By Stacy McDonald –Your Sacred Calling
Two years ago, I blogged about the fact that Sam’s Club was displaying the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue, featuring a topless woman, in full view of families. You can read the post HERE.
Unfortunately, Sports Illustrated is still about the business of degrading women, harming families, and disgracing society. This year on the cover another topless model is featured. The American Decency Association has this to say about the 2010 issue:
Starting with the topless woman on the cover, SI gets to the real purpose of the issue – the pornographic exhibition of women for the pleasure of men. Page after page reveals erotically posed young women sometimes topless, sometimes – at the most – in barely there bikinis. Each lust-producing display reinforces the message to ogling men and boys that women are nothing more than sexual objects to be used. And wives and young girls, whose husbands or fathers bring home this issue, are given the message that to be loved they must degrade themselves and that their worth is dependent upon their body and bust size.
As young girls starve themselves; as women undergo all sorts of painful surgeries to compete with the “new normal;” and as the decency of our culture erodes into moral debauchery; companies like Sports Illustrated cash in on the humiliation and exploitation of women.
And it gets worse. The sexual exploitation of children continues to increase in our society. Instead of petticoats and playgrounds, our little girls are taught to “flaunt their stuff” in mini dresses and black fish net stockings. Read Childhood Innocence under Fire.
It is crucial that we wake up and take action! It will continue to get worse until the church gets active. Glorifying God has a little to do with saying He is great, and a lot to do with proving that He is. Pray, speak out, write letters, write blog posts, spread the word on Facebook; grab these companies by their perverted pocketbooks and say, “No! We will not stand by while you strip our daughters of their dignity!”
Don’t be fooled into thinking this will not affect you. If we are silent, it is to the shame and detriment of us and our children. Pass it on.
Check back later to find out how else you can help.
Here is the SAMPLE LETTER you can send to your local grocery stores, Sam’s Clubs, Walmarts etc. Please take the time to write and demand that these stores stop helping Sports Illustrated degrade us and our daughters!
Stacy is the wife of Pastor James McDonald of Providence Church and Family Reformation Ministries. She is the mother of ten precious blessings, and the grandma of one treasured cuddle bug, so far!
Stacy is also the author of Raising Maidens of Virtue and co-author of the popular new book, Passionate Housewives Desperate for God.
