June 27, 2022

Adults Must Be Responsible - Bruce Atchison

Back in June of 1976, I felt torn between two desires. I needed my job at the CNIB smoke stand, located in a seedy hotel, but I also wanted to stay true to my faith in Christ. That shop sold pornographic magazines, something I wanted nothing to do with. Neither could I transfer to another shop as there were no openings left.

In no way did I want to be responsible for selling porn to people, thus contributing to their lustful satisfaction. Just handling those wicked publications made me feel defiled. Even so, I needed the money.

So I prayed and thought about my decision. Whether God gave me the answer, I can't tell. This is what I concluded. Those adults who purchased those filthy magazines were doing it of their own volition. I was a Christian but I was a mere employee of the CNIB. So I would be excused from guilt as I wasn't the owner of the shop.

And not being the owner, I had no say about what I couldn't wear. A local Christian store sold badges with various sayings on them. Some of those were humourous, such as the one showing a little boy who lost the ice cream from his cone. As a dog licked the blob on the ground, he said, "Praise the Lord anyway."

My manager wasn't at all amused. I was told to take off my badges and not wear them at work. I could have them on my coat but not on my shirt. 

There too, I was tempted to quit. But I realized that it wasn't my shop and I was under the authority of the manager. Even so, I could talk to customers about the Lord since nobody from the CNIB was looking over my shoulder.

Our employers often ask us to do what we find morally troublesome. So we need to think long and hard, and pray as well, about what we should do. But if we're asked to do something immoral, like Potiphar's wife wanting to have sex with Joseph, that goes over the line.

4 comments:

  1. Hi Bruce, I'm thankful that most of the adults in my childhood were responsible ones. It's a tougher world to grow up in now than it was in the 60s & 70s.
    Degrading images aren't just limited to corner stores now, they're in every corner of social media. Praise the Lord for His Power to guide us to His perfect Light.
    Blessings ~ Wendy Mac

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  2. These were difficult decisions for you to make, Bruce. God's grace covers all, I think. You needed your job and didn't have an alternative at the time.

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    1. Thanks, Tracy. Getting a job is much harder for disabled folks. So many jobs require good vision.

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  3. Hi brother Bruce...You showed a level of integrity often lacking not only in the 70's but certainly these days. You inspire me to continue to stand with you and our InScribe family to stand against the darkness. Blessings, my friend.

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