- Unless you skipped a
lot of history classes,
00:00:01.13\00:00:02.63
most of you know about the
Third Reich and its devastation.
00:00:02.63\00:00:05.70
Today we're gonna look at a
different 20th century Reich
00:00:05.70\00:00:08.30
that also caused a lot
of damage, it's just not as
00:00:08.30\00:00:12.51
obvious. And if you've got
little ones with an earshot
00:00:12.51\00:00:15.38
today, you should probably
know that we're gonna be dealing
00:00:15.38\00:00:17.21
with some, well,
pretty grown up concepts.
00:00:17.21\00:00:20.02
So maybe get those
little ones out of your shot.
00:00:20.02\00:00:24.15
[bright music]
00:00:24.15\00:00:26.79
You know, it's a little
disingenuous when I tell people
00:00:44.71\00:00:47.31
that I'm a child of the 60's
00:00:47.31\00:00:48.68
because in
reality I barely qualify.
00:00:48.68\00:00:52.51
I entered this
world in October of 1969,
00:00:52.51\00:00:55.92
so my memory of the 60's
only amounts to whatever it is
00:00:55.92\00:00:58.95
that a newborn can remember
which of course isn't much.
00:00:58.95\00:01:02.92
Although I will say this,
00:01:02.92\00:01:04.76
we know the human
brain really does appear
00:01:04.76\00:01:07.23
to remember absolutely
everything it's exposed to.
00:01:07.23\00:01:10.43
So somewhere in there I
must have some kind of newborn
00:01:10.43\00:01:14.30
impressions of the
last months of the 60's.
00:01:14.30\00:01:17.21
Some were written
in my memory banks.
00:01:17.21\00:01:19.41
In fact, I've actually
had this sneaking suspicion
00:01:19.41\00:01:22.81
for a long time, and
this is a bit of a sidebar,
00:01:22.81\00:01:25.58
but I've had this suspicion
00:01:25.58\00:01:26.82
that some of those
alien abduction stories
00:01:26.82\00:01:29.38
that you hear on late
night radio or on that channel,
00:01:29.38\00:01:32.39
they used to be
the history channel.
00:01:32.39\00:01:35.06
What if some of those
stories are actually memories
00:01:35.06\00:01:37.43
of your birth?
00:01:37.43\00:01:38.79
I mean, if you think about it,
00:01:38.79\00:01:40.43
most of them seem to include
some remarkably similar details
00:01:40.43\00:01:43.20
like suddenly being taken
into a cold brightly lit room
00:01:43.20\00:01:47.17
where strange looking creatures
begin to poke and prod you
00:01:47.17\00:01:50.11
and you're completely
helpless while it's happening.
00:01:50.11\00:01:53.31
So what if just maybe some
of those so-called abductions
00:01:54.81\00:01:58.81
are actually just fuzzy
old memories of the doctors
00:01:58.81\00:02:01.68
and nurses who poked and prodded
you in the delivery room?
00:02:01.68\00:02:05.52
Now, I don't have any
research to back that up,
00:02:05.52\00:02:07.42
it's just kind of a hunch.
00:02:07.42\00:02:09.22
But I do think I've
heard a psychiatrist suggest
00:02:09.22\00:02:12.09
the possibility,
but it is just a hunch.
00:02:12.09\00:02:15.66
And now I'm wandering off topic.
00:02:15.66\00:02:17.90
So maybe we
should come back someday
00:02:17.90\00:02:19.87
to the subject of flying saucers
00:02:19.87\00:02:21.70
because I think there
are some very interesting
00:02:21.70\00:02:24.74
philosophical and
spiritual questions
00:02:24.74\00:02:27.21
that go along
with those stories.
00:02:27.21\00:02:29.71
But for today, I wanna get
back to the 60's and the 70's
00:02:29.71\00:02:33.52
because as you know, it
was a really tumultuous time
00:02:33.52\00:02:37.09
in the western world
00:02:37.09\00:02:38.42
and here in the
United States in particular.
00:02:38.42\00:02:40.99
A lot of longtime
social conventions
00:02:40.99\00:02:43.26
were being completely upended
00:02:43.26\00:02:45.19
with people questioning
institutional authority
00:02:45.19\00:02:48.10
in challenging American
participation in Vietnam.
00:02:48.10\00:02:52.27
It was the era of
the flower children,
00:02:52.27\00:02:54.27
the hippies who were preaching
a different approach to life
00:02:54.27\00:02:57.47
than the western
world was typically used to.
00:02:57.47\00:03:00.14
Make love not war they said,
00:03:00.14\00:03:01.71
and they preached it
with long hair and bare feet
00:03:01.71\00:03:04.31
and with peace symbol showing
up just about everywhere.
00:03:04.31\00:03:08.38
These people were the
ultimate non-conformists,
00:03:08.38\00:03:12.12
the ones who exercised
their libertine lifestyles
00:03:12.12\00:03:14.96
by practicing sex,
drugs and rock and roll.
00:03:14.96\00:03:18.33
It was the era of Timothy Leary,
00:03:18.33\00:03:20.10
the psychology professor from
Harvard who began to promote
00:03:20.10\00:03:23.37
the recreational use of
psychedelic drugs, things like
00:03:23.37\00:03:27.74
LSD, this strange new substance
00:03:27.74\00:03:29.24
that had been
accidentally discovered
00:03:29.24\00:03:31.97
in fairly recent history.
00:03:31.97\00:03:33.88
And Leary suggested
that maybe these drugs
00:03:33.88\00:03:36.24
were some kind of shortcut
00:03:36.24\00:03:37.58
to higher levels
of enlightenment.
00:03:37.58\00:03:40.05
"Think for yourself and
question authority" he taught,
00:03:40.05\00:03:43.32
which on its own is
not that bad of an idea
00:03:43.32\00:03:46.12
because obviously not
all authority is good,
00:03:46.12\00:03:48.82
or even trustworthy.
