Thursday, March 02, 2006

Why I hate Mardi Gras

You would expect a pastor to say that he doesn’t like Mardi Gras. But you might be surprised why I don’t like it.

Is it because of the excessive drinking? Not really. There are many other situations when people drink too much and hurt themselves and others because they are intoxicated. I’m not in favor of excessive drinking. But that’s not the reason I hate Mardi Gras.

Is it because of the nudity? Nope. There’s just as much nudity at Spring Break. (And I have to admit that it does appeal to my hormones.) Sure, women flashing their breasts in public is not a healthy expression of sexuality. God has a much better, and more fulfilling, way to express and satisfy sexual desires. But the nudity is not the reason I hate Mardi Gras.

Is it because of the debauchery? This is nothing unique to Mardi Gras. People engage in all sorts of self-destructive behavior every weekend. They have been duped into abusing God’s gift of sex for a few moments of titillation, when God wants us to enjoy a lifetime of intimacy and fulfillment (with a fair amount of pleasure in the bargain). No, sexual decadence is not why I hate Mardi Gras.

I hate Mardi Gras because it reinforces several lies of the Evil One.

The lie that “holiness” is about
deprivation (Click links for details.)
The lie that “holiness” is dull and boring
The lie that we have to give in to temptation so that we can resist temptation in the future
The lie that
forgiveness is cheap

That’s why I hate Mardi Gras. It’s not just “a little harmless fun.” It’s propaganda by the Enemy to keep people from finding the life that God wants them to enjoy.

Pastor Rod

“Helping you become the person God created you to be”

3 comments:

Don said...

I found this note very insightful.
Thanks.

Anonymous said...

Thank you for this! I agree 1000 percent. As a born again Christian man, I am disgusted at the whole Mardis Gras thing. I mean, can't people find a way to enjoy life without the glorification of sin and Satan? I know we Christians can. I am not self righteous; I have the perfect righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ credited to me by His grace through faith alone in His finished work alone.

The world and Satan say to men "You are not a real man unless you engage in these sorts of activities." That is a lie from the PIT OF HELL.

A REAL Man loves and trusts in Jesus and commits to his wife and family.

Thank you for this post Pastor.

Anonymous said...

Could not agree with you more Rev. But I hate Mardi Gras for all those reasons and many more. People in general change, they become something that they would not ordinarily be. Drug use in public and drunkenness run amok in the streets and in New Orleans it is worse than most other places simply because of the reputation of the city. Cops in general hate Mardi Gras although some like it I will admit but they are threatened by superiors to say they love it. I can testify to this personally. Transients come from everywhere to invade New Orleans and many of them have no money or food and must scrounge around or steal to live. Some of them remain even after MG is over which in itself presents more problems for the city.

Anyway I just plain hate Mardi Gras and all the crap that it brings with it.