The Joy of Podcasts, Seduction and Elizabeth Taylor

Podcasts have come into my life and I love them! Hundreds of these gems are available for free via the iTunes store -- with the click of my finger, I can listen to laugh-out-loud humor on The Onion, fascinating stories on Radio Lab, possibly the wittiest guy on the radio, Peter Sagal of “Wait, Wait Don’t Tell Me,” or the comforting and challenging Joyce Meyer.

Ravi Zacharias

Within the past month, I discovered something new: podcasts by Christian apologist Ravi Zacharias -- Just Thinking and Let My People Think. Apologetics, defending the Christian faith with reason and logic, seemed to require too much work for me to understand in the past. But somehow Zacharias makes apologetics not only understandable but achievable by a regular person like me.

The other day Zacharias’ podcast featured a panel of apologists who were answering questions from the audience. A questioner asked the panel to identify the biggest challenge to Christianity in the western culture. I'm not sure who gave the answer that so caught my attention, but it helped me understand why the reality of persecution is hard to understand. The apologist said that the problem in Western culture is not persecution, but seduction. Well, that explains a lot. Seduction permeates Western culture, delivered unceasingly by the mass media (web, television, movies, you name it) and reinforced by an ethic that places possessions, looks, and self-sufficiency as the ultimate goals in life.

Leon Redbone

The seductions of sex, materialism, egotism, isolationism, and pride are ubiquitous.  “I wanna be seduced” sings Leon Redbone. Seduction is fun, who wouldn’t agree? And in the US, we are free to succumb to whatever seduction we choose.

But seduction does have a creepy side. Elizabeth Taylor died last week. As I was listening to one of countless tributes to her career, I realized that she bought  into a seduction trap -- the “the myth of romantic love" as dubbed by one of my therapists.

Old Violet Eyes

 It’s an easy lie to believe. Once through the initial "romantic" stage of any relationship, just abandon it and go on to someone who does give you that thrill. If you stay attractive long enough and marry, rather than just sleep with the guy (so tacky, don’t you know), you might manage to get hitched 8 times.  

Far be it from me to malign Old Violet Eyes. I’m sure she has gone to her reward.  But really, aren’t there a lot better ways to spend your time than hopping from man to man?