00:03:48.82\00:03:50.63
So yeah, I can appreciate
the concept, but Mr. Leary
00:03:50.63\00:03:54.63
was also famous for that phrase,
00:03:54.63\00:03:56.67
"Turn on, tune in and drop out,"
00:03:56.67\00:03:59.53
which I would argue
was not as good an idea
00:03:59.53\00:04:02.77
as questioning authority
00:04:02.77\00:04:04.07
because it led to a
great deal of anarchy.
00:04:04.07\00:04:06.24
And a lot of people used
his philosophy as an excuse
00:04:06.24\00:04:09.91
to do a lot of drugs.
00:04:09.91\00:04:11.65
Some of you might
remember that President Nixon
00:04:11.65\00:04:13.68
actually called Leary the
most dangerous man in America.
00:04:13.68\00:04:18.19
The 60's and 70's were
this radical turning point here
00:04:18.19\00:04:21.69
in the West
because experimental ideas
00:04:21.69\00:04:24.49
that had been
pretty much restricted
00:04:24.49\00:04:26.09
to the ivory towers of academia
suddenly went mainstream.
00:04:26.09\00:04:29.93
And we saw traditional
Western values being dismantled
00:04:29.93\00:04:33.34
at a rather disturbing pace.
00:04:33.34\00:04:35.74
And it's not that we shouldn't
be questioning tradition
00:04:35.74\00:04:38.64
because I do think we
should, but at the same time,
00:04:38.64\00:04:41.68
I think it's really,
really important to understand
00:04:41.68\00:04:44.51
why social norms were
invented in the first place
00:04:44.51\00:04:47.75
before we start to
mindlessly rip them down.
00:04:47.75\00:04:50.79
It's a little like
renovating your house,
00:04:51.92\00:04:54.09
and knocking down the walls
without ever checking to see
00:04:54.09\00:04:56.32
if some of them
might be load-bearing,
00:04:56.32\00:04:58.43
knock down the wrong
wall, you lose the structure,
00:04:58.43\00:05:01.60
knock down the
wrong social convention
00:05:01.60\00:05:04.77
and the same thing can happen.
00:05:04.77\00:05:06.90
Now, one of the places we
started to do this was in the
00:05:06.90\00:05:10.11
area of human sexuality.
00:05:10.11\00:05:11.94
The 60's were
the era of free love.
00:05:11.94\00:05:14.38
And once the pill was invented,
00:05:14.38\00:05:16.01
people started to think
there was no reason to cling
00:05:16.01\00:05:18.95
to so-called outdated
ideas like marriage or monogamy.
00:05:18.95\00:05:23.08
Those were considered outdated.
00:05:23.08\00:05:26.25
And as you know,
people began to experiment.
00:05:26.25\00:05:28.79
And today I'm convinced
we're living with the aftermath
00:05:28.79\00:05:31.83
of those experiments.
00:05:31.83\00:05:33.86
Now, before I go any further,
00:05:33.86\00:05:35.36
I should probably underline
just a couple of ideas.
00:05:35.36\00:05:38.10
Number one, I'm
gonna speak quite frankly
00:05:38.10\00:05:40.40
about this subject.
00:05:40.40\00:05:41.67
So if you have kids who
are listening right now,
00:05:41.67\00:05:43.61
you might wanna find
something else for them to do
00:05:43.61\00:05:45.57
for the next little
while or just go to VOP.com
00:05:45.57\00:05:48.51
and watch this show later,
00:05:48.51\00:05:50.15
maybe after the kids go to bed.
00:05:50.15\00:05:53.18
Number two, because of some
of the unfortunate stereotypes
00:05:53.18\00:05:56.85
associated with
American preachers,
00:05:56.85\00:05:59.49
I should probably state right
up front, I am not in favor
00:05:59.49\00:06:02.62
of Western Christians
using the power of the state
00:06:02.62\00:06:05.43
to regulate the religious
morality of their neighbors.
00:06:05.43\00:06:08.73
I mean, yes, there's
no doubt I am a Christian,
00:06:08.73\00:06:11.17
and I firmly believe
there is a right and a wrong way
00:06:11.17\00:06:14.34
for people to express sexuality.
00:06:14.34\00:06:16.67
But at the same time, I
don't believe for one minute
00:06:16.67\00:06:19.81
that the church should
be in charge of regulating
00:06:19.81\00:06:21.88
the way you choose to
live your life because frankly,
00:06:21.88\00:06:25.65
these matters are
between you and God.
00:06:25.65\00:06:29.62
Now with those
disclaimers out of the way,
00:06:29.62\00:06:31.62
I think I wanna
focus on the actual origin
00:06:31.62\00:06:34.16
of some of the ideas that
prompted the sexual revolution.
00:06:34.16\00:06:37.93
And if I was gonna pick
just one place to start,
00:06:37.93\00:06:40.40
just one great thinker
who really had an impact,
00:06:40.40\00:06:43.83
I'd probably have to
go with Sigmund Freud
00:06:43.83\00:06:46.10
who is still remembered
00:06:46.10\00:06:47.60
as having a rather strident
obsession with the subject
00:06:47.60\00:06:49.94
of human reproduction.
00:06:49.94\00:06:51.27
Freud was a huge
believer in the idea
00:06:52.27\00:06:54.84
that a lot of what we do
as human beings is motivated
00:06:54.84\00:06:57.71
by the pursuit of pleasure.
00:06:57.71\00:07:00.25
He said, "We try to avoid
or mitigate the painful parts
00:07:00.25\00:07:03.55
of life a tiny little bit
like the ancient epicureans."
00:07:03.55\00:07:07.42
And he said, we should
try to embrace the things
00:07:07.42\00:07:09.69
that give us pleasure.
