Andy Stanley, Bitches, And Whores

Did that get your attention? It should. It is a powerful statement. Let me clarify…

First, if you don’t know, Andy Stanley is one of the most influential pastors, church leaders, and communicators in America today. He founded a church called North Point Community Church, which is one the biggest churches in America today. It’s also the church I have been going to for the last 6 years.

Anyway, back to the bitches and whores thing.

He is currently teaching a series called Love, Sex, & Dating. It is very good. He’s been saying some very serious and politically incorrect things that need to be said.

Yesterday (Sunday) he was talking about how woman are treated. This was part 2 of the series that was directed to men.

He made the point that women are often treated like a commodity in our culture today. In other words, they are something to be acquired, something we can do with as we please (use them), and then done away with. And then, it’s on to the next one.

Obviously, this is wrong–and that was Andy’s point.

He emphasized that Jesus elevated the status of woman with his words and how he treated them in his day. In fact, he spoke to women at a time when they were treated far worse than a commodity. They were second class citizens at best. They were property, and many were slaves. The point is, they were treated in an inhuman way. But Jesus set a course that began changing that perception, which is one of the reasons Christianity caught on. And that is to be our model today.

At one point, he got very direct. He said something to the effect of:

If you have any music in your iPod that refers to woman as bitches and whores, you need to get rid of it.

Anything, even a song or entertainment, that devalues woman and relegates them to that inhuman place again needs to go. He also went on to say how terrible pornography is and actually dulls a man’s appetite for a real woman and sincere relationship. It’s destructive, creates dysfunction, and has to go too.

Pretty powerful stuff. So I guess my early Beastie Boys songs must go. Oh well. It’s worth it. And it’s the right thing to do.

>>>