By Tiffany Green

Controversy is brewing over a Cullman County billboard that mentions “great sex God’s way.”

The sign, located in Good Hope, advertises the Web site greatsexgodsway.com and Daystar Church’s sermons on the subject. If people go to the site, they are directed to Daystar Church’s Web site.

The billboard — and the sex-related sermons — are causing a stir among some residents of Cullman County.

“Absolutely, we wanted to shock people,” Daystar pastor Jerry Lawson said. “Talking about the issue proactively is the key.”

The online messages begin with a video of Lawson speaking with an actor portraying the devil discussing the issue of sex. The devil is telling him his opinions on sex and how good it is. The devil tells Lawson it is fine as long as the partners are in love.

“We want people to see the devil is saying that,” he said. “Kids are doing some horrible things, and they don’t think they are wrong until they heard me preach about it.”

Lawson is doing a series of messages about the issue of sex and how it relates to Christians.

“Usually when the issue of sex comes up, it is after something like a unwanted pregnancy, divorce or an affair has happened,” he said.

He believes so many churches shy away from the subject simply because of the nature of the topic.

“It’s embarrassing and it’s awkward,” he said.

Lawson thinks if parents are willing to speak to their children on the topic of sex, then in turn, children will be willling to speak openly to thier parents about tough subjects.

“Families aren’t doing it enough, so we are,” he said.

Controversy

Some do not agree with the messages Lawson is bringing, and in particular the very public way it’s being promoted.

“I think it is ultimately a parent’s decision to teach their children about sex,” said Good Hope resident Dawn Jacobs. “The first time I saw the sign I was like, ‘Who put this sign up?’”

She is concerned about her young son asking questions after seeing the sign.

“I was afraid my 7-year-old son would read it and ask me what it meant,” she said. “I wouldn’t want someone else to explain to my kid what sex is. I want to be the one to do that.”

But another Good Hope resident thought it was great a great idea.

“With Cullman County the way it is, being in the Bible Belt and the buckle of the Bible Belt, for them to pull something like that, it’s ballsy,” said Steve Hines. “The sign shocked me, but I thought it was awesome.”

First Baptist Church’s education and outreach minister Jim O’Dillon said if a subject is in God’s word, it should be taught at church — including sex. But he stopped short of endorsing Daystar’s controversial method.

“There are different ways to approach things,” O’Dillon said. “Maybe I would have approached it a little more discreetly.”

Biblical message

Lawson points to the Bible as his reason for broaching the subject of sex in church.

“About half of the books in the Bible talk about sex,” he said. “The key reason (why we are doing) Great Sex God’s Way is because everyone else besides God is telling us how to have great sex,” he said.

Lawson got the idea for the messages one Sunday afternoon. He said his family came home from church and his 4-year-old daughter had cartoons on.

“My daughter saw her first homosexual kiss on Nickelodeon cartoons on a Sunday afternoon,” he said. “Someone has to teach our kids.”

Daystar prides itself as the church that reaches out to non-Christians. By presenting these messages, Lawson believes he can reach the people who may need Christ the most.

“The sex issue has been in the dark in Cullman County for years, but we are bringing it to light,” he said. “We target non-Christian people, people who don’t go to church, but might have a problem with sex.”

Lawson said people need to turn to God’s Word to learn about sex.

“He is the authority on sex, and He is being squeezed out by everyone’s opinion,” Lawson said.

Lawson said his church performed an informal poll. It asked all their church members what percentage of what they know about sex is based on what they learned from God and the Bible.

“Ninety-five percent comes from the devil,” he said. “Only five percent of what people said they know about sex comes from God.”

• Tiffany Green can be reached by e-mail at tgreen@cullmantimes.com or by telephone at 734-2131, ext. 221.