00:07:09.69\00:07:11.59
"In the theory of
psychoanalysis" he wrote back in
00:07:11.59\00:07:15.23
1920, "We have no hesitation in
assuming that the course taken
00:07:15.23\00:07:18.33
by mental events is
automatically regulated
00:07:18.33\00:07:21.40
by the pleasure principle.
00:07:21.40\00:07:23.34
We believe that is to say
that the course of those events
00:07:23.34\00:07:26.14
is invariably set in motion
by an unpleasurable tension,
00:07:26.14\00:07:30.58
and that it takes a direction
such that its final outcome
00:07:30.58\00:07:33.72
coincides with a
lowering of that tension,
00:07:33.72\00:07:36.45
that is with an
avoidance of unpleasure
00:07:36.45\00:07:39.19
or a production of pleasure."
00:07:39.19\00:07:41.76
Alright, I'll give him that.
00:07:41.76\00:07:43.06
So far so good because
it kind of makes sense.
00:07:43.06\00:07:45.76
Most of us really
do want to avoid pain
00:07:45.76\00:07:48.46
and experience pleasure,
it's just our human nature.
00:07:48.46\00:07:51.80
But the way that Freud
understood this concept led
00:07:51.80\00:07:54.57
to some real problems in a world
00:07:54.57\00:07:56.24
that was pretty much dominated
by Judeo-Christian thought.
00:07:56.24\00:07:59.31
In other words,
biblical thought.
00:07:59.31\00:08:01.84
Freud suggested that we
should embrace all the impulses
00:08:01.84\00:08:05.01
that move toward pleasure,
including sexual pleasure.
00:08:05.01\00:08:08.32
And if you try to
restrict that he said,
00:08:08.32\00:08:10.15
if you try to
suppress your natural urges,
00:08:10.15\00:08:12.79
it'll mess you up in the head.
00:08:12.79\00:08:14.79
He taught that the suppression
00:08:14.79\00:08:16.12
of your sexual
instincts will somehow lead
00:08:16.12\00:08:18.59
to neurotic behavior and
you would become mentally,
00:08:18.59\00:08:21.43
and emotionally unhealthy.
00:08:21.43\00:08:23.63
Then he said, that's
gonna make you act irrationally
00:08:23.63\00:08:26.80
and that would
be society's fault
00:08:26.80\00:08:28.87
because they shouldn't be
telling you what's right or
00:08:28.87\00:08:31.87
wrong. Repressing your urges
he said leads to irrational
00:08:31.87\00:08:35.74
behavior, and
unnecessary anxiety.
00:08:35.74\00:08:38.28
And honestly,
that's kind of ironic
00:08:38.28\00:08:39.78
because the least inhibited
generation to ever occupy
00:08:39.78\00:08:42.98
this continent now seems
to be one of the most anxious.
00:08:42.98\00:08:47.22
But let's get back to
the 1960's where you find
00:08:48.49\00:08:50.36
the flower children taking
these concepts very seriously.
00:08:50.36\00:08:54.00
We suddenly get people
that concepts like monogamy,
00:08:54.00\00:08:57.13
or marriage are
repressive and harmful.
00:08:57.13\00:08:59.60
They supposedly keep
us from self-actualization
00:08:59.60\00:09:02.44
or personal fulfillment.
00:09:02.44\00:09:04.37
These people believe
that the free love movement
00:09:04.37\00:09:06.74
couldn't possibly harm anybody.
00:09:06.74\00:09:08.88
They said it was an
evolutionary step forward.
00:09:08.88\00:09:12.28
Now, to be honest, there
really were some unhealthy ideas
00:09:13.65\00:09:16.25
about sexuality that emerged
from the Victorian period
00:09:16.25\00:09:19.99
when the subject was usually
treated as if it's shameful
00:09:19.99\00:09:22.56
and dirty, which is not
the Bible's perspective.
00:09:22.56\00:09:26.19
So yeah, there were some things
that probably needed fixing,
00:09:26.19\00:09:29.80
but the idea that controlling
your animal instincts
00:09:29.80\00:09:32.27
will lead to mental illness,
00:09:32.27\00:09:34.57
that's a concept I
really wanna challenge.
00:09:34.57\00:09:37.71
But right now
it's time for a break.
00:09:37.71\00:09:39.51
So don't you go anywhere
00:09:39.51\00:09:40.88
because I'll be right
back after this short message
00:09:40.88\00:09:43.18
to look at the ideas that came
00:09:43.18\00:09:44.55
from one of
Freud's biggest disciples.
00:09:44.55\00:09:46.78
Another psychologist by
the name of Wilhelm Reich.
00:09:46.78\00:09:50.29
- [Narrator] Here at The Voice
of Prophecy, we're committed
00:09:53.99\00:09:55.99
to creating top quality
programming for the whole
00:09:55.99\00:09:59.09
family. Like our audio adventure
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00:09:59.09\00:10:02.56
Discovery Mountain is a
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00:10:02.56\00:10:05.43
of all ages and backgrounds.
00:10:05.43\00:10:07.37
Your family will enjoy
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With 24 seasonal
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and fresh content every week,
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there's always a new
adventure just on the horizon.
00:10:17.65\00:10:20.92
- Wilhelm Reich,
the Austrian doctor
00:10:23.52\00:10:25.45
was easily one of the
more radical psychiatrist
00:10:25.45\00:10:27.99
who emerged in the
wake of Sigmund Freud,
00:10:27.99\00:10:30.59
and he went places
with Dr. Freud's work
00:10:30.59\00:10:33.03
that really put a dent on
the traditional moral values
00:10:33.03\00:10:36.06
of the West.
00:10:36.06\00:10:37.60
In fact, I believe that in
a lot of ways, Wilhelm Reich
00:10:37.60\00:10:40.54
is a key architect,
if not the architect
00:10:40.54\00:10:43.61
of the sexual revolution.
00:10:43.61\00:10:45.57
Like Dr. Freud, he taught that
repressing your natural drive
00:10:45.57\00:10:48.54
is a bad idea.
