The new culture of Northeast PA

I am saddened to see the cultural decline that is occurring here in Northeast PA. It's so unfortunate to watch this decline accelerate as the years progress.

1. Strip clubs are popping up all over.
2. Gambling has been legalized and will feed another unhealthy addiction.
3. Local radio stations are filled with inappropriate commentary.
4. 97.9 has a billboard on 81 South near Dickson City that portrays a nude woman covering her breasts.

The only way this trend will be stopped is if our hearts are changed. We can take pictures of cars. We can formalize our complaints to local media and elected officials. But if we want to see lasting change, people need to recognize their need for Christ. Without the change of heart that He produces, we'll spend our days simply putting out fires.

I have hope. I am becoming more and more convinced that we will begin to see this change occur. Call me crazy (because I am), but I'm praying to that end. Please join me in that prayer.

News Update

Tangipahoa Parish unanimously approves new rules for sexually-oriented businesses

Wilkes-Barre Township's ordinances are enforceable. Please start enforcing them.

Like Vegas?

I remember when Gentlemen's Club 10 was preparing to open. They claimed that they wanted to be a "classy" strip joint like they have in Vegas. Can there be such a thing as a "classy strip joint?"

At Gentlemen's Club 10, you can pay nude women to simulate sex on your body. Club 10 brags about the fact that you can pay for a "lap dance" inside their establishment. I won't go into great detail, but let's just say this has nothing to do with "dancing" or "artistic expression."

I have to thank a reader of this site for sending me a link to an article posted on Netscape today. This article points out a few reasons why state supreme courts and federal courts (especially those with juristriction over Las Vegas) are prohibiting what is commonly referred to as a "lap dance."

1. lap dancing promotes prostitution
2. lap dancing promotes the spread of sexually transmitted diseases
3. lap dancing is often tied to other vices, such as drug offenses and other criminal activity

Gentlemen's Club 10 is promoting or creating a culture of depravity in Wilkes-Barre Twp. But I guess we're left to assume that as long as they're making money, nothing else really matters.

In sin city Vegas, erotic dancers must keep distance

Times Leader Story (Pittston Twp.)

WILKES-BARRE – A judge on Wednesday made sure an all-nude strip club won’t open, for now, in a section of Pittston Township.

Excellent article

Whether sexual addiction takes the form of extramarital affairs, frequenting strip clubs, compulsive masturbation, exhibitionism or surfing the Internet for porn, it's as destructive as any other dependency. The dismissive attitude that exercising self-control is all it takes to end inappropriate behavior absolves the accuser from considering the deeper truth.

While I don't agree with every last point made in this article, I am pleased that it brings to light the true problem of sexual addiction. Read on if you're looking for help to overcome such an addiction.


When Lust Takes Over
Sexual Addiction Is Way More Than A Bad Habit

Friday night

After attending a concert at the Arena last night (Friday), we drove by Adolescent's Club 10. The time was about 11:00pm which, according to club supporters, is a pretty busy time for the club. The lot was mostly empty (with the exception of a tractor trailer that was illegally parked).

For a club that boasts a capacity of 1300, it looked like they might have had about 30.

This begs the question... how is the club still open? Readers of this blog have stated that the club is not paying its bills. Are the owners of the building forgiving their rent payments? Are the not-so-public investors delaying re-payment?

A business that isn't profitable can only stay open for so long.

Exploited women

Using a strong female voice and beat-driven music, a local radio ad informs mothers of a way out of poverty--by working in gentlemen's clubs.

"You don't have to be poor anymore," the ad says. "Call us and change your life today. ... It's a once in a lifetime opportunity to be financially independent."

This is an excerpt from a radio ad that was run for a while by a strip club that was looking for some "new talent." How are many women ending up in this kind of lifestyle? What are the main forces that are influencing them to pursue this kind of life?

• Difficult family background
• Dependence on illegal drugs
• Absence of a loving father
• Unwed pregnancies
• The promise of easy money (without an explanation of the true consequences)

The more I have learned about the problems strip clubs create, the more compassion I have felt for the women who get lured into that lifestyle. A huge percentage of them have never experienced or accepted the kind of unconditional love that we have been created by God to receive (from both Him and our families). They spend their lives trying to ultimately find acceptance and love, but all they find is lust, infatuation, greed and abuse.

For those of you who pray regularly, please take a moment today to pray for these women. If the Lord doesn't change a person's heart, lasting change will never take effect. Please pray that even though they may come from backgrounds where unconditional love was absent, they will come to experience and accept the forgiving, unconditional love of God.