Lyon addresses faith and sexuality at C3
The effects of social media on culture, including gender and sexuality issues, will prove to be damaging not just to individuals but to society as a whole, according to Dr. Larry Lyon.
Lyon, senior vice president for business administration at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, spoke Monday night at Louisiana Christian University’s second Christ, Church, Culture (C3) event of the fall semester.
Lyon, who is also an associate professor of ethics, discussed the damaging effects of the media—and in particular social media—on young people’s sense of identity and self.
“I wish I could tell you, and only history will tell us, how damaging social media is to us,” Lyon said. “The thing that we’re allowing to guide us more than anything else is the fear of missing out.”
Young people see certain behaviors as the norm in the media and think they aren’t normal if they don’t go along with it, he said.
Rather than following the lead of folks you don’t know online, Lyon said, it’s important to develop real, authentic relationships with people in person and listen and communicate.
“It’s a lot harder to spew the hate that we see on social media and other places when you actually have a genuine relationship with someone across a table,” he said.
Lyon said people are struggling with sexuality in ways he has not seen before.
“Part of what we as believers need to do is open up the idea that there is a greater allowance for there to be gender expression–meaning that males can have a plethora of
things that they enjoy doing, not just sports, and still be men and still be strong. The same would be likewise for women.”
Continuing sexist ideology promotes homosexual ideology, as young people who don’t fit the stereotypical masculine and feminine don’t see a place for themselves, he said.
“Not everything is so easy and stereotypical,” Lyon said. “Men like sports, and women like flowers. It just doesn’t cut that easy. We know plenty of examples where this is not so strictly the case.”
Kayla Condrey, a freshman education major, said even though a topic like this is difficult to discuss, it is important for Christians to have insight into how to handle discussions about sexuality and gender roles.
Elijah McGrew, a senior social work major, agreed with his classmate.
“I think it’s important that we talk about these hard issues in settings like this because it’s important that we have empathy and understanding,” McGrew said. “It’s a responsibility not only for us to be understanding but also loving, and events like this encourage the student body to be that way.”
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Media Release | Oct. 3, 2023 | Pineville, Louisiana
Contact: Dr. Elizabeth B. Clarke, Director of University Communications | Elizabeth.clarke@lcuniversity.edu