by Rick Plasterer, Juicy Ecumenism
An earlier article reviewed the comments of David Closson, Director of the Center for Biblical Worldview at the Family Research Council at the Christian Worldview Conference sponsored by the Maryland Family Institute in Mt. Airy, Maryland on April 18 regarding George Barna’s research into the prevalence of a Biblical worldview and the moral revolution that has challenged it among Americans and American churchgoers, and the importance and impact this has in the controversy over abortion. In further presentations, Closson discussed the impact of the moral revolution on the public understanding of marriage, sexual morality, homosexuality, and transgenderism.
Changing Attitudes toward Marriage and Morality
Closson noted the dramatic change in attitudes about marriage in recent years. For Gen Z, 19.7 percent of young adults identified as “gay, lesbian, bi-sexual, or transgender.” This was only true of 11 percent of Millennials, 3.3 percent of Gen Xers, 2.7 percent of boomers, and 1.7 percent of silents. Closson proposed to consider “the timeline of the moral revolution.”
First, he considered “the rise of urbanization.” In 1880, 7 percent of the world’s population lived in cities, today 55 percent do. In another 24 years, it is estimated “that 68 percent of the world’s population will live in cities.” While cities are “morally neutral” in themselves, they do result in a diminution of “community-based accountability.” For many, there is a very substantial anonymity to be had in cities. In small towns, by contrast, there is much truth in the saying “everybody knows everybody’s business.”
Secondly, there is the rise of technology related to human reproduction. In 1960, the FDA approved the contraceptive pill (Enovid). The twentieth century also saw the appearance and use of intrauterine devices (IUDs). This separated sex from procreation. We now live in the fourth generation of this separation.
Third, there are significant changes in law. Closson noted that “the law is inherently pedagogical [a teacher].” For many, it makes the difference, or at least is a powerful determinant, of right and wrong. Laws pertaining to sexual activity changed dramatically in the 1960s and 1970s. Many laws restricting sexual behavior were repealed or overturned by courts. “Access to birth control exploded” after two Supreme Court decisions, Griswold v. Connecticut (1965) which declared laws against contraception for married women unconstitutional, and Eisenstadt v. Baird (1972) which declared laws against contraception for unmarried women unconstitutional. The latter decision was especially radical, as it gave legal respect for the first time to non-marital intercourse.