00:10:48.54\00:10:49.94
He actually said it
would lead to mental illness.
00:10:49.94\00:10:52.71
The moral
inhibitions of society, he said
00:10:52.71\00:10:55.12
are actually making people sick.
00:10:55.12\00:10:56.79
I mean, just listen to what
he wrote back in the 1930's.
00:10:56.79\00:11:00.22
He said, "Under the condition
of neurotic sexual repression,
00:11:00.22\00:11:03.76
every patient carries
within himself the insoluble
00:11:03.76\00:11:06.59
contradiction
between instinctual drive
00:11:06.59\00:11:09.23
and moralistic compulsion.
00:11:09.23\00:11:11.43
The moral demands that
under the constant pressure
00:11:11.43\00:11:13.87
of social influence he
places on himself intensify
00:11:13.87\00:11:17.41
the blocking of his sexual
and general vegetative needs."
00:11:17.41\00:11:21.21
So in other words, back
in the 1930's, Wilhelm Reich
00:11:21.21\00:11:25.58
was teaching that the
moral values of society,
00:11:25.58\00:11:28.32
the restrictions and boundaries
that your culture places
00:11:28.32\00:11:31.05
on sexual expression, he said
those are in direct conflict
00:11:31.05\00:11:34.89
with your natural passion,
and that's what he said leads
00:11:34.89\00:11:38.43
to all the moral problems.
00:11:38.43\00:11:40.43
If only people were allowed
to act out their urges freely,
00:11:40.43\00:11:43.30
he said, if only we
provided a way for everybody
00:11:43.30\00:11:45.60
to indulge his or her appetite,
00:11:45.60\00:11:47.97
then horrible things like sexual
assault would just go away.
00:11:47.97\00:11:51.97
I know it seems laughable
today, but why did he say that?
00:11:51.97\00:11:56.38
It's because he
believed that sexual crimes
00:11:56.38\00:11:58.48
are just the result of
people acting out against
00:11:58.48\00:12:00.38
the unreasonable
restrictions imposed by society.
00:12:00.38\00:12:04.12
Indulging your appetite he
taught was perfectly healthy,
00:12:04.12\00:12:07.42
and before you're
tempted to agree with him,
00:12:07.42\00:12:10.13
you should probably know
that Mr. Reich also meant kids.
00:12:10.13\00:12:14.30
You heard me right.
00:12:14.30\00:12:15.40
Now, Dr. Reich built his theory
00:12:16.26\00:12:18.13
by studying some
of his own patients,
00:12:18.13\00:12:20.04
which makes me think he was
probably building his philosophy
00:12:20.04\00:12:23.00
on a very shaky foundation.
00:12:23.00\00:12:25.44
The people he was treating
after all already had problems
00:12:25.44\00:12:28.41
with mental health or
with normal sexual expression,
00:12:28.41\00:12:31.25
which makes me
question the idea that the urges
00:12:31.25\00:12:33.75
of his patients
should be used as a baseline
00:12:33.75\00:12:37.05
for an authentic
human sexual expression.
00:12:37.05\00:12:40.26
He was taking
symptoms of an illness
00:12:40.26\00:12:42.12
and using those to establish
00:12:42.12\00:12:43.69
what he thought should
be the picture of health.
00:12:43.69\00:12:47.30
Of course, the
drive to reproduce really
00:12:47.30\00:12:49.36
is a natural
instinct and so is the desire
00:12:49.36\00:12:52.20
for physical relationships.
00:12:52.20\00:12:54.34
But in Dr.
Reich's secular worldview,
00:12:54.34\00:12:56.71
he believed that all
instincts, all drives,
00:12:56.71\00:12:59.07
all feelings are
perfectly natural,
00:12:59.07\00:13:01.31
and he said we experienced
them for a good reason.
00:13:01.31\00:13:04.55
But from the
Bible's perspective,
00:13:04.55\00:13:06.21
in the Judeo-Christian
understanding of our human
00:13:06.21\00:13:09.38
nature, we believe that our
feelings need to be informed
00:13:09.38\00:13:12.52
by the fact that our natural
instincts have been corrupted.
00:13:12.52\00:13:16.26
According to the Bible,
00:13:16.26\00:13:17.83
not every impulse
you have is a good one.
00:13:17.83\00:13:21.76
So to suggest that we should
just indulge every passion
00:13:21.76\00:13:24.57
when we feel it, well that
idea becomes very problematic,
00:13:24.57\00:13:27.67
at least from a biblical
worldview for that matter.
00:13:27.67\00:13:30.94
So do Mr. Reich's
feelings about marriage
00:13:30.94\00:13:33.04
because he
believed that marriage
00:13:33.04\00:13:34.64
and monogamy were unnatural.
00:13:34.64\00:13:36.95
In fact, he pretty much argued
00:13:36.95\00:13:38.55
that they are utterly outdated.
00:13:38.55\00:13:40.85
Listen to what he said.
00:13:40.85\00:13:42.58
"If no suitable
partner is available,
00:13:42.58\00:13:44.85
as seems to be the rule
under the prevailing conditions
00:13:44.85\00:13:47.32
of sexual life, the
tendency toward monogamy turns
00:13:47.32\00:13:50.33
into its opposite, namely
into the uncontrollable search
00:13:50.33\00:13:54.00
for the right partner.
00:13:54.00\00:13:55.36
If that partner is
found, the monogamous behavior
00:13:55.36\00:13:58.20
is spontaneously
restored and is maintained
00:13:58.20\00:14:00.84
as long as sexual
harmony and gratification last.
00:14:00.84\00:14:04.07
Fantasies and wishes for other
partners are either very weak
00:14:04.07\00:14:07.44
or else ignored
because of the interest
00:14:07.44\00:14:09.24
in the current partner.
