Matthew 7:13-14 — Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.

I wasn’t going to talk about “50 Shades of Grey”. However, I saw a review of the movie version in a local free newspaper today which provoked me. At first sight, the review was encouraging. The headline sucked me in: “Is It Worth Paying To See: No”. (Actually, I’ve paraphrased, to conceal the paper’s identity — but that was the implication). As I read though, I found the piece very depressing.

The problem was that the review had no concerns about the moral content of the film — but was very upset that the film’s makers had managed to make it really dull. That’s right. Subject matter which in my life time would have been universally regarded as vile, if not criminal, is now fine as long as it’s presented in the context of an interesting plot and strong artistic values!

There’s a sort of folk legend that if you boil a pot of water and throw a frog in, he’ll jump out — but if you put a frog into a pot of cold water and gradually heat it the frog will fall asleep and cook to death …  never waking up. It’s not true, but it’s a good warning against all kinds of slippery slopes. In this case I’m concerned, of course, about the slippery slope of moral degradation that America is sliding down, in the wake of many Western European societies. 

There are those who will argue that the “slippery slope” is imaginary: It’s true that to argue, without providing any evidence, that one action will be followed by a chain of others, is fallacious. But I’m not doing that. I’m looking backwards and I don’t think I have any problem making the case that successive “relaxations” laws and moral standards have us sliding downhill.

What really bothers me is that there used to be a “brake” on the moral slide. There was, at least, an implicit acceptance that the Biblical framework defined “right” and “wrong”. It would be a lot harder to get general agreement on that nowadays. Morality has become a matter of personal choice for many people, with no consensus framework. Even more alarmingly perhaps, when the people speak on an issue of morality, their opinion expressed through the ballot box can be overturned by the legislature. 

What’s a Christian to do about this? I suggest three things. First, of course, insist on applying a Biblical framework to your own moral choices. Second, become expert at promoting a Biblical worldview to people you have contact with. Third, lobby legislators and judicial official to apply Christian standards in passing and applying legislation. It will be an uphill struggle. The downhill slide is that broad path Jesus was talking about. Uphill is the path through the narrow gate. It’s the only way for us to go.