Coke and the Future

Coke...and the Future by Dr. Jim Denison

A Coca-Cola ad that foreshadows the future

"Coke" is the world's second most recognized word after "okay." Coca-Cola is one of the most quintessential American brands. When I pastored in Atlanta, our family often visited the World of Coca-Cola, a museum with fascinating displays of historical American culture.

But what we see in the US is apparently not what the rest of the world sees.

A dear friend traveling in Italy alerted me to a deplorable ad playing on television there. It depicts a handsome young man cleaning a backyard pool. An enraptured teenage girl stares at the "pool boy" through a window.

Then the camera pans to her brother, also staring lustfully at the man. Brother and sister race to bring him a bottle of Coca-Cola. But when they arrive, they discover to their consternation that their mother has already given him a bottle of Coke. She stares longingly at the "pool boy," then shrugs her shoulders at her children.

Coca-Cola clearly thinks its shameless ad will sell its product in Italy, home of the conservative Roman Catholic Church. If immorality sells there, it sells anywhere.

When Americans were debating gay marriage prior to the 2015 Supreme Court decision, many of us warned that same-sex weddings were only the beginning. The next step would be endorsing "polyamory" ("many loves"), followed by zoophilia (sexual relations with animals) and a complete redefinition of marriage and family. Unfortunately, these predictions are coming to pass.

Consider a recent Time magazine article: "I Have an Open Marriage and My Relationship Is Better Than Ever." The writer describes in glowing terms the decision she and her husband made to have sexual relationships with other people.

More and more outlets are running stories praising "polyamory" and other unbiblical relationships. For instance, The New York Times recently asked, "Is an Open Marriage a Happier Marriage?" The feature-length article profiles several couples whose relationships are purportedly stronger since they began having sex with other people.

If you think this isn't a problem where you live, you're probably mistaken.

I live in Dallas, Texas, which would be a top candidate for "Buckle of the Bible Belt." D Magazine once asked, "Is Dallas the Most Christian City in the NATION?" Yet a quick Internet search turned up multiple polyamory groups in our city. There's even a "PolyDallas Millennium" which exists to legitimize such immorality. If polyamory is thriving here, it's probably thriving in your community as well.

Which brings me to my point: Christians need to declare and defend biblical truth on marriage and sexuality, beginning with our own families and churches. We should not assume that our children and friends believe what the Bible says about these issues.

The cultural flood continues to rise, threatening to carry everything in its wake. If you don't want to be swept along, now is the time to drive a biblical stake in the ground, reaffirming your commitment to biblical morality. Now is the time to persuade those you love and influence to do the same.

Jude, the half-brother of the Lord Jesus, warned his readers that Sodom and Gomorrah "indulged in sexual immorality and pursued unnatural desire" (v. 7). Such sins were infecting the culture of his day. That's why he had to "contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints" (v. 3).

So must we.