00:14:09.24\00:14:10.71
However, the relationship
collapses irretrievably
00:14:10.71\00:14:14.02
if it becomes stale,
00:14:14.02\00:14:15.42
and if another companion
promises greater pleasure."
00:14:15.42\00:14:18.99
So here's what he's saying.
00:14:18.99\00:14:20.76
Cheating on your
spouse is natural he said,
00:14:20.76\00:14:22.92
and we should expect it
00:14:22.92\00:14:24.43
because nobody should ever
control their sexual urges.
00:14:24.43\00:14:27.50
Reich believed that
marriage is artificial,
00:14:27.50\00:14:30.00
an institution the
church imposed on the world.
00:14:30.00\00:14:32.47
And he said that getting
married makes you repressed
00:14:32.47\00:14:34.94
and unhealthy, which
is exactly the attitude
00:14:34.94\00:14:38.11
that emerged during
the sexual revolution.
00:14:38.11\00:14:40.94
We even questioned the
need for the nuclear family,
00:14:40.94\00:14:44.01
and of course a lot of
people are still doing that.
00:14:44.01\00:14:46.98
Marriage was seen as
an unnecessary prison
00:14:46.98\00:14:49.32
for both men and women.
00:14:49.32\00:14:51.15
For men, they said
it was keeping them
00:14:51.15\00:14:52.62
from pursuing
their natural urges.
00:14:52.62\00:14:54.12
And for women they said
it was a prison designed
00:14:54.12\00:14:56.83
to maintain the patriarchy.
00:14:56.83\00:14:58.73
And today, I believe
we're living with the fallout
00:14:58.73\00:15:01.33
of that kind of thinking.
00:15:01.33\00:15:03.16
We now have a
generation that was raised
00:15:03.16\00:15:05.30
on this libertine morality.
00:15:05.30\00:15:07.34
And honestly, I
don't believe for a minute
00:15:07.34\00:15:10.11
that it's a coincidence
00:15:10.11\00:15:11.31
that this same
generation now struggles
00:15:11.31\00:15:14.01
with terrible
feelings of meaninglessness,
00:15:14.01\00:15:16.51
alienation and loneliness.
00:15:16.51\00:15:18.88
And yes, I'll admit,
a lot of male attitudes
00:15:20.08\00:15:22.62
about women have been wrong
and there are a lot of marriages
00:15:22.62\00:15:25.99
that do become
prisons for the people
00:15:25.99\00:15:27.82
who have to live in them.
00:15:27.82\00:15:29.52
But what I can't
agree with is the way
00:15:29.52\00:15:31.49
that some people point
to the Bible or Christianity
00:15:31.49\00:15:34.20
as the problem.
00:15:34.20\00:15:35.73
When marriages fall apart,
00:15:35.73\00:15:37.50
or when so-called Christian
spouses cheat on each other,
00:15:37.50\00:15:41.00
or when husbands and
wives treat each other badly,
00:15:41.00\00:15:43.44
it's not because of
the teachings of Christ,
00:15:43.44\00:15:46.11
it's in spite of them.
00:15:46.11\00:15:48.11
In fact, you might
remember there was an occasion
00:15:48.11\00:15:51.05
when the religious
authorities of the day,
00:15:51.05\00:15:52.85
the Pharisees approached Jesus
00:15:52.85\00:15:55.15
and asked Him a rather
tricky question about divorce.
00:15:55.15\00:15:58.42
And I guess the reason
I'm thinking about this
00:15:58.42\00:16:00.46
is because so many
people are rightly alarmed
00:16:00.46\00:16:03.22
at the high divorce
rate even among Christians
00:16:03.22\00:16:06.93
and much in the
spirit of Dr. Reich,
00:16:06.93\00:16:08.86
some people are blaming the
institution of marriage itself.
00:16:08.86\00:16:12.63
Now there's no question
that the scriptures underline
00:16:12.63\00:16:15.50
the importance and
sanctity of marriage,
00:16:15.50\00:16:18.11
but in a broken
world, sometimes God's ideal
00:16:18.11\00:16:20.58
gets compromised by us.
00:16:20.58\00:16:24.15
So the Pharisees, knowing
that divorce is undesirable
00:16:24.15\00:16:27.92
approached Jesus with a question
00:16:27.92\00:16:29.62
and you find it in Matthew 19.
00:16:29.62\00:16:32.62
It says, "The Pharisees
also came to Him, testing Him
00:16:32.62\00:16:35.72
and saying to Him,
is it lawful for a man
00:16:35.72\00:16:38.03
to divorce his wife
for just any reason?
00:16:38.03\00:16:40.63
And He answered and said
to them, have you not read
00:16:40.63\00:16:42.93
that he who made them at
the beginning made them male
00:16:42.93\00:16:45.20
and female and
said, for this reason,
00:16:45.20\00:16:47.50
a man shall leave
his father and mother
00:16:47.50\00:16:49.30
and be joined to his wife,
00:16:49.30\00:16:50.94
and the two
shall become one flesh?
00:16:50.94\00:16:53.54
So then they are no
longer two but one flesh.
00:16:53.54\00:16:56.34
Therefore what God
has joined together,
00:16:56.34\00:16:59.61
let not man separate."
00:16:59.61\00:17:02.02
Alright, so far so good.
00:17:02.02\00:17:03.79
In fact, those
words are still being used
00:17:03.79\00:17:06.15
by Christian
ministers to this day
00:17:06.15\00:17:07.86
every time they
perform a wedding.
00:17:07.86\00:17:09.72
"What God has joined
together let nobody separate."
00:17:09.72\00:17:13.40
In fact, it's a formula I
still use when I pronounce
00:17:13.40\00:17:16.56
a couple to be husband and wife.
00:17:16.56\00:17:19.27
When Jesus' critics bring
up the subject of divorce,
00:17:19.27\00:17:21.80
He answers by
underlining the original design.
