I have not in the past several years, do not, and will not ever purchase any food or beverages from Hardee's. I'm sure you all are familiar with their advertising. It is disgusting. I have seen everything from a close-up of a woman's bottom sporting bikini bottoms that barely cover anything, to Hardees goddesses who are advertising who-knows-what Hardees product cause all you can do is look at their boobs. Their commericals are just shocking to me. I can't believe that sort of thing would ever make it to local t.v. My husband and I only have 5 channels- 3, 9, 12, 45, and 61. So thankfully we are blocked by most of the junk out there. However, local programming is getting just as bad as HBO (Hell's Box Office) and Cinemax (Sin to the max). So Hardee's commercials are probably not that shocking to most, but for Adam and I, they are too much.
Something I think the world is trying to tell us these days is that if you are mature, you can handle looking at immodestly dressed women. You can watch a commercial, and not be swayed or excited by a woman dressed in skimpy clothing. You can buy a burger, and it will have nothing to do with what you think about the advertisements. I think....I know....all of that is false. That is all a lie the world wants you to believe.
"But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart." Matthew 5:28
"Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry." Colossians 3:5
"For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride in possessions—is not from the Father but is from the world." 1 John 2:16
There are sooo many more verses in the Bible where God addresses lust. Just LOOKING at a woman's bottom or boobs means you have ALREADY committed adultery with her. It has been done. That should shock you.
We do not watch Hardee's commercials. When they come on the t.v., we immediately look away. Both of us. I don't need that junk in my head telling me I should look that way, and my husband doesn't need those images in his head. Looking away is not something I make him do or even ask him to do, he does it on his own, and for that I am so thankful. When a new commercial comes out, we may accidentally see it. But it's not something that happens again. We choose to watch advertisements and television proactively. I don't say any of this to try to act like my husband and I are perfect or are the most holy people on the planet, because we aren't, not even relatively close. We mess up all the time. Every day. But this something we do to protect our hearts and to honor God and keep His commandments. If you haven't already, I encourage you to think about what you watch, what you spend your money on, and by what you justify your thoughts and actions. I'll be happy to answer any comments or questions whether you agree or disagree. Thanks for reading!
While searching the Internet looking for new plushy material, I stumbled upon your delightfully written blog post. I would like to commend yourself and your husband for having the modesty and discipline to conduct a personal crusade in your own lives. While many people feel the need to broadcast their decisions in order to gain the approval and attention of others, both of you choose to make it a private decision within your home.
ReplyDeleteI had not seen the ads mentioned in your post, so I decided to look them up on my most checked video site, GodTube. Unable to locate them there, I decided to use google’s video search. After adjusting my SafeSearch settings, I was able to find a selection of these commercials. I could clearly see how most men would become weak and focus only on the bare, exposed skin of the actresses in the commercials. My stomach churned. Who could watch this and then have any kind of hunger remaining? I was revolted. My boyfriend, Enrique, had to turn off the screen as I could not look at it any longer. He and I sat down and referenced our own domestic Bible to search for comfort and understanding. Below are some we came across ourselves:
1 Timothy 2:9 ESV
“Likewise also that women should adorn themselves in respectable apparel, with modesty and self-control, not with braided hair and gold or pearls or costly attire…“
(Maybe these women were taking this verse to heart in their minds. I do not recall any of the braided hair, pearls, or costly attire adorning their bodies?)
Romans14:14 ...
“I know, and am persuaded by the Lord Jesus, that [there is] nothing unclean of itself: but to him that esteemeth any thing to be unclean, to him [it is] unclean.”
(Again here it seems to say that anything we perceive to be wrong IS wrong…but only to the person who takes offense.)
So perhaps my Enrique and I had been a little quick to judge. After all, aren’t we all created in the image of the Lord? Perhaps Hardee’s is only trying to help us return to that appreciation of the human form. After doing a little research, I discovered that Hardee’s is a corporate sponsor for multiple pro-life groups. Perhaps, Hardee’s is trying to help us see the beauty that people posses in all different fields so that it can be another argument against human veal? I for one do not judge others for their actions, and I try to assume that there is a Godly reason behind such actions. Perhaps this is the case of these commercials. Either way, food for thought. And until I can get more information, I will cease eating here and give my fast food dollar to Carl’s.
Anthony G.
Anothony, I appreciate your response. I think it is important to remember that when quoting scripture, you should take the entire Bible into context. We can't pick and choose scriptures that we believe fit into a certain situation. The whole Bible has to back up that verse. There is nothing in scripture that contradicts itself, so you have to weigh specific verses with the rest of the chapter as well as the rest of the Bible. One verse should not carry 100% of the weight. I chose verses that are backed up by scripture as a whole.
ReplyDeleteThe verse you chose in 1 Timothy is talking about how women should not be caught up in vanity. They should care more about wearing the fruits of the spirit instead of caring about how their hair is fixed or the type of jewelry they are wearing. It does not literally mean that a woman cannot wear braided hair or pearls. I wore pearls to my church today, and my pastor's wife wore a braid, but that is not our priority. That verse is a warning to not let your "fashion choices" consume you.
The verse you referenced in Romans is talking about church traditions. It is talking about how man-made church traditions are not something that make you clean or unclean. Those are just ceremonious things made up by man. For example, dietary laws are no longer traditions that we have to uphold. That was in the Old Testament, before God reconciled believers to Himself by sending Christ to die and be raised again. So, cereminious things like diet or how you pray, or making a sacrifice are not what makes you clean or unclean. So that verse is not saying that anything in general can be deemed clean or unclean, it is saying that man-made traditions can be clean or unclean, either way, and they are irrelevant as far as whether or not you are clean. A note on a traditions, a tradition cannot conflict with the word of God. If it does, it is unclean. Therefore, a mostly naked woman, would coincide with lusting. That is unclean. Women who are dressed like the women in the Hardee's commercials are promoting lust, which is a flat out disregard for scripture.
The only way any of us are clean is if we are a child of God's. You have to ask Jesus to come into your life and be ruler over all. But that is not where it ends. That's where it begins. You can check yourself to see if you are a true believer by asking yourself if you delight in the things of God. Do you display the fruits of the Spirit? Do you dwell on eternal things or things of this world? Are you following all of God's commandments? (Not just the 10 commandments, but everything God has called us to do.) Do you long to please God and to be used by Him? Do you forigve others as He forgave you? Do you praise Him for the many blessings in your life? Do you cry out to Him in times of trouble? Do you spend time with Him and enjoy spending time with Him? Is He your everything...first and foremost before your wife, friends, job, and family?
I am happy to hear that Hardee's is pro-life. However, that just means that they are pro-life. It does not have them right with God, it does not make their business practices correct, it does not make the way they portray women correct either. They are straight up defying the word of God by showing women dressed that way. It is a stumbling block to men as well as women.