Tuesday, January 14, 2014

For a Good Cause - The Bachelor

Every now and then when The Bachelor comes out with a new season I will start to watch. It's sometimes short lived, because to me it is so unrealistic and so far off from my value system that I end up getting either frustrated or disgusted or truly sad for the women. It's heartbreaking to watch so many get their heart broken! But, admittedly, I watched The Bachelor last night and same story. However I found such profound meaning in one aspect of it.

The girls were asked to go on a group date to a photo shoot. It turned out being a charity photo shoot for dog adoption. The girls were to pose in different outfits, some quite weird, others elegant, others - well, outfit nonexistent! Two of the girls were asked to pose nude. It's so staged, because of course the two they chose were the ones who would be most uncomfortable with it, one a modest attorney and the other a 1st grade teacher. I was rooting for both of them - "Dont do it!!" Neither wanted to and I was so proud of them saying so.

The first grade teacher mentioned to the director that she was a role model for young children and would not do anything inappropriate. His response was (paraphrased), "The role modeling comes through doing it for a good cause." Meaning the pet adoption. She found a girl that was not so shy about being naked and traded outfits. She ended up wearing a hydrant costume by trading, which was not at all the type of attractive clothing she would have preferred, but she left with dignity and I was proud she did not bear all just for the sake of charity or the show! Go her!

The attorney really struggled with it. She also went to the director, who told her she would be doing a good thing, it was for a good cause. She was unsure what to do until the bachelor himself talked to her and said he would pose with her. She ended up saying she was comfortable since he talked to her and everything would be ok because of him, he had made her comfortable and she put her trust in him and posed nude. 

Duped! That's what came to my mind. THis respectable woman was duped by the show and the bachelor. SHe was persuaded to do something she was uncomfortable with and expose her body to the world. HOw easily this man talked her into it! And knowing how this show goes, there's a very good chance she won't be around in the next week or two. So she put her trust in a man who more than likely will dump her soon and send her home and never see her again, and she compromised for him. 

She was obviously stressed and didn't want to do it but under pressure went against her initial instinct. I'm not attacking her. And I do not know her thought process or value system, but it just hit me that aren't we all duped from time to time, even for a good cause? How much more a human's worth than a dog's and yet these women were compromised for a dog! How many times do we neglect or hurt our families, children, husband, friends, God, coworkers....many times for a good cause? How many times do we compromise our values and our beliefs because someone close to us persuades us that our sin is ok, even with good intentions?

I'm just saying be careful. If these women can be persuaded to compromise by one man they don't know and may not see ever again, how easily might we be persuaded and compromise in daily life by good causes and people we care about with good intentions. I'm saying question things. Who in your life is priority and what values do you need to hold onto? THis world is deceptive at the least, let us not forget the evil that underlies, and satan who rules this world. Sneaky, cunning, "it's for a good cause", "look at the benefit"....yuck! Be careful. Watch out for yourself and trust God's voice. When you hear the Holy Spirit within whisper to you it's wrong, no matter how right it may seem on the outside, trust the voice of God and test what is being asked. The bible tells us to test spirits to make sure they are from God. Don't assume because someone or something else will benefit and there seems to be goodness, that it is ok for you, especially if it is going against something you believe! Stand your ground and endure!!