about listening to a song that says “shake it”? The Bible believes it to be true. It warns us about what we listen to; it can corrupt good morals (1 Cor. 15:33). If this is true in daily conversation, then it is true in musical lyrics. We need to concentrate on good, healthy, wholesome things. “Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things” (Phil. 4:8). Christians cannot defend dancing based on the Bible. The only thing they can offer is personal opinion and modern, humanist sophistry. If you are one who has defended dancing, it’s time for you to repent. It’s time for you to purge your heart and soul of the lust of the flesh. You can do this with God’s help. Confess your wrong before the church (Jas. 5:16). Seek God’s forgiveness (1 Jn. 1:5-10). Then, teach others the same. Feedback Let me hear your opinion on this subject and this article. 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