This phrase is found in Titus 1:15-16. "Unto the pure all things are pure: but unto them that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure; but even their mind and conscience is defiled. They profess that they know God; but in works they deny him, being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate."

Recently, Jerry Fallwell, a prominent Televangelist, made a statement concerning the Teletubbies, a children?s program on PBS. One in particular, Tinky Winky, who has a boy?s voice, wears purple, has a triangular antenna, and sometimes holds a bag, was the object of his comments. According to him, this teletubby wears the color of homosexuality (purple), their symbol (the triangle) and carries a purse. It was obvious to him that this children?s character is promoting homosexuality.

The scripture says, "To the pure all things are pure." Who is more pure than a young child. Any message of sexuality, much less homosexuality, is wasted on a toddler, because it is a concept that is so far beyond them.

Characters with whom I grew up, and with whom I am more familiar, were recently similarly branded: Burt and Ernie of Sesame Street. I heard someone say, ?They?re not brothers, but live together...? Watching them, as a child, it never even occurred to me that there could be anything at all between these two puppets besides in-depth discussions on the letter ?F? and rubber duckies. Thank God that I didn?t have a minister pollute my mind with evil thoughts and ruin my youthful innocence.I refuse to steal my toddler?s childhood from him and pollute his mind with these evil thoughts. Children are born with innocence and with all the influences at school and from their peers they lose it too early as it is. To say that an asexual creature on a program that has no sexual content whatsoever is a homosexual role model is to show where your mind is.

You see, all that Rev. Fallwell has managed to do, was to give the homosexuals a rallying point and something else to use as a symbol. Immediately after he made his comments, the local stores that cater to homosexuals stocked up on Teletubby merchandise (a product line that they had previously not stocked) and sold them at a rapid pace. So, the minister?s good intentions were misguided and produced the wrong response.

This is not the first time something like this has happened. Do you remember the film "The Last Temptation of Christ"? I never saw it, but I remember all of the hoopla from Christian camps when it came out. Critics lambasted the movie for its all-around poor quality, and it was doomed to fail. But the controversy stirred by the Christians made it the movie to check out, and it had a good showing in the theaters due, almost entirely, to the curiosity of movie-goers wanting to know what all the fuss was about.

Herein lies the problem: as Christians, our focus should not be anti- anything. All too many times, we Christians see it as our duty to stand against evil. In actuality, however, our stand should be, invariably, Pro-Christ. We must stand for Christ, and be bearers of light. Light manifests darkness automatically, so evil will feel the pressure of our goodness. When we take our focus off Christ, and focus on carnal things, our vision is blurred ? both in our eyes, and in the eyes of others.

Let us establish ourselves as defenders of the faith and promoters of the Word. Focus your attention on the One who deserves it.