00:17:21.80\00:17:25.41
From God's perspective, marriage
was meant to last for life,
00:17:25.41\00:17:29.98
but then trying to trip Jesus
up, the Pharisees pointed out
00:17:29.98\00:17:32.81
that the law of Moses
actually allowed for divorce.
00:17:32.81\00:17:36.22
Here's what it
says in verse seven.
00:17:36.22\00:17:38.52
"They said to him,
why then did Moses command
00:17:38.52\00:17:41.12
to give a
certificate of divorce,
00:17:41.12\00:17:42.59
and to put her away?
00:17:42.59\00:17:44.26
He said to them,
Moses, because of the hardness
00:17:44.26\00:17:47.00
of your hearts, permitted
you to divorce your wives,
00:17:47.00\00:17:49.86
but from the
beginning it was not so.
00:17:49.86\00:17:52.53
And I say to you,
whoever divorces his wife except
00:17:52.53\00:17:55.57
for sexual immorality
and marries another commits
00:17:55.57\00:17:59.67
adultery, and whoever marries
her who is divorced commits
00:17:59.67\00:18:03.65
adultery." In other words,
the Bible is a very realistic
00:18:05.01\00:18:07.92
document. That's one of the
reasons I prize this book so
00:18:07.92\00:18:11.49
highly. This book
reveals God's original design,
00:18:11.49\00:18:13.89
His plan for humanity and then
it openly deals with the fact
00:18:13.89\00:18:17.33
that you and I don't live
up to that, not since the fall.
00:18:17.33\00:18:21.26
Yes, marriage was
meant to last for life,
00:18:21.26\00:18:24.47
but given the ungodly
way that you and I behave,
00:18:24.47\00:18:27.27
it can
unsurprisingly fall apart.
00:18:27.27\00:18:29.97
So what we have in the
Bible is a very realistic God.
00:18:29.97\00:18:34.11
Christians are
required to make it work,
00:18:34.11\00:18:36.98
but then sometimes
unfortunately it doesn't.
00:18:36.98\00:18:40.45
Now, here's the thing I
really want you to notice.
00:18:40.45\00:18:42.95
In the first part of
last century, Wilhelm Reich
00:18:42.95\00:18:45.39
was teaching people
that that marriage, monogamy,
00:18:45.39\00:18:48.52
and sexual boundaries
were standing in the way
00:18:48.52\00:18:50.63
of an authentic human sexuality.
00:18:50.63\00:18:53.16
But that was a radical departure
00:18:53.16\00:18:55.23
from the advice
found in this book.
00:18:55.23\00:18:57.40
So then of course, we
need to ask who was right?
00:18:57.40\00:19:00.54
Wilhelm Reich or the
creator of the human race?
00:19:00.54\00:19:04.21
I'll be right back after this.
00:19:04.21\00:19:06.27
- [Narrator] Dragons,
beasts, cryptic statues,
00:19:10.55\00:19:14.85
Bible prophecy can be
incredibly vivid and confusing.
00:19:14.85\00:19:19.42
If you've ever read
Daniel or Revelation
00:19:19.42\00:19:21.62
and come away scratching
your head, you are not alone.
00:19:21.62\00:19:24.66
Our free Focus on
Prophecy guides are designed
00:19:24.66\00:19:27.56
to help you unlock the
mysteries of the Bible,
00:19:27.56\00:19:29.80
and deepen your
understanding of God's plan
00:19:29.80\00:19:32.27
for you and our world.
00:19:32.27\00:19:33.90
Study online or
request them by mail,
00:19:33.90\00:19:36.34
and start bringing
prophecy into focus today.
00:19:36.34\00:19:39.67
- The sexual revolution of
the 60's and 70's saw people
00:19:39.67\00:19:42.94
throw away a lot of
longstanding moral boundaries,
00:19:42.94\00:19:46.58
some of which have
been serving us really well,
00:19:46.58\00:19:49.38
and that was fueled
by this strange idea
00:19:49.38\00:19:51.49
that controlling your urges
00:19:51.49\00:19:53.02
is gonna make you
something less than human.
00:19:53.02\00:19:55.39
They said it might
even promote mental illness.
00:19:55.39\00:19:58.56
Now, that was a
complete turnabout from the way
00:19:58.56\00:20:00.60
that Western philosophy
thought about this subject
00:20:00.60\00:20:02.90
for thousands of years.
00:20:02.90\00:20:05.37
I mean, it used to
be a point of pride
00:20:05.37\00:20:07.10
that you could
control your baser instincts,
00:20:07.10\00:20:09.50
and submit them to logic.
00:20:09.50\00:20:11.81
But in the middle
of the 20th century,
00:20:11.81\00:20:13.27
we kind of turned
that thinking on its head,
00:20:13.27\00:20:15.28
and it led to some advice
that's still being doled out
00:20:15.28\00:20:18.25
by some, some well-meaning
psychologists to this day.
00:20:18.25\00:20:22.48
Many years ago, I met this guy
who told me he was struggling
00:20:23.95\00:20:26.59
with an
addiction to pornography.
00:20:26.59\00:20:28.66
So he went to a
counselor who told him
00:20:28.66\00:20:30.99
that his marriage was
obviously not meeting his needs,
00:20:30.99\00:20:33.13
and what he needed to do was
go out and cheat on his wife.
00:20:33.13\00:20:36.16
I mean, imagine that,
that is horrible advice,
00:20:36.16\00:20:40.44
but that's exactly
what Mr. Reich was teaching.
00:20:40.44\00:20:43.81
And while it makes for
a tantalizing soap opera,
00:20:43.81\00:20:46.34
it is not made
for a better society.
00:20:46.34\00:20:49.18
Dr. Reich suggested that
if we only provided outlets
00:20:49.18\00:20:51.91
for everybody's urges,
00:20:51.91\00:20:53.85
if we remove the
silly moral boundaries,
00:20:53.85\00:20:56.32
then people could be free
to pursue whatever they want.
