opinion

Johnson: Questioning prom's cost in money, morality

The days of prom being held in the school gym, with paper decorations are long gone. Now, prom is viewed as a major rite of passage, and the pressure is on children, parents, and school systems to make it a red-carpet affair.

High school prom has largely been accepted as a milestone event in the development of a child, and shockingly, even by many in the Christian community. Before sending your child to the local high school prom, you may want to consider the social pressure, the sensual perception, and America's need for serious parents.

Since the days of Adam and Eve, social pressure has been a powerful motivator, and following such pressure always includes a cost. Kit Yarrow, a consumer psychologist and professor at Golden Gate University explained the pressure of prom well when he said, "You don't want your kid to be the only kid who doesn't have what the other kids have," and again, that comes with a cost.

In 2013, Associated Press writer Joseph Pisani explained, "Prom spending is expected to rise this spring to an average $1,139." Prom spending is not only on the rise, it's reaching almost unbelievable proportions. Many parents will find ways to finance prom because in our consumer society, prom is sold as a child's biggest party and their star moment. Yet, the word of God teaches us that the true shining moment for a child should be his wedding ceremony. (Hebrews 13:4)

It is no secret that prom carries with it a sensual perception. For decades in America, prom night has been synonymous with the night a teenager loses their virginity. Sadly, many teens have already lost their purity by the time they reach their senior prom. According to NBCNews.com, "The average male loses his virginity at age 16.9; females average slightly older, at 17.4."

Prom carries this sensual perception because sensual dancing, sensual music, and sensual apparel will encapsulate the evening.

I reached out to the DJ who is hosting the Muncie Central High School prom. He emailed me a list of top 10 prom songs, which includes, "Want you to Want Me," by Jason Derulo and "Lips are Moving," by Meghan Trainor, and several other songs which feature lyrics that include references to fornication. (Consider 1 Corinthians 6:18 and 1 Cor 7:1, 2)

When asked about the dress code for the Muncie Central Prom, the first year lead organizer and school official said, "I'm not sure how we handle that, but the students know their limits. We won't allow the girls to show way too much skin." When pressed further about the dress code, the school official stated, "The school has a dress code that says the girls cannot show their shoulders, ... but school leaders gave up on enforcing that several years ago."

In 2007, the Associated Press reported that "dozens of girls were turned away from prom at Higgins High School (located in Louisiana) because a teacher thought their dresses were too revealing." The report explains that girls were given an opportunity to alter their dresses at the door on prom night, to bring them into compliance, but 20-25 girls refused.

The courageous teacher, Judy Gardner, explained that she was disappointed in the girls for "excessive displays of cleavage," and that she was just enforcing the school's dress code which states, "A student will not wear clothing that exposes the student's back, chest or midriff."

What was typical was the dramatic way in which 17-year-old senior, Miranda Melerine, responded to the teacher in Louisiana, "Our prom has been stolen from us." The response is typical because we expect adolescents to respond with adolescent logic.

What is disappointing is the way the parents of the immodest girls responded. Parents contended that their child's rights were infringed upon. Apparently in their eyes, children have a right to wear sexually suggestive clothing to prom, and disobey the agreed upon school dress code.

When considering participation in an event like prom, we must be serious as parents. Christian parents especially, need to cling to the principles of scripture and teach their children the importance of reverencing their body through purity, modesty and chastity. The word "chastity" is considered by some as an antiquated word, but the concept needs to be recovered.

We need to recover a biblical moral vocabulary in the midst of our culture's moral revolution. Serious parents should consider the message that they are sending when they allow their child to be a part of a party atmosphere that teases a teenager with the lusts of their flesh through sensual music, provocative dance and immodest apparel. Parents; don't forget what it means to be a parent. Your children are a gift from God and you only get the chance to rear them once.

James Johnson is the pastor of Temple Baptist Church in Muncie. Contact him on Twitter @TempleMuncie, or email him at templebaptistmuncie@gmail.com.