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Father Confronts Indecency at the Mall

Christian author and speaker Dennis Rainey recounts a story of visiting a clothing store with his 13-year-old daughter. While he was waiting inside the store for his daughter to pick out a sweater, Rainey noticed a life-sized poster of a young man who was completely nude. When Rainey asked to speak to the store's manager, the following conversation ensued:

I shared with him that I had six children and was a good customer; then I said very kindly, "This picture … I'm sorry, but it's just indecent." I thought I'd get agreement.
Instead he quipped, "I beg to differ with you, sir. By whose standards?"
A little stunned by his response, I replied with measured firmness, "By any standard of real morality …. Sir, if that picture is not indecent, then I'd like you to get in a similar pose to that guy in the picture."
He looked at the picture, looked at my daughter, then back at me …. There was a moment of silence, full of anticipation. Then he shook his head and said, "Huh-uh."
I smiled and said, "You know, it's a good thing you didn't drop your pants, because you could have been arrested for indecent exposure."
Then he replied, "If you think that's bad, you should see our catalog."
So I went over and opened the catalog. One photo showed four teenage girls in bed with a boy …. I pushed the catalog back and said, "I'd like you take my name and phone number. I'd like someone from your corporate office to give me a call."
To which he politely said, "Sir, I can take your name and address, but they're not interested. They really don't care what you think."
My response was kind but firm: "I just want you to know I'm only one customer. I'm just a daddy of six kids, but I have a lot of friends. And I want you to know that wherever I go, I'm going to use this episode as an illustration of a company that doesn't care about the future of our young people, their morality, or the future of our nation."

Dennis Rainey concluded this story with a challenge:

One of the greatest lies of our day is that one man, one husband, or one dad can't make a difference. As a single man, you can protect the innocence of a single woman you are dating by being a noble man of character …. As a husband and father, you are the warrior who has been charged with the duty of pushing back against the evil that seeks to prey on your wife, daughters, and sons. Stepping up to courageous manhood starts here. If you don't step up, who will?

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