00:20:56.32\00:20:59.19
And because their
needs were now being met,
00:20:59.19\00:21:01.32
he said they would voluntarily
refrain from terrible crimes.
00:21:01.32\00:21:04.66
Just indulge your urges
00:21:04.66\00:21:06.26
and you'll become a
well-adjusted person.
00:21:06.26\00:21:08.56
You can practice morality
00:21:08.56\00:21:10.10
from a completely
rational perspective,
00:21:10.10\00:21:12.73
but my goodness, what a mess.
00:21:13.77\00:21:15.84
He completely underestimated
00:21:15.84\00:21:17.44
the power of a
misguided human urge.
00:21:17.44\00:21:20.51
He built his theory on the idea
00:21:20.51\00:21:21.91
that all of our urges are good,
00:21:21.91\00:21:23.91
and in the process
he ignored something
00:21:23.91\00:21:25.68
that most of us have
known for a really long time.
00:21:25.68\00:21:28.88
There is something
flawed in our human nature
00:21:28.88\00:21:31.12
that continues to produce a
lot of suffering in this world.
00:21:31.12\00:21:34.72
Not every instinct we
have is good, not even close.
00:21:34.72\00:21:38.06
For countless generations,
we've been struggling
00:21:38.06\00:21:40.20
with the
realization that we harbor good
00:21:40.20\00:21:42.16
and evil in our hearts
the way the Bible describes.
00:21:42.16\00:21:47.00
This idea that just indulging
your appetite is gonna satiate
00:21:47.00\00:21:50.04
it and stop your
craving, it's preposterous.
00:21:50.04\00:21:52.97
I mean, just think about
our destructive tendencies
00:21:52.97\00:21:55.28
toward addiction.
00:21:55.28\00:21:56.91
It turns out that it's
not just drugs or alcohol
00:21:56.91\00:21:59.65
that create a
counterfeit sense of wellbeing,
00:21:59.65\00:22:02.05
inappropriate sexual
activity can do the same thing
00:22:02.05\00:22:05.32
in the very short
run, but in the end,
00:22:05.32\00:22:07.86
I promise it's
going to destroy you.
00:22:07.86\00:22:10.79
I'm reminded of a passage
from the book of Proverbs
00:22:12.13\00:22:14.73
that describes things
that are never satisfied.
00:22:14.73\00:22:17.33
This is Proverbs 30:15.
00:22:17.33\00:22:19.27
It says, "The leech has
two daughters, Give and give.
00:22:19.27\00:22:23.30
There are three things
that are never satisfied,
00:22:23.30\00:22:25.17
four never say enough.
00:22:25.17\00:22:27.18
The grave, the barren womb,
the earth that is not satisfied
00:22:27.18\00:22:30.88
with water and the
fire never says enough."
00:22:30.88\00:22:35.12
What it's describing
is a bottomless appetite.
00:22:35.12\00:22:37.92
A fire will burn as
long as you feed it,
00:22:37.92\00:22:39.85
and the more you feed
it, the hotter it gets.
00:22:39.85\00:22:42.39
Likewise, you can backfill
a grave after somebody dies,
00:22:42.39\00:22:45.79
but that's not the end
of death by a long stretch.
00:22:45.79\00:22:48.23
You and I will
go on digging graves
00:22:48.23\00:22:50.30
until we need one ourselves.
00:22:50.30\00:22:52.50
And the same thing
holds true for fallen passion.
00:22:52.50\00:22:55.77
The drive for sex was entirely
natural in the beginning
00:22:55.77\00:22:58.61
until you and I
became sinful and selfish.
00:22:58.61\00:23:01.71
Fallen humanity tends
to think of other people
00:23:01.71\00:23:04.08
as a means to an end, a way
to gratify our personal desires.
00:23:04.08\00:23:08.35
We think of other people
as a path to self-fulfillment.
00:23:08.35\00:23:12.09
Even one of the best known lines
00:23:12.09\00:23:13.69
from the most popular
rom-coms underlines it,
00:23:13.69\00:23:16.73
you complete me.
00:23:16.73\00:23:18.86
Our fallen nature
means that almost everything
00:23:20.03\00:23:22.13
is now centered on
self, including sexual drive.
00:23:22.13\00:23:25.90
God's original design
has been corrupted by us
00:23:25.90\00:23:29.50
and as it turns out, a
corrupt sexual appetite
00:23:29.50\00:23:31.71
can never be appeased.
00:23:31.71\00:23:33.51
The more fuel you put on
that fire, the hotter it burns
00:23:33.51\00:23:37.21
and the sexual
drive is a very hot fire
00:23:37.21\00:23:39.65
that demands your attention.
00:23:39.65\00:23:41.92
That's why the
apostle Paul acknowledged it,
00:23:41.92\00:23:44.52
and provided a legitimate
solution to the church in
00:23:44.52\00:23:48.26
Corinth, the city that
was known for promiscuity.
00:23:48.26\00:23:51.23
"But if they cannot exercise
self-control," he wrote,
00:23:51.23\00:23:54.03
"Let them marry.
00:23:54.03\00:23:55.63
For it is better to marry
than to burn with passion."
00:23:55.63\00:23:59.47
Why is marriage a better
solution than promiscuity?
00:23:59.47\00:24:02.57
Because it involves commitment.
00:24:02.57\00:24:04.27
It's not really about self.
00:24:04.27\00:24:06.31
If we do this the
way that God designed,
00:24:06.31\00:24:08.31
it respects and
honors the other person,
00:24:08.31\00:24:10.55
and it refuses to
use that individual
00:24:10.55\00:24:12.85
for your gratification.
00:24:12.85\00:24:15.12
Alright, I've gotta
take one last break.
00:24:15.12\00:24:17.19
So now's a great time
to go and get a snack,
00:24:17.19\00:24:19.09
or check your mailbox and
I'll be right back after this.
