Words have meaning. Properly placed in a sentence they inform and enlighten the reader. Words also contain motives. Motives assigned to the words by the individual or culture, which uses them.
Consider the language surrounding the best seller Fifty Shades of Grey. The title motivates the reader to recognize today’s new cultural norm. There is no black or white, only grey. There is no right or wrong, only moral ambiguity – only shades of grey if you would. Accept what you read in light of the greyness of moral relativism.
While culture may occasionally succeed in moving it’s patrons away from moral judgments, it is far less successful in separating individuals from the specter of guilt that covers the soul when venturing into that which man calls grey and God calls sin.
Here again, words not only possess meaning, but motives. Take for instance the words “soft” porn. Can the “soft” in front of porn truly lessen our guilt? Is that not what is being attempted? How can it lessen if, when melding these words together, an impossible mix – like oil and water – is the result? Take this same melding approach, apply it to another moral term, and see how well it mixes. Husband – “Honey I had an affair but don’t worry it was a “soft” form of adultery, not that “hard core” adultery.” Wife – “Oh OK. I was getting angry, until you said it was “soft” adultery and not the “hard core” type. Let’s have dinner.”
“Mommy porn?” Really? Is this what we have come to in our attempt to alleviate guilt? Do we truly desire the word “porn” to be associated with “mommy” just so that a conscience can be quieted? Where as the old adage was, “it is like mom and apple pie, they just go together,” the new adage boasts, “it is like mom and porn, they just go together!” No, they don’t and the end result? The image of one precious word is maligned and guilt still captures its prey.
In today’s world, words have become the tools used in an attempt to shape a guiltless society, to move morality from being black or white to merely a shade of grey. But no matter how gentle the words used may be, the consequences are still as hard as stone and the grey is much darker than it appeared to be at first glance.