00:24:19.09\00:24:23.99
- [Narrator] Life
can throw a lot at us.
00:24:26.39\00:24:28.73
Sometimes we don't
have all the answers,
00:24:28.73\00:24:32.13
but that's where
the Bible comes in.
00:24:32.13\00:24:34.60
It's our guide to a
more fulfilling life.
00:24:34.60\00:24:36.87
Here at The Voice of Prophecy,
00:24:37.71\00:24:39.21
we've created the
Discover Bible guides
00:24:39.21\00:24:41.38
to be your guide to the Bible.
00:24:41.38\00:24:42.98
They're designed to
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00:24:42.98\00:24:45.48
and provide answers to many
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00:24:45.48\00:24:48.48
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00:24:48.48\00:24:50.52
So jump online
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00:24:50.52\00:24:52.82
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00:24:52.82\00:24:55.72
- Years ago, I found myself
volunteering at a men's prison
00:24:55.72\00:24:58.56
where I visited about once a
month and made myself available
00:24:58.56\00:25:01.26
to just listen to the inmates.
00:25:01.26\00:25:03.87
The institution housed a
lot of serious criminals,
00:25:03.87\00:25:06.50
most of whom were there
for either first degree murder,
00:25:06.50\00:25:09.34
or sexual assault,
00:25:09.34\00:25:10.71
which meant they had a
lot of sexual offenders.
00:25:10.71\00:25:13.91
And this might come
as a surprise to you
00:25:13.91\00:25:15.78
and I think we can thank
the likes of Wilhelm Reich,
00:25:15.78\00:25:19.31
but they were piping dirty
movies into the prison rec room
00:25:19.31\00:25:22.15
so the prisoners
could watch them,
00:25:22.15\00:25:23.95
and the thinking
seemed to go like this,
00:25:23.95\00:25:26.19
give the men a so-called outlet
00:25:26.19\00:25:28.42
and it will keep their criminal
tendencies under control.
00:25:28.42\00:25:31.89
Then on top of that,
unbelievably they appointed
00:25:31.89\00:25:34.83
a female chaplain who had
to spend a lot of time alone
00:25:34.83\00:25:37.60
with these guys, and
I'm sure you can guess
00:25:37.60\00:25:39.90
what happened next.
00:25:39.90\00:25:41.30
It was only a matter of time
00:25:41.30\00:25:42.67
until that poor
chaplain got assaulted.
00:25:42.67\00:25:45.57
As it turns out,
feeding a twisted instinct
00:25:46.68\00:25:48.68
is the wrong idea
because some of our instincts
00:25:48.68\00:25:51.35
are just plain wrong.
00:25:51.35\00:25:53.28
The original design for human
sexuality has been corrupted
00:25:53.28\00:25:56.82
to the point where I
believe it has become
00:25:56.82\00:25:59.22
one of the biggest
sources of pain in this world,
00:25:59.22\00:26:01.92
and it's not getting any better.
00:26:01.92\00:26:04.09
If Mr. Reich was correct,
then abandoning moral boundaries
00:26:04.09\00:26:07.76
should have made us
happier and healthier.
00:26:07.76\00:26:11.03
But let me ask you this,
00:26:11.03\00:26:12.80
has that proven to
be even remotely true?
00:26:12.80\00:26:16.54
The nightmare of sexual
assault continues to this day.
00:26:16.54\00:26:20.44
Infidelity continues to
rip at the fabric of families,
00:26:20.44\00:26:23.81
which takes an
unbelievable toll on children.
00:26:23.81\00:26:28.45
Wilhelm Reich believed
that liberalization would lead
00:26:28.45\00:26:31.49
to fewer problems, but it turns
out nothing could be further
00:26:31.49\00:26:36.12
from the truth.
00:26:36.12\00:26:37.23
Look, again, just to be
perfectly clear, I am not
00:26:38.83\00:26:42.46
suggesting that the morals of
the church should be the law of
00:26:42.46\00:26:45.57
the land because I am not
in favor of coerced morality,
00:26:45.57\00:26:49.14
or mandatory religion.
00:26:49.14\00:26:51.21
I think the medieval
church with its torture chambers
00:26:51.21\00:26:54.24
and its public executions proved
beyond all reasonable doubt
00:26:54.24\00:26:58.41
that the marriage of church
and state was a horrible idea.
00:26:58.41\00:27:03.18
I'm not in favor of
it, but at the same time,
00:27:03.18\00:27:07.42
I'm asking you to
consider the claims of this book
00:27:07.42\00:27:11.46
because they're not at all
what some people have told you.
00:27:11.46\00:27:13.56
This is not some kind
of manual for repression,
00:27:13.56\00:27:15.93
or oppression and it's certainly
not a book for prudence.
00:27:15.93\00:27:19.77
This is a book that
presents a very healthy,
00:27:19.77\00:27:22.14
very rewarding picture of
human sexuality and it's one
00:27:22.14\00:27:25.71
that will help you avoid an
awful lot of unnecessary pain.
00:27:25.71\00:27:30.55
Marriage and sexuality
after all were God's idea,
00:27:30.55\00:27:33.92
a gift to the human race.
00:27:33.92\00:27:35.75
And I would like to
suggest that maybe God knows
00:27:35.75\00:27:38.42
what He's talking about.
00:27:38.42\00:27:40.89
"What God has joined together,
00:27:40.89\00:27:42.59
we should never try to separate"
00:27:42.59\00:27:44.99
and maybe just maybe you
and I are more than animals
00:27:44.99\00:27:47.73
made in the image of God.
00:27:47.73\00:27:50.50
That's all the time
I've got for this week.
00:27:50.50\00:27:51.97
Thanks for joining
me, I'm Shawn Boonstra,
00:27:51.97\00:27:54.60
and this has been
another episode of Authentic.
00:27:54.60\00:27:57.77
[bright music]
00:27:58.81\00:28:01.48